Product Description

The Whale-tale has everything on your wish-list, including an open back (pat. pending), TWO interchangable diffuser flaps, trim capability for ceiling bounce, trim capability for back wall bounce, a colored gel drawer for special effects slave lighting (pat.pend - an exclusive feature)... A smaller size than the Lightsphere for the Reporter, yet with more diffuse surface area for the front pop, available chrome, gold reflector interchangable accessory slots. Most importantly is the patent-pending ONE SIZE FITS ALL grip system. So, for example - if you own a little Nikon SB600 or a Metz 45, you can use the same diffuser on both of them. And there's no confusion on which one to order -there's only one size. The Whaletail-Studio is by far the largest on-camera diffuser ever. If you are shooting portraiture, groups, or even photos for ebay, you'll need the largest diffuser ever. There is nothing as large as the WT-S.

Product Details

• Brand: Gary Fong
• Dimensions: .60 pounds

Customer Reviews

fantastic
This is a great product with many interesting features. I mainly use this for wedding photography for fill during reception shots. It has eliminated the need for a bulky strobo frame and sketchy flash cord. I love this product! Provides easy transition from soft difuse light to more power.

Does what it promises, once you get the hang of how to use it
I decided to go with this WhaleTail over Gary's Lightsphere product for the additional flexibility that it had. I have used my 420EX flash for years just bouncing it off the ceilings and walls and really wanted to improve the results that I got with that. I've been using this for a couple weeks now, and overall am very satisfied with the results. I like being able to really control the amount of light it allows, and the ability to angle it when needed (for macro photos for instance). I really have one main complaint and that is that the WhaleTail sits perpendicular to your actual flash head. This means that to have it pointed in the right direction, you have to turn your flash 90 degrees from the way you might typically point it. I did find this really confusing particularly when doing portrait shots and have to turn and tilt it different ways and always turning it the wrong way it seemed. That was using a 420ex, which has two separate buttons that handle these actions, but with my newer 580ex I was able to figure out the trick. You just have to be sure to attach it facing in the right direction, and this is easiest if you tilt the flash up 90 degrees as for a portrait shot and attach the whaletail facing forward. You'll then be able to use it without having to do a lot of adjustment to the flash, just point it straight up for normal orientation shots, and flip it up 90 degrees for portrait. Nice and easy. And if you usually just set up your camera on a tripod and shoot with one orientation, this probably won't be an issue at all.

As for the results, it does do a nice job of diffusing light, although it works best in situations where you are not really close to the subject as the front will allow a fair amount of forward flash which can cause some undesired shadows when in real close. I love having the back flap to make use of walls as an additional bounce surface and it really gives you a lot of control over directing the light. I've not had a chance to use any of the additional features available for this diffuser like the gels, but overall it gives a lot of creative control over your light for more experienced flash photographers.

I own 2
This is a dam good product. When i first got it i was having trouble seeing the difference. But once you get use to it you notice an extreme difference in light quality. I recommend buying the complete kit the gels and reflector flaps come in handy. I love this product so much that i actually bought another one for my other flash.