One way to manipulate light in photography is to use reflectors and diffusors. Professionals will often use soft boxes to diffuse the light in a controllable way. Most speed lights comes with a diffusor head, but that allows for little creativity. Enter the Rogue Diffusion Panel.
The Rogue Diffusion Panels have been developed by ExpoImaging, the same company that came up with the Rogue Flash Bender reflectors.
The Diffusion Panels and Flash Benders together form a modular system that is ideal for photographers who want to take their soft box with them, or for photographers who can’t justify buying a soft box — serious amateurs and semi-pros, for example. Except for this range of users, the Rogue Diffusion Panels and FlashBenders are also brilliant when shooting small objects where the speed light must be kept relatively close to the subject.
The Large Rogue FlashBender with its Diffusion Panel mounted
I tested the Large and Small models. They both produce an even light across their surface. ExpoImaging claims differences of approximately 1/2 f-stop from center to corner. When attached to a FlashBender Reflector, Diffusion Panels show a negligible light loss compared to the bare reflector.
The Diffusion Panels attach to the FlashBenders with velcro along the sides. At the top The Diffusion Panel is forced to expand a little away from the FlashBender so that a soft box effect is achieved. This is due to a rigid top piece that runs perpendicular to the FlashBender’s reflection surface, and which is held in place by a tab fastened to the FlashBender with another velcro strip. Inside, the top piece is lined with reflective material to reinforce the effect even more.
Rogue FlashBender without Diffusion Panel
The whole system is mounted on the speed light by using the FlashBender’s mounting system. A tab at the bottom of the Diffusion Panel allows you to create space between the FlashBender and the Panel even more, enabling this ‘pocket size’ soft box to compete with larger models quite effectively.
Once the the Diffusion Panel is correctly set up, its design and the materials of which it is made, produce an even light across its surface that softens light bounced off a Rogue FlashBender Reflector. The results are amazing, especially considering the sizes of the Panels compared to full-scale soft boxes. When attached, the large Diffusion Panel measures 229mm x 203mm and the small one measures 229mm x 114m).
The ultimate results you get from using them depend on your skills as a photographer — as with any photographic equipment — but from my tests with them, I’d say a skilled photographer will quickly prefer them over large soft boxes, especially when shooting away from the studio.
For portrait and small object photography, these Rogue Diffusion Panels are really good contenders for large soft boxes. Both cost approx. €16.00.
