In article <42r7ek$k2o@male.EBay.Sun.COM>, redy@topspeed.ebay.sun.com says...
>I want to attach a small softbox onto my Canon 430EZ dedicated
>shoe-mount flash. May also want to use it on a Vivitar 285HV
>for other cameras. The strobe will be off-camera.
(some deleted)
Alas, there is no magic way to soft flash light. The small add-ons
for small flashes tend to increase the effective light source size
only marginally, no matter how large they are, and light source size
combined with the distance from the subject (and the subject from the background) is what controls the sharpness of the shadow edges. You need a large reflecting surface like an umbrella or nearby wall (and
probably lots more flash power) to really soften shadows. If you can, try one of the "diffusers" before buying, aim it at yourself, and
fire the flash. The later afterimage will give you some idea of the
actual size of the light source relative to the flash alone - I think
you will find that they are not much different (they would need to be many times different in size to see much difference in the photos, unless the flash is close to the subject).
BTW, if you want to go "cheaps" on this, and are determined to use
one of these devices, let me recommend a large Styrofoam cup inverted
over the end of the flash head pointed straight up - works as well
as as anything I have seen....
Hope this helps.