Reddit mentions of RoundFlash Beauty Dish Collapsible Softbox for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic Lumix, Neewer, Yongnuo External On-Camera Shoe-Mounted Flash Units

Thanks for the mention, here is that info...


Hand held OCF beauty dish: I am really loving this hand held beauty dish setup that a friend [LukasG] showed me... It is great for chaotic dance floors to produce really dynamic light, outdoor situations, or just on the fly soft artificial. The best part is that this 18" beauty dish style soft box collapses down to 0.25"x5" and just slips into the back pocket of my main bag. I can pop it open and onto a speedlight head in less than a minute for truly on the fly situations with a very small extendable boom handle that I also keep in my bag or even just hand hold the speedlight and I always have it on me without taking up any space at all. The look isnt that dissimilar to a 36" softbox but way more portable and manageable.

• 18" Roundflash collapsible beauty dish... I actually use the cheap knock off one but they don't sell it on Amazon anymore but you can find ones for $19 on eBay.
  
  
• Collapsible boom pole
  
  
• 1/4" cold shoe clamps if you don't have some laying around already

I don't consider myself a great photographer, but I can certainly help with this question for once.

Each year I visit DragonCon (like Comic-Con but less Comics more Sci-Fi and Fantasy Cosplay) and I shoot with the following setup:

• Nikon D750
  
• 35mm 1.8G
  
• Yonnuo Flash Gun
  
• Wireless Receiver
  
• Wireless Trigger
  
• And my most beloved piece, this flash diffuser
  
• [My camera strap] (https://holdfastgear.com/products/camera-swagg)
  
  
  This particular Round Flash diffuser is bulky and sometimes awkward in crowds, but I've tried out several including FlashDisc, various square diffusers, and another "macro" diffuser made by the same company. RoundFlash is by far the most beautiful light for the portability and effort at around $60.
  
  So basically I use a dual-camera strap except on my right hand I put the camera + lens + transmitter on on the left hip I've got the flash gun + the round flash diffuser. I know this sounds weird but DragonCon is also about partying, so this setup lets me literally go hands free while carrying two beers and leaving the flash / camera at my side.
  
  Moving the flash off the camera makes for much more flattering light.
  
  I typically shoot at ISO 400-800 depending on how dark it is, normally at F/1.8 - F/2.0 for single individuals, of course I stop down to around F/4 to F/7 for bigger group shots.
  
  
  Shutter speed I'll very the most, but I've gone anywhere from 1/160 anywhere up to around 1/800 if there is actually more light. After 1/250 your camera should be capable of High Speed Sync. Now if you have that much light, you don't necessarily need the flash, but I treat it like a portrait - I have the flash to separate the subject from the background, and to get those catchlights in the eyes, to me, makes them pop.
  
  
  I raise the flash up above my head basically treating it like a beauty dish, firing the flash down at them up and across 30 degrees. I'm usually only a matter of about 3-4 feet away. I do this with a 35mm and correct for any warping in Lightroom because at least at Dragoncon, its shoulder to shoulder and sometimes I can't step back and get a good photo.
  
  Of course you can save money here in a few ways compared to my setup:
  
  
• Skip the stupidly expensive shoulder strap - I just use it because I've got back problems and it helps weight distribution and helps me go hands-free if necessary.
  
• Could easily use a wire to trigger the flash and skip the transmitter / receiver. I just already had them, so I make use of them.
  
• You could do a cheaper lens / camera setup, but I'd recommend something fast enough to go to F/2.0. The camera also needs to be capable of High Speed Sync with the flash gun.
  
  I'm currently working on changing my setup to a Fuji X-100F that shoots at 2.0 and is way more light-weight than the D750, but I still use the same exact flash setup.
  
  Going to work, but here's a few examples, will post again later if you'd like:
  
  sample photos
  
  Edit: These are nearly right out of the camera, only adjusted slightly for shadows and highlights. Also added a few more details of my setup.
  
  Edit again: Before somebody says it, yes I underexpose the ambient lighting - I just kind of like that style. At cons there are always 100 people in the background, so exposing the ambient lighting down helps to minimize their presence in the photo.