Portable Flash Diffusers: What Works and What Doesn’t

Creating flattering light with a portable flash can be tricky, especially when you’re on the move and don’t have room for bulky equipment. Whether you’re shooting at a wedding or just want a low-profile setup, finding the right diffuser to soften light without sacrificing portability is key.

Coming to you from Markus Rothkranz of MarkusPix, this informative video breaks down the effectiveness of various small flash diffusers and modifiers. One of the first things Rothkranz addresses is the misconception about dome diffusers. Many people think attaching a dome to their flash will produce soft light similar to a softbox. However, as Rothkranz demonstrates, this isn’t the case. A dome creates hard light unless you’re in a small room with white walls and low ceilings to bounce the light. Even then, the resulting overhead light can be unflattering. He makes it clear that while domes may look professional, they often fail to deliver on their promise of soft light.

Rothkranz moves on to another common tool: bounce cards. These modifiers are slightly more effective than domes but come with limitations. When used indoors, they rely heavily on ceiling and wall reflections to soften the light, which can result in uneven or overhead shadows. Outdoors, bounce cards lose their effectiveness almost entirely. For portability, they’re decent, but they don’t significantly improve the softness of your light. This leads to the next key point in the video—size matters. Rothkranz explains that the larger the light source, the softer the shadows.

One standout option discussed is the Godox AD-S7 softbox. Compact enough to fit in your pocket, this 17-inch softbox is a versatile solution for portable lighting. Paired with a bare-bulb flash like the Godox AD200, it provides a much softer light than domes or cards.

Rothkranz points out that some silicone diffusers, while innovative and lightweight, scatter light in all directions like a light bulb. This can be beneficial in small, enclosed spaces but wastes light outdoors. For a truly directional and controlled approach, he prefers softboxes that force light forward, giving you better control over how it interacts with your subject. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Rothkranz.

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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5 Comments

A while back, he had a DYI video of modifier mounts for his Godox ad200. That inspired me to finally do one of my own. Earlier this year, I swapped the speedlight mount for the ad200 mount (Quantum) on my 26" softbox. So much more convenient.

It's sort of a prototype, but works well enough for this size softbox. If I ever do one for larger softboxes, I'll use thicker sheet metal, and nuts and bolts instead sheet metal screws.

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Yeah, I have a similar one to that. I also use umbrellas a lot because they're so portable and if I'm going with some friends or whatever I don't even bring a stand I just have a handheld one and I get one of my friends to hold it up at the right angle and they can be the stand in fact that's a lot better because in windy conditions it doesn't fall over even with sandbags. It's nerve wracking taking photos worrying it's gonna fall over with the umbrella and my AD200 pro. It's a really small light set up the umbrella fits down the side of my camera bag and the actual flash unit fits inside my camera bag so it's a one person job if I need it and just an assistant especially for shots that are require a five or 10 minute walk to get to them.

he should've have included some MagMod stuff. they're fantastic. love the MagBounce 2.

He did address it, because he said that type of modifier was more or less useless.