A Better Bounce Card - DIY Style

ShaolinTiger posted this at 11:25 am on Friday, May 18, 2007 —

A bounce card causes you to face your flash unit up - pointing it to the ceiling, but you also put a little 3×5 index card behind the light to send some of the “caught” light forward. The Stofen Omnibounce, Flip-it and the Lightsphere do this same thing too each in their own way, but then so did the old bounce card.

Why doesn’t someone make something simple like a bounce card, but make it so the photographers can make it themselves and make it better than the simple old bounce card ever was?

There is something like this - it’s called “A Better Bounce Card”. And it is something every photographer can make themselves - without buying expensive devices - and make as many as they need!

Plus it’s DIRECTIONAL, Cheap, bump someone and it won’t fall off or worst yet bust off your hot shoe mount! And it’s light, actually, light as a piece of paper!!

I have had some trouble finding the foam paper, I’ve been in a lot of shops but they don’t even seem to know what I’m talking about.

I do know some people have managed to find it though, so it can’t be that hard.

If anyone knows where you can get it (preferably in PJ) it’d be appreciated.

I’ve heard someone say they got some in 1-U, but I don’t know where!

I do have a Gary Fong Lightsphere II (the clear one), but this is extremely portable and lightweight, so I’d like to keep it stuffed in my camera bag just in case.

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971 views - Filed under: Equipment, Flash/Lighting

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3 Comments »

Comment by Albert Ng

May 18, 2007 @ 1:28 pm


I think I’ve seen this before; doesn’t he use plain A4 paper?

I do think it’s one of the most effective methods. I imagine someone would invent a quick-mounting locking plastic bounce card which could be reversed on it, just like a lens hood.

In dire situations when I needed quick fill flash, I’d cup my left hand over the flash. Gives a pinkish tint though.

Comment by ShaolinTiger

May 18, 2007 @ 7:12 pm


You can use Plain A4, but it’s not as durable and doesn’t ’slide’ well. He suggests using foam paper. I’ve tried normal paper before, but the foam paper allows you to easily adjust the height and intensity of the bounce. I use my hand sometimes too, but yeah it gives a colour cast, ok for B&W though :)

One thing I like about the SB-800 is the neat built in bounce-card, it’s no that versatile though.

Comment by faried

November 20, 2008 @ 11:50 am


IKEA.. if i’m not mistaken he was talking about inkjet printing paper rm20 for 100sheet =)… just use i piece of paper only, dont know wat to do with the other =) …. i make my own one last week.. just like in the video… i just heve not found the strap yet.. currently used it wit wristband.. so funny… gud luck =)

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