Best Flash Extender for bird photography?

My daughter is getting more serious about her bird photography and has decided that fill flash is essential. I am buying a Sony flash with TTL, HSS and the rest of those goodies.

She will also need a flash extender (I think) . What is the best kind to use? Better Beamer? Harbor Digital? A home-made contraption with a Fresnel lens from a craft store (recommended by one website I looked at) ?

Her camera body is a Sony Alpha 65 which will be upgraded to an Alpha 77 mark II eventually and the lens is a Tamron 200-500, which will be upgraded to a 150-600 at some point, if that makes any difference regarding the flash extender.

Your daughter is right....fill flash is essential, not in every lighting situation, but quite often a necessity.

I like the Better Beamer but have not used any other brand. It does what I want with my SB600 and 80-400 AFS Nikkor. One thing I like about it is that it separates into 3 pieces and folds flatly to take up the smallest of space....nothing fancy about it at all, but very clever.

Robert King
http://robertkingimages.smugmug.com/

Here's a vote for Harbor Digital................and it's not even close. Better Beamer's ONLY advantage is that it folds up. My three BB's have been sitting in my closet since I first bought the HD 4 years ago...........enough said!

Brian E. Small wrote:Here's a vote for Harbor Digital................and it's not even close.  Better Beamer's ONLY advantage is that it folds up.  My three BB's have been sitting in my closet since I first bought the HD 4 years ago...........enough said!

Hi, Brian. I hope all's well with you. Can you elaborate on what makes it "not even close."?

This is not a challenge; I'm just genuinely curious to read your thoughts. To me, the portability/packability has seemed to be a dealbreaker with the Harbor Digital, but I'll admit that I've not tried it so I'm interested to learn about the advantages. 

I trust the original poster will be interested in the answer as well. Not trying to hijack a thread

Cheers!
Greg

Greg, better coverage, more even illumination, no guesswork on how far to have the lens from the flash, no guesswork on whether there is any sag which causes the frame not to be full covered, no guesswork on mounting the lens on the front to compensate for sag... It really isn't even close. The only drawback is packability but even that is a red herring as the lens when removed is pretty much flat and you can stuff other things inside the housing.

My Canon Harbor Digital flash extender will not fit snuggly on my Canon 580EX II flash; it 'droops', and I got tired of trying to tighten the fit with tape, etc.  So back to my Better Beamer, which stays where you put it, and also wins marks for packability in my circumstances.

Ian Barker

Greg Basco wrote:

Brian E. Small wrote:Here's a vote for Harbor Digital................and it's not even close.  Better Beamer's ONLY advantage is that it folds up.  My three BB's have been sitting in my closet since I first bought the HD 4 years ago...........enough said!

Hi, Brian. I hope all's well with you. Can you elaborate on what makes it "not even close."?

This is not a challenge; I'm just genuinely curious to read your thoughts. To me, the portability/packability has seemed to be a dealbreaker with the Harbor Digital, but I'll admit that I've not tried it so I'm interested to learn about the advantages. 

I trust the original poster will be interested in the answer as well. Not trying to hijack a thread

Cheers!
Greg

Hi Greg,

E.J. has pretty much said it all and more for me.  I agree with everything he's said and he should know.  He's tested all these fresnel systems extensively and knows what he's talking about.  I especially agree with the comment about packing it being a red herring.  It's really NO BIG DEAL.  It goes in my checked luggage with a couple pairs of socks or undies stuffed inside after I take the lens off. The other thing about it is how sturdy it is compared to the BB.  I can't tell you how many times I knocked the BB off my flash head while walking through a forest or wooded area.  I also got sick of dealing with the glue used on the velcro lens attachment portion of the BB which always seemed to melt in hot weather.  Hope this helps and I promise you won't regret getting the HD.  

I am on my fourth BB now and while I haven't used the Harbor yet (one is ordered and on its way) I have never liked how the BB worked and always found it frustrating to line up and figure out where to mount it; not too mention the many times it has fallen off in the field. I can't wait to get the Harbor and leave the BB behind. I also can't see the portability of it being an issue at all. When I am using it, it will be on the flash. When I am not using it, it will be in my Kiboko Bag.

I use the Harbor and agree that it provides more even illumination and you avoid the "Better Burning" effect of the open BB design. Two 580EX flashes have burn marks across the front, one deep enough to show the inner electronics! My only grip with the Harbor is carrying it in the field. Unless it is on your flash it takes up precious space in your bag compared to a BB. On the other hand I'm finding that I need a flash extender less and less with the improvements in ISO performance of today's cameras.

Cheers,

Jim

In my workshops I have done dozens of flash alignment tests with participants to align their flash extenders. 90% of them when attached to their flash head drops the light coming through the lens below the target at regular shooting distance. This is a major issue as the flash has to dump full power to render the correct required exposure. When the Harbor Design is attached, the beam of light is centered on the target allowing better exposure control and faster recycle time on the flash head. For travel, I made a small wooden box so I can check it in my luggage and know it will not get crushed. The confidence that my flash is aligned trumps the packing issue IMO. Of all the tests I did, not one participant knew their flash beam was dropping below the target. That's a big concern for me.

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

Really appreciate it.

Blck-shouldered Kite wrote:Your daughter is right....fill flash is essential, not in every lighting situation, but quite often a necessity.    

I like the Better Beamer but have not used any other brand.  It does what I want with my SB600 and 80-400 AFS Nikkor.  One thing I like about it is that it separates into 3 pieces and folds flatly to take up the smallest of space....nothing fancy about it at all, but very clever.

Robert King
http://robertkingimages.smugmug.com/

I shoot lots of passerines at my maine home.  So after reading these good words about the HB, I just ordered one for shooting here.  

The migration is just getting into full swing here!

The HD one is REALLY nice. Like folks said above, the packability is really not an issue and it *is* sturdy. I always carried two BBs earlier because I was afraid they would break in the field when I am on a trip and in Peru that happened a few years ago. Now on my first and only HDFE and I am happy. A small lightweight plastic box can also be used to protect it (I put it in my carryon though).

Blck-shouldered Kite wrote:

Blck-shouldered Kite wrote:Your daughter is right....fill flash is essential, not in every lighting situation, but quite often a necessity.    

I like the Better Beamer but have not used any other brand.  It does what I want with my SB600 and 80-400 AFS Nikkor.  One thing I like about it is that it separates into 3 pieces and folds flatly to take up the smallest of space....nothing fancy about it at all, but very clever.

Robert King
http://robertkingimages.smugmug.com/

I shoot lots of passerines at my maine home.  So after reading these good words about the HB, I just ordered one for shooting here.  

The migration is just getting into full swing here!

Hold on....IMO this is not so cut and dried regarding the HD unit.  I would agree that the HD "contains" all the light and so probably consistently delivers more light to the target. 

My above comment was posted April, 2015.  I did buy the HD unit and here is what I know from personal use so far:

1.  It will not stay on my SB 600.  Inevitably, it falls off if it is put in any position but horizontal.  The Better Beamer stayed on my flash.  It is because I had a tab of Velcro glued to the SB 600's flash head.  And that tab was supplied by the BB company.  You have to have a piece of Velcro glued to the flash head.
2.  You say the Better Beamer falls apart in the field?  I have not had that problem at all.  In fact, because it is so lacking in mass, it actually holds together.  The velcro is what holds it together.  
3.  On the other hand, the Harbor Digital falls apart into two pieces quite easily.  If I push the face of the HD into the SB600 flash unit tighter. It will cause the two pieces to separate.  
4.  And I already burned a hole in the plastic housing.  That was totally my fault by not being aware, and leaving it intact, and in a position where the sunlight came through the front.  
5.  The Harbor Digital customer care was excellent:  I called them one Saturday morning and it was obvious to me that there was nobody in the office but him.  He was very nice.  He was aware of the problem the HD has with staying on certain flash heads.  He simply sent me what he thought was a different sleeve to slide over the SB600 head.  No charge....excellent customer service at Harbor Digital.  BTW, the new sleeve did nothing different; i.e. it still fell off the SB600 head.  

Bottom line:

1.  The HD is probably much better at containing and aiming/delivering the needed light.

2.  A piece or tab of Velcro glued to the flash head is remedy for preventing any extender from separating from the head.

3.  The problem of bulk continues for the HD unit.  I can tear down the BB unit and store it completely flattened.  I like that.  

I do not recommend the HD for Nikon flashes. Without the addition of masking tape the unit WILLNOT stay mounted on the flash. Even with slightest brush against a branch or the car door and it goes flying. I called HD and they sent me some parts to fix the problem. Didn't work.
I asked whether they had the drawings for their unit on autocad 3D and he said they do. I suggested he do a saveas on the drawing to Nikon flash and use the stretch command change it to the required dimensions of the Nikon units. He told me that they cannot do that because changing their manufacturing would cost them $20,000. I forgot to ask if they had access to a 3D printer. They have incorrectly designed the Nikon one taking in the filter holder (that's on the strobe) into account.
Cheers
Larry

I have both. Prefer better beamer.

I have a HD on a 580EXII and it's a great fit on the head and at least on my setup is immune to burning holes in things, The BB on the other and managed to put a couple of melt spots in the flash body. I have not checked but the diffuser seems to help with not burning holes as it is well inside the focus of the fresnel lens so doesn't focus a concentrated sun image anywhere. I use it all the time now and the BB is left as a backup.

I agree the HD for Cannon flashes works great. You have a large shoulder off the back of the flash that keeps it secured. The unit for Nikon flashes DOESN'T have that shoulder.

Cheers
Larry