29 Aug Macro Diffuser Comparison: Cygnustech Diffuser, AK Diffuser, Trick Bits Diffuser
There are a lot of very different approaches to Macro Photography.
While some prefer to photograph only in natural light, often with the help of a tripod, there are others use flash to capture tack sharp photos of subjects even during movement.
All of these approaches require their specific equipment and tools.
I have written numerous articles highlighting how important it is to use a diffuser if you are going down the Macro Photography with Flash route.
However, before you buy your Macro Diffuser you have to decide which one to get, as there are quite some brands, makers and models on the market.
Some do have a lot of handy extras, sometimes helpful, sometimes absolutely unnecessary.
The differences are mostly their size and build, the angle of the diffusion layer and the aforementioned extras.
While the specific design and build is really up to your personal taste to decide upon, what matters the most is how well the Macro Diffusers diffuse the flash light.
To give you an initial idea of how the diffusion of some of the best selling Diffusers works, I decided to share some side-by-side comparisons.
The results did surprise me a bit and we will get back to that in the conclusion.
The setup
I will add more sample shots and subjects in the future, to highlight different textures and grades of mirroring of the surfaces.
A preserved beetle specimen was positioned in front of the lens on a piece of tree bark.
The Camera (OM SYSTEM OM-1 II with M.Zuiko 90mm IS PRO) was placed on a compact tripod to guarantee a stable scene.
Comparing the Cygnustech Diffuser, AK Diffuser and the Trick Bits Diffuser
As these 3 are the macro diffusers which i regularly use and mention the most in my articles, I decided to start the comparison with:
- Cygnustech Diffuser
- AK Diffuser
- Trick Bits Diffuser
You can read more about these 3 Macro Flash Diffusers in my extensive review article, here.
During the series I have changed the flash power, when I realized that one of the diffusers was leading to brighter photos than the other, to give an ideas of how much flash power you could save (or needed additonally) for similar results.
Sample Photos
Comparison all 3 Diffusers –
identical flash power to show differences in exposure, diffusion and light outpout
Flash Power : 1/32 +0.5
The Cygnustech Diffuser let more light pass through the diffusion layer, while the AK Diffuser was even a tad darker compared to the Trick Bits Diffuser which I used as the initial reference.
Comparison all 3 Diffusers –
different flash power for most similar look/exposure
01: Trick Bits Diffuser – Flash Power 1/32 +0.5
02: Cygnustech Diffuser – Flash Power 1/32
03: AK Diffuser – Flash Power 1/32 +0.5
Cygnustech Diffuser
The Cygnustech Diffuser is an open design, but still provides great lighting, as we will see in the conclusion.
Also, by pulling the rubber band of the diffusion layer backwards, it is possible to angle the diffusion layer and change the lighting (compare 02 and 03).
However I use this less than I probably should, as on the M.Zuiko 90mm IS PRO, the rubber band can get in the way of the focus clutch (if you are using this).
01: Cyngustech Diffuser – Flash Power 1/32 +0.5
02: Cygnustech Diffuser – Flash Power 1/32
03: Cygnustech Diffuser – Flash Power 1/32 (Diffuser angled downwards)
AK Diffuser
The AK Diffuser comes with a lot of options, like reflectors and kickers, but for this quick and simple comparison I only used the standard version without attaching any of those extras.
01: AK Diffuser – Flash Power 1/32 +0.5
02: AK Diffuser – Flash Power 1/32
03: AK Diffuser – Flash Power 1/16
Trick Bits Diffuser
As I was using the Trick Bits Diffuser for my reference shot, I did not take more with it with different flash power settings.
For the next update of this comparison, I will include some, though – and also some taken with other diffusers as well.
Conclusion
Before I started taking the photos for this comparison, I was very convinced, that the different Macro Diffusers would give me very different and instantly noticeable results.
I was surprised, that the diffusion was very similar actually – which is great, as it means all 3 of these diffusers do their job very well.
It also illustrated that very different designs could lead to similar results.
When it comes to choosing your own Macro Diffuser, you can hence focus on selecting by their features instead, as the diffusion will be great with all of them.
Or you base your choice on price differences.
One aspect that should not be neglected is the amount of light, that can pass through the diffuser.
There was one model (Cygnustech) that allowed me to dial down the flash power by 0.5 to get a comparable result to the others, which can actually make a big difference.
This means your flash battery will be able to power more flashes and you have a better freezing ability as less flash power results in a shorter flash-firing time.
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