Everyone loves smooth, creamy portraits that a Beauty Dish creates, but hates paying the ridiculous prices for the units, usually starting at around $200. So why not hack yourself one? David Tejada did!

The commercial photographer decided to make one himself for his Speedlight (although this can be used with pretty much any large flash unit) after looking at some available online, which just weren’t worth the cost, in his opinion. So after finding a little bit of inspiration from Flickr member Tyler Burk, adding his own special ingredient in the form of a convex mirror to help bounce light, and just a little bit of effort, David has himself a REALLY nice looking beauty dish for a tiny fraction of what even the cheapest units go for online.

Made out of a garden pot, an empty CD spindle, a drain gutter downspout, some velcro, and spraypaint, this beauty dish creates some silky lighting for your portraiture, with a reported loss of light of only about a stop and a half, not too shabby for a DIY hack at all. The top image here is the bare flash, the bottom is with the beauty dish.

Camera Review site, DPReview.com, recently their in-depth review of the new Canon Rebel XS 1000D!
Remember that "in depth" really means in depth; value of 35 pages. :)
To read everything you can just click HERE.And Here are some links to pages that I find most useful:

Table comparison with other entry-level Canon cameras

Complete Specifications

Table comparison with the Nikon D60, Sony A-200 and the Olympus E-420

The advantages and disadvantages of the conclusion

Sample images


I think it a great entry level for all those who want to move from a Point & Shoot camera. But before you buying, I always recommend that you go to a store and give it a test drive. See how it feels in your hands compared to other models. Play with the buttons and make plans test.

intro
Light Studio for Photographers (Tabletop)

This instructable shows you the easy, inexpensive, and quick way to create a light box
that can get you the same photographic results as a 150 dollar light box.
The only difference is that this one can ultimately be built for under 10 dollars.
For those of you out there that don't mind spending a few extra bucks or for some reason hate recycling,
you can spend up to 30, but hey, its still cheap and way less than those "official" light box rip offs.

step 1
Get Materials
Refer to the image for materials.
Keep in mind what you may plan to shoot pictures of, for it will be a good factor in deciding
how big you want your box to be. Since were laying poster board in the box, I would recommend that you keep
the boxes' dimensions within the width of the poster board.
The two colors of poster board I would recommend getting are white and black, but of course its also good
to experiment and I find that blue and red also make good backgrounds.
But, use any colors you wish. The color of the poster board sets the "mood" for the picture i.e.
black background would be for like sleek watches or high dollar items, where as white may be for something
like a vase with flowers, or something "light" and "airy"

step 2
Prep the Box

The first thing you will need to do is get the box ready so you can apply the screen windows
(vinyl shower curtain in my case)
You only assemble the bottom of the box, leave the top of the box flaps open, but make sure the bottom is taped shut.
Try to tape the flaps together very closely to avoid a lot of light to get through.
Now lay the box on its side and assuming your box is square the side that is now facing up is your new top.
This is how the box will be oriented from now on, whenever you take photographs.
Make sure the open end is towards you and cut the top and bottom flaps off of the box, but make sure you leave
the left and right flaps.
Now (I used a carpenters square but I assume most people don't have a 3 foot square laying around, basically all you need is a straight edge.
Get your marker and trace straight lines parallel to all edges creating a square shape on each side of the box, left, right, top and bottom.
Make sure to leave about 2 inches of space between your lines and the edge of the box. If you have a larger box, I would go with 3 or more inches.
Use your judgment on this one. Now if it helps, keep using your straight edge (whatever you may have used) and use it
to aid you in using the utility knife to cut the squares out of each side of the box.
Be sure to leave the former bottom now currently the back of the box taped up.
Don't cut the back of the box that you taped up.

The picture should clear any questions you may have up.
Areas in gray are the sections of the box that are to be eliminated.

step 3
Cut and Apply Light Diffusing Material to Box Windows

This step involves cutting your material, in my case a vinyl shower curtain to fit the open spaces
on the sides of the box.
Get your measuring tape or w/e you have and measure the square spaces in the sides of your box to get an idea
of how big to cut your squares of material.
Going past the edge is key here, in case you may not have realized that.
So if your square space is 18 inches by 18 inches then you want your square piece of material to be 20 or 21 inches.
The look of the box isn't important, so going over the edge and doing a crappy tape job isn't the end of the world.
You can still make it look neat if you tape the material on from the inside of the box.
You could also glue it if that floats your boat.
The 2 or more inches of space you left at the edges is where you will attach the light diffusing material to, whether you do it from the inside of the box or outside of the box.
As you can see I just taped mine on the outside with duct tape. Look at the image notes.
The bottom of the box does not need covered with the light diffusing material, leave the hole..as a hole.
The poster board will be covering the bottom anyway.

Note: Try to keep your material tight or "stretched" so to speak so its not all saggy or droopy in effort not to cause serious shadows or detectable light distortion....
creases aren't a big deal as you can see my shower curtain has creases in it and I have found no effects in my photos.

step 4
Buying Poster Board and Lights
Now your box is basically done. All that we need now are light sources and backdrops.
You can use anything as a backdrop if you are one of those creative types and can make it work.
I find that poster board works very well. The thing to make sure is that the intersection of the bottom and back of box is underneath the curved portion of your backdrop.
This is crucial in order to create a photo without having a crease revealed, and rather makes an illusion of having an infinite nothingness behind your subject.
The more gradual the curve of the backdrop, the less immediate gradient of shadow.
It just takes some experimenting, but you will find that it works fine the first time you try it.
You can use lamps that you already have or buy new ones from Walmart or something.
step 5
Setting Up Lighting
Now that you have everything done you are ready to take some photos.
The only thing you may want to do now is learn more about lighting and still life photography.
Arranging the lights and angles can drastically change the effects or mood of your photos, along with other various factors.
There are other articles and tutorials that go in depth about still life photography and studio shooting that you can look into,
I figured you would get more professional advice by searching Google than me mushing a few things here and there in with this instructable.

I hope you enjoyed this instructable, it was my first one.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions, or any questions that I may have left unclear.



photo by :

NEW NIKON SB-900 speedlight flash technology advances at the speed of light with its zoom and smarts

Nikon Speedlight flagship Newest offers a powerful addition to the Polyvalente 
 Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)

MELVILLE, NY (July 1, 2008) - Nikon Inc. today launched the SB-900 Speedlight provide Nikon digital SLR photographers with a flash capable of a wide zoom range, increased flexibility, time recycling faster, and a wealth of intelligent functions to strengthen the already broad functionality of Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS). Building on the success of the popular SB-800 Speedlight, the SB-900 provides users with extensive possibilities of setting up lighting with a simplified interface and the ability to stay current with future technologies by the user updates applied.*

The SB-900 offers unprecedented coverage of the focal range of 17 to 200mm, to increase flexibility in a variety of shooting conditions, while adapting automatically Nikon DX or FX-format cameras. In addition, the light output was increased to a maximum guide number of 48/157.5 (ISO 200, in meters / feet FX-35 mm and the standard format). Photographers can now choose among three modes of light; Centre-weighted "provides the largest number guide and is suitable for pictures as portraits, where light Falloff in the image of the east edge of lesser importance. "Standard" provides a familiar pattern, similar to the SB-800, and is ideal for general photography and "even" which offers more edge to edge coverage, making it ideal for situations such as group photograph. In addition, the latest flagship Nikon Speedlight provides advanced photographers wireless i-TTL capabilities allowing the use of multiple Speedlights with ease and confidence on the spot or in the studio.

"Nikon is proud that his innovative leadership in flash technology has been hailed by photographers who have become aware of the versatility and power that the Nikon Creative lighting system contributes to their photography,"

said Edward Fasano, director general of Marketing System products reflex Nikon, Inc.

"The SB-900 Speedlight now provides photographers with a new level of functionality portable lighting, with performances and smart features that adapt to an even wider scope of the lighting challenges. "

The Speedlight SB-900 is designed to meet the challenges of creating lighting encountered by photographers today, including the need for fast, the demand for performance and ability to adapt seamlessly in almost any lighting scenario. The SB-900 design innovative 
 tube xenon flash and reflector system travel agent - to allow a wider zoom range of extreme wide angle of 17mm (FX) à la mise en telephoto 200 mm achieved without using accessories or as wide as 12mm DX mode using the wide-angle panel engaged.

The SB-900 offers a fast recycling time of 4.0 seconds (at full power) with four AA alkaline batteries, which drops to a mere 2.3 seconds (at full power) while using four NiMH rechargeable batteries-about 25 per hundred faster than the SB-800 with the battery its fifth attachment.

UPDATES: Lots, inside after jump. Also, you had to figure McNally would get his mitts on some early copies...

Just unveiled: The new Nikon SB-900 speedlight. From what I can see, it is fairly similar to nothing like the '800, except that it will zoom out to a 200mm beam spread.

That would be will be so cool, as it basically will give you a built-in Better Beamer, which can concentrate the light for better reach (or higher f/stop) and/or to create a nice grid spot effect.
Much more, inside.

Highlights:

• Rotates 180 degrees right or left. Sweet.
• Flash tube overheat protection, great for hi-power battery users
• More power More GN, but this appears to be only because of the 200mm tele setting: Up to GN 48/157 max
• Faster recycling - 4 secs w/Alkaline, 2.3 secs w/NiMH batts
• Tighter beam spread - up to 200mm throw
• Beam shaping - custom light patterns within the beam
• Faster CLS adjustments - physical dials.
• Upgradable firmware - sweet.
• One-second recycle w/new SD-9 Battery pack.
• Flash duration times: 1/880 (@full power) to 1/38,500 (@ 1/128 power)
• Has SU-4 setting, which presumably still means a great manual slave.
• It's a real honker. Ryan Brenizer has an animated .gif swapping out with the SB-800 here.

and...
It's five hundred smackers.
______________

I will probably get one, but I will definitely still be based on SB-800's for a while.

In fact, this may well drive down the price of SB-800s. Not so much at retail -- Nikon has their price points distributed pretty well for the '600, '800 and '900. But there will be a lot of people who will unload '800's into the market when they get their new '900. (I mean, who needs more than one flash, right?)

And yes, this is probably the only photo site that cares more about the new strobe than the new D-700. If anyone gets hands-on time, please report in via the comments. Thanks!

More info at Nikon site.
_______________

Full Press Release Text

NEW NIKON SB-900 SPEEDLIGHT ADVANCES FLASH TECHNOLOGY AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT WITH EXPANSIVE ZOOM AND INTELLIGENT FEATURES

Nikon’s Newest Flagship Speedlight Offers a Powerful Addition to the Versatile 
Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)

MELVILLE, N.Y. (July 1, 2008) – Nikon, Inc. today introduced the SB-900 Speedlight to provide Nikon digital SLR photographers with a flash capable of a wide zoom range, increased versatility, faster recycling time, and a wealth of intelligent features to enhance the already vast functionality of the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS). Building on the success of the popular SB-800 Speedlight, the SB-900 provides users with extensive creative lighting possibilities with a simplified interface and the ability to stay up to date with future technologies through user-applied firmware updates.*

The SB-900 offers unprecedented zoom range coverage from 17 to 200mm, to increase flexibility in a variety of shooting conditions, while automatically adapting itself to Nikon’s FX or DX-format cameras. Additionally, light output has been increased to a maximum guide number of 48/157.5 (ISO 200, meters/feet at 35mm FX-format and Standard). Photographers can now also select from three light patterns; “Center-weighted” provides the highest guide number and is suitable for images such as portraits, where light falloff at the image edges is of less importance. “Standard” provides a familiar pattern, similar to the SB-800, and is ideal for general photography and “Even” which delivers the most consistent edge-to-edge coverage, making it ideal for situations such as group photography. Additionally, Nikon’s newest flagship Speedlight provides photographers with advanced wireless i-TTL capabilities allowing the utilization of multiple Speedlights with ease and confidence on location or in the studio.

“Nikon is proud that its innovative leadership in flash technologies has been praised by photographers who have realized the versatility and power that the Nikon Creative Lighting System contributes to their photography,” said Edward Fasano, general manager for marketing, SLR System Products at Nikon, Inc. “The SB-900 Speedlight now provides photographers with a new level of portable lighting functionality, with performance and intelligent features that adapt to an even wider scope of lighting challenges.”

The SB-900 Speedlight is engineered to address the creative lighting challenges faced by today’s photographers including a need for fast, on-demand performance, and the ability to adapt seamlessly to nearly any lighting scenario. The SB-900’s innovative design has the 
Xenon flash tube and reflector system moving independently – allowing for a wider zoom range from an extreme wide angle of 17mm (FX) to the telephoto setting which reaches 200mm without the aid of accessories or as wide as 12mm in DX mode with the built-in wide-angle panel engaged.

The SB-900 offers a quick recycle time of 4.0 seconds (at full power) with four Alkaline AA batteries which drops to a mere 2.3 seconds (at full power) while using four rechargeable NiMH batteries—about 25 percent faster than the SB-800 with its fifth battery attachment.

While ease of use has always been a defining hallmark of the Nikon CLS System, the user interface has been even further refined to simplify control and offer faster operation. Controls for setting the wireless Master and Remote have been relocated to the outside of the unit for easier access and frequently used functions are easily adjusted with a new Rotary Select Dial. A larger LCD screen is easy to read, even in direct sunlight, and photographers can assign “My Menu” hotkeys for quicker access to commonly used functions. A new thermal cut-out protection system monitors conditions when the flash might overheat due to excessive rapid bursts. Helpful operating temperature information is provided to the photographer with an innovative temperature gauge displayed on the LCD screen.

For the first time, Nikon SB-900 Speedlight users will have the ability to take advantage of future performance advancements, by way of user-uploadable firmware. The user will be able to download the firmware onto a flash media card and upload it to the flash through select digital SLR cameras.*

The SB-900 Speedlight is Nikon’s most intelligent Speedlight ever, created in response to the needs of today’s digital photographic professionals. When using the included fluorescent or incandescent filters and adaptor, the flash automatically recognizes what filter is being used and automatically adjusts white balance accordingly on the latest Nikon D-SLRs.* Additionally, the SB-900 aids auto focus with a broader AF assist beam that covers a wide 20-105mm that is matched to all of the D3, D700 and D300’s 51 focus points. The bounce and swivel capability of the SB-900 has been expanded to include: tilt up to 90 degrees, down minus 11 degrees, and a full 180-degree swivel left or right, allowing more creativity for on or off camera use, or as a remote Speedlight.

The SB-900 serves as the new core for the Nikon Creative Lighting System when used in combination with Nikon SLRs, and supports Advanced Wireless Lighting as a master or a remote Speedlight, inviting photographers to discover endless creative possibilities. While using one or more Nikon Speedlights wirelessly, photographers can artistically use shadows, highlight details, and light complicated angles with ease. Along with the SB-900, the Nikon Creative Lighting System features a comprehensive assortment of personal lighting tools that include the agile SB-600 and SB-400, and the remarkable R1 and R1C1 Wireless Close-up Speedlight systems.

Pricing and availability

The new Nikon Speedlight SB-900 is scheduled to be available in August 2008 and will have an estimated selling price of $ 499.95 .** The SB-900 will be delivered with the Speedlight Stand, adapter rebound color filter holder , Color filter intelligent Kit, Broadcaster Dome and the Soft Case. The SD9 Battery Pack is also scheduled to be available in August 2008 with an estimated selling price of $ 230.00.