A Kickstarter campaign is underway to launch the BounceLite, the self-proclaimed “future of flash diffusion”. The hotshoe flash accessory, currently seeking £28,000 in crowd funding, is an all-in-one adjustable diffuser, bounce card and filter holder designed to fit most speedlights.
Having covered a good number of would-be “revolutionary” lighting accessories and their crowd-funding projects, we were a bit sceptical about just how innovative the BounceLite really is. So we asked. Why get an £88 ($150) BounceLite over a home-made bounce card or even some other existing brand of flash diffuser?
Inventor Tony Chau, who is based in the UK, told Lighting Rumours: “In one unit, the BounceLite features a soft box, an adjustable white card, a filter system, robustness and the ability to shoot in normal flash without removing the diffuser… it’s essentially the Gary Fong, Flashbender, Stofen and most other diffusers in one piece of hardware.
“The BounceDoor (which is the adaptable white card) allows the photographer to control flash at ANY angle without having to change to a new diffuser. The BounceLite itself doesn’t release any light so the door is given complete control over the amount of spill or can be moved out of the way entirely so the flash fires directly. Then, in that direct mode, the filter can be changed or removed so that colour can be implemented, all without removing the unit. It’s very convenient.”
Mr Chau also emphasises the strength of the mounting system — an adjustable rubber strap — over less secure Velcro-based solutions, and the superior quality of material used in the BounceLite instead of “flimsy plastic”. He adds: “It’s ambitious but we want to bring new value to the word ‘diffuser’.”
The aesthetics come into it too: “We think it looks much more impressive on the flashgun than any other diffuser,” said Mr Chau. It remains to be seen whether clients, as non-photographers, would be able to tell the difference, however.
At the time of writing, BounceLite is making decent progress, having raised £10,000 towards its target, with 18 days and £18,000 to go. Assuming it gets the funding in the end, backers will receive their BounceLites by the end of this year. To find out more about the project and to back it yourself, visit the Kickstarter campaign page.
What do you think about this product? Is it something you’d like to see in your camera bag?