Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce OM-EY Flash Diffuser (for 580EX, 580EXII and Sigma 600 Series)

A lot of people have mentioned this diffuser is "too tight" to fit on the 580 EX II. It is quite tight, but that doesn't last. After putting it on and taking it off a few times it must stretch slightly - mine is now a firm fit but I do not have to struggle to get it on any more.The diffuser does exactly what it is supposed to, although sometimes I still need to dial back the flash gun's power a bit especially when snapping highly reflective subjects up close. I do much prefer to bounce flash off the ceiling and walls (this is where the 580's big guide number comes in handy) but for those situations where that's not possible or won't give even light coverage, the OM-EY is quick, easy, and convenient to use.If you are buying a diffuser for the Speedlite 430EX or 430EX II, it won't fit. You need  this one  instead.

I was very pleased & surprised at the improvement this made to pictures of faces taken using flash. It gets rid of that white washed out look & leaves faces with natural colour. I wish I'd tried one years ago.I have a 580EXII unit & it fits fine - I only slide it on 7-8mm - I wouldn't try & slide it on further because I'm sure it would then be difficult to remove. Apart from an increase in the overall size, I can't see what difference it makes by not having it slid on further.

I've used Stofen diffusers for many years, in fact on every Canon speedlight I've had, and they have all been excellent. This one however, is the worst Stofen I've had, the fit is way too tight. I have to push very hard to get it on to my 580EX II, and when it is on, well, kind of on, it does not sit properly, it's like it was made for another speedlight! As a diffuser it does the job well, which is what you want it to do, it's just a pain to get it on and then off when your done, and it should not be, quality control slipping a tad perhaps!

What can I say about this simple piece of opaque plastic? It improves on camera flash greatly. I tried a few photo's without the difuser using bounce flash to get softer shadows. With this difuser attached my Canon EOS 40 and 580 flash the results improved ten fold.I won't be taking any flash photos without this piece of kit attached.Buy it, you won't be dissapointed.

I use mine with a 580 EXT II, it's soft plastic and fits over the flash head nice and snugly.It does a great job of diffusing the light in all directions and if you know the limitations of a flash dome diffuser it will be a great edition to your kit.It's at a very decent price point as well, I've bought other flash domes for Nikon Speedlights for a similar price and they haven't been as effective, and to boot they have been hard plastic making them prone to popping off of the flash unit if they aren't properly secured with a rubber band, no such issues with the Stofen.

Fits fine on my 580EX2, you just have to push it on squarely with a reasonable amount of force and on it goes. It is very good at softening the light evenly, perfect for portraits. A bit pricey for what it is, but you are paying for the name, still recommended.

BEWARE – before buying this diffuser, I would recommend you research what a real Sto-fen looks like on the US company's website and draw your own conclusions. I eventually get a refund.N.B. I had to re-write this after my original review was deemed too strong.

If you don't have a diffuser get this. I've had a 580ex a while and just used bounce with odd bits of card occasionally. Once I bought this images are improved dramatically and it's not as imposing as other diffusers that you can buy. My only problem is it doesn't store well (as it adds an inch to your flash's length).If you want something grander like the lightsphere etc, then fair enough, but for my needs of something a little subtler (OK an SLR and flash aren't too subtle, but every little helps), this was perfect.I'd also recommend you buy at least a CTO (orange) gel for a better effect in incandecent light.