How to diffuse the Canon 270EX II Speedlite
(Diffusers for the 270EXII)

Diffused 270EX II

Why is it important to know how to diffuse the Canon 270EX II Speedlite?

It's simply because the on-camera flash, aimed directly at your subject is often not the best lighting to use.

Diffusing your light can separate the really attractive photograph form the average snapshot. An external flash is a camera accessory that is definitely valuable for situations where extra lighting is needed.

Learn a few simple techniques to avoid the shortcomings of using the standard flash aimed directly at your subject and you will feel better about the photos you take.

Snap-on 270EX II Diffusers

That diffusers that snap onto your flash head are by far the simplest accessory to use. Designed to spread the light out in many directions, snap-on diffusers for the 270 EX II are extremely small, lightweight and easy to carry anywhere.

They are made of a translucent plastic, are very affordable, and don;t require a lot of know-how to use successfully.  Like other light modifiers they will reduce the amount of light hitting your subject somewhat.  

Your camera can compensate exposure by using a bigger aperture or you can adjust your camera to a higher ISO setting.

Bounce Your 270EX II

Bounce the light against a larger surface.

That large surface scatters the light. Walls and ceilings are best.

The 270EX II flash head has 4 bounce positions.

Open up an f-stop or two or change to a higher ISO setting. Here's the complete post on bouncing your 270EX.

Attach a Reflector to Your 270EX II Speedlite

The 270EX II has the least amount of clip-on reflector type of accessory options, compared to a regular-sized Canon Speedlites that have the standard-sized flash heads.

See the photo on the right.  This is what I do when I want to use a little flash-mounted bounce light. I attach a rubber band around the 270EX II head and slide in a white card.

This gives you a combination of reflected light from the white card hitting your subject and mixes it with light that bounces off of the ceiling.  The size of the card and the angle you set your flash head will change the ratio between the two.

Disadvantages of using a 270EX II Flash

1. COLOR TEMPERATURE won't match the existing ambient light.  Flash guns and speedlites emit a slightly "cooler" blue light than direct sunlight and other frequently encountered light sources.

The color temperature of flashguns like the 270EX II are usually between 5000 to 6000k. For many photographers, this is really no big deal.  I wanted to mention it so you can at least be aware of it.  

As a solution, you can employ the use of a warming filter in front of the 270EX's lens to create a better match between light sources if you really need an exact match.

2. FLAT LIGHTING. When most of the light is coming from the direction of the camera, shaped surfaces are less emphasized.

No Fill flash

High overhead light from cloud sky produces shadow areas and depth.

With Fill Flash

Fill flash from 270EX is well exposed but "flattens" the lighting maybe too much

3. CONTRASTY SHADOWS can be produced on nearby backgrounds or "underneath" areas when the flash is directly above the lens.  This shows up more definitively when the flash is too strong or the only source of light.

4. RED-EYE REFLECTION.  When the light is coming from a location very close to the lens (like the hot shoe), red-eye reflection is possible, particularly in darker shooting situations when the pupils of the eyes are dilated.

Knowing  how to diffuse the Canon 270EX II Speedlite is a great way to eliminate the annoying and unflattering red-eye look.

There are also 270EX II Alternatives. As you can see by the diagram of the 270EX II, the controls are quite simple

And the front of the 270EX II is UN-cluttered too.

Once you get familiar with how to diffuse the Canon 270EX II Speedlite, you will appreciate it's size and value even more.

More Ideas on How to Diffuse the Canon 270ex II Speedlite

You can get some more ideas on various ways of diffusing light from external flashes simply by looking at some of the available accessories on a site like Amazon.

As an Amazon affiliate Canon Camera Geek receives a small commission from qualifying purchases, at NO added cost to you.

I hope you enjoyed this article called " How to diffuse the Canon 270EX II Speedlite."  Keep shooting your Canon!

Bruce Lovelace is the publisher of Canon Camera Geek. Read more about him on the About Page. He also publishes how to articles and camera gear reviews at the Photography Tips website.

View some of Bruce's photos on Instagram  and Flickr.   Join the tribe of followers on YouTube. Bruce also runs photo workshops and provides 1 on 1 digital photography coaching.

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