# DIY FLASHLIGHT DIFFUSER IDEAS



## pattersonbrl (Feb 10, 2010)

Hey everyone,
I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a light diffuser for my Romisen RC-N3 light. Here's what I had in mind.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.24123
DX only sells 3 sizes for this, and I'm afraid that none of them will fit my light. So I did some searching and happened to find a youtube video of DIY light diffuser that seemed interesting. The diffuser is made out of a 1" PVC coupler that was modified and then attached at the end was a circular piece of acrylic plastic to diffuse the light. Although it wasn't really what I was looking for because the beam seems like it is still directional out of the lens, the light is only coming through the one spot as you can see in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrsjxsJ65Kg
I ended up trying it out and went to a couple hardware stores and found that all of the store only sold 1" or 3/4" couplers... the 3/4" was too small to fit around the diameter of my light, and the 1" coupler was actually too big. So I figured there has to be a better way to make a quality light diffuser. 

Ideally, I would like to find something like the ones that DX sells, which is like a wand/cone type of thing. I went to Walmart and looked in the kids toy section to try an find some kind of cheap toy that had white plastic cones that were skinny and had no luck. I also went to a Michaels arts and crafts store to see if they had any skinny cone shaped plastic and didn't find anything. I feel like there has to be something really cheap that would be perfect but I just can't think of it. 

the only thing i could think of was one of those white plastic travel containers for a toothbrush... which I haven't gone to the store to check out yet... but I have a feeling that it won't be wide enough to fit around the diameter of any flashlight. 

Anyone have any ideas? I'd like to make something that will hold up over time, and also fit snugly without falling off easily. I'm looking forward to hearing anyone's ideas.


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## Locoboy5150 (Feb 10, 2010)

How about one of those white, flexible plastic can lids like what come with round cans of Planter's peanuts, Folgers coffee, etcetera? The local supermarket has to be a gold mine for those lids in all sorts of various sizes and colors. Sanka decaffinated coffee used to come in a can with a translucent white plastic lid that I imagine would be a good diffuser. It was clear enough to allow you to look through the top of the can to see how much coffee was inside. I don't know if it still comes with that color lid though.

Just take your light to the supermarket next time and test fit the various lids.


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## Flying Turtle (Feb 10, 2010)

The toothbrush holder may be the solution. I recall one of our members talking about one he got from Walgreens that fit his Fenix L2D. I'm always on the lookout for makeshift diffusers like this. You'll find something.

Geoff


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## Purpleorchid (Feb 10, 2010)

Just throwing out products I've seen with translucent cylindrical/conical shapes: Superglue/other glue caps? Makeup product caps? Bead containers (like little AA sized tubes)? White-out pen caps? Marker/highlighter caps?

I use Pringles lid as a white balance setting filter for my camera. If you can't find anything, you could always make one like the previous poster suggested.

Good luck!


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## Robin24k (Feb 10, 2010)

Another member on here recommended Scotch tape. It seemed to work pretty well, and if you put it on the inside of the window, it will be protected. Certainly can't beat the price and availability though. :thumbsup:


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## gcbryan (Feb 10, 2010)

Go to the grocery store and buy a roll of Glad "Press and Seal". It's with the cellophane wrap such as Saran Wrap.

It less clingy than Saran Wrap and is more translucent and has a slight pattern to it. You can cut a piece to the size of your lens and try it out on the outside of your lens if you want to remove it on occasion.

If you like it then you can put in on the inside of your lens. Scotch tape works but cuts out 25% of your light (I've read) and supposedly Press and Seal only cuts out 3%. If you need more diffusion put it on both sides of your lens. It stays on all by itself.

It's cheap, easy to find and work with and works well.


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## Roger Sully (Feb 10, 2010)

I use the caps from miscellaneous water bottles as diffusers. Poland Springs fit my EagleTac P series, Novatac, RRT-0 and E1B backup.


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## Codiak (Feb 10, 2010)

for a smooth wide angle diffused light get a plano-concave lens 
http://anchoroptics.com/catalog/product.cfm?id=275

Or you could order some Easy Cast acrylic mix, use whatever you want for a mold.... when you mix the two liquids make sure to put them in the refridgerator the night before, whisk briskly and pour. This goes against the directions which say 70 degrees.... however, mixing them cold creates microbubbles in the final product

or option 3, use sand paper on the lense.

option 4, coffee filter paper


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## ampdude (Feb 10, 2010)

Can anyone recommend some good diffuser material like Surefire uses in their beam shapers that I can trim down for a smaller light?


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## kramer5150 (Feb 11, 2010)

ampdude said:


> Can anyone recommend some good diffuser material like Surefire uses in their beam shapers that I can trim down for a smaller light?



Photographic supply stores sell light diffusing films in various grades and stock sizes. Some are made for high wattage incan lamps and lighting fixtures and therefore have high temperature ratings. you can also get it in different colors.

Roscolux is just one... off the top of my google.


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## The Dane (Feb 11, 2010)

Diffuser gel:

http://www.leefilters.com/lighting/products/finder/ref:C46DD4321DD173/


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## alpg88 (Feb 11, 2010)

i use this, works great


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## gcbryan (Feb 11, 2010)

alpg88 said:


> i use this, works great



I heard that only the older style worked as a diffuser and that the currently available stuff was clear. Is that not the case and where do you get it?


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## alpg88 (Feb 11, 2010)

gcbryan said:


> I heard that only the older style worked as a diffuser and that the currently available stuff was clear. Is that not the case and where do you get it?


hmm, it might be the case, i bought a pack like 7 years ago, still have few sheets left, i had no idea they don't make them anymore, guess that makes those few that's left more valuable now. i'll think twice now before cutting.


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## Meganoggin (Feb 11, 2010)

I use the caps from 2L Coke bottles. I sand them down to make them thinner and get the logo off.

They fit good and tight on most Surefire E series bezels, especially KL4 and E1B.

Not sure if they are the same size in the US....

Hope this helps - they are red diffusers of course!

Pete


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## SuperTrouper (Feb 11, 2010)

Meganoggin said:


> I use the caps from 2L Coke bottles. I sand them down to make them thinner and get the logo off.
> 
> They fit good and tight on most Surefire E series bezels, especially KL4 and E1B.
> 
> ...



If you wanted white you could always go with a diet coke bottle!


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## 3000k (Feb 11, 2010)

Scope caps work great and can be purchased in specific sizes. I took one off of a cheap bb gun scope and replaced the clear lens with a piece of plexiglass. I sanded one side of the plexiglass with a fairly rough sandpaper before I cut it. I then used metal polish and polished the sanded surface using a dremel with a buffer type attachment. The result was a smooth, clear matte finish that diffuses better than scotch tape.
I have also replaced a scope cap lens with the fontal part of a clear bicycle reflector. The result was a very diffused beam but it was not nearly as smooth as the plexiglass.


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## Meganoggin (Feb 11, 2010)

Doh! forgot about that - I'm more of a full fat kind of guy!


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## Magic Matt (Feb 11, 2010)

Strangely enough I've just done that for my little Romison. I have a diet coke (white), Coke (red), Sprite (green) and Co-Op Blue Cola (Blue). I'm now on the hunt for suitable lids for plastic jars that will fit the TK40.


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## Robin24k (Feb 11, 2010)

gcbryan said:


> I heard that only the older style worked as a diffuser and that the currently available stuff was clear. Is that not the case and where do you get it?


Anti-glare screen protectors should work. They're less common than crystal clear though.


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## alpg88 (Feb 11, 2010)

gcbryan said:


> I heard that only the older style worked as a diffuser and that the currently available stuff was clear. Is that not the case and where do you get it?


they seem to be still on sale. mine has a part number 98024. idk if they changed it from frosty to clear and left the same part number, i doubt it.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00003CX3C/?tag=cpf0b6-20


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## gcbryan (Feb 12, 2010)

alpg88 said:


> they seem to be still on sale. mine has a part number 98024. idk if they changed it from frosty to clear and left the same part number, i doubt it.
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00003CX3C/?tag=cpf0b6-20



Thanks. I just experimented with something else that is promising.

I just cut a piece of clear plastic from a soft drink bottle and then used a piece of sand paper to scuff it up.

This is similar to what 3000k did above. The advantage is it's cheap and you can start over if you scuff it up too much.

Attaching it to the lens won't be as easy as Press and Seal but where you can easily get to the inside lens it looks promising.


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## fiftycalibre (Feb 12, 2010)

I was just using tissue paper and a rubber band as a temporary diffuser for photography.

Not too durable but it really worked well.

Of course I had to look at it while the flashlight was on. Not too bright an idea to do that, because the light was damn bright!


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## I Know Nothing (Feb 12, 2010)

Hey... I made one exactly the same way as in that video (before seeing it). With the frosted plastic (acrylic?) from a DVD case. Very pleased with it.


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## turboBB (Feb 12, 2010)

It doesn't get any simpler or cheaper than this: 











Adjust the air in the balloon to control the light diffusion. I'd imagine if you used a long and skinny one, it'll be very close in profile to the conical diffusers but this works great for casting 360 spherical wall of light.

Cheers,
Tim


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## bthrel (Feb 12, 2010)

OMG, I almost spewed my coffee when I saw the second picture, before I read balloon, I thought safe flashlight use... LOL

But what a great idea, you could use colored balloons for different affects...

Brian


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## bondr006 (Feb 14, 2010)

I have been using a white KrazyGlue tube for quite some time now. It fits most aaa lights, and I know for sure that it fits my Maratac aaa and Fenix LOD CE like it was made for them. This thing works fantastic, and with a lanyard to hang the light on the commode door knob...well you know where I'm going with that. Makes a great night stand light also.














And then I have the lamp/lantern for my JETBeam M1X that I made from stuff I had laying around the house. *Here is the link to my post about it.*


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## Robin24k (Feb 14, 2010)

bondr006 said:


>


That is a great idea...I'm off to hunt something similar with a 1" diameter for my 2AA lights.

And talk about making phallic objects look even more like it...


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## padelis (Aug 24, 2010)

turboBB said:


> It doesn't get any simpler or cheaper than this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Incredible ingenious plan :rock:


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## angelofwar (Aug 25, 2010)

Meganoggin said:


> I use the caps from 2L Coke bottles. I sand them down to make them thinner and get the logo off.
> 
> They fit good and tight on most Surefire E series bezels, especially KL4 and E1B.
> 
> ...


 
Been lookin' for a diffused red filter for awhile! Will definitely have to try this. I tried spraying some glass frost (which works perfect for removeable lenses ([email protected]'s/SF's) on my F05...didn't have quite the results I expected...Thanks for the tip! Meganoggin'! Anyone know where to get a 2L Coke cap in Iraq???


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## GregWormald (Aug 29, 2010)

If you want a diffuser that leaves you with a floody flashlight then a small circle cut from a soft CD/DVD case works well. Cut it with little 'ears' on it and it will snap into place on top of the O-ring that seals the lens.

If you want a 'lantern', then go to the local film processing outlet (yes, some people still use film) and get one of the white 35mm film canisters. Cut the lid to fit the light and use the whole canister.

Greg


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## LotusDarkrose (Sep 12, 2010)

I have found that cutting a circle of the 4sevens "green packaging" works to diffuse fairly well.


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## jellydonut (Sep 12, 2010)

padelis said:


> Incredible ingenious plan :rock:


Until the heat from the light pops the balloon.


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## LotusDarkrose (Sep 12, 2010)

Maybe it would pop if you're trying to diffuse a hotwire with it


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## jankj (Sep 13, 2010)

I was just able to squeeze a fourseven quark into the mouth of an empty water bottle. The result was satisfactory, and provided light for our camp meal. As always, your mileage may vary - in particular with your local brand of water bottle.


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## prof student (Sep 16, 2010)

GregWormald said:


> If you want a diffuser that leaves you with a floody flashlight then a small circle cut from a soft CD/DVD case works well. Cut it with little 'ears' on it and it will snap into place on top of the O-ring that seals the lens.


 
What's does that look like?


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## dealgrabber2002 (Sep 16, 2010)

Any bottle cap style diffuser for an Eagletac P100A2 XP-E R2? Thanks.


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## low rez (Nov 22, 2011)

I use a 35mm film canister with a hole cut into the cap. Fuji films are all white translucent including the cap. They work great and have a flat bottom to stand up on.


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## Var (Dec 19, 2012)

Would these work or are they too translucent? Unfortunately they only sell in cases of 48 but it's still less than 20 bucks. 

The one i'm looking at is 39mm wide x 94mm long so I think I could get it to fit on the 40mm Nitecore EA4 pretty easily. I was thinking of using one at full length for lantern and one cut short just as a diffuser. 

What do you guys think?


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## Mr Floppy (Dec 20, 2012)

Var said:


> Would these work or are they too translucent?



Take a piece of fine sandpaper to it, it should cloud it up a bit. Even some abrasive cleaners will do a job on them.


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## kosPap (Dec 29, 2012)

how about ping pong balls?
Anyone care to sacrifice one?


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## tam17 (Dec 30, 2012)

kosPap said:


> how about ping pong balls? Anyone care to sacrifice one?



I have a few, but they're orange! I see people using them (white ones!) as flash diffusers on DSLRs with notable results. Would make excellent camping lights IMO. I'm not sure about light loss, it's celluloid after all :thinking:

Cheers


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## Mr Floppy (Jan 13, 2013)

tam17 said:


> I have a few, but they're orange! I see people using them (white ones!)



I don't mind the orange ones but they are very orange. With a neutral light, it's almost like a camp fire but a cool white gives it a more fluorescent orange. 

As for sacrificing, they are pretty cheap for a pack of 6 with 3 white, 3 orange. About a dollar to two dollars. Not much difference between them either. If you get a competition 3-star ball however, you might notice that there are fewer "splotches". 

To get a bit more transparency, rub the ball in banana oil. It takes a bit polishing but you can get it a little bit transparent.


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## Norman (Jan 16, 2013)

My eye drop bottles are 1" diameter with a narrow neck, so I trim the top off at a suitably snug point. If I push it on all the way, I get a diffuse beam. If I pull it off part way, I get a nice area light. Makes for a good lens protector too.

Another idea is a pool noodle. I had one laying around, and decided to try sticking a flashlight down the centre hole. If you're careful about keeping it straight, and the light is bright enough, you can light up the whole 4 1/2 foot noodle. Depending on how short you cut the noodle, you may have to do something about the light coming out the end of the hole. Dunno if the size varies, but this particular one seems to work for 18mm (AA) up to a 25mm diameter (my WF-501B's head is too big). The foam will have some insulation ability, so you'll have to be careful about how far you stick the light in, as well as heat build-up from long run-times on higher power settings. Overall, it seems to do a nice job. Now I only wish I had bought a red one instead of fluorescent green.


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## Bauer (Jan 16, 2013)

Milk jug


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## Al_D (Jan 16, 2013)

Ping pong balls are a lot more flammable than most commercial plastic containers.

You'd be surprised how many great containers can be had at a Sweet/Candy shop.


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## argleargle (Jan 19, 2013)

When I need a diffused light, I simply reach for my LED drop in OD Green 90 degree 2xDcell GI light and paw through the selection.

Do it myself? Why, when I have the perfect tool for the job? 

Anyway, to be on topic, I've cut parts out of plastic bottles before and placed them between the bezel and lens of a flashlight.


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## Hallgeir (Jan 20, 2013)

DIY diffuser? *Smear the glass with Vaseline or grease or.........


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## argleargle (Jan 20, 2013)

Hallgeir said:


> DIY diffuser? *Smear the glass with Vaseline or grease or.........



Ahahaha! Good one! 

Since I have a bead blaster, I can frost lenses and non-coated reflectors to my heart's content.


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## cyclesport (Jan 20, 2013)

Don't know if posted already but in a pinch a cotton ball, or better yet...a ball of dryer lint on top of the lens of any tailstanding capable light. *Can't be too dense.


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## shawn a. (Feb 6, 2013)

*Quar-- easy candle mode solution*

I hope this helps someone.On a regular Quark head, the white cap from a small can of Ozium air freshener will fit over the head very nicely due to the 4 ribs on the inside of the cap.Instant candle!Ozium also makes a larger can, whose cap fits over some other flashlights I own.Also, some soda bottle caps fit over other lights of mine.Yeah, the power goes out here a lot in my cave in the hills.


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## shawn a. (Feb 6, 2013)

*Re: Quar-- easy candle mode solution*

QUARK-- I meant Quark!I couldn't correct the title on my dial-up, at least not before the polar ice caps melt!


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## Imon (Feb 6, 2013)

*Re: Quar-- easy candle mode solution*


Thanks for the tip shawn.a

I believe this is common knowledge in these forums. CPFers have been using the caps of bottled water for years as a cheap, easy diffuser.


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## Thr3Evo (Feb 6, 2013)

*Re: Quar-- easy candle mode solution*

Indeed they have Imon

Good  diffuser  thread. 

OP may want to share the findings there.


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## Racer (Feb 6, 2013)

*Re: Quar-- easy candle mode solution*

Ti with blue Blistex cap:


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## argleargle (Feb 8, 2013)

*Re: Quar-- easy candle mode solution*

I'm loving that, racer! Simple and elegant.


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## Grizzlyb (Feb 8, 2013)

*Re: Quar-- easy candle mode solution*

I had the same problem, TK75 does not come with a Diffuser, so..... made it myself in 15 minutes. (actual work was 2 minutes when I found the pot of handcream  )
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...own-Defusser&p=4128115&highlight=#post4128115


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## ledmitter_nli (Mar 2, 2013)

Fenix diffuser with a PAK-LITE inside on Hi. It's exactly what I see in the area (the diffuser itself is a bit over exposed)











So 4 of these placed around the peripheral areas of a camp site would garner quite a bit more ambient lighting.

The PAK-LITE actually fits snugly inside towards the tapered end so it all can be moved around like a night light easily.

60 hours (or five 12 hour nights) of illumination at this same intensity using 1 lithium 9V is awesome. :thumbsup:


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