One of the new gadgets I received is called the Light Scoop Deluxe. It's basically mirror that you attach to the hot shoe on your DSLR to bounce flash off of walls/ceilings and onto your subject. A picture is attached below for a visual reference.
I asked for this specific model for Christmas, but I know there are multiple products that do essentially the same thing. For your camera, I would check compatibility (I believe the Light Scoop does not attach to Sony cameras) and reviews to see if the version you are interested in buying is worthwhile.
In my opinion, the greatest advantage to a flash bounce mirror is that it's FAR cheaper than buying an external flash unit and diffuser. Any flash unit/diffuser worth buying is going to be much more expensive than the $30-$35 spent on this little mirror. This is far more compact, easy to store in a smaller camera bag, and extremely simple to use. Plus, I actually like the results almost better than the photos I've seen taken with an expensive diffuser.
I took a few photos of the same object to compare no flash, pop-up flash, and bounce flash in the same dark lighting situation. All photos were taken in my bedroom with only a dim lamp providing light. (I realize it's bad practice to place the only light source behind the subject, but I was trying to illustrate a point.)
This first picture was taken with no flash whatsoever. I intended for this photo to look terrible, but I actually ended up kind of liking the ethereal-looking stuffed animal... However, without flash, you can tell that photo clarity starts to suffer. Shadows on the face is never a flattering look for portraits either.
A person in this position might try to correct the shadows and sharpness by using the pop-up flash on the camera. The photo below shows the result of that strategy. The subject is clear, but the color is completely washed out. If this were a living dog or a human being, red-eye or shiny faces could also appear when direct flash is used.
Finally, here's the same subject shot with the Light Scoop mirror pointed to reflect straight upwards. This is essentially a happy medium between the first two photos. The shadows on the dog's face disappear, but the tone is warmer and the colors remain fairly vibrant.
If you still aren't happy with the result, the mirror will rotate side to side. The pictures below show what happens when the mirror is tilted the the right (Picture 1) and to the left (Picture 2). The mirror allows some control over the angle of the reflected light, which can be helpful if you find one side of an object or person's face to still looks too dark.
Overall, I'm extremely impressed that such a small and cheap little gadget could provide results like these. As someone who hates the look of flash photography (and doesn't want to spend the money to buy expensive external flash equipment), this is a fantastic solution to my indoor photography woes. I would highly recommend this product to anyone who is on a tight budget and who wants improved indoor photography.
Side Note: Online reviews by others have said that flash bounce mirrors do not work well on dark ceilings or walls. I have not personally tried to use this product in a dark-walled room, but I wouldn't be surprised if that were true. Despite that issue, I still think this product is worth every penny unless every room in your home is very dark-walled.
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