wide angles lens +flash+ close subject = inevitably washed out? help!

So I'm shooting skateboarding and biking and using a 20mm lens. My old flash wasn't strong enough to cover the entire area so I bought a Vivitar 283 and a Flash Diffuser that says it will cover up to a 15mm lens. I haven't gotten my slides developed yet but I wanted to ask anyway....

The Vivitar 283 says it's closest setting is (purple) 10 ft, at f11. now I'm using a wide angle lens and I definitely want to get closer than 10ft. I'm usually shooting around 5 ft away with the 20mm and my question is, will it wash out or will the Flash Diffuser cover me? And how do I know which fstop to use?

Also, if I forget about the color settings, the number settings say at 5 ft , use f22, BUT there is no color setting for it, so does that mean the flash is too strogn to get that close? I'm pretty confused and lost on trying to find answers here so please help! Also any recomendations are welcome. Thanks! -justin

First - the flash doesn't have to be "strong enough" to cover the angle of view of a 20mm lens, the light just has to be diffused enough to cover that angle. Problem is that it takes alot of power to get diffused light to go any distance, so the 283 is probably a good choice. If their diffuser works up to 15mm, you should be fine but if not, check out this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...u=52695&is=REG

As far as subject distance goes, there's a sensor on the front of the flash that helps you get the proper flash exposure. Try f22 at 5' and you should be OK from the sounds of it, sometimes it's trial and error unless you go fully manual with a flash meter (studio work, not action shots of course!). Actually, half the distance would need one-fourth the amount of light, so that would be (based on 10' at f11 versus 5' at f?) f22.