[JayR]

I have a couple of the Pentax AFGZ-540s for remote triggering through ultra portable softboxes and also an Orbis ring flash reflector for some of the portrait work I play around with, but just wondering if people had any experience with using the macro flash as a general flash?
I like the halo effect from the orbis, but its a pretty bulky set up when its in place.

Does this macro flash have much range?

I also have the DFA100mmWR but dont do a load of macro work right now, but wondered whether this might have some use in general photography, ie portraiture and event photography (I do a bit of clubs and music festivals) when you want the subject to really stand out from the background...

Thanks in advance!

[Digitalis]

I use the pentax AF160FC a great deal - it is perhaps one of the most surprisingly versatile units I own. The AF160FC does portraiture extremely well - the flash has a built in diffuser, and the halo shadows are softly rendered. I use the AF160 FC for fill flash with wireless flash setups, because the ringflash is a shadowless light source it is and excellent choice for fill flash - and the ringflash comes in handy for triggering strobes optically, the optical slaves on an AF540 FGZ can pick up a flash from the AF160 from a considerable distance away.The size of the ringflash itself is a bit bigger than the competition, but that is what you get for soft diffused shadows.

one thing you really have to watch for with ringflash is the red-eye effect with portraiture.

[JayR]

Yeah I gathered re red-eye... though given I like to use the DA*16-50 a fair bit for said music festival photography, I understand it doesnt work for the 77mm diam thread?
I read about the Sigma 140 but it doesnt appear to be as 'circular' as the pentax model (and its also a lot bulkier on the hotshoe)

[tuggie76]

Hi, I have the AF160fc and have only used it for macro work. I have just purchased Practical Photography and it suggest using a ring flash for portraite work, which sounds interesting! I just logged onto the forum and found the post about using wireless flash with this unit, but don't see how! Can you enlighten me please?

You can buy adaptors to change the size of the attaching rings, I have a 72-67 for my Sigma lens and it works fine, you may loose some of the photo edges though.

Thanks

Tuggie76

[Digitalis]

I like to use the DA*16-50 a fair bit for said music festival photography, I understand it doesnt work for the 77mm diam thread?

no, it doesn't - but in the splendidly designed case the pentax AF160FC ringflash comes in you have adapters from 49~67mm at your fingertips.Personally I use the AF160FC with primes Zoom lenses especially the DA*16-50mm f/2.8 SDM extend quite a bit at the front (though there are a few out there that do not) and putting a heavy ringflash on the end of the lens is just begging for some mechanical issues to develop later on. The AF160FC flash tubes are significantly larger than what is used in competing flash units the sigma uses 60mm flash tubes the pentax ringflash uses 120mm semi-toroidal flash tubes, which can throw out quite a bit of power even though there is a built in diffuser in front of them.

I just logged onto the forum and found the post about using wireless flash with this unit, but don't see how! Can you enlighten me please?

it's quite simple although you have to forgo the luxury of P-TTL to do it: pentax flash units have a very useful SL2 mode- or "dummy optical triggering" mode the optical slave can pick up the flash from the AF160FC from a greater distance than it can with just about any other flash - this is because of the size of the AF160's flash head.

[JayR]

no it doesn't- but in the splendidly designed case the pentax AF160FC ringlash comes in you have adapters from 49~67mm at your fingertips.Personally I use the AF160FC with primes Zoom lenses especially the DA*16-50mm f/2.8 SDM extend quite a bit at the front (though there are a few out there that do not) and putting a heavy ringflash on the end of the lens is just begging for some mechanical issues to develop later on. The AF160FC flash tubes are significantly larger than what is used in competing flash units the sigma uses 60mm flash tubes the pentax ringflash uses 120mm semi-toroidal flash tubes, which can throw out quite a bit of power even though there is a built in diffuser in front of them.

Yeah I wondered about the extending zoom vs weight thing - obviously thats not an issue with the DA*50-135, but then given the increased minimum focal distance, would it be much less effective in range?
TBH, I could see using this with my primes and studio shoots, but was really hoping to be able to use it for the music festival stuff (and my main lens there is the 16-50).

Aah, will have to wait till there's another Adelaide macro session or something and see how it goes. Certainly havent seen them in any shops locally.

[tuggie76]

Thanks for that, I found the owners manual and learnt a whole lot about off camera flash!

[Digitalis]

will have to wait till there's another Adelaide macro session or something and see how it goes.

and I'll bring mine along to show you a few tricks the AF160FC can do.

[JayR]

and I'll bring mine along to show you a few tricks the AF160FC can do.

cheers!
missed the last one due to family commitments but havent really heard of any more local Pentax meets either through here or Ausphotog for a while - maybe Ive just been too busy to notice

[Stevil]

I use the pentax AF160FC a great deal - it is perhaps one of the most surprisingly versatile units I own. The AF160FC does portraiture extremely well - the flash has a built in diffuser, and the halo shadows are softly rendered. I use the AF160 FC for fill flash with wireless flash setups, because the ringflash is a shadowless light source it is and excellent choice for fill flash - and the ringflash comes in handy for triggering strobes optically, the optical slaves on an AF540 FGZ can pick up a flash from the AF160 from a considerable distance away.The size of the ringflash itself is a bit bigger than the competition, but that is what you get for soft diffused shadows.

one thing you really have to watch for with ringflash is the red-eye effect with portraiture.

Hi there.

It's great to see that someone is using the AF160FC Ring flash for portraits because that's the reason I bought mine. I haven't had much of an opportunity to try it because every time I try to shoot someone they tell me it's blinding. Do you have any tips? I've tried a longer lens and more distance but then I don't get that stark effect.

Any help you can provide would be appreciated beyond belief.