[disco_owner]

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Does anyone have one of these Macro Ring Flashes with LED's or similar . I have just bought one on Ebay and wanted to hear your experience

Macro Ring Light F Canon Nikon Pentax Sigma Macro Lens | eBay


It has three output modes: all light, half left light, and half right light.

Will this ring flash do the Job for a Novice starting out on Macro Photography ?

if it helps I have a Tamron SP 90 that I use on K5IIS.

should I have biten the Bullet and Bought one of these ??

Metz Mecablitz Ring Light Wireless Digital Macro Flash 15 MS 1 EMS Freeexpress 719821297918 | eBay

[Digitalis]

I work with the Pentax AF160FC ringflash - and they are extremely useful for macro work, However I have students that have LED ringlights that don't find them to be all that useful - especially the cheap ones that use white LEDs that have nasty colour casts that make them inappropriate for product and portrait photography.


Pentax K-7 + Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX Macro with the Pentax AF160FC ringflash.

[disco_owner]

Thanks Digitalis , a non forum member elsewhere also warned me about the colorcasting that may occur by using cheap Led ring flash units. This is just for the interim until i can afford a better flash unit.i have my sight set on the mecablitz macro ringflash. link i posted above.

[hangman43]

Thanks Digitalis , a non forum member elsewhere also warned me about the colorcasting that may occur by using cheap Led ring flash units. This is just for the interim until i can afford a better flash unit.i have my sight set on the mecablitz macro ringflash. link i posted above.

For about $100.00 you can create the set up I use which does great for insects and flowers




Here is a insect shot wit it



Here is a flower

[disco_owner]

Thanks for this hangman , do you have any links you can provide for the bracket and soft curtain ?
Also I can see at least 1 problem with that set up , light will be uni directional lighting. If i use a extn tube to get really close, the light reaching the subject will be somewhat blocked by the lens barrell..?

[hangman43]

Thanks for this hangman , do you have any links you can provide for the bracket and soft curtain ?
Also I can see at least 1 problem with that set up , light will be uni directional lighting. If i use a extn tube to get really close, the light reaching the subject will be somewhat blocked by the lens barrell..?

I have not figured out why people believe that directional light is bad all the top Macro photographers use it. I have a ring flash and it has not been on my camera in over a year here is a shot from today with 65mm of extension tubes on my 105mm macro no problem with shadow from lens barrel the set up I use I can extend the flash out past the end of the lens even with tubes.




Without shadows insects look flat and not 3 dimensional I have tried many set ups over the past 3 years and this is the best I have used yet the soft box spreads the light out.

[hangman43]

Thanks for this hangman , do you have any links you can provide for the bracket and soft curtain ?
Also I can see at least 1 problem with that set up , light will be uni directional lighting. If i use a extn tube to get really close, the light reaching the subject will be somewhat blocked by the lens barrell..?

Latest set-up: Pentax K-5 camera with Lester Dine 105-mm macro lens, Yongnuo YN-560 speedlight, Cowboy Studios 6x7 Softbox diffuser.

7in Magic Friction Arm: Amazon.com: BestDealUSA 7" Inch Adjustable Friction Power Articulating Magic Arm for LCD Monitor LED: Camera & Photo
L Grip: Amazon.com: Heavy Duty Photography L Bracket with 2 Standard Flash Hot Shoe Mounts: Camera & Photo

Cowboy Studios 6x7 Softbox
6" x 7" Softbox for Nikon Flash Canon Speedlight for Nikon SB 600 SB 800 | eBay

Wireless flash triggers
PT04

[disco_owner]

I have not figured out why people believe that directional light is bad all the top Macro photographers use it. I have a ring flash and it has not been on my camera in over a year here is a shot from today with 65mm of extension tubes on my 105mm macro no problem with shadow from lens barrel the set up I use I can extend the flash out past the end of the lens even with tubes.




Without shadows insects look flat and not 3 dimensional I have tried many set ups over the past 3 years and this is the best I have used yet the soft box spreads the light out.

Sorry , i meant not stir up a debate , just that by looking at your set up my immidiate reaction was that the light reaching the subject would be somehow be restricted if i intended on getting really close to the subject using an extn tube. Looking at the set up it looks like you have a soft curtain in front of the flash and not a softbox. You have some amazing shots on your photostream. do have more info on the bracket and softbox ?



Edit: you beat me to the post . I was still typing my post when you posted the link.. cheers thanks

[hangman43]

Sorry , i meant not stir up a debate , just that by looking at your set up my immidiate reaction was that the light reaching the subject would be somehow be restricted if i intended on getting really close to the subject using an extn tube. Looking at the set up it looks like you have a soft curtain in front of the flash and not a softbox. You have some amazing shots on your photostream. do have more info on the bracket and softbox ?



Edit: you beat me to the post . I was still typing my post when you posted the link.. cheers thanks

No debate I also thought like you that a ring flash was the way to go when I first started macro then after doing much research and reading up on some of the top macro photographers I realized that not one of them used a ring flash the all used a off camera flash with some kind of soft box. I used my ring flash for a while then I started making home made soft boxes then got wireless triggers and start making home made brackets and getting the flash off camera that is when it all started coming together.
Here are a couple of the best out there
Thomas Shahan!
Flickr: Lord V

[Digitalis]

when I first started macro then after doing much research and reading up on some of the top macro photographers I realized that not one of them used a ring flash the all used a off camera flash with some kind of soft box

It is a cyclical thing - Ringflash has been in vogue and gone out of vogue every now and then - and the reason why a majority of macro-photographers don't use Ring-flash is that in the end it is a pretty specialised piece of equipment, and they can be hard to find, and even if you do find one: you cannot use zoom lenses with them because of vignetting issues and the fact that most zoom lenses do not have filter threads that are too large. As a studio instructor myself I have seen a resurgence of interest in Ringflash, I have noticed an increasing number of strobist photographers using ring flash as a fill light source - since it is shadowless: ringflash is superb for this purpose.

Here is an example of a Ring flash being used as a fill light source:

Pentax K7 - Pentax FA*200mm f/4- Key light: Pentax AF540FGZ with sto-fen diffuser Fill light: Pentax AF160FC ringflash

And here is another example of fill flash mixed with ambient light:

Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX + Pentax AF160FC Ringflash.

[hangman43]

It is a cyclical thing - Ringflash has been in vogue and gone out of vogue every now and then - and the reason why a majority of macro-photographers don't use Ring-flash is that in the end it is a pretty specialised piece of equipment, and they can be hard to find, and even if you do find one: you cannot use zoom lenses with them because of vignetting issues and the fact that most zoom lenses do not have filter threads that are too large. As a studio instructor myself I have seen a resurgence of interest in Ringflash, I have noticed an increasing number of strobist photographers using ring flash as a fill light source - since it is shadowless: ringflash is superb for this purpose.

Here is an example of a Ring flash being used as a fill light source:

Pentax K7 - Pentax FA*200mm f/4- Key light: Pentax AF540FGZ with sto-fen diffuser Fill light: Pentax AF160FC ringflash

And here is another example of fill flash mixed with ambient light:

Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX + Pentax AF160FC Ringflash.

Ring flash has its place I just do not feel that it is best for insect and to some extent flowers when it comes to macro it makes a great fill light because the purpose of fill is to get rid of shadows so a shadowless light source is perfect for that. One of the main problems with ring flash is the harshness of the light I have not been able to get the sharpness with a ring flash that I do with off camera flash and a soft box softer light really brings out the fine details on insects and that to me is the most important thing.

[Digitalis]

One of the main problems with ring flash is the harshness of the light I have not been able to get the sharpness with a ring flash that I do with off camera flash and a soft box softer light really brings out the fine details on insects and that to me is the most important thing.

The Pentax AF160FC ringflash uses 120mm flash tubes - compared to the 40mm flash tube in the AF540FGZ they are absolutely massive - and the larger the light sources is the softer the shadows become. Typically ringflash is excellent for macro subjects and portraiture. Larger studio ringflashes provide very even and diffuse light and the Pentax ringflash being smaller still has a very good diffuser on it - but one of the main problems with ringflash it is that the light is very flat. However the upshot of this is that you can increase the contrast of the image to taste. I have had no sharpness issues with my use of ringflash at all, and anyone who thinks that needs to understand lighting a bit better.


Pentax K7 - Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX + Pentax AF160FC Ringflash.

[hangman43]

The Pentax AF160FC ringflash uses 120mm flash tubes - compared to the 40mm flash tube in the AF540FGZ they are absolutely massive - and the larger the light sources is the softer the shadows become. Typically ringflash is excellent for macro subjects and portraiture. Larger studio ringflashes provide very even and diffuse light and the Pentax ringflash being smaller still has a very good diffuser on it - but one of the main problems with ringflash it is that the light is very flat. However the upshot of this is that you can increase the contrast of the image to taste. I have had no sharpness issues with my use of ringflash at all, and anyone who thinks that needs to understand lighting a bit better.


Pentax K7 - Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX + Pentax AF160FC Ringflash.

Not really sharpness more of detail being able to see all the facets in a multi-faceted eye when you fill in all of the crevices in a subject with light you lose texture because without shadows the low and high spots look the same. Like I have said I have a ring flash and in the field the soft box yields better results a 6x7 soft box has much softer light than a ring flash and does bring out fine details that I miss with a ring flash. I am also able to use a lot lower power settings which helps stop any movement because of it being a shorter duration of flash.

[Digitalis]

Not really sharpness more of detail being able to see all the facets in a multi-faceted eye when you fill in all of the crevices in a subject with light you lose texture because without shadows the low and high spots look the same.

You are trying to describe Specularity - in which case a larger light source like a softbox is beneficial, But a ringflash can be just as effective for showing specular detail.

What I will say that is that lack of detail likely more of a diffraction issue than an effect of the lighting itself. Macro-photography frequently calls for photographers to use very small apertures to maintain enough DOF to cover the subject.

When using Ringflash I have no problems seeing the facets of the eyes on insects:

Pentax K10D - Pentax FA*200mm f/4 ED Macro - Pentax AF160FC ringflash

Like I have said I have a ring flash and in the field the soft box yields better results a 6x7 soft box has much softer light than a ring flash and does bring out fine details that I miss with a ring flash.

Softboxes aren't the best for bringing out texture in a subject, they are great for specular and reflective objects (like the eyes of insects) - if you really want contrasty lighting using bare bulb flash is better for that because the smaller a light is the harder the shadows are - and this contrast can be used to great advantage by using the flash at hard angle relative to the subject.

[Digitalis]

Perhaps this will Highlight the differences between flash modifiers:


1= Barebulb AF540FGZ @ 4" directly above subject
2= Sto-fen Diffuser +AF540FGZ @ 4" directly above subject
3= 40" softbox 6" directly above subject
4= Pentax AF160FC Ringflash.

All images Processed In Lightroom with no adjustments of any kind. The sea shell is approximately 16mm long.