Ring flash advice

**mills** · 03-10-2017, 08:15 PM

I was looking at ringflashes for work and hoped I could get some input. Im using a k3 body I would be looking at picking up a dfa 100, and some kind of ring flash. I wouldve grabbed the pentax one but apparantly it was discontinued. At some point I may pick up a k-1 to replace the k3.

I think my basic needs are a ring flash for macro/moderately close up photography under about $750 CAD. I will want to use it with cross polarization and unfiltered. I expect to mostly be shooting fairly stopped down for a decently big depth of field for macro. I think i would prefer not to go LED as fine tuning for color will be important and unless im way off base LEDs may make that trickier? I also think that the pentax max sync speed is fine. I may also need to shoot some basic portraits occasionally.

I know a few people using a nikon apsc and the metz ring flash for similar photos but given that I enjoy photography outside work I was hoping for maybe a bigger, better light source and more flexibility. I could grab at a nikon or cannon body for that application if there was a significant advantage (significantly better lighing or lens options) but honestly dont really want to learn another system unless theres a good reason.

So, any thoughts on which ringflash to look at? Do we expect pentax to replace its ringflash and i should just wait out? Would I be better off just going to another brand for work and just keeping my pentax for personal use?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

tryphon4 · 03-11-2017, 01:06 AM

What about the Sigma EM-140 MACRO DG?

I own the Metz one, it is interesting but it has some weak points, for example with a 60mm macro lens between 1:1 and 2:1 the flash is almost touching the subject.

Then i bought a non ring macro flash, the Kuangren Macro Twin Flash KX-800, it is a full manual flash but i love it, it is very flexible and has a LED focusing light useful for focus assistance.

mcgregni · 03-11-2017, 03:58 AM

According to macro expert and Pentax photographer John Ingles-Le Noble, the Pentax AF 160 FC is a very desirable partner to a Pentax DSLR, with it's ratio control, P-TTL and special adaptor for the D FA100 macro lens. Here are his thoughts plus I'm sure you'll find loads of other good stuff there !

The best Pentax macro flash by a mile, the Pentax AF160FC ringflash

I wasn't aware that the ring flash was discontinued .....? I've no doubt though that being a niche product that availability will be inconsistent. Perhaps you'll be able to find a used one if you raise a 'wanted' thread

**mills** · 03-11-2017, 09:38 AM

Thanks for the link. Maybe the pentax is not discontinued, but thats what the first few places I checked said. Found a store in canada that said they might have stock so right now im waiting on an answer from them.

Thanks

**AstroDave** · 03-11-2017, 05:36 PM - **1 Like**

Ebay can be your friend.

Do a search with something like "pentax ring (light, flash) -canon -nikon" to get rid of the generic stuff.

There are a couple of genuine Pentax units out there now, and I've seen others, too. Of course, there are a lot of non-pentax items there, too, which might well work for your purposes.

03-10-2017, 08:15 PM	#1
mills Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: SW Ontario Posts: 154	Ring flash advice I was looking at ringflashes for work and hoped I could get some input. Im using a k3 body I would be looking at picking up a dfa 100, and some kind of ring flash. I wouldve grabbed the pentax one but apparantly it was discontinued. At some point I may pick up a k-1 to replace the k3. I think my basic needs are a ring flash for macro/moderately close up photography under about $750 CAD. I will want to use it with cross polarization and unfiltered. I expect to mostly be shooting fairly stopped down for a decently big depth of field for macro. I think i would prefer not to go LED as fine tuning for color will be important and unless im way off base LEDs may make that trickier? I also think that the pentax max sync speed is fine. I may also need to shoot some basic portraits occasionally. I know a few people using a nikon apsc and the metz ring flash for similar photos but given that I enjoy photography outside work I was hoping for maybe a bigger, better light source and more flexibility. I could grab at a nikon or cannon body for that application if there was a significant advantage (significantly better lighing or lens options) but honestly dont really want to learn another system unless theres a good reason. So, any thoughts on which ringflash to look at? Do we expect pentax to replace its ringflash and i should just wait out? Would I be better off just going to another brand for work and just keeping my pentax for personal use? Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

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03-11-2017, 01:06 AM	#2
tryphon4 Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Drome, France Posts: 305	What about the Sigma EM-140 MACRO DG? I own the Metz one, it is interesting but it has some weak points, for example with a 60mm macro lens between 1:1 and 2:1 the flash is almost touching the subject. Then i bought a non ring macro flash, the Kuangren Macro Twin Flash KX-800, it is a full manual flash but i love it, it is very flexible and has a LED focusing light useful for focus assistance.

03-11-2017, 03:58 AM	#3
mcgregni Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Surrey, England Posts: 2,603	According to macro expert and Pentax photographer John Ingles-Le Noble, the Pentax AF 160 FC is a very desirable partner to a Pentax DSLR, with it's ratio control, P-TTL and special adaptor for the D FA100 macro lens. Here are his thoughts plus I'm sure you'll find loads of other good stuff there ! The best Pentax macro flash by a mile, the Pentax AF160FC ringflash I wasn't aware that the ring flash was discontinued .....? I've no doubt though that being a niche product that availability will be inconsistent. Perhaps you'll be able to find a used one if you raise a 'wanted' thread

03-11-2017, 09:38 AM	#4
mills Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: SW Ontario Posts: 154 Original Poster	Thanks for the link. Maybe the pentax is not discontinued, but thats what the first few places I checked said. Found a store in canada that said they might have stock so right now im waiting on an answer from them. Thanks

03-11-2017, 05:36 PM - 1 Like	#5
AstroDave Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 1,648	Ebay can be your friend. Do a search with something like "pentax ring (light, flash) -canon -nikon" to get rid of the generic stuff. There are a couple of genuine Pentax units out there now, and I've seen others, too. Of course, there are a lot of non-pentax items there, too, which might well work for your purposes.