DIY Ringflash?

HuntMike

HuntMike

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Has anyone ever made a DIY ringflash? If so how did you make one?

I was thinking maybe some high powered LED's could work well but I'm not really too sure how the triggering system would work... Has anyone done this before?
 
For Macro or for portraits?

There's loads of DIY examples online, I've been tempted to make one a few times, a big MDF circle with a chain of bulbs daisy chained around it and just plugged in.

No trigger like a flash...it would be a continuous light
 
I have a few links on how to do this at home - They range from 2 tupperware bowls, cardboard and aluminium foil. right up to using bundles of fibre optic threads bunched together at the flash end and spread out over the ring.

I can't access these at work to check if they are any good (or the ones I have seen at home) but they these:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157603455708647/&sa=U&ei=E4GMTbWlNNOzhAfW8cC2Cw&ved=0CBMQFjAC&usg=AFQjCNF9IkpHi2JydFJD9T1fEuPYY2pthg

http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/09/super-cheap-diy-ring-flash.html&sa=U&ei=E4GMTbWlNNOzhAfW8cC2Cw&ved=0CA8QFjAA&usg=AFQjCNHhkdU4dgcp7RSvYuDrQOv_JWdyZQ
 
Mahoneyd187 said:
For Macro or for portraits?

There's loads of DIY examples online, I've been tempted to make one a few times, a big MDF circle with a chain of bulbs daisy chained around it and just plugged in.

No trigger like a flash...it would be a continuous light
Click to expand...
I should have said, I'd be using it for Macro shots, would this mean I'd need less light output?

I guess there's something to be said for continuous light, in the past I've tried using LED torches to light macro shots but I think a DIY ringflash would give better results. :)

I think a ring of LED's could work well, I'll have to see how many I have in my box of bits....
cobwebscavern said:
I have a few links on how to do this at home - They range from 2 tupperware bowls, cardboard and aluminium foil. right up to using bundles of fibre optic threads bunched together at the flash end and spread out over the ring.

I can't access these at work to check if they are any good (or the ones I have seen at home) but they these:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157603455708647/&sa=U&ei=E4GMTbWlNNOzhAfW8cC2Cw&ved=0CBMQFjAC&usg=AFQjCNF9IkpHi2JydFJD9T1fEuPYY2pthg

http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/09/super-cheap-diy-ring-flash.html&sa=U&ei=E4GMTbWlNNOzhAfW8cC2Cw&ved=0CA8QFjAA&usg=AFQjCNHhkdU4dgcp7RSvYuDrQOv_JWdyZQ
Click to expand...

Nice links, thanks. I quite like the way they incorporated an existing flash. I'll so some more searches on google, I'm looking to make something that doesn't need an existing flash ideally, because I don't actually own a flash!
 
HuntMike said:
Nice links, thanks. I quite like the way they incorporated an existing flash. I'll so some more searches on google, I'm looking to make something that doesn't need an existing flash ideally, because I don't actually own a flash!
Click to expand...

This isn't meant to be cheeky or sound that way but I can't think of how to phrase it any other way - How are you thinking of lighting the ring flash then?

Even at a somewhat lower level for macro (and not that lower to be honest) your still going to need a light source.....there's loads of really cheap manual flashes on the fleabay if you are currently not a flasher :police:
 
Just google it m8..you will get loads of links with different designs.
 
cobwebscavern said:
This isn't meant to be cheeky or sound that way but I can't think of how to phrase it any other way - How are you thinking of lighting the ring flash then?
Click to expand...

A ring of LEDs around the lens powered by batteries! easy!
 
i borrowed an attachment from a friend yesterday which fits over the head of a flashgun. it's shaped a bit like a toilet seat and reflects the light from the flash gun down to the ring shaped part.

just read that it's macro you were looking to do, this thing is for portrait usage
 
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wontolla said:
A ring of LEDs around the lens powered by batteries! easy!
Click to expand...

Ahhh...yes but to CAPTAIN PEDANTIC (duh duh dahhhhhh!!!) that's a ring light - not a ring flash. Small but subtle difference in words and BIG difference in light output both in terms or light quality (temp) and intensity.

Good luck with it whatever you decide OP
 
Thanks to this thread I sat down and built one of these babies.
 
cobwebscavern said:
Ahhh...yes but to CAPTAIN PEDANTIC (duh duh dahhhhhh!!!) that's a ring light - not a ring flash. Small but subtle difference in words and BIG difference in light output both in terms or light quality (temp) and intensity.

Good luck with it whatever you decide OP
Click to expand...

With a simple optical trigger wired in (triggered by inbuilt flash) It becomes a ring FLASH.
 
think im going to look into this myself may post a build thread on here.should be interesting,ideally i would like to power mine from the flash hot-shoe. i will have a think about some designs and post some ideas as all the ones on the net seem very crude and basic. :thinking: :thinking: :thinking:
 
wiganwez said:
think im going to look into this myself may post a build thread on here.should be interesting,ideally i would like to power mine from the flash hot-shoe. i will have a think about some designs and post some ideas as all the ones on the net seem very crude and basic. :thinking: :thinking: :thinking:
Click to expand...

Mine is a bit large, but it works. The key for an even light is to have the bottom of the ring slightly smaller and to curve the foil up so it channels the light.
 
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