Macro ring flash alternative mounting

[srichards]

I have an old vivitar ring flash. It has one major failing. If you mount it on the end of your lens as you are supposed to some of the light seems to go straight into the lens and make cloudy pictures. Which is useless. If you hold it away from the lens itself then it is fine and produces nice shadowless light.

Does anyone make a doodad that would hold the ring flash in place so I don't need to try and hold the camera one handed or have to use a tripod?! The cord isn't that long so it can't be held too far away. Something that could hold it upright or out to the side, both straight and angled is what I was thinking.

It also vignettes a bit on wider angles so sticking some extra black tape around the inside to throw the light more forward wouldn't quite achieve what I wanted.

It sounds a bit heath robinson I know...

 

[Just Dave]

Have you got a pic of it and what lens are you using with it, maybe some sort of bracket, would need to see it before suggestions

 

[srichards]

It's a vivitar 6000AF. I've tried it with both a 105mm macro and a normal 18-55 (latter has the same thread size as the step up ring that's on it which I can't get off...) It did the same with the 105mm but not quite as noticeably. With the larger thread size on that lens there was a more noticeable vignette. Not tried it on my 50mm though. That's smaller so it might not be as bad.

http://ifilmcameraaccessoriessell.blogspot.com/2011/08/vivitar-6000af-ttl-auto-focus-macro.html

It's the minolta version of the one above.

 

[EdBray]

Can you not just make a light baffle out of some thin black card?

Stick it to the inside of the ringflash to create a short lens hood.

 

[srichards]

That won't help with the severe vignetting a wider angles unfortunately. You can actually see part of the ring flash clearly in the photos!