Macro User’s - To Ring Flash or Not?

Peter10d

Peter10d

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Macro User’s - To Ring Flash or Not?

Do you use ring flashes for macro work or not?
As they don’t come cheap I would be interested to know how often folk use them, before I make my final choice on a macro lens.
 
If mine ever arrives Ill let you know.
I bought a sigma EM-140 last week and it still hasnt turned up.

I was watching some Bryan Peterson videos on The tube and he was using one with a sigma 105mm macro and getting sone pretty nice results. F/22 1/250 and let the flash TTL work it out. Worked well for him!
 
Depends what you are photographing. Still life - tripod, insects etc. ring flash.
 
TCR4x4 said:
If mine ever arrives Ill let you know.
I bought a sigma EM-140 last week and it still hasnt turned up.

I was watching some Bryan Peterson videos on The tube and he was using one with a sigma 105mm macro and getting sone pretty nice results. F/22 1/250 and let the flash TTL work it out. Worked well for him!
Click to expand...

When it turns up, please let me know how you find it.

Mike Jackson said:
Depends what you are photographing. Still life - tripod, insects etc. ring flash.
Click to expand...

Sounds like I will need to add it to the budget if I have to capture any little bugs:D
 
Yes. MR-14EX + 100mm f 2.8 L.
Kerso should be able to give you a good price on the flash.
 
Also consider a small lumiquest softbox off camera. ring flash works, but the light is very flat.
 
The23rdman said:
Also consider a small lumiquest softbox off camera. ring flash works, but the light is very flat.
Click to expand...

I learned my macro lighting technique from Dr. Deepak Rao of Bangalore India who was kind enough to share his macro lighting setup with me.

I modified Deepak Rao's system just a bit incorporating a Siegelite flash bracket along with a Lumiquest mini softbox. The flash is an older 550EX but a 580EX or 430EX (series) flash would work just fine. I would not recommend a 420EX because it cannot be used in manual mode. Of course, I use an off camera sync cord.

The grip of the Siegelite bracket makes a very secure hold for hand-held macros...

The Siegelite bracket is no longer produced but, can be obtained on eBay for a very low price. I got mine at a garage sale for under ten U.S. Dollars. Chinese knock-offs of the Lumiquest can also be had on eBay for a rather low price...



 
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There is a sticky Show us your macro rig that includes various home-made adapters. At the very simplest you could try this diffuser from a plastic milk container for the on-board flash.

Alternatively ring flashes sometimes come up on the classifieds.
 
I shoot Nikon and use their R1 kit when I am out macro shooting, or if it is a impromptu macro shot then my sb900 or sb800 as a remote flash handheld or just on the hotshoe works OK.
 
I've just invested in an MPe-65 lens and MT-24 flash unit, but before that I have always used a cheap Marumi ring flash at £99. Loved it and had some great results. Just sold it on here for £60.

Gareth
 
wippers said:
I've just invested in an MPe-65 lens and MT-24 flash unit, but before that I have always used a cheap Marumi ring flash at £99. Loved it and had some great results. Just sold it on here for £60.

Gareth
Click to expand...

wish I'd seen that in the classifieds... must look hard from now on!

I tend to shoot macros just using my normal flash either of to the side or reflected, it seems to work well enough but I do have a fancy to try a ring flash. How did you get on with the Marumi? I've seen them online and wondered if it was worth trying one.
 
Although I'm far from a pro and certainly no macro expert, if you have a look on my website (www.garethwhiston.com), all the macro stuff has been done with the Marumi flash. I found it well worth the money and I'm sure there will be some cheap second user ones about on Ebay. It comes with a few different sized ring adapters and takes the usual 4xAA batteries (which have lasted ages!). The quality id prety good too for the price. It's definitely a good starting point. You can always upgrade at a later date if you really get into the macro stuff. :thumbs:
 
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