Ringflash for 580 II

you were only one click from the answer ;)
 
I've got one for my ex580 but to be honest I've been learning how to use the 580 first! I do plan to do a shoot at the end of the month and I might just use it with my studio lights to do some high key shots. I can use the studio lights on the background and use the ringflash on my model. (Makes note to get it out and practice!)

Do let us know how you get on with it.
 
Ooh that looks good. Is it suitable for macro stuff too?

It doesnt say compatible with the 40d but Im assuming its this one:

RAC170-2 CANON 580EX MKII & 5D, 30D, 20D, 10D
£159
April 08
 
Hi Janice, it should be compatable with the 40D as it fits onto the flash i.e. ex580 rather than onto the camera and all the canons will work with the ex580. This is just the ringflash ADAPTOR rather than the whole unit. It says that it is ok for small product photography but does not claim to be any good for macro work. I do have a 100mm macro lens so I might just get it out tonight and try it for you.

Ali
 
That looks like a useful little tool (or big tool) for portrait work, I'd be interested to hear how your shoot goes, Ali :)
 
Here is my limited experience with this tool (also tried the one for Bowens flashs).

It is quite large and unwealdy, and you really need to be on a tripod to use this for long periods of time. The ring is too big to use as a macro ring flash (IMHO), and you would be better off with a deticated macro flash.

For portrait use the adaptors create too soft a light to be used in the normal ring light situations (fashion and music portraits), but still has the ring light shadow problems that makes it not well suited to portrait situations. So while this is a cheap way to get a ring flash, you are actually not getting a ring flash (if you know what I mean). Not worth it for this amount of money (IMHO).
 
That was a worry when looking at the pictures, it seems to be a lot of strain to be putting on the camera's hotshoe.
 
I thought they had redesigned it so it attached to the body as well to take the strain off the hot shoe, hence different products for different bodies? I might have just read that somewhere though
 
FranchiseJuan said:
Here is my limited experience with this tool (also tried the one for Bowens flashs).

The ring is too big to use as a macro ring flash (IMHO), and you would be better off with a deticated macro flash.
Click to expand...


I thought as much in that the physics did not really make it look like a possibility.

I first came across this adaptor at a seminar by Mark Cleghorn that I went on and to be honest he did say it was not as good as a studio ring light. However the studio ring light we tried was £600 and then there was the power it consumed that meant using a battery pack, oh and it weighed a ton too. It also blinded the poor model lol.

The adaptor may be a little soft but it is better than using direct flash and offers me an alternative for shooting outdoors.

The shots that I envisage using it for will be quite heavily photoshopped so I don't mind the softness too much.

It may be a poor man (or woman's) alternative but I'll give it a go. I may be :bang: but I'll find out!
 
AliB said:
The adaptor may be a little soft but it is better than using direct flash and offers me an alternative for shooting outdoors.

The shots that I envisage using it for will be quite heavily photoshopped so I don't mind the softness too much.

It may be a poor man (or woman's) alternative but I'll give it a go. I may be :bang: but I'll find out!
Click to expand...

These are valid points, but I guess i am comming from the perspective of having both protable flashes, and monoblocks with a beauty dish and softboxes to work with. If you did not already have these options, then I guess it is worth a try, but a ring flash adaptor to me is not as good an option as a beauty dish for high key portrait work.
 
FranchiseJuan said:
but a ring flash adaptor to me is not as good an option as a beauty dish for high key portrait work.
Click to expand...

Which is precisely why I have one for my studio lights (and I love it :love: ) It's a Bowens beauty dish and horrendously expensive but boy does it do what it says on the tin! My lights are mains though so I like to have alternatives for outdoors, especially when the weather gets a little warmer. Brrrrr!

I only have two heads though and if I use them both for the background I'm a little stuffed for a main light for my model (understatement!) so I might just give it a go and see what I get.
 
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