Re: DIY: $5 ring-flash
I used the Pentax A080C ringlight extensively in my Auto Forensic work and eventually used it along with a handheld slave flash to achieve a sense of depth by holding the slave off to the side overcoming the flat light from the ring flash. Kenneth Waller http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller - Original Message - From: "Joseph McAllister" Subject: Re: DIY: $5 ring-flash On Oct 30, 2011, at 16:11 , Bruce Walker wrote: On 11-10-30 6:42 PM, Joseph McAllister wrote: On Oct 30, 2011, at 03:31 , Bruce Walker wrote: This may appeal to the extreme DIYers and/or the super-cheap. :-) A macro ring-flash for five bucks. Author builds this over Pentax kit. http://www.northumberlandphoto.ca/assets/downloads/fring.pdf Biggest problem I have with this rig is that illuminates a ring of light, with the center of the images substantially darker. More so the closer the subject is to the lens. I've had several ring-lights, Pentax, and they are designed to light a fairly near frame evenly. I had trouble in Costa Rica photographing insects and frogs at night with the ring-light. Little modeling of the subjects as the light was too even. Ended up using two small flashes on flexible arms, which allowed me to control the direction light came from, and differentiate between Main& Fill. Downside to that was having to use my headlamp for focusing as well as finding subjects in the first place. I'd love to see a shot of you down on the ground with your headlamp on and holding this crazy arrangement of lights! :-) You will not. I was concentrating on flora and fauna that habitated between my knees and my hair, in close proximity, but not touching, thank you. Could have though. Weighed 100 pounds less then. And this was a backpacking for two weeks trip. No one helped me carry what was essentially TWO backpacks worth of gear either. Most ring-lights have modeling lights built in. After I got home, I re-rigged the flash on arms to be triggered by the flash of the ring-light using one of those little triggering sensors (can't think of the name - duh) which gave me the best of both worlds. Never got back to CR, or anywhere else tropical, unless you count Cabo. It's better for sunrises and sunsets, no flash needed. The Pentax AF160FC gives you the ability to control the balance between two halves of the ring: 50/50, 66/33 or 100% one side or the other so you can get some more definition in the subject. The ring also rotates so you can place your light ratio in any radial orientation. *And* there's a modeling light. The AF540 and AF360 flashes (most likely other Pentax flashes?) can be programmed to slave flash off of any other flash including, of course, a ring light. I like my AF160, but they're wickedly expensive so not for everybody. I still have the AF-140, which has the same features. I was shooting transparencies, so had zero feedback on how the images were doing in the film other than experience. Got about 30 money keepers from about 1200 exposures. Hey, I'm not a Nat Geo photog! Joseph McAllister Lots of gear, not much time http://gallery.me.com/jomac -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: DIY: $5 ring-flash
On Oct 30, 2011, at 16:11 , Bruce Walker wrote: > On 11-10-30 6:42 PM, Joseph McAllister wrote: >> On Oct 30, 2011, at 03:31 , Bruce Walker wrote: >> >>> This may appeal to the extreme DIYers and/or the super-cheap. :-) A macro >>> ring-flash for five bucks. Author builds this over Pentax kit. >>> >>> http://www.northumberlandphoto.ca/assets/downloads/fring.pdf >> Biggest problem I have with this rig is that illuminates a ring of light, >> with the center of the images substantially darker. More so the closer the >> subject is to the lens. >> >> I've had several ring-lights, Pentax, and they are designed to light a >> fairly near frame evenly. I had trouble in Costa Rica photographing insects >> and frogs at night with the ring-light. Little modeling of the subjects as >> the light was too even. Ended up using two small flashes on flexible arms, >> which allowed me to control the direction light came from, and differentiate >> between Main& Fill. Downside to that was having to use my headlamp for >> focusing as well as finding subjects in the first place. > > I'd love to see a shot of you down on the ground with your headlamp on and > holding this crazy arrangement of lights! :-) > You will not. I was concentrating on flora and fauna that habitated between my knees and my hair, in close proximity, but not touching, thank you. Could have though. Weighed 100 pounds less then. And this was a backpacking for two weeks trip. No one helped me carry what was essentially TWO backpacks worth of gear either. >> Most ring-lights have modeling lights built in. After I got home, I >> re-rigged the flash on arms to be triggered by the flash of the ring-light >> using one of those little triggering sensors (can't think of the name - duh) >> which gave me the best of both worlds. Never got back to CR, or anywhere >> else tropical, unless you count Cabo. It's better for sunrises and sunsets, >> no flash needed. > > The Pentax AF160FC gives you the ability to control the balance between two > halves of the ring: 50/50, 66/33 or 100% one side or the other so you can get > some more definition in the subject. The ring also rotates so you can place > your light ratio in any radial orientation. *And* there's a modeling light. > > The AF540 and AF360 flashes (most likely other Pentax flashes?) can be > programmed to slave flash off of any other flash including, of course, a ring > light. > > I like my AF160, but they're wickedly expensive so not for everybody. I still have the AF-140, which has the same features. I was shooting transparencies, so had zero feedback on how the images were doing in the film other than experience. Got about 30 money keepers from about 1200 exposures. Hey, I'm not a Nat Geo photog! Joseph McAllister Lots of gear, not much time http://gallery.me.com/jomac -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: DIY: $5 ring-flash
On 11-10-30 6:42 PM, Joseph McAllister wrote: On Oct 30, 2011, at 03:31 , Bruce Walker wrote: This may appeal to the extreme DIYers and/or the super-cheap. :-) A macro ring-flash for five bucks. Author builds this over Pentax kit. http://www.northumberlandphoto.ca/assets/downloads/fring.pdf Biggest problem I have with this rig is that illuminates a ring of light, with the center of the images substantially darker. More so the closer the subject is to the lens. I've had several ring-lights, Pentax, and they are designed to light a fairly near frame evenly. I had trouble in Costa Rica photographing insects and frogs at night with the ring-light. Little modeling of the subjects as the light was too even. Ended up using two small flashes on flexible arms, which allowed me to control the direction light came from, and differentiate between Main& Fill. Downside to that was having to use my headlamp for focusing as well as finding subjects in the first place. I'd love to see a shot of you down on the ground with your headlamp on and holding this crazy arrangement of lights! :-) Most ring-lights have modeling lights built in. After I got home, I re-rigged the flash on arms to be triggered by the flash of the ring-light using one of those little triggering sensors (can't think of the name - duh) which gave me the best of both worlds. Never got back to CR, or anywhere else tropical, unless you count Cabo. It's better for sunrises and sunsets, no flash needed. The Pentax AF160FC gives you the ability to control the balance between two halves of the ring: 50/50, 66/33 or 100% one side or the other so you can get some more definition in the subject. The ring also rotates so you can place your light ratio in any radial orientation. *And* there's a modeling light. The AF540 and AF360 flashes (most likely other Pentax flashes?) can be programmed to slave flash off of any other flash including, of course, a ring light. I like my AF160, but they're wickedly expensive so not for everybody. -bmw -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: DIY: $5 ring-flash
On Oct 30, 2011, at 03:31 , Bruce Walker wrote: > This may appeal to the extreme DIYers and/or the super-cheap. :-) A macro > ring-flash for five bucks. Author builds this over Pentax kit. > > http://www.northumberlandphoto.ca/assets/downloads/fring.pdf Biggest problem I have with this rig is that illuminates a ring of light, with the center of the images substantially darker. More so the closer the subject is to the lens. I've had several ring-lights, Pentax, and they are designed to light a fairly near frame evenly. I had trouble in Costa Rica photographing insects and frogs at night with the ring-light. Little modeling of the subjects as the light was too even. Ended up using two small flashes on flexible arms, which allowed me to control the direction light came from, and differentiate between Main & Fill. Downside to that was having to use my headlamp for focusing as well as finding subjects in the first place. Most ring-lights have modeling lights built in. After I got home, I re-rigged the flash on arms to be triggered by the flash of the ring-light using one of those little triggering sensors (can't think of the name - duh) which gave me the best of both worlds. Never got back to CR, or anywhere else tropical, unless you count Cabo. It's better for sunrises and sunsets, no flash needed. If it doesn’t excite you, This thing that you see, Why in the world, Would it excite me? —Jay Maisel Joseph McAllister pentax...@mac.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
RE: DIY: $5 ring-flash
From: Bruce Walker This may appeal to the extreme DIYers and/or the super-cheap. A macro ring-flash for five bucks. Author builds this over Pentax kit. http://www.northumberlandphoto.ca/assets/downloads/fring.pdf Kewl! -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: DIY: $5 ring-flash
I'm so tempted. Don't need it, but I love stuff like this. I spent my childhood doing things like this. On Sun, Oct 30, 2011 at 6:31 AM, Bruce Walker wrote: > This may appeal to the extreme DIYers and/or the super-cheap. :-) A macro > ring-flash for five bucks. Author builds this over Pentax kit. > > http://www.northumberlandphoto.ca/assets/downloads/fring.pdf > > -bmw > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and > follow the directions. > -- Steve Desjardins -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
DIY: $5 ring-flash
This may appeal to the extreme DIYers and/or the super-cheap. :-) A macro ring-flash for five bucks. Author builds this over Pentax kit. http://www.northumberlandphoto.ca/assets/downloads/fring.pdf -bmw -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
