DIY Macro Flash ring using BUILT IN flash! [Archive] - Canon Digital Photography Forums

mxwphoto

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 01:38

Hi everyone. In my quest to be frugal and saving every penny for lenses, I created a macro flash ring using only the camera's built in flash. This setup takes a while to make, but the results are excellent. The casing is made out of cardboard. Simply line the insides with smooth aluminum foil and tape the duct to the pop up flash and you're set! :D Please note I have not put on a diffuser yet. C&C welcome!

Edit: I added some test pics. My skills and lenses aren't up to par yet, so no bug pics for the moment :confused: . There's 2 shots of a penny, 1 shot of a gift card's text, and 1 shot of a part of a person's iris (no humans were harmed during shooting ;) ).

Schematics are on the 2nd page of this thread. :)

geofftelforduk

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 02:00

Now show us some results of this rather "futuristic" setup!!

mxwphoto

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 02:53

Hehe.. I knew I forgot something. See edited 1st post for test pics. :D

geofftelforduk

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 03:02

Not bad!! Have seen worse with expensive kit!!! Good on ya!! :)

Lotto

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 03:08

Holy Macro! That thing looks like a interstate overpass. j/k. But hey, they only look as good as how well they funtion, and in your case which it literally costs pennies, the result is impressive. How hard is it to focus? I mean the viewfinder must be quite dark with the long extension like that.

whiskaz

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 08:49

Awesome!!! Need to make one of these for the speedlight :) Come up with a nice build design and you could probably sell these for $15 or so on ebay ;) I like the results and it really seems less cumbersome than the flash bracket route and a lot cheaper than the ring flash :D

akhater

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 17:43

Very ingenious, I really liked it :) I have added it to the my DIY flash ring list (http://www.adidap.com/2006/10/06/diy-ring-flash/) , I hope u don't mind

Billginthekeys

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 17:45

wow. thats pretty ingenious

Nick_C

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 18:01

Im very much the same as you, if I can lash up something instead of buying it I WILL!

That is very good, the proper flash rings are very expensive, ok this will never look as cool but if the results are the same who cares?

It frees up some money for other things...

Well done!!
Nick :-)

jcw122

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 18:15

Wow this is INCREDIBLY creative and a GREAT design and idea....very very very very unique and great work! I've never seen anything like it in my short time here!

Nick_C

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 18:22

Is that a 75-300 with the kit lens mounted on the end reversed?

Nick :-)

mxwphoto

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 21:14

Thanks all for the comments! :) Yes, it's a 75-300 with kit lens reversed. It's giving me a bit too much magnification tho, so I've recently ordered a 58mm reverse mount to stick the kit lens straight on. Next step is to make it more compact and maybe foldable for easy storage. ;) Now to figure out how to light up the subject when focusing...

PS: You have an excellent site akhater! I'm honored that my design got mentioned on your site! :D :D

Titus213

5th of October 2006 (Thu), 21:32

That's pretty amazing! And the fact that it appears to work is even more amazing. Very creative, ingenious work.

jcw122

9th of October 2006 (Mon), 21:42

I'm gonna try this w/ my 580EX sometime tomorrow heheheh

DanteCaspian

9th of October 2006 (Mon), 22:39

That is crazy smart!

TMR Design

9th of October 2006 (Mon), 23:04

Outstanding!!! Great job fellow DIY'er. I like it. Do we have to travel into the future to get one? LOLOLOL

A01

10th of October 2006 (Tue), 01:48

Haha what lenses are those you have on there?! :lol:

mxwphoto

10th of October 2006 (Tue), 02:15

Outstanding!!! Great job fellow DIY'er. I like it. Do we have to travel into the future to get one? LOLOLOL

Yup! Just bust out some building materials, blast yourself a few min/hours into the future, and you'll find it there! I'll post some new pics once I get my reverse mount and make the flash actually carryable. :)

mxwphoto

10th of October 2006 (Tue), 02:16

I'm gonna try this w/ my 580EX sometime tomorrow heheheh

Post it and let us see your results when you finish! :cool:

TMR Design

10th of October 2006 (Tue), 02:17

Can we get a bit more information regarding construction?

mxwphoto

10th of October 2006 (Tue), 03:37

jcw122

10th of October 2006 (Tue), 06:10

Post it and let us see your results when you finish! :cool:

Will do, I don't have any macro lenses, but I'll take some different stuff to see how it looks.

fivefish

10th of October 2006 (Tue), 09:25

Great job! HA I like it!

Question: How did you attach your 2 lenses together? You seem to have some kind of coupler...

In2Photos

10th of October 2006 (Tue), 09:37

Here's the ring flash schematics. Dimensions vary depending on your needs. Only thing that needs to stay constant is the proportions (marked in red and blue). Cut your material (I used cardboard) to the correct sizes first and make appropriate fold knotches. Then add the reflective surface to the cut-outs (I used double sided tape to keep the aluminum foil in place). Construct as shown (I used regular tape to keep the pieces in place and silicone glue for the inner octagonal ring). You will have to create your own rectangular light duct, but it's pretty easy. Just make sure your "reflective mirror (I used foil)" is at 45 degree angle for best light redirection. :D
Just wanted to add a couple things for construction if I may.

Another way to adhere the aluminum foil to the cardboard would be to use spray adhesive. Spray the foil and the cardboard and allow them to dry for about 5-10 minutes. Once they have "tacked" you can stick the two together, press firmly and trim any excess foil.

If you have a hobby store in your area look for "instant glues (http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=346)", a glue in a small white bottle that uses an accelerator to cure the glue. This stuff works fast and is super strong. Be careful though.

In2Photos

10th of October 2006 (Tue), 09:38

Great job! HA I like it!

Question: How did you attach your 2 lenses together? You seem to have some kind of coupler...
This "macro coupler" is available at B&H photo. There are several sizes available for most of the 50-58 mm thread sizes. They are pretty cheap too, around $8.

Resistoon

11th of October 2006 (Wed), 01:02

Now that is being Frugal!

20DNewbie

11th of October 2006 (Wed), 18:02

That's awesome!

I wonder if there's enough DIY'ers here to warrant a DIY sticky. It would be nice to have them all in one place and it may just plant the seed in others to give things a go.

Some others are:

Flash Ring w/built in Flash (you just read it, lol.)
DIY Canon Speedlite Mods (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=782821&postcount=1)
Coco-cola can flash diffuser (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2074822&postcount=1)
Camera remote/cable release (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1908750&postcount=1)
Diffusor Panel and Stand (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2062895&postcount=1)
The finished lightbox (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=218229&highlight=DIY)
A620 homemade ringflash attempt (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=216234&highlight=DIY)
high-speed flash sync trigger (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=211988&highlight=DIY)
Need a solid tripod? Decent woodworker? DIY! (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1914440&postcount=1)
Flash softbox (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1798822&postcount=1)
Everyday Shoulder Bag (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1507229&postcount=1)
Home Made L bracket for 20D (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=654934&postcount=1)
How to make your own Gimble (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=147460&highlight=gimble)

I know embdude started -=Post Your Camera Hacks=- Mods, Cobbles, and more! (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=80467) over a year ago, it just seems that nobody is using it being only 2 pages.

Or maybe its own category in the Sharing Knowhow section instead of Sharing Knowhow>Talk about Photography may get it more attention.

Just an idea.

Sorry mxw, didn't mean to TJ on ya.:oops:

ClickClick

13th of October 2006 (Fri), 09:26

How much to make me one?

mxwphoto

13th of October 2006 (Fri), 15:30

That's awesome!

I wonder if there's enough DIY'ers here to warrant a DIY sticky. It would be nice to have them all in one place and it may just plant the seed in others to give things a go.

You should start a thread for that 20D. Hopefully it will get stickied. And in the spirit of DIY, clickclick, you should diy it. :) You learn a lot about how things work when you diy.

JMHPhotography

14th of October 2006 (Sat), 07:55

Just wanted to add a couple things for construction if I may.

Another way to adhere the aluminum foil to the cardboard would be to use spray adhesive. Spray the foil and the cardboard and allow them to dry for about 5-10 minutes. Once they have "tacked" you can stick the two together, press firmly and trim any excess foil.

If you have a hobby store in your area look for "instant glues (http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=346)", a glue in a small white bottle that uses an accelerator to cure the glue. This stuff works fast and is super strong. Be careful though.

Another option would be to use the metallic HVAC duct flashing. It's reflective like aluminum foil but heavier and also self adhesive.

DanteCaspian

15th of October 2006 (Sun), 08:33

I wonder if there's enough DIY'ers here to warrant a DIY sticky. It would be nice to have them all in one place and it may just plant the seed in others to give things a go.

I think there definitely should be a category for DIY/modifications/inventions in the forum.

DanteCaspian

15th of October 2006 (Sun), 08:51

Just thinking (in the efforts of continious improvment), for a more durable device, one could use 2mm reflective mylar rather then tin foil. A small roll is not too expensive, and great for other photo projects.
http://www.groworganic.com/item_GP866_ReflectiveMylar20mil54x25.html

Nick_C

15th of October 2006 (Sun), 10:19

Good idea, many people think silver foil is the most reflective, it certainly looks it! but matt white paint is the better of the two with Mylar being the most reflective, my father uses it with his daylight bulbs for Cacti growing hobby.

Nick :-)

MagicallyDelicious

15th of October 2006 (Sun), 10:22

Ok that looks great but im confused as to why the lens is on backwards?
what does that do?>

Nick_C

15th of October 2006 (Sun), 10:24

Mounting a lens backwards increases the magnification drastically, ideal for closeup shots, usually you mount a 50mm lens backwards.

Nick :-)

jcw122

15th of October 2006 (Sun), 11:41

Ok that looks great but im confused as to why the lens is on backwards?
what does that do?>

Like Nick_C said, it's usually for Macro photography purposes.

mxwphoto

15th of October 2006 (Sun), 12:42

Another option would be to use the metallic HVAC duct flashing. It's reflective like aluminum foil but heavier and also self adhesive.
Just thinking (in the efforts of continious improvment), for a more durable device, one could use 2mm reflective mylar rather then tin foil. A small roll is not too expensive, and great for other photo projects.
http://www.groworganic.com/item_GP866_ReflectiveMylar20mil54x25.html

Those are both interesting suggestions. The self adhesive abilities of duct flashing is definitely a plus. And yes, mylar's more reflective. The only downside to that is I see its cost is fairly high compared to foil. Seeing how not much material is needed, is there a place where small sheets of duct flashing or mylar can be purchased for $5 or less?

ShotByTom

16th of October 2006 (Mon), 22:51

Mounting a lens backwards increases the magnification drastically, ideal for closeup shots, usually you mount a 50mm lens backwards.

Nick :-)

This is new to me, so excuse my ignorance...

With this coupler I would put my kit lens (for example) on my camera and use the coupler to mount my 50mm onto the kit lens? Is that how it works?

mxwphoto

17th of October 2006 (Tue), 03:12

This is new to me, so excuse my ignorance...

With this coupler I would put my kit lens (for example) on my camera and use the coupler to mount my 50mm onto the kit lens? Is that how it works?

There's 2 ways to do it. 1 is to reverse the kit lens and directly mount it to the camera backwards with a reverse mount ring. 2 is to take a 50mm and mount it backwards onto a larger lens (ie 70-200). Both methods will allow for makeshift macro. Now if only my reverse mount would pop up in my mailbox already...

mxwphoto

19th of October 2006 (Thu), 00:19

I finally got my reverse mount adapter today! Here's the new setup. I've done away with the 75-300 and directly mounted the kit. The ring flash now has a flexible (via twist-tie) LED guide light (I used blue cuz I didn't have a white one around) for focusing when it's dark and the duct can now be folded for easy carry or storage. Sample pics below. My father also dug up a cctv manual focus 12.5-75 f/1.8 screwmount by Toyo Optics! A very nice reverse lens for macro. :D Now if I can only find a way to get it to work the regular way...

kenliu2610

19th of October 2006 (Thu), 03:41

wow!! That's awesome!!

jcw122

15th of November 2006 (Wed), 23:29

Never got around to making one on my 580EX to see how that was...

Bump for awesome idea.

jcw122

3rd of December 2006 (Sun), 12:59

mxwphoto, I'm sorta confused, what is the ratio between the red and blue marks? is it 2:1? Which is 2 and which is 1?

mathie

3rd of December 2006 (Sun), 13:48

Wow, this is cool, good for studio shots but I would not carry it outside :)

jcw122

3rd of December 2006 (Sun), 14:38

mxwphoto

8th of December 2006 (Fri), 05:19

Well, I'm almost done making one for my 580EX....I was confused with the mxwphoto's skematics...so instead of angles in my ring, I made it circular.

I'm almost done, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to make this 90* angle.

Hi jcw, sorry for the late reply. I've been busy. Anyway, to let the light reflect 90 degrees, simply angle the reflector at a 45 degree angle at the joint of the "L" shaped flash ring.

FloridaCamera

24th of December 2006 (Sun), 23:08

Honestly please tell me you got your idea from the air scrubber rig they had to make out of common parts in the Apollo 13 mission :cool:

mxwphoto

25th of December 2006 (Mon), 04:34

Honestly please tell me you got your idea from the air scrubber rig they had to make out of common parts in the Apollo 13 mission :cool:

Actually, I got inspired after looking at this giant foam ring flash with a dedicated flash plugged in (http://www.dennisonbertram.com/hackmaster/2005/02/build-your-own-ring-flash.htm). :)

cschumaker

2nd of February 2007 (Fri), 16:56

They carry extension kits for the solar skylights at Home Depot made from specular aluminum (95-98% reflectivity) for $28 for a 2' X 2' section. You can cut it with scissors too =) I just built a faceted reflector for my reef tank from it.

Graystar

9th of February 2007 (Fri), 00:13

removed

Indecent Exposure

9th of February 2007 (Fri), 21:41

This is about the coolest thing I've seen in a while. Thanks for posting. Congrats on a job well done.

Graystar

10th of February 2007 (Sat), 19:57

removed

mxwphoto

15th of February 2007 (Thu), 01:45

Hehe.. well done... foil tape sounds really intriguing. Now just take a bunch of money shots, stitch them together, and press "print". :D

PeacePlanet

26th of April 2007 (Thu), 05:34

Thanks!

I worked out the issues and it's working fairly well now. Still a little too much light on top, but at least I know why now and i'm working on it. I change the shape to utilize the focusing light. That works well. If anyone wants more info on it lemme know.

Final cut. I bought some foil tape at Home Depot for $2.50. That worked well for getting the light to the bottom of the ring. Also, the main deflector has a slight fold in the middle that you can just barely make out...further directing the light around the sides.
http://home.nyc.rr.com/graystar/pictures/macroring/macroringfinal.jpg

Andrew. Taken in darkness. Camera was able to focus and illuminate fairly evenly. Lens was about 1/2" away.
http://home.nyc.rr.com/graystar/pictures/macroring/andrew.JPG

I think your cam is similar to S3, what is your measurement of your design if dont mind please.

Thanks
AL

Grimm75

26th of April 2007 (Thu), 08:50

One of the coolest things I have ever seen. I wonder how using plastic caps (like from various-sized spray cans and such) would work. Cut them, line them with mylar, and use that on the end around the lens.

lowcrust

21st of June 2007 (Thu), 22:21

VERY cool! I'm having some days off soon, if the weather is bad I'm going to try and make 430-version of this!

sugar_babygirli

22nd of June 2007 (Fri), 18:32

So this only works for macro, or would it work for portraits too? I'd be curious to see a sample shot. Great idea!

robgr85

14th of July 2007 (Sat), 20:50

wow!!!!!

great, I have do make one for my own diy macro lens :)

producerism

8th of August 2007 (Wed), 06:40

here's another cool DIY ring light:

http://www.tommyimages.com/Blog/Ringlight/Ringlight.jpg

http://blog.tommyimages.com/2007/05/pocket-ringlight.html

TMR Design

8th of August 2007 (Wed), 16:31

Hi Tommy,

Is there a reason why you have the ring so far above the actual head of the flash?

mabdo

4th of September 2007 (Tue), 14:10

thats a reeeeeel grrrreat job :)
Congratulations :)

ben_r_

23rd of November 2007 (Fri), 14:28

Wow, that is something else!

ben_r_

23rd of November 2007 (Fri), 14:30

here's another cool DIY ring light:

http://www.tommyimages.com/Blog/Ringlight/Ringlight.jpg

http://blog.tommyimages.com/2007/05/pocket-ringlight.html
I like this idea!

jjlad

25th of January 2008 (Fri), 01:59

Really cool!
I have one question ...if your zoom lens extends and retracts as the zoom is changed ....does that matter ...or do you size it so as to fit at the short end of the range?

mxwphoto

29th of January 2008 (Tue), 01:55

Really cool!
I have one question ...if your zoom lens extends and retracts as the zoom is changed ....does that matter ...or do you size it so as to fit at the short end of the range?

It's however long you want it, usually fixed length. By using a reversed lens as macro, the lens length will be in a fixed position with the entire camera moving back and forth to focus on the spot you want to shoot at. Or, you can make a tube that extends and retracts as you move it around for non-macro uses.

oldfella

14th of June 2009 (Sun), 13:28

All these ideas using aluminum foil , fibre optics etc lead only to one thing. A light loss. A small outlay of cash and a bit of effort can make a twin strobe front flash. This I have successfully done. Using electricians cable truncation I made a camera bracket with two strobes that are level with the front of the lens. At 12" from subject the aperture is F16. along the front are three supabrite LED`s for focus assist in dark shots.