First shot with ABR800 and 30" moon unit

[forkball]

We got it yesterday and I had to have some fun with it. I'll be using it this season for my seniors, to provide some variety in the folio. :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2209/2535669221_1853d73ca6.jpg

[forkball]

Ok... so I'll add a mini-review so this post has some value beyond the "look at my cute daughter" post. Then maybe someone will actually comment.

First impressions: FEAR! As I pulled everything out of the box, I was immediately worried about all the plastic parts. The mounting hardware was very uninspiring. But... I remind myself that it is $400.00 for a complete ring flash unit as opposed to the $2,000+ for the more higher end ones. I would be happier if the mounting hardware were made of some sort of metal though. It can cost THAT much extra. Anyway... The diffuser is made of plastic, no big surprise there... and also, no problem. The relector for the moon unit is made of plastic and while it works fine... I can see breaking off tabs at some point. I wish it were metal. The unit's reflector lock is basically just a couple of little nibs that stick out and keep the outer reflector from moving, and the inner reflector or diffuser from rotatating. It works... but I'm just not impressed. It feels flimsy. Ok... so that's the bad. The rest is ALL GOOD!!!

I love that you can shoot ring flash through a softbox. Very unique look to the lighting. I like the tracking option for the modeling light and that you can turn it on or off making it a constant intensity. I like that you can set the modeling light to indicate the recycle of the flash unit. I like that the power connector is a 90 degree bended end that is flush with the back of the unit when plugged in. I LOVE the connector for the sync port. It fits nice and snug like it should. There is really plenty of power for what I'll need it for. The optional masks for the moon unit are pretty cool too. I'll probably add the "traditional" ring mask to open up the pupils a bit more in shots like the one above. The quality of light is good. And the ring flash unit itself feels pretty well built. It's very light and easy to handhold. Maybe the plastic parts contribute to the light weight... but I could live with a few extra ounces for metal mounting. Hopefully this will help someone in a purchase decision. Oh... and one more thing. I use JTL lights normally (yes cheap... but I've had good luck with them). The AB's tend to run a little cooler and a little more magenta in color than my JTL's... I'm not sure if that will be a problem yet or not. When I use the ABR, the JTL's will most likely be accent lighting only anyway so we'll see.

[GaryHeller]

John, I appreciate the in depth review/comments on the new gear. Your lighting looks nice and soft and of course you have a great looking subject there. I am not crazy about the strange looking catch lights/reflections in the eyes though. That could be a problem.
thanks for posting this .

[350D_Noob]

Thanks, as well, for the review. I, too, am looking into purchasing this particular product. I'm sure you'll put some work into it. Hope to see more pictures!

[forkball]

John, I appreciate the in depth review/comments on the new gear. Your lighting looks nice and soft and of course you have a great looking subject there. I am not crazy about the strange looking catch lights/reflections in the eyes though. That could be a problem.
thanks for posting this .

thanks for the comment. Yeah... I agree about the strange catchlights. It's cool to look at for maybe one or two shots, but the novelty would wear off quickly if ALL of my ringflash shots look this way. That's why I am thinking about getting the traditional ring mask. Actually... I am gonna get it. Then the catch light would look more like the traditional donut ring catch you see with the large ring light setups.

[sfaust]

I like using a ring flash, but always hated the catchlights. On 95% of my ringflash shots, I remove the catchlights and add something more traditional.

[roman_t]

cute little one. i like quality of ringlight but its a shame about eyes when you shoot closeups. some fashion/glamour style would fit it well. david lachapelle used ringlights very creatively as well as other stuff.

[Double Negative]

Ya, the catchlights are a little... "Unusual." But the lighting quality looks superb.

[defordphoto]

Lighting looks excellent. Catch lights look a little creepy.

[whiskaz]

No love for the Ringlight's catchlights... I like them. Might change my mind if I started seeing them over and over in my shots. I was actually a little concerned about the ABR800s ability to re-create those kind of catchlights. I guess if you're in fairly close with it though, it works fine.

Nice shot!

[defordphoto]

Edit them out. Easy fix.

[musicmaster]

I love the eyes. Cute girl too :)