Ringflash?

So...are any of the non-Canon models worth using? I would like to experiment with the look it gives to catch-lights. They range in price from $90 up to Canon's price of $519. Anybody have experience with the lower to mid-range priced units?

As far as I know, the only ring flash Canon makes is for macro use. Limited power and not compatible with big lenses.

There are two distinctive types of ring flashes, one is for macro use, and another is for portrait/glamor types.

A few flashes fall in both of these categories, some of them are simply adapters like the Orbis or RayFlash, but most are either one or the other.

What do you intent to do with your ringflash exactly ?

Was thinking of trying one for portraits...but, my main lenses are 77mm & f/2.8. After reading a little more I think I will pass on trying this.

I have an Orbis, which uses a standard hotshoe flash, and I love it, but you can DIY your own if you just want to play around:

http://strobist.blogsp​ot.co.uk …-ring-flash-tutorial.html

Tim S wrote in post #14798193
Was thinking of trying one for portraits...but, my main lenses are 77mm f/2.8. After reading a little more I think I will pass on trying this.

...I think you mean the filter size on your main lenses is 77mm and the fstop is 2.8

Thats not you describe lenses, you mark their focal length and their fstop, so when someone says they have an 85mm:1.8, it doesn't make the filter size 85mm....

For portraits the easiest is to just make yourself an adapter for a hotshoe flash to play around with, the normal portrait type RFs are like 300$ish, with the cheapest being the ABR800, then going into pack and head RFs/battery packs more around 1,000$.

The difference is power, a hotshoe adapter flash will only really be usable indoors and when you're using a longer lens will have a tiny catch-light and not much power (which might be a good thing if you only want fill from it).

Csae wrote in post #14799006
The difference is power, a hotshoe adapter flash will only really be usable indoors and when you're using a longer lens will have a tiny catch-light and not much power (which might be a good thing if you only want fill from it).

I disagree with it only being useful indoors, but if you're shooting from a long way away, or in bright ambient, you are going to struggle to get anything other than fill. I mainly use my Orbis for fill, but I also use it on its own at times, both inside and out - both of these were taken outside in daylight:

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/sjrobbins/74735​89006/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/sjrobbins/74735​81346/

You call that daylight?

F16 is daylight buddy, you're at 40mm and getting f2.8 iso400 ? I hope thats with ND filters or something though that doesn't explain the iso400... On the 2nd shot i can't even tell how little fill you're getting, bearly any since the shadows under her chin are very dark and thats exactly what a RF would fill in, on the first shot you're just in a really dark shady place, 1/80 iso100 f2.8 is not daylight. Guessing neither of these were really at full power thou in the first shot the RF is obviously the key, the 2nd might of needed a bit more power to actually fill the shadows....

A hotshoe flash is already not THAT powerful, the adapters knock a good stop at best off it, distance knocks even more, you're not really supposed to shoot head and shoulders at 40mm, but if thats how close you need to get enough power, imagine being at the standard min of 85mm. Another thing to note is even at 40mm on a head & shoulders, the catchlight of the orbis is quite tiny!

On the flipside even the weakest RF (The abr8) is like f16 at 85mm on the -weakest- setting WITH diffusion and without the reflector, which if you're looking for fill might be a drawback actually.

The power is non-comparable for outdoors though, a hotshoe is gonna show its limitations, you're gonna be running for the shade quite quickly on the flip side, indoors or in a studio or in a dark shade, the hotshoe flashes+adapter is gonna be ALOT lighter and easier to handle. So its not like one is better then another, some of the hotshoe adapters even allow ETTL to work which is neat if you're into that.

I put my RF on a monopod with a battery clamped to it and slide my camera inside via a tripod ring, i can't imagine hand-holding the whole kit for any period of time.

If it's not dark, it's daylight.. in the UK we probably only get 2 days a year at F16 outside

Like I said, at long distances or bright ambient you'll struggle, but your comment of "indoors only" is misleading - nobody is trying to claim a HSF will outpower even the lowliest of the bigger lights, not quite sure why you're being so defensive.

Incidentally the ISO400 was an error, we had a gear failure with a pocket wizard so was shooting available light in shade for a while and I didn't reset it.

Alien Bees ABR800 ring flash. Just be sure to outfit it with a Manfrotto or Arca-Swiss style quick release clamp so you don't have to worry about using a screwdriver every time you want to put the ABR800's 'plate' on the camera body.

http://www.ocabj.net …-flash-at-a-decent-price/

I love the ABR800... bought one in May but only started playing with it at my last 2 weddings...

What's the model number of the Manfrotto "quick release?"

SJRobbins wrote in post #14799238
If it's not dark, it's daylight.. in the UK we probably only get 2 days a year at F16 outside

Yeah, but not that bad to need to shoot f2.8 1/80 at iso400... most of the time its between f11-f16 iso100 in midday (sunny days).

kickmaster wrote in post #14799554
What's the model number of the Manfrotto "quick release?"

this one:
http://www.amazon.com …7&creativeASIN=​B001ASU1QO

kokakaste2 wrote in post #14799767
Yeah, but not that bad to need to shoot f2.8 1/80 at iso400... most of the time its between f11-f16 iso100 in midday (sunny days).

Ah, and midday is the only time its daylight? Gotcha.

I've already explained the ISO400, but why bother actually reading or adding anything valuable to the conversation when you can just troll.