Helicon FB Tube reviews?

Here are a couple from today, #1 with the Canon 100mm F2.8L, which means I am closer to the Wasps, so the MT-26 EX RT is also closer, making the effective or apparent "size" of the flash larger and I think this has reduced some of the harshness of the specular highlights and hot spots compared to the greater working distance of the 180mm lens in #2.

I still need to design and build a larger diffuser set, to fit over the MT-26 to produce some nicer shadowless lighting.

Cheers

Dennis

Getting better!

You really don't want your light to be shadow-less. We use in and out of focus areas, and shadows, to determine depth. Get everything in focus and evenly lit and your photos will look flat. I use my MT26EX RT in a key ("A" flash head at the top) and fill ("B" flash head off to one side at 90 degrees to the key) configuration, with the key on a Kaiser Adjustable Flash Shoe so that the key and fill are not hitting the subject at the same angle. The end result is light that partially wraps around the subject and makes it look more 3D.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2iRx​Akq

A couple of more Wasps-on-berries shots with the Helicon FB Tube, the focus shift between shots is much harder to discern in the viewfinder using the Canon 100mm F2.8 compared to the Canon 180mm F3.5 where I could see the plane of focus shifting with each exposure.

I configured at F8 with the default Steps via the Helicon Config Utility for each lens.

Cheers

Dennis

I got my Tube today. It doesn't work with the EOS M6 m2...

T3 Heavy Shop wrote in post #19063700
I got my Tube today. It doesn't work with the EOS M6 m2...

Wow - sorry to hear about that.

The Helicon FB Tube Compatibility Listing indicates it should work with the EOS M and EOS M3:

https://www.heliconsof​t.com …on-fb-tube-compatibility/

Might be worth posting a question on their Forum.

https://forum.helicons​oft.com

I haven't used it with any of my M, M3 or M6 (Mk I) bodies will will try to give the M6 (Mk I) a test run this coming week.

Cheers

Dennis

I just fitted the Canon 180mm F3.5 L Macro Lens onto my EOS-M6 (Mk I) using the Canon EF-M to EF Adapter and the Helicon FB Tube did indeed work.

However, during the 2nd test run I set the AF to SERVO and it did not work - it only works in ONE SHOT, so make sure you have it set to ONE SHOT.

I had the Drive on Low Speed Continuous.

Just check your settings against the Table here:

https://www.heliconsof​t.com/configuration/

Cheers

Dennis

It's not a settings issue. The tube doesn't recognize when the M6 m2 takes a picture. On the helicon forums it seems it also doesn't work on the 90d or EOS R. There was also a discussion about 5d m3/4, but it was in French and i didn't bother to translate it.

T3 Heavy Shop wrote in post #19063855
It's not a settings issue. The tube doesn't recognize when the M6 m2 takes a picture. On the helicon forums it seems it also doesn't work on the 90d or EOS R. There was also a discussion about 5d m3/4, but it was in French and i didn't bother to translate it.

The Helicon FB Tube works on my Canon EOS R - the Wasp photos on this page (above) were taken using the Helicon FB Tube, so I suspect there is a setting or set up issue involved.

On my EOS R I had the settings as per the Helicon Configuration 1 and it worked just fine, as it has consistently on my EOS M3, EOS M6, 5D Mk IV and 7D Mk II.

I have the original design, where the Configuration Settings are transmitted to the Tube via an IR Dongle plugged into my iPad.

Cheers

Dennis

I'll admit i didn't pay that much attention to the helicon forum other than the one talking about the 90d. They don't seem to be very active. I tried it on my original M and it worked fine, but i'll just mount it on my 7D2

Thought it's about time I grabbed a picture of my set up with the Helicon FB Tube and Canon 180mm F3.5L Macro lens.

Cheers

Dennis

Photo from nardes's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (1053138)

Photo from nardes's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (1053134)

Thanks for sharing the setup. That's an awful lot of pieces that have to communicate with each other. Seems to do just fine.

Today I counted 7 Paper Wasps snoozing in our Sacred Bamboo Shrub and they played very nicely by remaining quite still during the 30 frame shoot.

The 30 frames were then stacked in Helicon Soft and finished in PS CC.

Cheers

Dennis

Amazing detail although to my eyes the lighting is a bit too uniform.

racketman wrote in post #19100876
Amazing detail although to my eyes the lighting is a bit too uniform.

Also too specular (not diffused enough) and losing detail because of it.