Ebay ring flash adapter

HI

I've been looking at the item below on ebay.

web page

Anyone here got one? Any thoughts on likely power loss from it? Used with a 580ex how useable is it likely to be?

Am thinking of using it for a little fill flash with a second off camera flash.

Likely to be a waste of money?

I have one similar to this one. Personally I'm not impressed with the ringflash light as a whole, but I've only used it a couple times on my daughter. When used as the sole light source (in a normally lit room) it gives red-eye 100% of the time for me (a trait of ring flashes).

The power output of the one I have is decent. I think I need +1 or +2 more FEC than I need with the FlipIt (which takes +1 FEC) depending on the distance.

The catchlights are unrecognizable as a ring (which IMHO is good since the ring catchlights look silly).

It's light, portable and semi-unique. For $50 (about $100 LESS than I paid) it's worth getting if you think you'll use it. Mine's in the box on a shelf and probably will stay there since I don't want to sell it for such a huge loss. Keep in mind that the light output may be different on this ebay one than the ebay one I got.

There was a post about this adapter. The major flaw is that the light produced is NOT in a FULL circle...the part at the top emits little light, causing rotten catchlights in the eyes and an incomplete surrounding shadow (if you want a ring light that produces a full annular shadow). If you want it only for macro shooting, it might be OK to try. But it is too darned tiny to be useful as a 'soft' light for shooting photos of people...it is flat (frontal) but not soft!

That's a Ray Flash knock off.

You can read my review and lots of chatter about this device HERE.

TMR Design wrote in post #8140685
That's a Ray Flash knock off.

You can read my review and lots of chatter about this device HERE.

It's similar to the Ray Flash design, but it's not the same.

http://www.flickr.com/​photos/8107300@N07/352​5978272

There is also the following the Saturn ring flash, which is more similar to the Ray Flash. This compares it to the Ray Flash and the O-flash.

http://www.ringflash-adapter.com/info/compa​rison

There is also the Coco ring flash, which I think is a direct copy of the Ray Flash.

http://www.amazon.com …=470938631&pf_r​d_i=507846

And lastly (I think), the pricier Orbis:

http://www.orbisflash.​com/

ghostman wrote in post #8140750
It's similar to the Ray Flash design, but it's not the same.

http://www.flickr.com/​photos/8107300@N07/352​5978272

There is also the following the Saturn ring flash, which is more similar to the Ray Flash. This compares it to the Ray Flash and the O-flash.

http://www.ringflash-adapter.com/info/compa​rison

There is also the Coco ring flash, which I think is a direct copy of the Ray Flash.

http://www.amazon.com …=470938631&pf_r​d_i=507846

And lastly (I think), the pricier Orbis:

http://www.orbisflash.​com/

That's cool. I've seen all the competition. Bottom line is they all have design flaws and are very inefficient and small. Like any device, owners will defend it, as to users of all the tupperware for flash.

I suppose for the price it's worth it but it's just not a ring light in the classic sense of the word. It's great for macro and can be an ok fill source but I think the thing it does the worst is to simulate a true ring light.

The Orbis is a little nicer but they still haven't come out with the camera bracket that's been promised for ages and handholding such a device is kind of silly.

But hey, if you like it and it gives you what you need then that's great.

Thanks for the info guys........ will think on it a little longer...

Cheers

Humm. I just saw this ring flash adapter on ebay and decided to come on here to research it. I guess enough people have not 'tested' this one yet, but I guess enough people have already tested true ring flashes to tell that this one might be junk? I plan to use it for portraits, but if it is only good for macro, then it would have no use to me.

I keep getting tempted to buy one of these cheap ringflash adapters to try as on-camera fill. For all their flaws, at least they get some of the light source under the lens so they shouldn't leave that shadow spot under the subject's chin that a flash in the hotshoe inevitably will.

Hi Hermes,

It's probably worth a shot. I remember when I got the Ray Flash adapter.. it was not good as a ring light but it did function very nicely as a fill source and worked well for macro. I've been giving thought to picking up another ring light to use as fill but I can't stand the fact that they mount to the flash and many of them require buying one for the specific flash instead of a universal mount.

I've seen some very nice results from the Orbis, both as fill and a main ring light for working reasonably close to subjects.

I'm sure many of the ebay and Ray Flash adatper clones work well as fill. I just dont care for the mount and the weight of the adapter hanging off the flash. When I had the Ray Flash I made a support bracket but it was still bulky and not so wonderful.

Thanks Rob. If I do get one of these it will go on my main wedding camera which is hardly lightweight to start with - 5D + Grip + 24-105L + Bracket + Off-Shoe Cord + 550EX + PocketWizard Flex + CP-E4 Battery Pack. One more won't hurt

I'm sure I can find a way to brace it against the battery pack or the bracket to take the weight off the flashgun. My main concern is how big and bulky it is - seems like it would make changing lenses or accessing the lens controls very difficult. If I use it on the bracket that would put it further forwards, but then I don't know if it will start to intrude into the frame at wide angles.

Hermes,

This may give you some ideas. It's very different from the rig you'd be using but the DIY bracket worked really well. In the end I just chose not to keep the Ray Flash. In a way I wish I kept it just for fill but part of what made me return it was because I knew I'd be upgrading my camera body and the flash and the adapter wouldn't work on the new rig. At the time I had a Nikon D300 and Nikon SB-800. Now I shoot a D700 and SB-900.

https://photography-on-the.net …php?p=7305510#p​ost7305510