Macro Ring Light or Battery Grip?

Kintarō Hattori

Hmnn I have some funds (about €58) in my Paypal account and it's burning a hole in my pocket. I was thinking about getting either a 3rd party battery grip or a macro ring light (links below):

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Battery-Grip-PENTAX-K-7-K7-D-BG4-DBG4-DSLR-D-SLR-/270603983411?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Photography_DigitalCamBatt_RL&hash=item3f01411a33

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Macro-Ring-Flash-Light-Pentax-K20D-K200D-K2000D-K-7-K-X-/260533866355?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Photography_StudioEquipment_RL&hash=item3ca9074f73

Strictly speaking I don't really need either. The K7 is quite heavy and sturdy in the hand and the battery life is superb, haven't charged the thing in ages. On the other hand the macro lens I have is quite old so performance isn't brilliant but it might be fun.


There is a massive difference in price between 3rd party macro ring lights and the official part from most manufacturers so are these 3rd party units any good? Do they give off a white light or would there be a strong blue or yellow tint from them? I've read that folk use them for portrait photos, so I would have use for them in that respect.

Anywhoo I know it's a tough question to ask as I should ideally know the answer myself but I would like to hear your thoughts and recommendations. Remember they would just be for fun. I haven't really bought anything in a while so there's an itch that needs to be scratched. Yes I should save for a better macro lens and hopefully that'll be the case in a few months.

Tallon

Macro ring!

I have a battey grip but would probably get more use out of a macro ring flash

PopeBuckfastXVI

The ring light isn't a flash, just so you're aware, it's just a ring of LED's that you switch on or off, it's not linked to the shutter or anything, I can't imagine it being *that* bright, if it's continuous, but I don't know - worth a punt maybe?

I don't know why you'd buy a grip if battery life isn't an issue for you.

Do you have all the filters you want? Might be a better use of your pocket money - or maybe something like an interval timer for doing timelapse, or a gorillapod or something?

Tallon

PopeBuckfastXVI wrote: »

I don't know why you'd buy a grip if battery life isn't an issue for you.

I love it for portraits

Kintarō Hattori

PopeBuckfastXVI wrote: »

The ring light isn't a flash, just so you're aware, it's just a ring of LED's that you switch on or off, it's not linked to the shutter or anything, I can't imagine it being *that* bright, if it's continuous, but I don't know - worth a punt maybe?

I don't know why you'd buy a grip if battery life isn't an issue for you.

Do you have all the filters you want? Might be a better use of your pocket money - or maybe something like an interval timer for doing timelapse, or a gorillapod or something?

Ah indeed I was aware it was just a light, but thanks for pointing that out anyway. I'd say it's caught a few people out. Yeah I don't imagine the light would be terribly strong but handy never the less for macro photos and might be useful for the occasional portrait.

Filters I definetly don't have. Anything you could perhaps recommend? I have an interval timer and gorillapod so am OK on those fronts!

PopeBuckfastXVI

Do you do landscapes at all? If so get a circular polarizer - worth every penny when you see those blue skies! Or you could try infrared, really worth a go - you can see mundane country scenes in a whole new way with one.

Kintarō Hattori

I don't get a chance to do many landscapes I'm afraid as I live in Dublin and don't drive. Hmnn an infrared adapter is appealing though. I love the results I've seen on here and my folks live in the countryside so certainly worth thinking about. Thanks.

dave66

I recently purchased a Battery Grip for my Sony A550 and I'm delighted with it. I had a Battery Grip on my old Minolta 800si and really missed it since moving to digital, so if it was me I'd go the battery grip route, personally I prefer when there is a bit of weight/heft to the camera.

I purchased my grip thru Ebay from a place in the UK, they appear to have some for the K7 and prices aren't too bad. I found they were really fast at shipping, I got the grip about 3 days after I ordered it.

http://photography.shop.ebay.ie/Digital-Camera-Batteries-/43444/i.html?_catref=1&_dmpt=UK_Photography_DigitalCamBatt_RL&_fln=1&_ipg=&_ssn=ukpartsdeal&_ssov=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282&Type=For%2520Pentax

http://tinyurl.com/2avyohl

AnCatDubh

The battery grip is very useful if you are shooting event(s), but as you say the k7's battery must be nuclear powered as it goes for so long. The other benefit you can get with the correct batter grip is the camera controls become available to you in vertical holding position - on mine for the K20d you get thumb wheels/front and rear/shutter release and dof preview/on off. Doesn't sound terribly important, but once you used it, you'll love having them. Oh, mine also has a handy compartment for a spare sd card - again, far from essential equipment but useful nevertheless.

On the alternate suggestion line - how about some of those cheapy optical fired strobes that were mentioned on the forum recently - i think they were about 10 quid each or something like that. Can't go too far wrong if you could belt out a bit of joy from them.

Heebie

I'd have to vote for the battery grip. I've got one I can use with my K20D (and also with my K10D if I end up using that.)

The pentax-made ones also carry a remote control, spare battery, and spare SD card which is handy. You can shoot TWO batteries through to dead without changing any. I find this very useful for holidays.

If you actually do a lot of really close-in macro work very near the end of the lens, then the macro light could be useful.

I know I wouldn't want to be without my BG-2, though.

Kintarō Hattori

Thanks guys. Hmnn seems the battery grip is the one most people would go for. The battery life is stunning on the K7 but I guess the grip will be handy for portraits as I quite like taking those. One thing though, I've read that the grip has, and your post mentioned it too Tommy is a DOF preview button. Does the camera support this as there is no button on the camera itself. The K7 manual is pretty useless so no mention of it there.

In regards to the strobes I'll pass on those for the moment as I'd rather get a proper flash unit first and then see how I get on with anything else. Looks like the macro ring flash will have to wait for another day too.

Heebie

On the K10D, the depth-of-field preview is on the power switch.. just push it over further. The K20D has the same switch.. but goes into "live preview" mode on the screen on the back INSTEAD of doing DOF..which really kinda pisses me off.

I wish they'd release a firmware update where you can switch that back to DOF!

I would imagine that if there is a DOF button on the grip you're looking it.. it probably does whatever happens when you push your power switch past the "on" stage.. if it has such a switch position... if not.. maybe you'll discover some new feature it's not really supposed to have!

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

One thing though, I've read that the grip has, and your post mentioned it too Tommy is a DOF preview button. Does the camera support this as there is no button on the camera itself. The K7 manual is pretty useless so no mention of it there.

Kintarō Hattori

Heebie wrote: »

On the K10D, the depth-of-field preview is on the power switch.. just push it over further. The K20D has the same switch.. but goes into "live preview" mode on the screen on the back INSTEAD of doing DOF..which really kinda pisses me off.

Hmnnn my old K100D Super and the K7 both seem to do what your K20D is doing. When you slide the power switch all the way over a preview comes up on the screen. So is this a DOF preview or not? They refer to it in the K100D Super manual as 'You can use the preview function to check depth of field, composition, exposure and focus before taking a picture'.

Ahh on further reading seems there's an option buried in the menu to change to change from displaying the image on the screen to the viewfinder.


..... digs out the K100D Super. G'sss egg on my face. Have the camera years and never knew this til now.

Heebie

If you find this magic beastie.. please let me know where it is. It's probably in the same place on my K20D.. and I'd LOVE to be able to do real DOF instead of live preview.

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Ahh on further reading seems there's an option buried in the menu to change to change from displaying the image on the screen to the viewfinder.

Kintarō Hattori

OK just found it, hidden away in a more confusing manner than on the K100D Super. Go into the Rec mode in menu. Highlight Digital Preview and press the right arrow button. It should show as being 'On'. Press the OK button and it gives you the option then for Optical Preview.

AnCatDubh

Heebie wrote: »

If you find this magic beastie.. please let me know where it is. It's probably in the same place on my K20D.. and I'd LOVE to be able to do real DOF instead of live preview.

On k20d, go to your custom menu and it's setting #30 - it will go between live view, optical preview (through the viewfinder) and digital preview (single frame)

p113 of you manual.

There's tremendous stuff in the custom menu.

Heebie

You inspired me to find mine.. .Mine's actually buried in like the 7th sub-menu of the custom functions. I've looked for it before on several occasions and not found it..but this time I did! =-D WHEE!!!! DOF preview!

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

OK just found it, hidden away in a more confusing manner than on the K100D Super. Go into the Rec mode in menu. Highlight Digital Preview and press the right arrow button. It should show as being 'On'. Press the OK button and it gives you the option then for Optical Preview.

Kintarō Hattori

Wooo glad you found it. Indeed ACD, the menu and sub-menus are shocking stuff. Theres.... so....many....options, tons of things!

dryadssaddle

I reckon you should get the battery grip because not only does it make you look cooler, it serves a useful purpose and to my knowledge can't be made with various household items... i'll explain now. a good few months back, i was extremely bored and decided to try and make a macro ring flash. it consists of a toothpaste box, cigarette box, some cardboard, tin foil and sticky tape. it looks ridiculous but it works amazingly well cause it uses the built in pop up flash and not led's. 1: here's what my homemade macro ring flash looks like and 2: here's the actual result.

1:



2:


I'd be extemely impressed if someone could make a battery grip using these household items

Kintarō Hattori

Just got the battery grip. Thanks for all the advice.

Nforce

Wonder if this could prove useful for macro shots

Heebie

Along with some bracket/mini-tripod to hold it steady, it probably would be useful.. depending on what you need. Having a couple of them placed at different distances from very small objects could make for some halfway decent lighting... and they're cheap as chips.. so we should each go to our local LIDL & buy a few next Monday. It even comes with batteries for €4.95.. so at worst.. you end up with a funny-looking torch for the glove box of the car or somewhere near the fuse box.

Nforce wrote: »

Wonder if this could prove useful for macro shots

Kintarō Hattori

Have the grip a few days now and am pleasantly surprised. It really does make holding the camera in the vertical position much more comfortable and having the duplicate buttons is great. I was also really surprised at how much more comfortable holding it in the horizontal position is. Your fingers rest in a much more natural way. Surprisingly it doesn't add a huge amount of weight either.


All in all a good purchase.

Heebie

Just be warned.. you won't want to shoot with a camera that doesn't have one once you're used to it. I have 2 camera bodies.. but only one grip. (I suppose, the 2nd body is a backup.. and will use the same grip.. but still.)

AnCatDubh

AnCatDubh wrote: »

On the alternate suggestion line - how about some of those cheapy optical fired strobes that were mentioned on the forum recently - i think they were about 10 quid each or something like that. Can't go too far wrong if you could belt out a bit of joy from them.

What happened with them? I never bought one, but I was hoping for some reviews or thoughts from people to surface on here and I never came across anything.

They don't seem to be on Deal Extreme any more though