LED Macro ring VS Flash gun 'O' ring add on?

Hey all,

Seen the LED ring in another thread a few pages back and just wondering if anyone has either of the below and what they make of them?


Flash Gun 'O' Ring;

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Macro-O-Flash-Ring-NIKON-D80-D90-D70S-SB900-F170-/170529359520?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_CameraAccessories_CameraFlashUnits_JN

LED Ring;

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Macro-Ring-Flash-LED-Light-Canon-450D-500D-1000D-/180480533956?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_CameraAccessories_CameraFlashUnits_JN



Would one be better than the other? (I know the O ring flashes, as it just uses the flash guns light, and the LED one is a constant light).

Wouldn't mind getting one. Not really a big macro fan (using a zoom end of a telephoto is probably the most 'macro' I'll ever get) but I've heard they can be fun to play around with with other things.

Portrait photography is one area I've heard they can be a useful tool?


They lok pretty interesting, and they're relatively cheap, so I wouldn't mind picking one up. Just thought I'd ask on here first if anyone loves or hates them?


Cheers

CabanSail

I picked up one of these in Hong Kong on my way home (as you do) and it wasn't a big outlay there. The one I have is identical other than the brand name and I think it was a about 70 yoyo's

I looked at the other types & they may have been OK but felt having the actual flash ring as the source was better. It is by no means a high quality product but not bad for the money. They have left the bounce head on the donor flash, which seems starnge as it has no function, but ity works quite well. Have only used it last Sunday for the first time.

AnimalRights

KKV I don't use e-bay but wouldn't mind one of them for my Canon 5D II, if you're ordering one would there be any chance getting one for me?
I live in town so meeting up would be no problem, for that price it's worth getting one for just to experiment with alone!

AnimalRights

AnimalRights wrote: »

KKV I don't use e-bay but wouldn't mind one of them for my Canon 5D II, if you're ordering one would there be any chance getting one for me?
I live in town so meeting up would be no problem, for that price it's worth getting one for just to experiment with alone!

Are you talking about the LED ring or the O ring? I bought both last night. Don't know why, I'm broke, but I couldn't resist.

If you like, I can buy another for you, but I'm not sure how easy meeting up will be; I haven't been in Dublin in years and don't predict I'll be there anytime soon

AnimalRights

Not sure now, confused lol, one of the links is gone and the otehr link is for Canon's that are not mine!
Maybe I'll do some more homework on it!

From the looks of it, the LED RING seems to be compatible with everything that has a hot shoe.

There are adapters to fit any size lens and they only mention "Sony A series needs a hot shoe adapter", so i think it's universal.


The O Ring on the other hand, seems to be able to fit on to essentially any size of flash gun, but due to it's size and the way it wraps around the lens, it has to be purchased to fit a certain camera size (there are different model numbers on that guys store that fit certain cameras. I don't think it matters if it says Nikon or Sony in the title, so long as the description says it will fit your camera).



As I say, i bought both last night, so if you like I'll wait until i get mine, play with them a bit and let you know how I get on, first.

Nforce

Deleted User wrote: »

From the looks of it, the LED RING seems to be compatible with everything that has a hot shoe.

There are adapters to fit any size lens and they only mention "Sony A series needs a hot shoe adapter", so i think it's universal.


The O Ring on the other hand, seems to be able to fit on to essentially any size of flash gun, but due to it's size and the way it wraps around the lens, it has to be purchased to fit a certain camera size (there are different model numbers on that guys store that fit certain cameras. I don't think it matters if it says Nikon or Sony in the title, so long as the description says it will fit your camera).



As I say, i bought both last night, so if you like I'll wait until i get mine, play with them a bit and let you know how I get on, first.

I'd be interested to know too.

Thought I'd give this a bit of a bumpity bump.

My LED ring arrived in the post this morning. To clarify, that's this one;


http://cgi.ebay.ie/Macro-Ring-Flash-LED-Light-Canon-450D-500D-1000D-/180480533956?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_CameraAccessories_CameraFlashUnits_JN


Now before I start, I think that saying macro photography is a bit of a specialist area is an understatement. I have no knowledge of it whatsoever and I most certainly didn't set out to take great photos (i spent 5 minutes in my house playing with it).

My pictures are just to give an idea of what it's all about for anyone considering buying one.


Anyway, first thing that worried me was the brightness. I assumed it'd be crappy and would eat through batteries like a... well.. like something that eats batteries. but nope, this LED ring will most certainly blind you. To give an idea (again, i wasn't trying to produce great photos, so i wasn't reaching for a tripod) here's me standing in my hall, looking into the spare room, with the LEDs turned off (and all lights around me off, the only light is the light coming in through the blinds)






And with the LEDs turned on (and again, all other lights around me turned off)





Then I found Mr. Daddy Long Legs sitting in my bathroom and decided to try my luck at Macro photography (using a 4x close up filter on my 40-150 lens on my Olmypus E420 in case anyone cares)


So again, with no LEDs, there was no way I could avoid camera shake (the EXIF data should still be on the images so you can see what changed and what I changed, i stayed in aperture priority).


(I didn't resize these photos, as that'd be pretty useless, so i left them at full size and in order to keep with the 800 pixel rule, i've linked to them instead)


No LEDs

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/1599/p8312215.jpg


With LEDs


http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/5249/p8312220.jpg



As you can see, even the white balance is helped a huge deal.



One more final example. I have a keyring of a Kane mask. About 6cm tall;


This is it lying against my mouse;






Using the 4x close up filter again, i went in without the LEDs;





And with the LEDs







There is an issue, however, with the LED ring. As good as it is (and so far I really do like it), the plastic that covers the LEDs wraps around them a fair bit, so much so, that it is almost shining onto the lens. This can result in a bit of a hazy image, so some black tape might be a requirement for me there. I've still a lot of playing to do with it, so i'm not going to say whether i love it or hate it yet. I'll need to get my hands on some flowers outdoors and try my luck before casting my judgement (as I iamgine thats when this would most commonly be used).


So far, so good, though. Hopefully this post will have been of some benefit to someone. Will let ye know if I go out to take photos with it how i get on, and will also let ye know if i get my O ring for my plash gun.

Haven't played about with the LED ring much yet (the weather hasn't helped too much, unfortunately).

However, today, I did receive my O ring flash add on.

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Macro-O-Flash-Ring-NIKON-D80-D90-D70S-SB900-F170-/170529359520?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_CameraAccessories_CameraFlashUnits_JN

I haven't really used it much just yet, but one thing that I must point out to anyone considering getting it is that you won't carry it around with you.

My initial thoughts on getting it were "sure it'll be grand to carry around and play about with it on different things" but it's not as small as I pictured it being. In fact, it's quite odd, because I kinda knew how big it would be (from the flash to around the lens, seems fairly simple, right?) but for some reason I just got a bit taken aback by it.

It's probably the weight. It's a serious bugger, and considering it was fairly a cheap knock off price, I'm pretty surprised. There's enough weight on it that it is noticeable it's on the camera, but it's not too heavy that you worry about your flashgun or hot shoe breaking.


It slides around the front of your flash gun, using four thick pieces of rubber that is uses as a grip, and then theres a band of velcro connected to them that you use to tighten, so it can't come off the flash gun.


I took one or two shots and it does seem pretty good at evenly illumniating things, but I'll take some photos in a darker setting later of some stuff about the place, and upload them and post them here so people can form ther own opinions.


The ring fits around my canon 50mm 1.8, 18-55 and Olympus 14-42 and 40-150. You can attach the lens hoods on whilst using this, but I think that'd eliminate the point (as they can kinda block the flash, or if nothing else, the circle/petal edges may get in the way of the flash and result in oddball shadowing.

The O Ring i got is the F170 (i believe that's the one i link to above) and it says it is fit for the 20D and a few other cameras, but I think, to be honest, that it'll fit most cameras. It's the lens that would be the deciding factor, I'd assume.

If you plan to pick one up, double check the diameter of your biggest lens. You can always stick this thing on a smaller lens (its too big for any lenses I have, but it still seems to work grand).


The weight of this boyo no doubt comes from the part that slips over your flash gun. The plastic on the front does feel a little cheap. It can be pulled off I believe, but it would take a bit of an effort and I'm not sure if you're supposed to take it off or not.

The "F170 O-FLASH" labelling is on the front of it at the top, like on the ebay pictures. I'm not sure if that serves a purpose there (blocking the light from flashing at the top of the ring) or if you're expected to take off the plastic and remove the label.


It doesn't seem to have gotten in the way yet, and I don't fancy having to tear off the plastic and then beat it back onto the O-Ring, so I think I'll just leave it be for the time being.


I'll upload some pictures in a short while.


An unrelated curiousity; customs stopped it from being delivered to me on Friday. So i contacted them asking how much I owed and when to expect it being delivered, but they emailed me saying it was fine, no charge, and they'll have it out to me tomorrow (which is today). It has the "opened by customs" sellotape on it. Bit odd.

Right, I just found a bottle beside me and went after that with the Olmypus E-420 and 14-42 kit lens. Most of these (all, i think, actually) are taken at 42mm and at a 25th of second, f/7.1 and ISO100.

Now, there's a window about 5 inches above the bottle, so there was a bit of light coming against me during these (i had the blinds closed though, so it shouldn't be too bad) but here's a vague idea of the differences. (note; i'm useless with Flash, so i never changed anything on the flash gun between shots or anything,just left everything as is)


(Breaking the 800pixels rule here, but it's kinda necessary, due to the nature of the images, and they haven't been put through any editing software)



No flash;





On Camera Flash





Flash Gun





Flash Gun with (white) Diffuser





Flash Gun with O Ring





*EDIT* LED Ring




Also, the LED ring gives you the option of only having one side of it turned on, so here's the light on it coming from the;

Left


Right


Top


Bottom



(LED ring is designed for macro shooting, so as you can see; the differences in where the light comes from are minimal)/


Never thought of trying the LED ring on it too. Shall do that in a moment.

Just one thing worth mentioning, I was originally going to take these photos with the Canon 20D and 50mm 1.8 lens, but the 50mm lens is so compact, that you can see the O ring around the edges of the lens a little on the bottom sides of it. If you don't mind cropping, then it shouldn't be too bad, and I'm sure you could find a way around it, but I wasn't too bothered messng with it and just threw the O Ring on the Olympus instead.