Looking pretty FLASH - Ring FLASH

[thegrump]

Just picked up a Ring Flash. The instruction told me what the parts were and how to put them together. Now can some tell me, what the different coloured difussers are used for, and the black piece most likely used to isolate the hot shoe, but why the shape. AND any other advice would be welcome.

photo taken with my Samsung mini.

20170524_140648.jpg

[Gazza]

I'd say the black piece is an off camera mount/stand probably with a threaded hole in the bottom that could screw onto a tripod.
The blue filter for a cooler looking light, and the yellow for a warmer effect. The clearer could be used as a diffuser?

Hope that helps a bit and not leading you in the wrong direction

[ameerat42]

[^]What Gazza said.[/^]

Those filter hues look suspiciously like the standard cooling/warming colors for film*.

*Historical Alert: Film - a word mostly from the past.

[farmmax]

The little black plastic thingy looks like my little base plates so the flash can stand on it's own when you want to take it off camera.

I've never seen coloured diffusers for a ring flash. Put them on and let us see what effect they produce

[arthurking83]

Unless there's something we can't see in the pictures, I can't see how you'd use that flash stand in any way with that device.

1. the head unit(big rectangle box on camera) would have to be wirelessly controllable to begin with.
2. with the head unit off the camera, and freestanding(eg. on a table) of affixed to anything else(eg. on a tripod) .. it's be extremely annoying having that curled lead from the head unit to the ring light proper pulling and tugging this way and that.

The only real workable way for that flash stand to be useful would be if there was a method for the ring light to be mounted onto the head unit .. or freestanding itself too in some way.

[thegrump]

so far arthurking is close to the mark "as usual".....usless. I do a lot of close up stuff, ( not photography ). and I was hoping this flash could be controlled so you would not get the shadow of the flash or the lens. but turned right down it burns out the subject. At distances of say 2m it does not seem to reach. I have not had time to really experiment with it yet, just a couple of quick shots. The coloured defussers will be thrown. It may work as a fill in flash. I don't know yet. It was cheap and I mean cheap, apposed to inexpensive. Looks like I go back to covering the built in flash with a rubber glove.

[arthurking83]

..... but turned right down it burns out the subject. At distances of say 2m it does not seem to reach....

I'd persist.
If it blows out highlights, then the issue is that it's not truly compatible in terms of exposure output like a more expensive flash will be.
That just means you need to work out how much light output it's giving, and control exposure in Manual mode and use lowest ISO(in manual ISO mode), and same with aperture(go small .. f/11) and high shutter speeds.
It basically sounds like a manual flash only. It gives off X amount of light.
You camera can't see that light so can't work out an auto exposure calculation.

The only real way to work this out is in Manual mode, and note down the settings used and keep on experimenting with various shutter speed and aperture settings.

I'd also recommend to not throw out the diffuser or filters for it. While they may not be accurate in any way, they can see come in handy for creative purposes down the track.
I've found that most keen photographers tend to go down that path .. they start off doing stuff 'by the book' .. and then once you've done it a million times, you just want something different .. and there's a ton of weird addons and household items that can help with being creative.

A few years ago I was shooting some macros of a really nice looking dandelion seed head. It looked nice so took many pics to make it appear nicer. Quickly got bored after the bilionth image, and used a set of coloured plastic drinking cups(IKEA) over my flash head to give coloured light.

If they were mine, what I'd do with the filters(all 3) is to cut them exactly in half very carefully so that you can mix and match half of one, the the other half of another as another form of creative outlet.

The overall gist of this reply is to keep at it, and try new ways to do stuff and see how it works.

[ameerat42]

I 2nd the idea of AK's, TG, mainly because it sounds that your tendency is to have some single thing
do a specific task, and if it doesn't, well... [insert uncertainty here]. -- And certainly, don't just throw
something away because it is of no immediately foreseeable use.

OK, enough of opinion, so here's another idea to add to AK's: Make up a bit of a mask to block off some
of the flash tube. Instead of a fully illuminating ring, block off about 50% of it in even segments, so that you
don't affect the main direction of the light

[thegrump]

Not throwing them out. I am a hoarder. I have not done too much experimenting yet.... One thing I thought of while reading your post was, that the flash has a left and right, so that might just tone down the light.

[arthurking83]

... One thing I thought of while reading your post was, that the flash has a left and right, so that might just tone down the light.

This is good.
Can you position the ring light so that those sides are top and bottom instead?
Another handy aspect of the light to work with.

Finally, can it(the light(s)) be turned on and left on all the time, or is it only a "flash" mode flash?
If it has the ability to be used continuously on, this is also handy.

[thegrump]

This is good.
Can you position the ring light so that those sides are top and bottom instead?
Another handy aspect of the light to work with.

Finally, can it(the light(s)) be turned on and left on all the time, or is it only a "flash" mode flash?
If it has the ability to be used continuously on, this is also handy.

There is a "light" setting. which is a continuous light, for movies. The ring light swivels, so you can position the light where ever.
I have come up with a quick solution for one shot I needed. My daughter wanted some photos of some of her shoes. So I used my 55-200 and took them from the other side of the room.

I just realized, I left the main room light on. which have resulted in a minor shadow..


DSC_4744ax.JPG

DSC_4743ax.JPG

[arthurking83]

....

I just realized, I left the main room light on. which have resulted in a minor shadow ..

Another tip(if you don't mind me tipping!)

in leaving the room light on I don't find the light shadowing an issue at all. You get shadows in real life, so to see some in photography is just 'keeping real'.
The tip tho is to be careful and mindful of your light sources.

I reckon your room light must have been a warm colour rendering(a CFL possibly) .. maybe a halogen.
Not sure .. but.
The LED ring light is probably producing the blue cast clearly visible in the above images.
So the red felt material is showing a blue/purple/magenta cast gradually fading to what appears to be the proper red colour towards the background.
The second fawn coloured shoes subsequently have multi coloured tones. . more fawn on the foremost shoe, and then the rearmost shoe is losing that fawn colour and going to grey .. almost blue like.

Nothing wrong with using multiple light sources, but be mindful to have them as well balanced as possible.
I'd look into finding an LED light bulb for the room, rather than trying the warming filter for the ring light, but just for testing purposes, you already have the warm filter for the ring light, so it'd be interesting to see how effective it works too.

If you're looking for a well balanced LED room light bulb, I'd highly recommend a Philips LED cool white either 18w or I think 24w(I get them from Bunnings). This would(or should) make a nice complimentary additional light when using the ring light in it's native colour format(I assume).
I've seen the warmer Philips LEDs lights(on display) and I found the warm rendering is too artificial .. more of a green yellow, rather than warm(reddish) yellow .. IMO yuk!

[thegrump]

You can tip as much as you, or anyone else likes. I came into AP taking snaps, now I take photos ( I hope ) ..Thanks to ALL at AP.

I will be getting some of those globes.

- - - Updated - - -

[QUOTE=arthurking83;1409112]Another tip(if you don't mind me tipping!) I'd look into finding an LED light bulb for the room, rather than trying the warming filter for the ring light, but just for testing purposes, you already have the warm filter for the ring light, so it'd be interesting to see how effective it works too. I retook the fawn pair, using all the difussers. You probable can guess which ones. But just in case clear, opaque, blue and red in that order. I turned off the main light and turned on the larger LED ring light and positioned it at a distance. NO editing except resizing. Full flash, full strength.

You can tip as much as you, or anyone else likes. I came into AP taking snaps, now I take photos ( I hope ) ..Thanks to ALL at AP.

I will be getting some of those globes.

I think I left the main light on........................................


clear
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opaque
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blue
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yellow
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