Ring flash or other options...

[BanditPhotographyNW]

I am really new to Macro but really like it, its a struggle sometimes but anything worth doing can have that affect. Since I am new to it I dont really wanna spend a billion dollars on equipment, at least not until I know I like it enough to. Currently I have a Nikon D7000 with a Tokina 100mm f/2.8 and a Vanguard Alta pro tripod. I have no lighting at all which I know isn't so good especially for macro, which brings me to my question. I just purchased a Phoenix ring flash, It seems to get great reviews but did I do ok? Its not a $400 nikon I am aware of this and I know I should have posted this before I bought it but my debit card won the fight. Any info on macro lighting would be awesome and appreciated as well as maybe other macro related items...Also please dont just post "use the search button". I did that not much showed up especially for setup similar to mine. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[EDL]

I waited, bit the bullet and got the MT-24EX twin light. I liked the idea of being able to move the flash heads around the periphery of the mount as well as controlling each flash head separately.

I admit though, I like the round reflection the ring flashes create on the shiny eyes of spiders.

I have never used a ring flash, so I can't really give any specifics as far as limitations or other things to work around/with, etc. However, if it works, it works. Get some shots with it and let's see them.

 

[Dinardy]

I built a couple variants of ring lights from the DIY blogs. Pretty fun, inexpensive stuff. Check em out if your on a budget

 

[BanditPhotographyNW]

Ya I think if I stick with doing any macro Ill eventually get the R1C1 Ken Rockwell gives it great reviews I think it would be Nikons verson of the MT-24EX...

 

[RichieT]

I have the R1C1 and I really like the versatility. Besides being able to control each light separately, I've used them on mini tripods on either side of a light tent along with a sb800 for fill for a different lighting effect. I haven't used a ringlight yet but it seems it might be better for less staged pictures.

 

[Buckster]

I just purchased a Phoenix ring flash, It seems to get great reviews but did I do ok?

The ONLY criteria for whether you did okay is: Does it work for you? If it works to get your subjects lit the way you want, you did okay.

Any info on macro lighting would be awesome and appreciated as well as maybe other macro related items

When I faced the problem of needing more light for my macro photography, I started with the idea that I wanted the MT-24EX (Canon shooter here). After looking around at the (exorbitant, in my opinion) prices and lots of alternate solutions posted on the net, I decided that, for the money, I'd actually rather have 2 speedlights to do the job. That way, I could use them for WAY more than just my macro photography. I already had one, so I just bought another one, and then set myself to building a rig to work with them.

What I came up with is this:

In use, it looks like this:

More images and the whole story behind it are here: Buck's DIY Macro Flash Bracket For Under $10 Bucks

These days there are 3rd party speedlights, macro lights, ring lights and so forth that are MUCH less expensive than the name brands and, IMHO, they do just as good a job as the name brands.

Plenty of gear snobs will tell you that the name brands are SO MUCH BETTER, but they can't prove it with actual photo results stacked against those made with the cheaper gear, and they can't pick out from shot to shot which were shot with the name brand vs. those shot with the 3rd party stuff. In the end, they're left talking about "build quality" and "quality control problems", ignoring the fact that the 3rd party stuff is holding up for it's users just as well as the name brand stuff, having been made of essentially the same materials and methods. Add to that the fact that because they're gear snobs who wouldn't be caught dead using anything less than "the best", they haven't actually made real-life comparisons by actually OWNING and USING BOTH. Instead, they base it on selectively filtered stories and reviews they find on the net that confirm their own gear snob bias, while ignoring the overwhelming numbers of positive stories and reviews by everyone else that uses them.

Bottom line: There are LOTS of ways to tackle this problem of light for macro shooting, and it doesn't have to be expensive. I've seen some REALLY well done and VERY inexpensive solutions here on the forum from some GREAT macro shooters, using little more than a little tape, paper and the popup flash built into their camera.

 

[BanditPhotographyNW]

For some reason your pics didn't show up earlier but now that I can see them I wanna say that's a pretty cool set up. I was wondering how sturdy it is would be though?

 

[Buckster]

For some reason your pics didn't show up earlier but now that I can see them I wanna say that's a pretty cool set up. I was wondering how sturdy it is would be though?

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "sturdy". Can it survive being run over by a truck? Maybe, though I'd probably have to bend it back into it's working shape again. It's metal, bolts, nuts, washers and sturdy spring clamps. That stuff doesn't fall apart or weaken. The rest is the speedlites and the ETTL cord I use with it, and they don't get any undue pressure on them that would require a stress test.

It's all held up without a problem since I built it in the summer of 2008, and I'm not very kind or delicate with my gear. So, I guess it's sturdy enough, at least for me and my needs.

 

[BanditPhotographyNW]

For some reason your pics didn't show up earlier but now that I can see them I wanna say that's a pretty cool set up. I was wondering how sturdy it is would be though?

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "sturdy". Can it survive being run over by a truck? Maybe, though I'd probably have to bend it back into it's working shape again. It's metal, bolts, nuts, washers and sturdy spring clamps. That stuff doesn't fall apart or weaken. The rest is the speedlites and the ETTL cord I use with it, and they don't get any undue pressure on them that would require a stress test.

It's all held up without a problem since I built it in the summer of 2008, and I'm not very kind or delicate with my gear. So, I guess it's sturdy enough, at least for me and my needs.

OK I didn't realize it was metal I thought it was plastic like the liner of a hard hat...So I was thinking it would be floppy but then that's why I didn't come up with it myself lol I like it, its simple nothing complicated

 

[Buckster]

For some reason your pics didn't show up earlier but now that I can see them I wanna say that's a pretty cool set up. I was wondering how sturdy it is would be though?

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "sturdy". Can it survive being run over by a truck? Maybe, though I'd probably have to bend it back into it's working shape again. It's metal, bolts, nuts, washers and sturdy spring clamps. That stuff doesn't fall apart or weaken. The rest is the speedlites and the ETTL cord I use with it, and they don't get any undue pressure on them that would require a stress test.

It's all held up without a problem since I built it in the summer of 2008, and I'm not very kind or delicate with my gear. So, I guess it's sturdy enough, at least for me and my needs.

OK I didn't realize it was metal I thought it was plastic like the liner of a hard hat...So I was thinking it would be floppy but then that's why I didn't come up with it myself lol I like it, its simple nothing complicated

Yeah, that T strap is found at Lowe's or Home Depot and is made to join and hold 2x4's in construction. You can see it as the bare metal, pre-paintjob on the page I linked to that shows the construction of it.