Ring Speedlight/Led for Nikon - Suggestions?

[ruifo]

Dear friends,

I'm looking for a ring speedlight/led unity for Nikon, aiming to macro work, but to be honest, I have no experience to the products availible out there. So I'm here to ask for some suggestions for you.

I like macro, and am just an enthusiast, no more. I'm looking for something not so expensive (under USD $150), and not so heavy to carry too. I'll use it with my "Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro" lens (62mm filter thread), that I reall like and enjoy. Mounted with my D810 and D5200, depending on the occasion/need.

The "Bower SDF52N Dual Intelligent Speedlight for Nikon Cameras" called my atention, for the dual technology. But it only comes with 58mm and 67mm lens adapter ring, and I need a 62mm adapter (can I use a regular step up/down ring for that?). Any experience with this unity? Is it worthy? Will I loose my time and money with it?

Another unity I saw some reviews is the cheapo "Polaroid Macro LED Ring Flash for Nikon". It comes with al fiter thread sizes, including the 62mm. Will it do the work for an amateur? Will I loose my time and money with it? Is it too toyish?

I also did look at more expensive options, like the "Sigma EM140 DG" unity, that seems to be well regarded, but it looks like to be a flash unity only, with no constant led light option. My only issue is that I'm looking for constant led ring light + ring flash in a single package (and right/lef lit options, for creating better depth in the images). Something around the lines of the features shown in this video:



Here is another unity I've been researching about: "GiSTEQ Flashmate II Ringflash for Nikon Cameras". It looks like to do all these features I'm looking for. But again, I've never heard of any of these brands at all... And I don't know whether they're reasonably good, or just a waste of time and money...

If you guys have further references and/or suggestions, please feel free to jump in this conversatin.'I would love to expand this conversation before purshasing anything, as well as leave this conversation here for anyone else's future reference too.

Thanks much!

 

[tirediron]

The Nissin MF18 may be what you're looking for. I recently picked one up for around $300 (I'm sure they're much cheaper used), and it's surprisingly good. The TTL works well, it has manual control down to 1/1024 ('though how accurate that is, I can's say for sure), and it produces a nice light. It has four LEDs which will provide continuous light, 'though not a lot of it, and overall, the build quality was quite reasonable for such an inexpensive item.

 

[ruifo]

Tks. Where did you find the Nissin MF18 for only $300?
Everywhere I look it's $439, like here.

 

[tirediron]

Tks. Where did you find the Nissin MF18 for only $300?
Everywhere I look it's $439, like here.

I think the actual price I paid was $329; it was on sale at a local big-box retailer. Hadn't noticed the RRP.

 

[tirediron]

Tks. Where did you find the Nissin MF18 for only $300?
Everywhere I look it's $439, like here.

I think the actual price I paid was $329; it was on sale at a local big-box retailer. Hadn't noticed the RRP; just assumed if I could get it for $329 in Canada, the rest of the world could get it for significantly less.

 

[ruifo]

Ok, tks. I'll keep my eyes open.
But I think you were lucky!

 

[ruifo]

Have you guys heard of this unity? Phoenix SmartFlash RF-46N TTL Macro Ringlight for Nikon iTTL. It's has a guide number of 46'/14 m @ 50mm, what is not bad at all.

Here is a video description/review about it:



Most of the reviews I see about it tend to describe it as a "good find", "pleasant surprise", "value for money", "surprising", "smart" etc... The only bad reviews I could find have to do with some vignetting on wider front filter-element lenses, on FX bodies. Nothing that shooting DX (D5200), or 1.2x/DX crop mode on FX (D810) could not resolve.

If any of you guys have any experience, let me know, please. Many thanks!