Ring Light: Any recommendations for a ring light to use with my macro lens? I don't care about one that flashes just a on and off light with brightness adjustment. Thanks...

Grandpa Loc: Sacramento, CA

Any recommendations for a ring light to use with my macro lens? I don't care about one that flashes just a on and off light with brightness adjustment.
Thanks

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I went low dollar. Been happy with mine.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KJZGYQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Meike
And it comes with enough lens adapters to use it with all my lenses except the 95mm Tamron.

Mine:
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-32754-6.html#4177375

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

If you are truly interested in macro-photography, you need to be asking questions on the True Macro-Photography Forum at http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-102-1.html

Grandpa Loc: Sacramento, CA

Nikonian72 wrote:

If you are truly interested in macro-photography, you need to be asking questions on the True Macro-Photography Forum at http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-102-1.html

This question was related to equipment, not directly to macro photography.

RWCRNC Loc: Pennsylvania

Grandpa wrote:

This question was related to equipment, not directly to macro photography.

Yes, but if you check out that forum you will see the setups they use for lighting, and I don't believe many use a ring light. I started with one, but quickly moved on to what I think works better, i.e., a speed light and softbox diffuser.
Good luck, macro photography is a lot of fun.

Mark7829 Loc: Calfornia

Nikon makes a professional two light flash that you can move around the ring. It also includes diffusers, etc. The other types provide even light around the image which is not as desirable.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Grandpa wrote:

Any recommendations for a ring light to use with my macro lens? I don't care about one that flashes just a on and off light with brightness adjustment.
Thanks

The Meike I mentioned will work as an on light, or as a flash.
I use mine as an on light to get set-up and focusing.
My subjects don't seem to mind it much, if at all.
And it has steps to brighten, or lessen the intensity.

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

SonnyE wrote:

The Meike I mentioned will work as an on light, or as a flash.
I use mine as an on light to get set-up and focusing.
My subjects don't seem to mind it much, if at all.
And it has steps to brighten, or lessen the intensity.

I've been using mine the same way. I use mine to shoot products I put up for sale as well as some of the Macro work I do.
Some Macro gets Softbox some gets Ring Flash. Depends on what I want for Composition in the Shot.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

I have that Meinke LED light but it's too underpowered for me... That said, I use an older ""Lester Dine" ring/point light that was marketed to the Dental profession. No issues with high trigger voltages. I use it on a D300 & a D7100 Nikon DSLR's.... You can switch between the ring or the point light. Guide # (Full power & ISO 100) is 50 for the ring light & 95 for the point light... Not as bulky as the Nikon twin flash ring light or the SB 600 with the 6x8 diffuser I occasionally use... It was made for the Dine corp. by Sunpak...

tradergeorge Loc: Newport, Kentucky

SonnyE wrote:

I went low dollar. Been happy with mine.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KJZGYQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Meike
And it comes with enough lens adapters to use it with all my lenses except the 95mm Tamron.

Mine:
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-32754-6.html#4177375

Sonny, I know you will "rag" on me for it, but this is another of these things I think I might be able to build from a piece of acrylic, a hot glue gun, and a few white LED's...Although, for $30 the one you link to looks pretty good and probably as cost effective as anything I could build. The lens adapters are worth the price of admission...:thumbup: :thumbup:

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Grandpa wrote:

Any recommendations for a ring light to use with my macro lens? I don't care about one that flashes just a on and off light with brightness adjustment.
Thanks

What subjects will you be shooting and at what distance? More info = better responses.

BillKe

I have the same one and it is quite adequate for occasional use. If you are REALLY into Micro I would go with a flash unit, but you are talking $400 to $500.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

BillKe wrote:

If you are REALLY into Micro I would go with a flash unit, but you are talking $400 to $500.

A ring light is best for macro work with flat objects that have no physical contours, such as stamps. Other objects usually are more desirable with an off camera flash, perhaps with a diffuser.

Just about any (old) flash works with a cord that connects the flash to the camera's hot shoe. And an interesting alternate to even that is firing an on camera flash for no purpose other than triggering an off camera unit that has an optical trigger.

Suitable older flash units can be had for well below $100 on eBay. And brand new Yongnuo flash units are also below $100.

houdel Loc: Chase, Michigan USA

It depends on what you are shooting. There are literally 100's of ring lights on Amazon from $25 on up. I have had a Meike FC-100 (about $30) for several years and it has worked very well for me taking photos of small items (camera lenses & bodies for sale on Ebay). It is pretty basic but offers a number of power levels and shooting options. Yongnuo also has a few inexpensive models and they seem to have a pretty decent reputation for flash units.