akamerica

Comments, thoughts & evaluations please on your experience with the subject macro flash. I intend to pair with my Nikon D850 and Nikkor 105mm macro lens. Going to try hand-held for various walk-about inspirations with the hope that the flash will offset minor movement. Perhaps add a mono-pod for support.

What say you?

Quixdraw Loc: x

I have used the D810 with the older AF Micro Nikkor 105 2.8D extensively, generally without flash, hand held with good results. I have posted a great deal here on UHH. As long as the light and other conditions are good, it is not difficult to get excellent results. Had originally thought about a macro ring light myself, but in retrospect, based on results obtained, glad I didn't spend the money. Best of luck with your decision!

cactuspic Loc: Dallas, TX

I use a similar system with my Canon, except it is wired and clunkier. This is much more streamlined. Being able to move the lights and set each of the heads independently is a great asset. You can set your lighting ratios, freeze movement (which is good for bugs and such) and use to fill in shadows when the sunlight is too harsh. I cannot speak to its power, quality of it’s diffusion or the clarity of it’s menus. It looks like a compact system that can be very useful

akamerica

Excellent and thank you.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

I don't know why its called a ring flash, when it is really a dual flash mounted to the end of the lens (although you can detach one or both flash heads and hold them to the side). Actual ring flashes have been popular, but people comment on how easy it is to 'flatten' the subject since it illuminates all shadows. Also shiny surfaces (insect eyes) will get a ring-shaped highlight.
I have a close friend who uses the equivalent Nikon dual head flash, and he gets great results. You will want to consider more diffusion than what comes with the flash, though.
Then there is this similar dual flash: https://www.amazon.com/KUANGREN-Professional-Flexible-Retractable-Speedlite/dp/B08C6WCRV2/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=Kuangren&qid=1612549414&sr=8-6 which really lets you move the flash heads around. But again, diffusion becomes the next issue to ponder. This is the flash I use.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

The Bolt looks interesting, though not a ring-light.
I’ve used some of their products and was impressed.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1489882-REG/bolt_vm_1000c_ttl_macro_ring_flash.html

Ringlights give really flat lighting and don’t show depth very well. For anything other than intraoral photography (for which they were originally designed) I prefer a different kind of light. Simple off-camera with some kind of larger diffuser is usually more pleasing.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

The "BOLT" is the carbon copy of the Meike MK-MT24 II TTL dual on-lens macro flash which I have. I am pleased with it for it also serves as two independent remove flash heads that can be staged quite far away from the camera so it can be used for many other uses than attached to the camera for macro photography.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

It looks similar to what Nikon offers too. (Needless to say, at a lower cost) The specs make it look to be radio triggered as opposed to IR like Nikon’s. Is this true? Is there any way to get the lights closer to the lens?

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

There are three portable lighting options for macro work. Ring light, twin light and standard flash all can be used and each has their advantages and disadvantages.

Personally I don't like ring lights for most macro shooting. To me their lighting effect can be too flat and "clinical" looking.

I do use a ring light, but only on an ultra high magnification macro lens for shots at approx. 2X or higher. For those types of shots (which I don't do as often as other macro), it works well.

Since your Nikkor 105mm is a 1X lens (unless you add extension tubes to it... but even then it would rarely be as high as 2X), if it were me I wouldn't use a ring light on it. Also, ultra high magnification macro usually needs done on a tripod and you specify hand held, walk-around shooting, which implies lower magnification macro where I wouldn't use a ring light.

Twin light macro flash

For a lot of close-up and macro shooting I use a twin light. This is two small, but separate flash heads that give much nicer lighting effects than is possible with a ring light at moderate macro magnifications. The controller and power source of the flash sits in the camera's hot shoe. It's a fairly large rig (especially the way I use it, see below).

It so happens I use the Canon system, but the functionality and options are the pretty much same regardless, and I'm sure you can find very similar for Nikon.

This shows the standard mounting method, as provided with the twin light flash, on my 100mm macro lens. It's a direct clip-on fit with that lens and a couple others that Canon offers (that use 58mm filters). There are "Macrolite" adapters available that allow it to be similarly mounted on some other Canon lenses with different diameter front elements, as well as on non-Canon lenses that don't have the built in mounting ring for the flash:


However, I usually don't use the above mounting, as was supplied with the twin light. Instead I prefer to use a Lepp/Stroboframe dual flash bracket for greater flexibility to rotate and position the flash heads and to move them farther apart, as I see fit:


Unfortunately, that Lepp/Stroboframe bracket was discontinued some years ago (I already had it from my film days and using it with other flashes). However, there are other manufacturers offering various, similar types of brackets, if you wanted to try one. A bracket like this makes the whole package larger and adds some weight, but I feel it's worth it for the increased flexibility.

This photo was made using the above twin light rig (and 100mm macro lens):


Twin light flashes at B&H Photo (not all are for Nikon system and if you prefer they are available elsewhere, of course): https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products/Macro-Ringlights/ci/649/N/4168864821?filters=fct_ring-twin-light_5637%3Atwin-light

Standard flash for close-up and macro work

I also sometimes just use a standard flash, perhaps because I wasn't planning a macro shoot and simply don't have the more specialized macro flashes with me.

It's quite possible to use a standard flash for higher magnification shots. I just put it on an off-camera shoe cord and hand hold it wherever I want the light source. To keep it from overpowering the subject at such close distances, I put two or three layers of white gauze bandage over the flash head, held in place with a rubber band, to diffuse the flash and reduce its output. To a small macro subject, this acts like a "giant softbox in the sky" and the light from the single source tends to "wrap around" the subject to some extent. If wanted, to fill some of the shadow side it's possible to bounce some of the light using a small card.

Here's how I rig up the standard flash for macro shots:


These are macro shots done using the standard flash in this manner (no bounce cards used):


The flash I show above is a pretty large, powerful one (Canon 580EX II). There are smaller, standard flashes that can be used in the same manner and may not require as much diffusion or output reduction (I control it by adding or reducing the number of layers of gauze over the head).

If you prefer not to hand hold it, there are specialized brackets that can be used with a single flash. For macro work, the bracket must have some adjustability for position, distance and to allow the flash to be aimed at the subject. A standard flash bracket usually won't do.

Ring light macro flash

For what it's worth, below is the ring light I use (on a Canon MP-E 65mm 1X-5X macro lens):


...and an image of a newly hatched garden snail (approx. 5 or 6mm long) shot with it at approx. 3.5X:


For the above image I used the ring lights maximum 1:8 ratio (the right hand flash tube fired 8X more powerfully than the left hand tube). This gives some shadow/modelling effect at ultra high magnifications, but very little at lower magnifications. That's been true or every ring light I've ever tried over the years.

I hope this helps with your decision.

akamerica

Ahoy Alan and what a tremendous reply. Many thanks for your focused reply. I have taken the liberty of printing it out to save for current and future reference. As I am retired in SW Florida I have little time to hone my lack of skill with my pro level equipment. A vacation from my retirement is in the near future. Again, thank you. Art

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Walk around? If you are walking around in an outdoor location, a greenhouse, or in a place where the ambient light level is significant, the electronic flash, ring light or another kind of flash unit will not NECESSERALLY freeze action. When the flash unit is system is the only light source affecting exposure the action, movement of the camera or subject will be "frozen" by the very short flash duration. When the flash is the only light source, the sensor in the camera is only "seeing" the flash which may have a duration of form 1/350 sec (on some high power flas systems) to as short as 1/100,000 sec on certain thyristor controlled units at close range. The average Speedlight or consumer-grade ring-ligh flash fires at about 1/1000 sec. or shorter depending on the setting.

If you are using your ring flash or any other flash as a fill light source or in combination with natural light the actual shutter speed will then factor in as to action or motion stopping. In some cases, you may decide to expose for the flash and adjust the shutter to include or exclude the ambient light. If you want to include the ambient light to seem more detail in the background, thereby defeating the falloff effect of the inverse square principle, you may "drag" the shutter to effectively remain open after the flas fires. If the shutter speed is extended beyond 1/30 sec, you will require a tripod. If you purposely want to darken the background or eliminate the ambient light, you can increase the shutter speed. This will work as long as you remain within the synchronization parameter for your camera.

As others have posted, there are many makes and modes of ring-light flash units. Some have a continuous circular flash tube, others consist of multiple individual flash tubes. Some flash units have HHS features that enable flas synchronization beyond the camera synch range but in those cases, the shutter speed will determine the extent of motion stops. Most of the units, of course, deliver coaxial flat light. The units with multiple tubes enable shutting down one side of the system to prove a bit more directionality or modelling. Ait a circular flas tube, this can be accomplished by diffusing or blocking one side of the ring.

Another cautionary note. Hand-holding a camera with a rather bulky macro lens and the added weight of the ring light can be difficult, depending on the balance and center of gravity of your system and therefore may present challenges in maintaining sharp focus on your main subject. At a close working distance, depending on your choice of aperture setting and working distance, the depth of field may be nearly non-existent and extremely critical. A tripod, monopod, or a well-improvised grip or support rig may be required. I have used a small monopod with a hitch to a saxophone-like neck strap or a belt-pod socket.

akamerica

Fantastic information and I totally agree. I go forth to learn. Thank you for your reply.