pquiggle Loc: Monterey Bay California

I have three artificial lighting options that I use for macro. Most often I use the macro twinlite with two small flash heads that mount on the front of the lens allowing slightly better modeling that with a ring light. Sometimes I use the shoe mounted flash with an 5" x 8" diffuser that is usually used handheld with an off camera shoe cord. Least often I use a set of three small LED lights two of the cube variety and one that is about twice as large. I only use them indoors when I want to use multiple lights; key, fill and back light.

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

It depends on what you are doing.

LEDs, obviously are a continuous light source so you can SEE exactly what you are getting as far as the light pattern and style you are trying to achieve. If you are using it to fill or augment natural light, you can see the ratio and the effect. You may be able to match the color temperaure. This will work providing you can match or come very close to the Kelvin temperature of the ambient light.

You can do the same things, as to previsualization of the lighting, with an electronic flash unit with modeling lamps, however, usually, the modeling lamps are not compatible with daylight, color temperature-wise, so you will need to shut down the modeling lamps prior to exposure- if any of the modelings lamp's light bleeds into the exposure you will have mixed lighting. Most electronic flash's color temperature is compatible with most daylight situations or at lease close enough so as not to cause difficulties. Early morning and late afternoon light may requre warming filters on the fkash unit for better compatibility.

Many models of portable electronic flash have much higher potential light output than LED systems- if you need to light vast areas or require the high output to fill in with sunlight, flash would be the better choice.

With an on-camera Speedlight, in terms of exact light effect or fill in ratios, you are shooting "blind" and have to depend on your experience as to setting the correct flash output to achieve the ratio you require. Some TTL systems can provide reasonable results in an automatic or programmed mode.

When electronic flash is the principal light source, its very short flash duration will freeze motion because the sensor only SEES the flash illumination unless a same or larger quantity of ambient light is admitted via a slower shutter speed. In macro work, flash might be an asset in shooting moving insects, etc. Flash also helps mitigate blur due to camera movement and the high ouput may provide for smaller apertures and more depth of field.

There is no perfect universal artificial light source for EVERY application. Your choice will depend on your own requirements and working methods.

I hope this helps.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Shoe mounted flash used handheld off camera? Some trick, that!

williejoha

I am sure there is plenty of use for LED’s but FLASH for me.
WJH

CO

I was doing some experimentation not long ago using the repeating mode of my Nikon SB-5000 speedlight. I set the flash to fire 2 times per second and to fire a total of six times. This works out to be a 3 second exposure. I had the camera in manual mode and set in a 3 second exposure time. I did this at night and the room was completely dark. The only illumination was from the speedlight. This is two ping pong balls bouncing. The brief duration of the flash (about 1/5000 second) was able the freeze the motion.

(Download)