Diffusion trial again

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I made my own ring flash diffuser last time I had all my kit, so now I am trying to get the flash diffused the same way.

Similar materials, though like as not, they'll all be different densities from last time, so I am going to trial things.

Need to reduce the two half-rings that ringflashes create.

First attempt tonight - and yes, I clipped the wing of the fly that was trapped and buzzing as it attempted an escape from the spider's sticky strand of web (schoolboy error) but now I have something to work on.

flytest.jpg


Paul.
 
I have been thinking again about trying something to diffuse the ringflash light Nick, ( @GardenersHelper ) and while i need to write down the differences with and without my latest modification to get a proper comparison, here are 2 photos tonight using the ringflash - one with the flash in manual mode at power 1:1 and the other in ETTL mode (but for the life of me I can't remember which was which (note to self, make notes!)

That said, whilst the light differs, the experiment does seem to have given me some decent diffusion, though I need to test it on an insect (another fly like the one above would be useful) but there wasn't a fly around, but there was this rose in a vase...

So more tests needed to see how other subjects come out...

These were exported out of Lightroom in Photoshop CC, and saved as a tiff, before then saving as a jpg.

There is no editing or adjustment whatsoever.


diffusetestcloth1a-X3.jpg


diffusetestcloth2-X3.jpg


Remember, this is a ringflash....

Paul.
 
Last edited:
I have been thinking again about trying something to diffuse the ringflash light Nick, ( @GardenersHelper ) and while i need to write down the differences with and without my latest modification to get a proper comparison, here are 2 photos tonight using the ringflash - one with the flash in manual mode at power 1:1 and the other in ETTL mode (but for the life of me I can't remember which was which (note to self, make notes!)

Been there! Far too often. :(

That said, whilst the light differs, the experiment does seem to have given me some decent diffusion, though I need to test it on an insect (another fly like the one above would be useful) but there wasn't a fly around, but there was this rose in a vase...

So more tests needed to see how other subjects come out...

It's looking promising. As you say, an insect is needed now.

It looks like the diffuser is directing light forwards and reducing/stopping the light going to the side. Is it holding it in a little too tight around the centre? (I'm looking at the flower on the right, which looks from what is in focus as though it is at a similar distance, but is looking dark.)
 
There are some leaves above the flower to the right which may have been in the way a little - maybe that is causing some shadow?

Here are 2 more - the first is an old can opener, the second, some eggs belonging to something very small....

cutting.jpg


hatched.jpg


Paul.
 
There are some leaves above the flower to the right which may have been in the way a little - maybe that is causing some shadow?

Could well be. The second of the new ones looks even across the frame.

Here are 2 more - the first is an old can opener, the second, some eggs belonging to something very small....

cutting.jpg


hatched.jpg


Paul.

One of the things that I don't like about using a twin flash (KX800, and more recently YN24EX) is that no matter what diffusion I've tried I get pairs of specular highlights on reflective surfaces like those on the egg shells. At least those are rather small and not too unnatural-looking. The ones I get (at some angles) on some ants for example are big and horrible. Similarly for ladybirds, especially the very small black ones I see sometimes. I never bother with those these days. And I get pairs of reflections for example in insects' eyes which, although smaller and more diffused, still make me uneasy. I'll keep trying different diffusion arrangements, but I'm wondering if it is inevitable with twin flashes.
 
Watching this thread with interest, as I recently moved from the yongnuo yn24ex twin flash to a sigma ring flash for a similar reason....though to be fair, the sigma is almost a twin flash.....
 
@GardenersHelper @supergeeman

The shield bug nymph (shown here as well as in it's own post) is from the ring flash with my milk bottle plastic, foam layer, plus the latest add on, greaseproof paper, covering the lights in the 2 sections:

shieldy01.jpg


Paul.
 
A couple of spiders using the greaseproof paper layer:

smallorb1.jpg


smallorb2.jpg


spid002.jpg


spid001.jpg


I should mention the process is: edit in LR using lens correction for the Venus, then Auto, then slight adjustments of my own to counter the auto, then into PS and then using Topaz before saving as jpgs usually at 1400 pixels...

Paul.
 
A couple of spiders using the greaseproof paper layer:

spid001.jpg

Cephalothorax smooth and shiny, like a ladybird. Tricky. Came out a bit hot. (Like I get.)

I should mention the process is: edit in LR using lens correction for the Venus, then Auto, then slight adjustments of my own to counter the auto, then into PS and then using Topaz before saving as jpgs usually at 1400 pixels...

Paul.

Interesting to know. Thanks.
 
@Paul Iddon @GardenersHelper remember tests in house you do get some light bounce. I have found lots of consistency errors from using different areas of the house. I have found external tests are best. I working through 4 odd lighting solutions for various lenses to work out best one.

Never was a fan of ring light and the pita it is to diffuse without causing an access hazard to bugs.
 
I was thinking about attaching the ring part to the front of the flash body (trunk?) which angles it downwards over the end of the lens, but I am damned if I can find a way of making it stay there. Tried elastic bands, cable ties, a card box... but still not been able to get the back of the ring to "mount" to the front of the flash trunk.
 
@Paul Iddon @GardenersHelper remember tests in house you do get some light bounce. I have found lots of consistency errors from using different areas of the house. I have found external tests are best.

Good point. I do preliminary tests indoors, but it is the outdoor tests that have the last say.

I working through 4 odd lighting solutions for various lenses to work out best one.

I'm working on a design I've not seen used, or even tried, before. That is today. Yesterday's wonderful design got binned soon after I started testing it. And that was before I even got to try it outdoors. This one may have an equally short life. Like most of them!
 
Good point. I do preliminary tests indoors, but it is the outdoor tests that have the last say.



I'm working on a design I've not seen used, or even tried, before. That is today. Yesterday's wonderful design got binned soon after I started testing it. And that was before I even got to try it outdoors. This one may have an equally short life. Like most of them!

Just had a short lived go at high magnification with reversed 18-55 which is broken and stuck on unknown aperture. Got to 4.5x magnification and quality is fine just lighting is a pita. I have exact flash as Thomas Shahan and there is no way I could match the distance he has lights from diffusion I suspect that he is on a higher iso etc.
 
I was thinking about attaching the ring part to the front of the flash body (trunk?) which angles it downwards over the end of the lens, but I am damned if I can find a way of making it stay there. Tried elastic bands, cable ties, a card box... but still not been able to get the back of the ring to "mount" to the front of the flash trunk.

This is where you need to find someone with a 3d printer to make an attachment. (y)
 
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