macro flash help

33L

33L

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Lee
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I need a macro light/ringflash whatever it need be...:thinking:

i have the sigma 150mm Macro lens. I love the lens to bits just when stopping down to f11+ i run out of light very quickly. I shoot handheld and need decent shutter speeds.

my query is can anyone recommend me some lighting that will work with a 72 mm thread. Not too bothered about recycle times. I would prefer something that easy to stow away, not too many peices to set up.

Busget wise i dont mind spending moeny on stuff like this but i still have to buy food to live off so nothing too silly.

If advantages/dissadvantages can be listed wih each recomendation that would be great. hopefully i can norrow it down to a few options and do more research later on!
 
To be honest, I just use my SB600 on a separate lighting stand in wireless mode.

Advantages
- Reletively cheap - £150ish
- Very flexible, can be used for front, side or backlighting

Disadvantages
- It's a bit of faffing around moving the stand around etc...

I would like a ringflash, but I'm not sure I'd use it enough to warrant the cost. Hope that helps.
 
i have off shoe flashes as you mentioned but as you said its faffing about i rather not have. besides its only pratical if your subject is not moving
 
I just use my d80 in one hand whilst having the sb600 in the other, homemad diffuser on it, never needed to have it on a tripod or braket. CLs is great
 
33L said:
I need a macro light/ringflash whatever it need be...:thinking:

i have the sigma 150mm Macro lens. I love the lens to bits just when stopping down to f11+ i run out of light very quickly. I shoot handheld and need decent shutter speeds.

my query is can anyone recommend me some lighting that will work with a 72 mm thread. Not too bothered about recycle times. I would prefer something that easy to stow away, not too many peices to set up.

Busget wise i dont mind spending moeny on stuff like this but i still have to buy food to live off so nothing too silly.

If advantages/dissadvantages can be listed wih each recomendation that would be great. hopefully i can norrow it down to a few options and do more research later on!
Click to expand...

What about one of these

http://www.parkcameras.com/ProductDetails/mcs/productID/8228

I have no experience of these but perhaps someone else does :D
 
I use a 430ex on a chord (borrowed from scraggs), works really well and allows you to move the flash around and focus light on different areas (bring the subject out, show more background etc).
 
Have a look at the Sigma EM 140 DG, this is what I use with the Sigma 105. It's a pretty cool piece of kit.
 
Another vote for the Sigma EM 140DG. Look out on the for sale forums for one, that's what I did and got one for £145 around 2 weeks ago. Chuffed with the results to date as that is what you pay for a 430 EX speedlight.

.N.
 
Splog said:
What about one of these

http://www.parkcameras.com/ProductDetails/mcs/productID/8228

I have no experience of these but perhaps someone else does :D
Click to expand...

I had looked at that but no step up rings for 72mm thread. and its nikon fit!!:razz:

benneh said:
I use a 430ex on a chord (borrowed from scraggs), works really well and allows you to move the flash around and focus light on different areas (bring the subject out, show more background etc).
Click to expand...

again this means a 3 hand operation 1 hand for flash, 1 hand for focusing, 1 hand to take the picture. I cant use tripods/monopods with insects etc...

Oxygen said:
Another vote for the Sigma EM 140DG. Look out on the for sale forums for one, that's what I did and got one for £145 around 2 weeks ago. Chuffed with the results to date as that is what you pay for a 430 EX speedlight.

.N.
Click to expand...


that is the kind of thing i am looking for and actually finding someone who has used it is more important that what is said on the box. do you have any examples you can show me and an extract of the EXIF (at work cant view it)

I take it the cord is long enough on a 150mm macro.
 
The Sigma EM-140 and Canon MR-14EX are pretty much the same functionwise for what you need. I had the EM-140 and then changed to the MR14-EX (only for unrelated commonality reasons). The third option is the MT-24EX but it comes in at more than double the price.

Ring lights (the first two) tend to give a flatter light as the flash is aligned with the lens whereas the Twin Light gives a little more positional flexibility.

One warning if buying the EM-140 secondhand...they are built in different versions to function with bodies from different manufacturers although the EM-140 designation remains the same...make sure you get a Canon chipped one.

Bob
 
do you know if the Canon MR-14EX can be mounted on 72mm thread. none of the shop that have it listed state it can!
 
33L said:
do you know if the Canon MR-14EX can be mounted on 72mm thread. none of the shop that have it listed state it can!
Click to expand...

It can...Canon's own EF180L macro is a 72mm thread.

Bob
 
cool - will have a look at both the sigma and the canon and compare them!
 
33L said:
again this means a 3 hand operation 1 hand for flash, 1 hand for focusing, 1 hand to take the picture. I cant use tripods/monopods with insects etc...
.
Click to expand...

Why do you need 2 hands to focus?. I use the method of physically moving the camera in and out with a set focal point, but there's no reason why you couldn't auto focus using one hand :) (well, unless you're disabled in some way, in which case fair enough :)).
 
i manually focus when shooting insects. i find the auto focs a bit hit and miss and i can fine tune the focus for the eye of the insect without trying to get an AF point over it!

I havent perfected the rocking technique yet! - still rather to use my second hand to steady the camera though.
 
33L said:
i manually focus when shooting insects. i find the auto focs a bit hit and miss and i can fine tune the focus for the eye of the insect without trying to get an AF point over it!

I havent perfected the rocking technique yet! - still rather to use my second hand to steady the camera though.
Click to expand...

Ah fair enough :), whatever works for you :p.
 
33L said:
I had looked at that but no step up rings for 72mm thread. and its nikon fit!!:razz:



again this means a 3 hand operation 1 hand for flash, 1 hand for focusing, 1 hand to take the picture. I cant use tripods/monopods with insects etc...




that is the kind of thing i am looking for and actually finding someone who has used it is more important that what is said on the box. do you have any examples you can show me and an extract of the EXIF (at work cant view it)

I take it the cord is long enough on a 150mm macro.
Click to expand...

They also do a Canon fit and you could easily get an adaptor ring.

Pete
 
Funny thing is nobody has asked you what you are shooting close ups of. IT DOES MATTER!

Coins, stamps and other inanimate objects are not going anywhere. So you have all the time in the world to compose, set up lighting and get things how you want them. Even flowers and things are not going ot wander off while you get ready.

Insects and the like - then you resort to other tricks, like putting them in the fridge to slow them down, or shoot only first thing in the morning...the first hour, while they warm up to get going. Insects are really sluggish in the morning.

When we have an idea of what you are shooting, we could advise a lot more sensibly.
 
This is something I've posted before when asked about using flash for macro. My home made effort using two strips of velcro....


S4300008.jpg
 
will be shooting insects mostly - non moving items are easy enough but getting a fast shutter speed is essentail for some insects i would want to take.
 
2 flashes on brackets? One each side of the lens with softners on.......

That home made velcro on idea - ideal. You could put a piece of white card under to act as a reflector and bounce a little bit back up.
 
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