Nikon R1 Macro Flash

[Cagey75]

Anyone use this macro flash set up?

I see a set advertised on a local buy&sell site, where I get a lot of my gear. The price seems reasonable and I'm sure I could haggle it down [€350/£300] the set is £415 on amazon uk.

I'd love to see some macro results using the set if anyone has some examples?

AT present for macro use some DIY cardboard box, foil lined diffusers with baby wipes tied on front It works, but is awkward.

 

[Cagey75]

The fact nobody has one is enough, ill stick to my DIY jobbies.

 

[david357]

I had one for a while, Keith, and it really is an excellent piece of kit, hugely controllable in terms of direction and amount of light output.

On the other hand it is also HUGE, and can be a bit cumbersome when trying to chase insects. When you use it, the extra light is definitely worth the effort, but I was just a bit lazy, and went back to using the sun as a light, sometimes with my voice activated reflector holder (wife) taking care of filling in the shadows.

I think I also need to start looking at a diy solution using one of my speedlights.

HTH.

 

[Cagey75]

Cheers for that. That's exactly the 2 things I'm worried about, it being cumbersome, and me getting bored using it and reverting back to my usual methods. I've wasted enough money over the years buying stuff I just thought might be cool, then got bored of quickly.

I made this cardboard box diffuser over a year ago and it's still going,just change the material at front now and then to keep it nice and white. It's light as a feather of course, when I say awkward it's just the shape and size - the one I made is long and narrow, it goes from the flash head to the end of a 105 macro [what I used when I made it, now use a 150 macro but the diffuser still works well with it] - if I don't tape it in position it'll rattle and move about as I'm on the move, just needs refining

 

[david357]

A picture would be good Keith, I need to make something sooner rather than later. The trouble with getting big images of little creatures with macro lenses is that you block out the light with the camera! I read somewhere that a pringles pack can be converted into a diffuser to fit over a speedlight?

 

[Cagey75]

Let's see if this links:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...793081.-2207520000.1374494628.&type=3&theater

A pic I took of it for my page last July, I was actually right about the year old bit [i was guessing really]

It's simply got an opening other end for the flash head, I just pressed that against it and went around with a sharpie to mark where to cut [just a tiny bit inside the line to 'press' fit]

And lined the interior of the box with tin foil. that's it. And I've used it loads. Keep meaning to make something more solid.

[edit] easier this way perhaps:

Bear in mind, this one was 'designed' to reach over the lens, as the on-cam flash was shadowed when shooting in close. A wider box would work better for more even spread of light.

 

[david357]

Thanks Keith, I will do some more research, then it's out with card, tape, foil, etc!!