Build your DIY Ring Flash!

[haring]

Hey Guys,

My new home made ring flash is ready!!!

Check it out: www.haringphotography.com/blog/?p=7

I use it with a Canon 85mm 1.2L and 35mm 1.4L on 5D.

I absolutely love it!

Please leave comments about your experiences and how I can improve it!

Otto

[Gna]

It looks like it works well, Häring, but what is the GN, because it's effective range seems rather limited. Not really surprising of course, as ringlight flash heads are more suited to macro work = within 1 foot of the lens. And TBH I'm not at all fond of portraits lit by ringflash, because 1) it's totally flat light, 2) the relative wide-angle combined with a close-up distorts perspective so that it is not at all flattering to faces (big noses), and 3) ringflash reflections in pupils make for an eerie, alien effect, the opposite of warm and human...

But it's all a matter of taste, of course.

[haring]

You are totally right about its disadvantages... Still it does make faces very interesting.

[Gna]

The other day there was this guy who had also made one, but he had arranged his 'ring' light in a rectangular shape around his lens. The resulting weird reflections in pupils made for absolutely scary 'alien portraits'. Sent shivers down my spine.

[Benji]

I built one earlier this year. It is about 24 inches in diameter and uses three small Chinese a/c powered flash units. I can get the round catchlights at about 8 feet away from the subject and I can use a 100mm lens!

Benji

[haring]

Benji, can you post a picture?
Thanks!

[Gna]

Originally Posted by Benji

I built one earlier this year. It is about 24 inches in diameter and uses three small Chinese a/c powered flash units. I can get the round catchlights at about 8 feet away from the subject and I can use a 100mm lens!

Now that sounds useful for portraiture! OTOH: a 2 feet diameter contraption doesn't exactly make for easy handling... And those catchlights, can you lose 'm without PP?

[Benji]

Originally Posted by haring

Benji, can you post a picture?
Thanks!

See below for the pic. The black spots were added in Photoshop to give you an idea where the flash units are inside the thing. The almost round body is part of a washing machine (I think.) It is plastic and it was free. I cut three holes in the back of it, poked the three little cheap ebay flash units through the holes, added a center round part out of aluminum flashing and a piece of Masonite, the I screwed a white diffuser (bed sheet) on to the front and using the original mounting holes bolted the other outer edge of the sheet to the plastic part.

Originally Posted by Gna

Now that sounds useful for portraiture! OTOH: a 2 feet diameter contraption doesn't exactly make for easy handling... And those catchlights, can you lose 'm without PP?

Actually it is not extremely heavy or hard to manipulate. I'm guessing it weighs about 15 pounds. Yes it is ugly but the images are great!.
Benji

[rainer]

Originally Posted by haring

Hey Guys,

My new home made ring flash is ready!!!

Check it out: www.haringphotography.com/blog/?p=7

I use it with a Canon 85mm 1.2L and 35mm 1.4L on 5D.

I absolutely love it!

Please leave comments about your experiences and how I can improve it!

Otto

Hi! The first thing that comes to mind is(Vignetting on the Photos)
Why bother if one can purchase new products that cater for such at very affordable prices?

[haring]

Let me find a picture!

I have changed the way I use it. I flip it 180 degrees so the flash it up on the top! This way the whole picture looks a little bit more realistic!