Maxximages wrote:
I have one and it is a great portable light. One complaint I have with it is the camera mount, I converted mine to take a quick release tripod mount.

Would you be able to post a pic of what you did? A phone pic would be fine...I just want to be prepared when mine arrives.

Thanks

American Glamour wrote:
I used one for quite a while and found it to be large and bulky.  It was more so with the moon unit attached.  Likewise, I found the mounting hardware to be delicate.

Having said that, for the money it was fine.  Also, if you are already using Alien Bee lights, this could be used as an additional head when not attached to a camera.

Bottom line is that you get what you pay for, but for what you pay, it is a reasonable solution as a ring light.

Yes I shoot with other ab lights...I am just getting started with this so its the best I can afford right now.

Robb Mann wrote:
Its a fraction of the price of similar units from Other vendors, and has a great selection of modifiers. Btw, some of modifiers fit the Hensel/Elinchrom flash unit with just minor modifications.

Which modifiers are you talking about? If it's the moon unit, I'm ordering one.  I like the moon unit and it's a unique offering from PCB. I suspect it would be helpful in preventing ringflash blindness.

I have a couple ring flashes but rarely use them for anything other than lighting umbrellas or for on-camera fill outdoors in direct sun. They excel in both applications.

I suspect the OP will find that the fancy ring flash shadow will get old quickly and that they are a chore to shoot hand-held due to the weight. They are an ace in your sleeve outdoors in direct sun, even more so if there is wind to contend with.  Indoors I prefer standing directly in front of an umbrella or sitting behind and shooting under the umbrella. It creates the ring flash look without the black halo.

I would recommend taking some selfies with mounted on camera. Looking directly at ring flash at 400ws is more painful that being lit with a beauty dish at 3200ws in my experience.  If you are shooting multiple setups, I would start with the ring flash first so the model/subject can see on their drive home. I suspect a moon unit would greatly reduce this issue.

Cheers,
Noah

Looknsee Photography wrote:
I wanna see more sample images!

My selfie. 1 ring flash in the umbrella behind me, one on camera and a Fresnel mounted high on camera left.


Ring flash in a 7'white umbrella on camera right.


Ring flash in 7' silver umbrella and a fresnel from high on camera left. I am standing behind the umbrella on camera left.


Ring flash on camera with no other lights. Blatantly ripping of a photo taken by Matthew Jordan Smith.


Ring flash on camera with a projection spot and gridded 7" reflector with a red gel directly above the backdrop facing the back of the model. 18+
https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/34933724

Cheers,
Noah

LaPuma wrote:
I just bought some new gear. I got the Alien bee ringflash and a vagabond mini to go with it so that I can make it mobile when needed. Anyway....I was wondering about anyones thoughts who has one and if anyone wanted to share pics taken with it...stuff like that.

This really sounds like "I bought it, I wonder if/how I'll use it." Do you really buy before having umpteen use cases for something? I know I'm an over-planner, but I usually have several different ideas on how item X is going to make my work better/faster/easier before I pull the trigger.

petemplinphoto wrote:

This really sounds like "I bought it, I wonder if/how I'll use it." Do you really buy before having umpteen use cases for something? I know I'm an over-planner, but I usually have several different ideas on how item X is going to make my work better/faster/easier before I pull the trigger.

Not the exact response I was expecting ...but ok......

...nope I know how I will use it.....I will use in my studio with my 2 other alien bee lights and modifiers and I also purchased the vagabond mini to use it for both outdoor photo shoots and for the weddings I photograph.....I also watched a video where somebody had attached an umbrella as a shoot through on the front of the moon unit.....so I feel I have quite a few different ways I will try and use it....but yes I haven't received it yet...so I asked the question in here.

....so actually I know I will use it....and I know how....and I have researched it quite a bit and watched quite a few videos of it that I was able to find...so i think I did a pretty good job on research......which led me here....


....and I posted in here cuz for the most part the community seems very friendly and helpful when asked. So....I figured I would utilize the forum as I assume it was intended for.....could be just my interpretation of the forum....but it is what it is.


Thanks,
-Puma-

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Maxximages wrote:
I have one and it is a great portable light. One complaint I have with it is the camera mount, I converted mine to take a quick release tripod mount.

Any links or tips on how to do this? The camera mount is so annoying on the PCB ringflash

Mark C Smith wrote:

Any links or tips on how to do this? The camera mount is so annoying on the PCB ringflash

It's simple. Instead of screwing the camera to the mount you screw on one of these instead:

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/B2-40-L … ease-clamp

Then you use your favorite quick release plate on your camera.

LaPuma wrote:
Anyway....I was wondering about anyones thoughts who has one and if anyone wanted to share pics taken with it...stuff like that.

Thanks in advance
-Puma-

.

https://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/31632466 18+

...among many others in my portfolio.

Herman Surkis wrote:
Do not have one, but a general complaint I have heard is due to the mount and PITA to use, but the same people seem to love the result.

Could someone explain how an 86" PLM lit with a ringflash would give a different look than a similar PLM lit with anything else? If the umbrella is filled with light, then what comes back should all look the same. However this does show more uses for the same light source. Versatility means a bigger bang for your buck.

Standing or sitting in front of a large light source is supposed to not effect the result of that light source due to apparent light wrap (wrap is a technically annoying term to me, since it it is impossible unless the light is passing near a black hole, but I get what is meant). I have tried it and I do not even cast a shadow, although I suspect there is a combination of distances where one would cast a shadow. Getting back to... so I do not see why standing in front of the umbrella would create a ring light effect. If the umbrella is placed similar to how you would use a ringlight, you will get a shadowless light, and if you sit/stand in front you are now photographing on the same axis as the light. Is that what is meant?

Good question
I have not done it, but I have heard that the light is less speculator and softer in nature.
You could shoot a beauty dish or another umbrella into the 86" PLM and see for yourself...might be interesting to see the difference?

If you shoot light from a softbox onto a bottle it looks terrible, but if you take that same softbox and shoot it into a scrim or diffusion material like Translum it looks amazing....The light (reflections) looks much more organized and are much softer.
I wonder if the same or similar things are in play?

Broncolor has a rig to adapt their ringlight onto the brutally expensive Para light modifiers...So I would think there is something to it...Only one way to find out