JiminChico wrote:
I bought one of these on ebay, works ok for me. I used it on the ice cream shot in my portfolio.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Macro-Ring-Light-Fl … dZViewItem

But does that macro ringflash work for people portraits?

Dave Wright Photo SF wrote:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/snapify/1582241882/



cut a hole in a piece of cardboard and shoot through it.

I'm gonna test this out today!

310Photo wrote:
The thing about RF is that Alien Bees unit really broke the price barrier in a major way for a true ringflash with actual circular flash tube, albeit in 2 half circle tubes.  While I'm sure you know this already the ABR monolight design means you don't need an external power pack which is very costly in most systems... the cheapest there being the upper Buff RF in the Zeus system.  I have seen a lot of pseudo ringflashes where there are several flashes in a circular pattern going into a reflector that are meant to mimic the effect.  The one time I had an opportunity to play with one the effect only looked decent while doing macro.  As I recall that model was made in Russia or Eastern Europe.

Long story short I think the ABR is the best bet for a lower cost solution.  It is not perfect in terms of ergonomics and build quality, but it does produce some very nice light and there are a lot of unique accessories for it.  Also, with some of the accessories it can double as a normal light in your setup, and therefore increases the value you get for the money by being versatile.

This is not meant to be an ad for AB, and I know you asked for a less expensive option.... but I think if you buy something calling itself a ringflash for 200 you won't be happy if you use it to shoot people, and if it breaks you may have no where to go in terms of warranty help and replacement parts.  I would wait a little while and save the extra for the ABR - for an extra 200 I think you will be much more satisfied as a long term investment in your lighting with better support and warranty.

This is just my humble opinion and I am not an expert on lighting systems.  I have some ABs and some other lights as well... so I am not loyal to any particular brand.  I don't own the ABR but I am lucky to be able to borrow one when I need it, which I trade for letting a neighbor use my Vagabond II when he needs it.  I am saving my pennies for the Zeus RF and pack... it will take me while but I would like to have the power for bright conditions outdoors.  I would add that the barter system rules... if you can find another photographer with some gear you need on occasion you can trade the use of something you have and they might need once in a while... or you could even trade them by assisting on a job.  I think most photographers will not want to use a RF every day or every shoot... so if you can share one with someone you trust that would be awesome too... 200 from you and 200 from them and I would bet you are not fighting over it every day 8-)

Sorry for the long ramble...

Regards,
Dan

What: Rational, logical discourse... What's up with that?

I enjoyed your post.

310Photo wrote:
The thing about RF is that Alien Bees unit really broke the price barrier in a major way for a true ringflash with actual circular flash tube, albeit in 2 half circle tubes.  While I'm sure you know this already the ABR monolight design means you don't need an external power pack which is very costly in most systems... the cheapest there being the upper Buff RF in the Zeus system.  I have seen a lot of pseudo ringflashes where there are several flashes in a circular pattern going into a reflector that are meant to mimic the effect.  The one time I had an opportunity to play with one the effect only looked decent while doing macro.  As I recall that model was made in Russia or Eastern Europe.

Long story short I think the ABR is the best bet for a lower cost solution.  It is not perfect in terms of ergonomics and build quality, but it does produce some very nice light and there are a lot of unique accessories for it.  Also, with some of the accessories it can double as a normal light in your setup, and therefore increases the value you get for the money by being versatile.

This is not meant to be an ad for AB, and I know you asked for a less expensive option.... but I think if you buy something calling itself a ringflash for 200 you won't be happy if you use it to shoot people, and if it breaks you may have no where to go in terms of warranty help and replacement parts.  I would wait a little while and save the extra for the ABR - for an extra 200 I think you will be much more satisfied as a long term investment in your lighting with better support and warranty.

This is just my humble opinion and I am not an expert on lighting systems.  I have some ABs and some other lights as well... so I am not loyal to any particular brand.  I don't own the ABR but I am lucky to be able to borrow one when I need it, which I trade for letting a neighbor use my Vagabond II when he needs it.  I am saving my pennies for the Zeus RF and pack... it will take me while but I would like to have the power for bright conditions outdoors.  I would add that the barter system rules... if you can find another photographer with some gear you need on occasion you can trade the use of something you have and they might need once in a while... or you could even trade them by assisting on a job.  I think most photographers will not want to use a RF every day or every shoot... so if you can share one with someone you trust that would be awesome too... 200 from you and 200 from them and I would bet you are not fighting over it every day 8-)

Sorry for the long ramble...

Regards,
Dan

Thanks for the input! Ill probably be saving up for one. In the meantime, i'll use the cheap solution people here offered me!

Dave Wright Photo SF wrote:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/snapify/1582241882/



cut a hole in a piece of cardboard and shoot through it.

Hey, now that is neat! Just have to be careful of lens flare.

JDiz Photography wrote:
I know alienbees has them, but I dont have $400 to drop on it..maaaaaayybbbee $200. As for making one myself with the directions that you can find online, I suck at building things... Haha! Anyone have a solution for me? I REALLY want a ring flash!

Sunpak makes one designed for macro use. So does Canon. (I think Nikon as well). But really, the least expensive "normal" ringlight is the ABR800.

At the top of the forum there's a thread entitled Photography Talk: Rules, Resources and FAQ. In that thread, there are links to key MM threads. One of those is the Lighting, Flash, Ring, & Battery Strobe Reference thread, which has a large section on Ring Lights/Ring Flash which might have some information that could help.

JDiz Photography wrote:

But does that macro ringflash work for people portraits?

This shot:

JiminChico wrote:

This shot:

I don't know if thats the look he's seeking or the more extreme halo look.

JDiz Photography wrote:
I know alienbees has them, but I dont have $400 to drop on it..maaaaaayybbbee $200. As for making one myself with the directions that you can find online, I suck at building things... Haha! Anyone have a solution for me? I REALLY want a ring flash!

Maybe a Rayflash is the answer you seek
http://www.expoimaging.net/products/pro … ?prodid=15

JDiz Photography wrote:
I know alienbees has them, but I dont have $400 to drop on it..maaaaaayybbbee $200. As for making one myself with the directions that you can find online, I suck at building things... Haha! Anyone have a solution for me? I REALLY want a ring flash!

Solution:
Step 1- stop being such a cheap ass.
Step 2- save your money.
Step 3- Buy the AB Ring. It is a POS, but it is about as cheap as it gets.
Step 4- Over-use it... whether you need it or not. You'll just photoshop the hell out of it anyway.