Ring Flash Attachment Test

[Kangaruu]

I just bought a Cowboystudio (totally manly) ring flash attachment for my 430exii.

http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo349/yappinkangaruu/E-7888.jpg?t=1295934499

The idea is that now that the light comes out as a ring around the lens that it would eliminate/soften most of the shadow.

This first shot is taken in manual mode without flash.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo349/yappinkangaruu/E-7887.jpg?t=1295932874

This is taken with the 430exii pointing straight forward with ETTL at 0EV.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo349/yappinkangaruu/E-7880.jpg?t=1295932956

This is the 430exii pointing straight up at the ceiling, also at 0EV.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo349/yappinkangaruu/E-7881.jpg?t=1295932999

This is the 430exii pointing forwards with the ring flash attachment. Still at 0EV.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo349/yappinkangaruu/E-7886.jpg?t=1295933038

The good thing about this ring flash attachment is that it does not create the typical harsh shadow right behind the subject (as it did with bare flash straight forward) nor does it create shadows beneath the subject like bouncing it off the ceiling does (the shadow underneath the drawer handle).

The only problem I see with this attachment is that it creates reflections and the soft double shadow behind the subject. The double shadow only occurs when the subject is pretty close to the wall though.

All in all, I am very satisfied with this $38 purchase. With this you won't have to worry about bouncing the light off walls/ceilings for softer light.

[mrluilou]

pretty good for the price that you paid ! i should've ordered this instead of the abr800 i ordered yesterday :faint:

[Kangaruu]

WTF you liar I don't believe you bought that lol

[Zero]

Not a really good example kang. The video you showed me demonstrated the ring better. Try taking those same shots with Pika standing against a white backdrop.

[Kangaruu]

Ok fine I'll redo it. I didn't want to bother clearing an area to tape up the paper again :laugh:

[Kangaruu]

Well this kind of sucks too. For some reason the picture is a lot brighter in the camera but then once I import it to LR it gets darker :confused: Quick preview was bright before LR loaded it 100%.

Direct flash.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo349/yappinkangaruu/E-7903.jpg?t=1296290396

Off the ceiling.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo349/yappinkangaruu/E-7904.jpg?t=1296290396

Ring flash attachment.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo349/yappinkangaruu/E-7901.jpg?t=1296290396

[Blue Bomber]

Two reasons:

1. LR doesn't duplicate your in-camera settings. It has its own presets, and only really copies the WB from your camera. You need official manufacturer software to get an accurate representation (like my D7000 needs Capture NX2, but that's slow as hell :p: ). Adjust the colors till they look close enough to your camera's LCD preview.

2. Camera LCDs can make images look brighter/punchier. I hear Canon is a big offender in this category. Once you get the overall tone set right in LR to match the colors on your camera, adjust the camera's LCD's brightness to match the exposure level on the screen, do some final tweaking in LR to get it as close as possible to the LCD, then save it as a preset and set as the default in LR. Now LR will open your pics and they will look very close to your in-camera preview.



I've noticed my D7000 likes to do that indoors. If I don't have the brightness in LV or image review set to minimum, it's not an accurate reflection of the exposure being recorded (a big issue with video). Then again, you really don't need the brightness cranked up to see the LCD indoors. Outdoors, it's fine at the normal through highest brightness settings.

Just finished setting up a flat preset in ACR that matches my flat in-camera modified Neutral setting (lets me see more dynamic range in previews/capture more dynamic range in video). Much easier to work with now, since ACR by default seems to like to crush the blacks on the D7000 for whatever reason.