Which do you think is better in general for maco work? Ring flash or one of the twin head flashes? I have a ring flash now and I sometimes I like getting a good flat light on some photos but on others, it is not the best. With the twin setup, I can 3d print some nice diffusers for and have more control of where my light falls vs the ring flash. But if you had to get one of them this weekend. Which would you go for?
I don't do a lot of macro stuff, but I if were starting out building a macro flash setup from scratch. I think that I would go down the twin flash setup. Solely because of controlling the light. I find macro images using just a ring flash setup can be a flat. Just my opinion. Gary
Ed, you don't always need to make your equipment complex to get good results, try making some barn doors for the ring flash, this will control the fall out of the light, being a round object will be difficult but nothing ventured, nothing gained. 3D printing sounds interesting. To start the process of testing a idea, start by making the barn doors out of cardboard and taping them in place or clamping them, this will let you see the results, if the results are crap, throw the test pieces in the bin. No real cost to you but a bit of time. If the results are desirable move on to 3D printing your design. The same with light modifiers, Your flash is a single point light source, to which you control the amount of power. By adding a light modifier you create a multi point light source and as such a softer more desirable light. Diffuses do not have to be expensive and much can be found around the home, eg. bits of curtain material, etc. Access to a 3D printer means you can make a bracket to hold the modifier material in place. Now lets look at your subject and surrounding area. It is very small. so a huge lighting system is overkill. Ed, photography is a adventure and part of that journey is modifying, making, failing and learning from our mistakes . All the best with it.
I have to return that ring flash anyways. With my vision, blue backlighting with black text on the LCD makes it impossible for me to read. For barn doors, I thought their main function was to control the light spread and not diffuse light. I could see it being useful if I had a normal strobe, but wouldn't barn doors at some point of closing them down (depending on how long they are) start showing in the frame of the image? I am really wanting more diffuse light than anything. Unless I got the idea of barn doors totally messed up. There were some shots with the ring light where I wanted a small DOF, but even at 1/128 on the flash I still had to shoot f/8. I did try to make a couple of diffusers for the ring light but they did not work to well (having to find a way to keep it from falling in front of the lens), and since my access to a 3d printer is 4 hours away, I could not print something up real quick. Reason I am looking at the twin flash is the only ring light that I can try next (has an orange backlight to it), the price difference between ring light and twin light was not that much. Plus I like the idea of being able to move the flash heads around on the twin flash (position and where they aim). More than likely, I could see myself ending up with both in the long run.
There is another way to reduce the amount of light hitting the sensor and that is use a neutral density filter, there is a drawback and that is setting up your shot as it is hard to see the image in the view finder or live view screen, a way around this is to set up the shot and then put the filter in front of the lens then take the shot, hope you find a set up that suits you, Craig.
Ed, just another thought, have you tried using the flash off the camera, this will allow you to reduce the strength of the light on the subject due to the distance from the subject or try firing the flash into a white container so it bounces back on to the subject, similar to portrait photography only on a smaller scale. Drawback to this is the setup is becoming more complex on , again all the best with it.
I thought about ND filter and I have a good one somewhere in this house, just not seen it in 3-4 years now. Prob in a box under other boxes in a storage area. My only prob will be putting the filter on. If I move my zoom back in as I try to thread it on. I was looking to see if I could find a 1" wide rubber band that would fit my lens so I could hold the soon in place as I thread the filter, or I could go with a Cokin System (used to have one of their sets waaay back when). I don't want to carry a lot of stuff with me when I go out. I have tried a flip bracket with my flash firing through one of the speedlight softboxes but was not too happy with the results and it throws the balance of the camera all off. If I am at home, I just setup my light stand and umbrella and I am done.
Stewart Woods on youtube does alot of macro with jumping spiders etc, he has done a fair few vids on flash set up flash would be the way to go with a large diffuser, produces a soft light with less flash glare.
I came across me pf his videos (I assume it was his, title was something about How I shoot jumping spiders or something like that). I have been looking at many different videos on macro flash setups and have tried quite a few. I hope to next week get something set up outside to attract a few bugs and whatnot. I just gotta worry about the feral cats and raccoons coming to steal whatever fruit I set out.
I did look at a few of his videos last week. I remember seeing that Crafty Bells diffuser thinking it would be perfect till I saw the price. Might try to make my own diffuser like that one.
Right now my Sigma 17-70 and Tamrom 70-210 with extension tubes. I plan on getting a Tokina 100mm next couple of months. I had one in the past and really liked it. I think something like the Canon MP-E 65 would be fun but a little expensive for my budget these days. Plus if I am moving to Colorado later in the year I might want to invest in a faster wide angle lens for the nice landscapes there.
