Ring flash for Pentax?

[Jediyam]

Hello, new to Pentax cameras. Got a K100D second hand to try out D-SLR format and enjoying it! Using a Sigma 17-70 macro zoom lens and unfortunately the barrel gets in the way of the flash when going up close for macro shots.

Can anyone suggest a good and reasonably priced ring flash (low to midrange) for Pentax and where to get it? Also, anyone know where to get Tamron 70-300 Di macro lens locally? Been looking everywhere for it with no success. The Sigma lens in that range is available but the review on Photozone is not too great compared to the Tamron one. I notice not many shops sell accessories/lenses for Pentax here.

Thanks!

[the mac 13]

Originally Posted by Jediyam Hello, new to Pentax cameras. Got a K100D second hand to try out D-SLR format and enjoying it! Using a Sigma 17-70 macro zoom lens and unfortunately the barrel gets in the way of the flash when going up close for macro shots. Can anyone suggest a good and reasonably priced ring flash (low to midrange) for Pentax and where to get it? Also, anyone know where to get Tamron 70-300 Di macro lens locally? Been looking everywhere for it with no success. The Sigma lens in that range is available but the review on Photozone is not too great compared to the Tamron one. I notice not many shops sell accessories/lenses for Pentax here. Thanks!

It's a little hard to get the Tamron, unless you would like to order it and wait for like 6-8 weeks to come, last time I checked.

[night86mare]

Originally Posted by Jediyam Hello, new to Pentax cameras. Got a K100D second hand to try out D-SLR format and enjoying it! Using a Sigma 17-70 macro zoom lens and unfortunately the barrel gets in the way of the flash when going up close for macro shots. Can anyone suggest a good and reasonably priced ring flash (low to midrange) for Pentax and where to get it? Also, anyone know where to get Tamron 70-300 Di macro lens locally? Been looking everywhere for it with no success. The Sigma lens in that range is available but the review on Photozone is not too great compared to the Tamron one. I notice not many shops sell accessories/lenses for Pentax here. Thanks!

no idea about ring flash
but tamron 70-300 is damn hard to find here

sigma 70-300 much easier, actually it's quite decent, just a little soft at the 200-300 end especially in macro mode. i suppose a sharp copy might perform quite well, heh. that said, both the 70-300s are really value for money, ha

and yar, the no pentax syndrome is quite prevalent in singapore. give it some time though, i'm pretty sure enough people will join us (see, you did) and things will change

[creampuff]

Anytime you use a lens that extends quite a bit with the on-board flash, there's always a chance of the lens blocking some of the light. A better option is to use a separate flash unit on the hotshoe or off-camera. You could use something like the Stofen, GF or Flip-It to soften the flash and spread the illumination.

A ring flash gives very flat, shadowless lighting. Great for dentists shooting teeth but ring flash images tend to have little depth or modelling. Some love it, some stay away from it because it doesn't look natural.

Pentax has the AF140C or the older AF080C ring flashes but they are hard to come by and frankly going for too much money secondhand. About time Pentax introduce a newer model.

[alanswan]

And of course, there's the option of making your own ring flash.
Would be a little bulky though...

[fengwei]

Had the AF080C ring flash before, tried it on my Ds along with an FA100/2.8 macro. It worked okay, but I got over exposed photos quite easily, and the light was abit too harsh. Not as easy as I expected...

[airconvent]

Originally Posted by alanswan And of course, there's the option of making your own ring flash. Would be a little bulky though...

Would it be simply connecting a ring of white LEDs around the lens? I think you still special types like those used in good torchlights. To get cheap standard ones to be very bright you will need to push the voltage very high and this results in burn out. You can see this very clearly in some cheap china-made LED head lamps (the ones selling for a few dollars). Minutes after you turn it on, the LEDs start burning out one by one!

[alanswan]

Originally Posted by airconvent Would it be simply connecting a ring of white LEDs around the lens? I think you still special types like those used in good torchlights. To get cheap standard ones to be very bright you will need to push the voltage very high and this results in burn out. You can see this very clearly in some cheap china-made LED head lamps (the ones selling for a few dollars). Minutes after you turn it on, the LEDs start burning out one by one!

Actually, no...
It involves sculpting a Styrofoam block, lining it with aluminum foil and housing everything in cardboard, with a gap to slot your normal flash in.
http://web.archive.org/web/200508271...ring-flash.htm

A couple other ideas modified from the above, using plastic bowls instead of Styrofoam.
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...9141592&size=o
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic2/199410

[creampuff]

Originally Posted by alanswan Actually, no... It involves sculpting a Styrofoam block, lining it with aluminum foil and housing everything in cardboard, with a gap to slot your normal flash in. http://web.archive.org/web/200508271...ring-flash.htm A couple other ideas modified from the above, using plastic bowls instead of Styrofoam. http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...9141592&size=o http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic2/199410

Clever idea but the DIY set-ups seems better suited for portraiture. How practical would it be to use it in the field to take macros? Having only played with a Minolta ring flash for close-ups donkey years ago, using a ring flash invariably involves a couple of issues - how to throttle the flash output, working distance and evenness of lighting. The ring flash can no doubt give a very distinct look but I feel it can get kinda predictable after a while. Just my opinion of course.

[alanswan]

Originally Posted by creampuff Clever idea but the DIY set-ups seems better suited for portraiture. How practical would it be to use it in the field to take macros? Having only played with a Minolta ring flash for close-ups donkey years ago, using a ring flash invariably involves a couple of issues - how to throttle the flash output, working distance and evenness of lighting. The ring flash can no doubt give a very distinct look but I feel it can get kinda predictable after a while. Just my opinion of course.

Haaa.... Yeah... The bulky setup would probably scare the little insect away...