Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
- bonneville
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Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
In these currently freezing, miserable months I thought I’d devote a bit of energy to exploring macro photography, inside.
I looked at the reduced price Sony HVL-RLAM Ring Light yesterday and the shop manager told me it wasn’t selling because the only adapters with it are for 55mm & 49mm. He checked online but couldn’t locate any other size adapters from Sony, or anyone else that would fit. On the Sony box it states that you cannot use it on any other lens filter size other than 55 & 49. My dedicated macro lens is the Sigma 70mm f2.8 which has a 62mm filter thread, and the front element doesn’t revolve when focussing.
But I had an idea.
I already have the Cokin P series filter holder, for my graduated filters, with a selection of adapters and the outer diameter of the P series seemed almost identical to that of the Sony ones when we compared them in the shop.
Although the Sony adapters are much thicker the locking lugs on the ring light actually hold a thinner outer ring in place and I couldn’t see any reason why a Cokin adapter wouldn’t do the job as well. So I bought it.
However........ the P series ring is very slightly wider so the trusty workmate and file were brought into play this morning, and my 62mm Cokin P series adapter ring is now about 1mm smaller.
And it fits and works perfectly.
Quality of shots poor I know, and all very hurried, but these shots show the Sony and Cokin rings (after surgery), the unit on my a700 and a couple of 1:1 shots of the 20p piece and my wrist watch (just to show that this all happened this morning at 9.45 on the 31st! )
Couple of points:
It is a ring light, not a ring flash, and gives a constant illumination when the lens is only a couple of inches from the target. (2 levels of brightness and a choice of left, right or both banks of light by switch).
Ideally the macro lens should not turn when focussing.
As an added bonus the flash shoe adapter converts the Minolta/Sony style into the conventional shoe, which means I can also fit my little spirit level now, which came free with a copy of AP some time ago
Hope this proves useful for someone, I'm off to photograph little things for a bit
Brian
I looked at the reduced price Sony HVL-RLAM Ring Light yesterday and the shop manager told me it wasn’t selling because the only adapters with it are for 55mm & 49mm. He checked online but couldn’t locate any other size adapters from Sony, or anyone else that would fit. On the Sony box it states that you cannot use it on any other lens filter size other than 55 & 49. My dedicated macro lens is the Sigma 70mm f2.8 which has a 62mm filter thread, and the front element doesn’t revolve when focussing.
But I had an idea.
I already have the Cokin P series filter holder, for my graduated filters, with a selection of adapters and the outer diameter of the P series seemed almost identical to that of the Sony ones when we compared them in the shop.
Although the Sony adapters are much thicker the locking lugs on the ring light actually hold a thinner outer ring in place and I couldn’t see any reason why a Cokin adapter wouldn’t do the job as well. So I bought it.
However........ the P series ring is very slightly wider so the trusty workmate and file were brought into play this morning, and my 62mm Cokin P series adapter ring is now about 1mm smaller.
And it fits and works perfectly.
Quality of shots poor I know, and all very hurried, but these shots show the Sony and Cokin rings (after surgery), the unit on my a700 and a couple of 1:1 shots of the 20p piece and my wrist watch (just to show that this all happened this morning at 9.45 on the 31st! )
Couple of points:
It is a ring light, not a ring flash, and gives a constant illumination when the lens is only a couple of inches from the target. (2 levels of brightness and a choice of left, right or both banks of light by switch).
Ideally the macro lens should not turn when focussing.
As an added bonus the flash shoe adapter converts the Minolta/Sony style into the conventional shoe, which means I can also fit my little spirit level now, which came free with a copy of AP some time ago
Hope this proves useful for someone, I'm off to photograph little things for a bit
Brian
Last edited by bonneville on Sat Mar 14, 2009 4:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
How much did you pay? Seen on Amazon at £169.99. Could work well with the A350 where the continuous light would enable LV macro composition.
David
David
- bonneville
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Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
£150, which is not that much less and it was the last one in stock. But I am delighted with it simply to be able to bring a bright light onto the item with the camera/lens so close. I had tried using a portable light box with two small spots either side - bought on ebay, and combinations of off camera flash, but this does show promise for its simplicity.David Kilpatrick wrote:How much did you pay? Seen on Amazon at £169.99. David
Brian
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Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
Brian, congratulations with your new toy.
The fact is I was trying to get info on that light, but no one responded to satisfaction.
Look here http://www.photoclubalpha.com/forum/vie ... =10&t=1448
I'll be glad if you can povide as much detail as possible. Such as how far from the subject is it usable?
There are instances when I have to take a photo from a near distance, such as 30-40 cm or so, I know that this light might be better than a flash. Even, when taking a picture of a child up close to get the nose and cheek only, this light comes handy, but what's the limit? This is quite important in my job.
Meanwhile, Happy New Year my friend.
The fact is I was trying to get info on that light, but no one responded to satisfaction.
Look here http://www.photoclubalpha.com/forum/vie ... =10&t=1448
I'll be glad if you can povide as much detail as possible. Such as how far from the subject is it usable?
There are instances when I have to take a photo from a near distance, such as 30-40 cm or so, I know that this light might be better than a flash. Even, when taking a picture of a child up close to get the nose and cheek only, this light comes handy, but what's the limit? This is quite important in my job.
Meanwhile, Happy New Year my friend.
- bonneville
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Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
Harout, I haven't had too much opportunity to experiment yet so I can't give you personal experience. However, in the operating instructions it says the range is between 0.1m and 0.5m. I have placed a pdf copy of the instructions for you hereDr. Harout wrote: I'll be glad if you can povide as much detail as possible. Such as how far from the subject is it usable?
And I wish you a Happy and Safe New Year too.Dr. Harout wrote: Meanwhile, Happy New Year my friend.
Brian
Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
that 169 pounds is a good price. here it's selling for $100.00 more than the sigma EM-140 DG Macro Flash and about the same as the Metz which has been an enigma. I actually ordered one but they haven't called to say they have it in yet. i've never seen a bunch so unmotivated to sell a product.
- bonneville
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Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
Hi JavelinJavelin wrote:that 169 pounds is a good price. here it's selling for $100.00 more than the sigma EM-140 DG Macro Flash and about the same as the Metz which has been an enigma. I actually ordered one but they haven't called to say they have it in yet. i've never seen a bunch so unmotivated to sell a product.
Would it not be true to say that as the Sony isn't a flash, simply a bright circular light source that can be turned on and off independently from taking the actual shot, pricing the Sony against the Sigma or Metz isn't really comparing like for like
Brian
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Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
Thanks Brian.
Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
your right except Sony is fooling people with the price of that thing. it is just a lamp.. look at the size of the cabinet they have mounted on the flash show... what could be in there ? A flash tube costs 50 bucks so there is some cost to that to justify the price before you even add electronics to fire it up... even the brightest, whitest LEDs are only pennies and there not much needed to run them so again how can they justify that much money for a flashlight is beyond me.. When I said 169 pounds was a good price I really meant comparing to what it is usually listed for (over $400 here)... Also it looks like it's made with an ISO hotshoe which I didn't realize before.. I don't know whether to laugh or scream at that.. is this maybe a tird party thing they are buying in from somewhere else ?
bonneville wrote: Would it not be true to say that as the Sony isn't a flash, simply a bright circular light source that can be turned on and off independently from taking the actual shot, pricing the Sony against the Sigma or Metz isn't really comparing like for like
Brian
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Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
It was designed for the R-1, hence the hot shoe. And the price
David
David
Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
If thats the case they forgot to include an adapter to fit the R1 which takes 67mm filters.
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Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
It's got 150lm, what's that supposed to mean? how do you translate that into a usable f/stop at a given distance? I asked Sony the same questions when they removed the Ring Flash option from the Minolta Macro flash set, and they couldn't tell me.....? First they vandalised the Macro Flash set (replacing it with some dopey overpriced copy stand ring light), then they don't know how the replacement works anyway???
What I would like Sony to confirm is, can the "LIGHT" they replaced the "FLASH" with, freeze the motion of a subject at midnight out in the field at ISO 100 @ 1M f/11 (the flash could).
Greg
What I would like Sony to confirm is, can the "LIGHT" they replaced the "FLASH" with, freeze the motion of a subject at midnight out in the field at ISO 100 @ 1M f/11 (the flash could).
Greg
- bonneville
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Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
Ah yeah but..... it has got a little apha sign on itJavelin wrote:your right except Sony is fooling people with the price of that thing. it is just a lamp.. look at the size of the cabinet they have mounted on the flash show... what could be in there ? A flash tube costs 50 bucks so there is some cost to that to justify the price before you even add electronics to fire it up... even the brightest, whitest LEDs are only pennies and there not much needed to run them so again how can they justify that much money for a flashlight is beyond me.. When I said 169 pounds was a good price I really meant comparing to what it is usually listed for (over $400 here)... Also it looks like it's made with an ISO hotshoe which I didn't realize before.. I don't know whether to laugh or scream at that.. is this maybe a tird party thing they are buying in from somewhere else ?
Brian
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- bonneville
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Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
If you take a file to a 67mm Cokin filter adapter.......... I think this is where I came inJavelin wrote:If thats the case they forgot to include an adapter to fit the R1 which takes 67mm filters.
- bonneville
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Re: Sony Ring Light - oh yes you can.
Perhaps not Greg but, and I ask purely as a novice here, how else would I be able to illuminate and correctly expose for something less than an inch away from the lens at a 1:1 resolution, such as this watch face?Greg Beetham wrote:What I would like Sony to confirm is, can the "LIGHT" they replaced the "FLASH" with, freeze the motion of a subject at midnight out in the field at ISO 100 @ 1M f/11 (the flash could).
Greg
I did consider the Sigma ring flash which is now available for the sony fit, but it would have cost me another £100 and I haven't advanced into using my 5600 flash properly yet.
Brian
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