Macro Ring Flash Diffuser

[PongoAlpha]

Probably most of you have heard of the Orbis ring flash on sale for around £150, well I think I've found an improvement on the Orbis for around £28 it's called the O Flash and I purchased it on E Bay over the weekend and it arrived today all the way from Hong Kong. The big advantage over the Orbis is that the O Flash fits onto the flash gun while the flash gun is fitted to the camera, rather than having to hold flash and the Orbis in one hand while holding the camera in the other. I've taken around twenty shots of family and pets, the light seems very uniform with no harsh lighting at all. I am really impressed. just go to E Bay and type in the search Macro O Flash Ring but be carefull there are five different sizes. just E mail them your flash/camera combination and they will tell you which you require. My combination I gave was A700 with a 5600hs Flash gun and the model I required was the F165. I think it's a bargain at £28.00

Pongo

[David Kilpatrick]

Excellent - their advert popped up below your post on Google ads, it really can be context-sensitive. I had a look. It certainly should beat the heavy, top-mounted version. I may try one of these.

David

[Javelin]

this is very interesting considering my alternative is 600 bucks at the cheapest. It may be worth buying just to try considering it's 50 US with free shipping.

David (Pongo) have you any shots you can post at macro distances ?

[Heidfirst]

this is a copycat/ripoff of the (much dearer) Ray-flash.

whether it's as good I don't know ...

[Javelin]

well the rayflash did not work so well. also it blocks the AF assist light. this one claims to leave that area clear.

[PongoAlpha]

Well I've tried close up macro shots, and the O Flash is next to useless anything less than 500mm gets no light at all, in fact closest usable distance is probalby 1200 to 1500mm to get full coverage, then it's very even, that's OK by me because thats what I bought it for.

Javelins' comment about the auto assist light is valid, you have to have the ring flash absolutely centered for it to work properly, it is very easy for the O flash to move as it is only held by friction using a strip of Velcro around the flash head, One of my 5600HS flash guns has adhesive Velcro fitted for a flash diffuser this gun held the O Flash much more secure but it does still tend to move when pointing camera slighty down.

Overall not as good as I first thought, but still a good buy.

[sury]

Here is the link to the thread on Dyxum on the subject fwiw.
http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/topic55361&get=last.html

I bought one of those gadgets after some input received on this forum (in Flash group).
Here are some examples of the close ups using the gadget. I did get a good circular catch
light of my daughter but the whole image was under exposed. I am figuring out best way
to use it for portraits.
The gadget was used on A900 and HVL58. The first two are taken using Minolta 28-135 in macro mode.

This one is without the O ring gadget.


This one from almost the same spot with gadget attached to flash.



Here is another sample with the O ring on flash. This one is taken with Kiron 80-200 and no glass MD/MA adapter.

[YorkieBen]

Another alternative for this is http://www.foto-tip.pl/sklep/ring_flash ... -1632.html - these are the same distributors for the Samyang lenses - 8mm, 14mm and 85mm etc. Have just got it, very cheap at 77 euros. Very lightweight and plasticky but still feels solid at the same time. Nice and easy to use, no manual controls but it does produce a nice diffuse light

what you get in the box



a couple of quick examples:

[Greg Beetham]

Best I've seen yet, that Delta unit, amazing that a manufacturer makes an individual Minolta i-shoe model, the usual method is to have modules.
It doesn't have four switchable on/off flash tubes, only the one circular flash tube, (it's only 77 euros), but you could always attach something over a couple of sections of the tube, a couple of layers of white tissue maybe...I wonder if there is a modelling light to see and focus with in the dark.
Greg

[Javelin]

I was waiting for one of these to turn up. I'll like seeing more pitures you take with it.