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
)