Ring Flash For Canon
Ring Flash for canon
Which is the best ring flash available? Whats the price?
Need to buy a ring flash for Canon 5D. Id love to buy a portable one, but am afraid is not going to have enough power. Does anyone know about the best model (es-Bowens?) and if they always need power pack attached? Id love to have a r.f thatis not too heavy or bulky.....thanks.
I've gone through probably 5 or 6 different ringlight flashes in my experience with cameras, so I'll see if I can contribute anything of note to this question...
First, I think it's important to know if you're going to be using the ringlight for primarily macro or portrait purposes. I tried once to use a macro ringlight for portrait purposes, and the results could not compare to one that was designed more for portrait/fashion purposes. I have found in my experience that ringlights with actual flash tubes and not just two dedicated flashes on a mounting ring like the MT-24EX from Canon are better, you spend less time worrying about diffusion- after all, you get ringflashes to solve that problem, right?
The main advantage behind the Canon line (MR-14EX, Link 1, $450) of ringflashes is, as the others mentioned, the compatibility with your system. You don't risk frying Canon equipment with Canon equipment. If you are worried about power, check out the Canon CP-E3 (Link 2, $150); this battery pack can be clipped on a belt to stay out of the way, and drastically reduces recycle times. Don't worry about the CP-E4- it has the same specs at the E3, it's just updated with new weather protection seals to match the 580EXII flash.
However, the downside of the Canon ringlight is you have to buy additional adapters to fit to your lenses. They come in 52, 58, and 72mm sizes, and are the Macrolite adapters, cost between 15 and 30 dollars apiece, so the cost can start to pile up. However, for a portable solution that more than likely will have more than enough juice given you get the battery pack, it's pretty nice. I upgraded to the 24 series for my macro photography.
For fashion photography, I actually took a gamble and went with the Alienbees ABR800 ($400) when it first came out, and I've been blown away. It is not nearly as portable as the Canon, but I use it for studio and fashion where I'm usually in one place at a time. It is much bigger and bulkier, but the performance is bar none the best ringflash out there, in my opinion. It does require an AC outlet, but it does come with a 15-foot cord. I really think that the flash tubes on this unit offer superior diffusion, and this ringlight also comes with a detachable diffuser for wide-angle lenses as well. Check it out at Link 3.
I really think, depending on your application, that a ringlight can be an invaluable tool...I have tried numerous flash diffusion/redirection tools and attachments, and none of them have been able to reproduce the effects I can create with a ringlight.
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US $39.99
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