@dcaramia probably...it's relatively cheap stuff...maybe $8 a roll at HD or Lowes. A really cheap way you could go is to spray that area (mask off the areas you don't want sticky) with spray adhesive and then stick regular AL foil on it.
I like this build and I'm using it as inspiration for my own build, but mine will end up being more shaped like the Orbis flash. I'm wondering, it seems like this sticks out quite a bit. Whats the widest you can shoot without getting the hardware in the shot?
this is an awesome DIY. once i get flashes im doing this. thanks a lot for sharing this tutorial but is the lighting a lot better compared to if you were to use just the flash?
@dcaramia If the lighting were the same from just using the flash, then would I go through all this trouble of making this tutorial? :) Of course, esp. for macro or close-up photography.
@dcaramia yes softer...the diffusing material helps a lot. If you want to see a ton of photos taken with this diy ring-flash then head over to flickr and search user motleypixel and then look at my sets and find the set called "diy ring-flash samples". These were all taken with a canon 30d, 100/2.8 macro, 580ex flash, and this diy ring-flash.
@motleypixel wow great photos. you said that this setup is better for close ups, what do you think the max range of shooting with this is? and do you recommend puting an extra later on the lower half where the flash is?
@dcaramia for head shots I would stay w/in 8 feet. i only use it for macro work. yes put one extra layer of diffusing material at the bottom like I've discussed on my forum tutorial thread (another good place to see what others have done). if you have a built in bounce card (like on the 580ex) then pull that out and then stick the flash head in that way it shields some of the direct flash coming out of the lower portion of the ring-flash.
this is so awsome but you can't use AF assist light from flash... in lowlight situation it will be hard to get AF without AF assist light... how can you solve this?
Very Ingenious! Great minds think alike. I began assembling the parts I thought I would need to build one of these, (before I watched your video), and I found some cheap cutting board(s) to use as a diffuser. I also found a very similar utility worklight to use as the reflector housing. I used foil to line the inside because I thought the example photographs I saw were somewhat weak. I think I went to the other extreme and I'm finding it hard to get close enough to do macro . Still testing ....
I really enjoyed your tutorial- nicely edited and no filler. The ring flash looks great and with a little time and effort is cheap alternative. You're a good instructor- keep them coming!
@mahood the tin-snips worked much better for me for the initial cut...then I used a dremel sanding drum and grinding stones to dress the edges. You can use anything that works for you.
@w0ble no, it's designed as a lamp shade where it's reflective inside...if they thought it would reflect more light in white it would have come in white.
Awesome job-I have wanted a ring light for a long time, and this looks perfect. One minor comment-I would cut the hole where the flash fits into the reflector a little bigger than needed, since a very close fit means a rebuild if you change flash units. Flash units have different head sizes, so making it a little oversize allows flexibility. If the gap bothers you, you can use foam to fill the gap.
@cpovey1 Thanks for the comment...it has gotta be snug or it will come out...there's only about 3/4" of the end of the flash head sticking in the ring flash. Build it for ONE flash only...trust me...it's not just the flash head dimensions...the entire physical makeup of the flash determines the bend points in the bracket too.
Nice video, how long did it take you to come up with this invention? Was it a 1st project or do you have to rethink it? Wouldn't it be better to paint the prime of the shade first then installing the diffuser after? I am thinking to build one, but i'll have to rewatch the videos again and again xD
Hello (motleypixel) . thanks for this superb video. Very informative.
Just one question. Almost to the end of your video, I was not sure which part is the one that holds the ring-flash. Is it the flash in it self or it is the bar plate attached in some inside part of the ring-flash...???
Man, you're a genius! I build cameras every day and come tomorrow I'll be making your ring flash in time for a studio shoot the day after. I really love it....many thanks.
Excellent craftsmanship....very clean and precise work. I've been trying to figure out a clever way/gizmo to bounce the light from the attached flash on a Pentax K-x. I've been fumbling with bouncing the light off a white card but that hasn't been going so well.
I started my build today. One thing I want to mention is, the work-light metal dimples very easily! I pushed out the few deep dimples, and I'm hoping they won't be too obvious after paint.
This is the first time I've ever tried to build anything (that I didn't use duct tape and tin foil) for my camera. At least I now own a Dremel, and a rivet gun. If this works, I will have spent less than half the price of buying a ring flash, and I get the tools too. Great DIY video, thanks!
Awesome idea and explanation. A very good example of the detail I'd like to see in most DIY tutorials. Very good job. Can't wait to try and build it myself.
this is so cool! I plan on making one soon. I got all the tools required and I love building my own contraptions and this looks perfect. thanks for the tutorial!
Not knocking your commentsall valid/true; however, the performance is good and IMHO, better at 1:1 or slightly less magnification than the MT-24EX on a 100mm macro lens and I feel its all due to the size of the light source and diffusion. This one is definitely not good for 1:1 or greater magnification. Yep, drawback is lack of manual focus, but thats the trade-off in cost and design.
Hey thanks! BTW, there's a long running thread over on my forums under the "Tutorials" board and I'd welcome you to join and post your progress and test shots. Thanks!
Awsum video thanks for posting, just goes to show u dnt need to spend alot to get very impressive results. And you get satisfaction in knowing you made it and works a treat. Respect
How did you ensure that the lens was centered in the reducer?I noticed on your first build for the Canon speedlight that the bracket was pop riveted to the reducer. Were any shims necessary to make sure the camera's lens was in the center of the reducer or does it matter much?
BBC...because the remote on the Nikon flash is optical and is activated by the commander setting in camera using the pop up flash...kinda defeats the purpose of the ring flash would'nt you say?
Um, why didn't you just bend the metal the opposite direction from the bottom of the camera--that way you would have needed less metal (read, lighter), less chance of it getting in the way, and you only need to make one bend. If you do it right, you may still be able to get a quick release on the bottom of the camera (if you would need that).
Great job! If you want to be able to zoom your lens, you need to modify the bracket so you have more space between your camera body and the diffuser opening.
Yea, but I don't recommend this setup for zooms or much of any manual focus routines...I use it 90% of the time in AF and the 10% of the time I use it in MF I just set the lens at 1:1 mag and move the rig until the subject is in focus.
Dude, you are awesome!
kadadust 2 weeks ago
Love it. Can you make me one ?? Lol
emersonc1 1 month ago
Then you want to uh, use uh safety uh goggles. There can uh be uh a lot of uh metallic particulate uh in uh the uh air. Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh.
multibigpop 4 months ago
do you think it would be ok to go without the tape that is on the vent reducer?
dcaramia 5 months ago
@dcaramia probably...it's relatively cheap stuff...maybe $8 a roll at HD or Lowes. A really cheap way you could go is to spray that area (mask off the areas you don't want sticky) with spray adhesive and then stick regular AL foil on it.
motleypixel 5 months ago
@motleypixel ok thanks
dcaramia 5 months ago
Good work... !
onelouderimage 6 months ago
I like this build and I'm using it as inspiration for my own build, but mine will end up being more shaped like the Orbis flash. I'm wondering, it seems like this sticks out quite a bit. Whats the widest you can shoot without getting the hardware in the shot?
joeny1980 6 months ago
this is an awesome DIY. once i get flashes im doing this. thanks a lot for sharing this tutorial but is the lighting a lot better compared to if you were to use just the flash?
dcaramia 6 months ago
@dcaramia If the lighting were the same from just using the flash, then would I go through all this trouble of making this tutorial? :) Of course, esp. for macro or close-up photography.
motleypixel 6 months ago
@motleypixel what is better about the light? is it softer, probably more spread out?
dcaramia 6 months ago
@dcaramia yes softer...the diffusing material helps a lot. If you want to see a ton of photos taken with this diy ring-flash then head over to flickr and search user motleypixel and then look at my sets and find the set called "diy ring-flash samples". These were all taken with a canon 30d, 100/2.8 macro, 580ex flash, and this diy ring-flash.
motleypixel 6 months ago
@motleypixel wow great photos. you said that this setup is better for close ups, what do you think the max range of shooting with this is? and do you recommend puting an extra later on the lower half where the flash is?
dcaramia 6 months ago
@dcaramia for head shots I would stay w/in 8 feet. i only use it for macro work. yes put one extra layer of diffusing material at the bottom like I've discussed on my forum tutorial thread (another good place to see what others have done). if you have a built in bounce card (like on the 580ex) then pull that out and then stick the flash head in that way it shields some of the direct flash coming out of the lower portion of the ring-flash.
motleypixel 6 months ago
@motleypixel ok thanks again, cant wait to start flash photography.
dcaramia 6 months ago
this is so awsome but you can't use AF assist light from flash... in lowlight situation it will be hard to get AF without AF assist light... how can you solve this?
mcleeboy 7 months ago
Very Ingenious! Great minds think alike. I began assembling the parts I thought I would need to build one of these, (before I watched your video), and I found some cheap cutting board(s) to use as a diffuser. I also found a very similar utility worklight to use as the reflector housing. I used foil to line the inside because I thought the example photographs I saw were somewhat weak. I think I went to the other extreme and I'm finding it hard to get close enough to do macro . Still testing ....
Swordfishsix 7 months ago
@Swordfishsix Thanks for the comments. Yea, just keep tweaking and you'll get it dialed in.
motleypixel 7 months ago
Excellent!
ojntk 10 months ago
I really enjoyed your tutorial- nicely edited and no filler. The ring flash looks great and with a little time and effort is cheap alternative. You're a good instructor- keep them coming!
dfens666 10 months ago
@dfens666 thank you...yes I need to publish a few efforts once i get time to edit the footage.
motleypixel 10 months ago
Can I ask, why did you use the tin-snips to cut, and not a Dremel cutting wheel? I've never used one, but does it not do well with the aluminium?
mahood 10 months ago
@mahood the tin-snips worked much better for me for the initial cut...then I used a dremel sanding drum and grinding stones to dress the edges. You can use anything that works for you.
motleypixel 10 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Great build, think i'll try it myself.
iunderw2 11 months ago
Can you make me one and ill just pay you for it?
toyoumy88 1 year ago
@toyoumy88 If I was setup for mass-production, then I could gladly make you one, but as it stands now I'm not.
motleypixel 1 year ago
Do you reckon painting the inner side of the dish white to scatter the light a bit better will be a good idea?
w0ble 1 year ago
@w0ble no, it's designed as a lamp shade where it's reflective inside...if they thought it would reflect more light in white it would have come in white.
motleypixel 1 year ago 2
looks legit, i like it
cooljamesbeans 1 year ago
Awesome job-I have wanted a ring light for a long time, and this looks perfect. One minor comment-I would cut the hole where the flash fits into the reflector a little bigger than needed, since a very close fit means a rebuild if you change flash units. Flash units have different head sizes, so making it a little oversize allows flexibility. If the gap bothers you, you can use foam to fill the gap.
cpovey1 1 year ago
@cpovey1 Thanks for the comment...it has gotta be snug or it will come out...there's only about 3/4" of the end of the flash head sticking in the ring flash. Build it for ONE flash only...trust me...it's not just the flash head dimensions...the entire physical makeup of the flash determines the bend points in the bracket too.
motleypixel 1 year ago
I wouldn't use duct tape to surround the hole that the flash slides into. It left really gunky marks on my flash.
Electrical tape would be much better.
kiashadowwave 1 year ago
@kiashadowwave or pop-riveted foam :)
motleypixel 1 year ago
dude awesome vid. i plan on makin one since ill be out shoppin tomorow. thanks for the vids they're a huge help.
cancer6060 1 year ago
hey this is a great DIY..does the autofocus work if mounted or can you access the focus ring while attached to the ringflash?..thanks.,
deewai03 1 year ago
@deewai03 Autofocus only, unless you mod it to reach the focus ring.
motleypixel 1 year ago
Nice video, how long did it take you to come up with this invention? Was it a 1st project or do you have to rethink it? Wouldn't it be better to paint the prime of the shade first then installing the diffuser after? I am thinking to build one, but i'll have to rewatch the videos again and again xD
Thank you so much.
stephane1234567 1 year ago
Making one this week. Very cool that you took the time to share this in video format. Thank you!
jljag2001 1 year ago
Hello (motleypixel) . thanks for this superb video. Very informative.
Just one question. Almost to the end of your video, I was not sure which part is the one that holds the ring-flash. Is it the flash in it self or it is the bar plate attached in some inside part of the ring-flash...???
Thanks in advance.
TheAvellanoTower 1 year ago
Man, you're a genius! I build cameras every day and come tomorrow I'll be making your ring flash in time for a studio shoot the day after. I really love it....many thanks.
Deanoroid 1 year ago
I would get all technical with the handle and make a stained timber grip.
175myles 1 year ago
@175myles Cool...like those old vintage Strobo-Frames :)
motleypixel 1 year ago
@175myles you could just make a fimo grip...
Spaeckli 1 year ago
@Spaeckli, Wheres the fun in that?
175myles 1 year ago
Excellent craftsmanship....very clean and precise work. I've been trying to figure out a clever way/gizmo to bounce the light from the attached flash on a Pentax K-x. I've been fumbling with bouncing the light off a white card but that hasn't been going so well.
ThePhantomBlacksmith 1 year ago
you are amazing :)
hobateetomambo 1 year ago
BIG Thanks for the tutorial. I completed my build, and left a short video response. What are we making next!?
Frey5150 1 year ago
I started my build today. One thing I want to mention is, the work-light metal dimples very easily! I pushed out the few deep dimples, and I'm hoping they won't be too obvious after paint.
This is the first time I've ever tried to build anything (that I didn't use duct tape and tin foil) for my camera. At least I now own a Dremel, and a rivet gun. If this works, I will have spent less than half the price of buying a ring flash, and I get the tools too. Great DIY video, thanks!
Frey5150 1 year ago
@Frey5150 Good luck and throw any questions this way. Thanks!
motleypixel 1 year ago
@Frey5150 Frey...yep just watched yours and commented...right now I'm modifying some DSLR video rigging. Nothing on the horizon right now. Thanks!
motleypixel 1 year ago
great work.
IronChefSpam 1 year ago
Awesome idea and explanation. A very good example of the detail I'd like to see in most DIY tutorials. Very good job. Can't wait to try and build it myself.
RcktCrzy 1 year ago
this is so cool! I plan on making one soon. I got all the tools required and I love building my own contraptions and this looks perfect. thanks for the tutorial!
RafaelZamora 1 year ago
nice idea but I wouldn't bulid it. It's to big an you can't do adjustments at your lens.
Trrepseg 2 years ago
Not knocking your commentsall valid/true; however, the performance is good and IMHO, better at 1:1 or slightly less magnification than the MT-24EX on a 100mm macro lens and I feel its all due to the size of the light source and diffusion. This one is definitely not good for 1:1 or greater magnification. Yep, drawback is lack of manual focus, but thats the trade-off in cost and design.
motleypixel 2 years ago
ebay is better and fast
joyx81 2 years ago
@joyx81 Like how, better and faster at making tutorial videos?
motleypixel 2 years ago
Thank-you so much. I will send pics to you when i get mine finished.
I found this video VERY informative and i will be showing all my photography friends.
hybriddesignz08 2 years ago
Hey thanks! BTW, there's a long running thread over on my forums under the "Tutorials" board and I'd welcome you to join and post your progress and test shots. Thanks!
motleypixel 2 years ago
Awsum video thanks for posting, just goes to show u dnt need to spend alot to get very impressive results. And you get satisfaction in knowing you made it and works a treat. Respect
XMOONGLADEX 2 years ago
Thank you.
motleypixel 2 years ago
MAn great ideia, PERFECT :)
miguelduarte91 2 years ago
Excellent! Very usefully ! I will try to make it ! Thanks for posting !
pedraopy 2 years ago
какова хрена америкоси так долго звиздятт ???
Galzorec 2 years ago
Что ебать вы отсталые?
motleypixel 2 years ago
мой моск неасилил вашего магечева рускава языка...что вы имели ввиду ?
Galzorec 2 years ago
very nice work, you can see that this unit does what it is designed for, the close up photograph you just took had no shadow cast, Bravo...
graphdog 2 years ago
Comment removed
graphdog 2 years ago
how long does the vent reducer stick out of the lamp?
cause the reducer i got at home depot way longer than what you had on your build.
hiimbong 2 years ago
About 1.5 inches from the back of the lamp and it's flush in the front.
motleypixel 2 years ago
cool!!
i got the right measurement. i had to cut up the front though. haha
hiimbong 2 years ago
This is one of the best tutorials if you aren't afraid of a little elbow gease... Thanks for posting, I hope to get my project started this weekend!
ImperialPixel 2 years ago
Comment removed
DIZEMANPHOTO 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
thats ghetto
ladylisahotpink 2 years ago
question, how can you adjust the lens?
antttz 2 years ago
The #1 drawback...you don't, unless you pull the camera/lens off the ring-flash and adjust.
-Roy
motleypixel 2 years ago
that looks amazing!! you have sample pics taken with it? preferably portraits? i wanna try this :) thanks!
britsy13 2 years ago
How did you ensure that the lens was centered in the reducer?I noticed on your first build for the Canon speedlight that the bracket was pop riveted to the reducer. Were any shims necessary to make sure the camera's lens was in the center of the reducer or does it matter much?
jamesdiiird 2 years ago
Doesn't matter, it just works. No shims used.
motleypixel 2 years ago
thanks for the brilliant idea and willing to share how to do it motleypixel. I'm gonna start to do it for myself.
mrpahang 2 years ago
great job Roy...finished mine up yesterday and the bracket mod. I told you about worked out perfect...I'll put pics of it on my Flickr page
crash61 3 years ago
post up some more photos using this ring flash
SkyeByu 3 years ago 6
V Good.
Why do you use a flash cord instead of using the remote settings for the SB800?
BBCWorldwide2009 3 years ago
BBC...because the remote on the Nikon flash is optical and is activated by the commander setting in camera using the pop up flash...kinda defeats the purpose of the ring flash would'nt you say?
crash61 3 years ago
Um, why didn't you just bend the metal the opposite direction from the bottom of the camera--that way you would have needed less metal (read, lighter), less chance of it getting in the way, and you only need to make one bend. If you do it right, you may still be able to get a quick release on the bottom of the camera (if you would need that).
nurbs100 3 years ago
I don't follow the bend you are explaining...can you provide more detail?
motleypixel 3 years ago
Great job! If you want to be able to zoom your lens, you need to modify the bracket so you have more space between your camera body and the diffuser opening.
kerbeg000 3 years ago
Yea, but I don't recommend this setup for zooms or much of any manual focus routines...I use it 90% of the time in AF and the 10% of the time I use it in MF I just set the lens at 1:1 mag and move the rig until the subject is in focus.
motleypixel 3 years ago
Very impressive final result. Looked very professional.
artysmokes 3 years ago
Why do you need the hacksaw? Ah righ.. 6:36 :D
Great tutorial! 5*
LennertG 3 years ago
that was awesome
jbranske 3 years ago
this is a professional DIY！！！！great!!!!!!!
wildhorse333 3 years ago
thats pretty cool. a lot of work but thats the fun part! my question is, if you have a zoom lens, how to you zoom if the whole lens is all covered?
dimidium 3 years ago
I don't even know if I'd ever use that or what it's for, but you're my fucking hero.
Domino81 3 years ago
Love you too! :)
motleypixel 3 years ago
Very impressive! Great video and ideas..
onlyrice 3 years ago
Ah.. a good excuse to go to the hardware store... Thanks for the DIY Vids!
eaglekepr 3 years ago
Oh man I can't wait to start this project! Thanks for the HOW TO!
yeahrightdennis 3 years ago
Absolutely awesome! I would love one of these, I just don't have the skills, lol
yankeefan2525 3 years ago
Really good job.
Thanx for sharing.
ronsonbrown 3 years ago
Gotta love that DIY spirit! Thanks for your work.
SheaDesign 3 years ago
Nice!
Thanks doood!
Tesselator 3 years ago