I'm a sucker for new gadgets! This thing I purchased off eBay..you could find one by searching for Oflash..I saw them on Amazon as well. They make them for several flash units, mine a Canon Speedlight 430 EXII. It slips over your lens and slips onto your flash. This is the description from the eBay listing, copyright.
1.This O-Flash Macro Flash unit is a unique adapter for your hot-shoe flash unit designed to replicate the lighting effect produced by traditional, expensive, and heavy powered studio ring flash units.
2.The most best tools for macro photography.
3.it is portable and lightweight, has been designed to take advantage of a camera’s TTL metering capabilities. Because this flash relies on the hot-shoe flash to generate its light, it contains no electronics, no flash tubes and requires no cumbersome cables.
4.The light distribution is accomplished through a sophisticated system of internal prisms, reflectors and light-shapers designed to distribute and project the light evenly around the lens.
5.This Flash allows infrared AF assist beam pass through the flash ring.
6.TTL functions will work normally when using this O-Flash. As with standard flash use, manual exposure control requires the use of a light meter or test-shots.
Well..they got my $36.00 plus shipping.
My test, here just for you friend, as follows. Images were captured using a Cano 50D, a Sigma 17-70 macro lens and 12mm extension tube. There was a good amount of filtered natural light comming into my studio. All images at 250 ISO. The first four images shot in TV mode at 1.3" second F-32. All the images after those in AV mode at 1/40th second F-8.0. Flash images were with TTL. The only post adjustments were a small amount of sharpening and all images re-sized.
Myself I feel the images captured with natural light only are much more pleasing than with the flash unit until you start getting in close. At that time the unit seems to help with shadow and detail but then at a certain point the lens obscures the flash and the light does not reach the subject. I purchased a off camera flash cord just for this as I figured that would be the case...my new cord does not work. When I get a new one or it working properly I will add some real macros shot off camera flash to this post. I'm thinking this will be a real asset to my macros but at this time I am unable to use it for that. Shit!
The images are side by side, natural light without the with flash and then with flash. My grow Golden Cindy by Nugget shiner the subject...Thanks for the views...DD
1.This O-Flash Macro Flash unit is a unique adapter for your hot-shoe flash unit designed to replicate the lighting effect produced by traditional, expensive, and heavy powered studio ring flash units.
2.The most best tools for macro photography.
3.it is portable and lightweight, has been designed to take advantage of a camera’s TTL metering capabilities. Because this flash relies on the hot-shoe flash to generate its light, it contains no electronics, no flash tubes and requires no cumbersome cables.
4.The light distribution is accomplished through a sophisticated system of internal prisms, reflectors and light-shapers designed to distribute and project the light evenly around the lens.
5.This Flash allows infrared AF assist beam pass through the flash ring.
6.TTL functions will work normally when using this O-Flash. As with standard flash use, manual exposure control requires the use of a light meter or test-shots.
Well..they got my $36.00 plus shipping.
My test, here just for you friend, as follows. Images were captured using a Cano 50D, a Sigma 17-70 macro lens and 12mm extension tube. There was a good amount of filtered natural light comming into my studio. All images at 250 ISO. The first four images shot in TV mode at 1.3" second F-32. All the images after those in AV mode at 1/40th second F-8.0. Flash images were with TTL. The only post adjustments were a small amount of sharpening and all images re-sized.
Myself I feel the images captured with natural light only are much more pleasing than with the flash unit until you start getting in close. At that time the unit seems to help with shadow and detail but then at a certain point the lens obscures the flash and the light does not reach the subject. I purchased a off camera flash cord just for this as I figured that would be the case...my new cord does not work. When I get a new one or it working properly I will add some real macros shot off camera flash to this post. I'm thinking this will be a real asset to my macros but at this time I am unable to use it for that. Shit!
The images are side by side, natural light without the with flash and then with flash. My grow Golden Cindy by Nugget shiner the subject...Thanks for the views...DD
