Fluorescent close-up light

Jbailey · Post by **Jbailey** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:01 pm

Earlier this month in Cyclops' Aloe posting http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... highlight= I mentioned an LED ring light I had access to. As it turned out it was a fluorescent ring light. I'll present it anyway.

The light is a Samigon FRL-1.

The light works pretty well and is quite daylight ballanced. None of the close-ups seen here have any Photoshop color correction.

I would like to see more light but it is adequate for tripod or copy stand mounting. An optional mount is available for use with cameras or lenses it will not screw onto.
For more information and price see: http://www.adorama.com/IMRLF.html?searc ... &item_no=1
Most exposures for ISO 200 are about 1/30 sec. @ f 3.2 or 2 sec @ f/13.

Here are some sample photos.

Hibiscus detail

Old coin

Goethite pseudomorph after selenite
Notice circular hotspots on the specimen's shiny surface.

Detail of hard-drive controler PC board

Gérard-64 · Post by **Gérard-64** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 8:36 pm

It seems to be a good stuff!
I have two questions: Will it work with a D80/D90 Nikon body?
What is the Inside diameter of the ring?

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:36 pm

Administrivia: I moved this topic to Technical Discussions because a) it's over the daily limit for images posted in the Galleries, and b) the focus of the topic seems to be on the light, not the subjects.

Good discussion...carry on...

--Rik

mgoodm3 · Post by **mgoodm3** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:44 pm

lighting is too diffuse for proper lighting of coins. Directional lighting is better.

Cyberspider · Post by **Cyberspider** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 5:59 am

that is a very interesting thread...

What lens and what distance you had to the objects? Because if you have a 150mm macrolens i think it could be difficult to handle (?)...the working distance of my Sigma 150 is aprox. 38cm.

I'm very interested into a macroflash but i don't like the highlights some flash do in an image or in the eyes of an insect...but there are also images with a very soft light by using a flash together with a diffusor... do you have some insect pictures done with this flash?

Jbailey · Post by **Jbailey** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:19 am

Thaks for the input, guys. I intended to put it in the techniques forum but misplaced it.

Cyber spider: This light is a continuous light--not a flash. It would make photographing dead insects almost a necessity. Of course, it does allow you to see the lighting results before taking the photo.
From the front end of the lens to the subjects was between 11 to 15 cm. The lamp and its removeable diffuser are about 10 cm in height altogether.
I am using a Sigma 105 mm f/2.8 lens.

Gerard: The light comes with 49, 52 and 55 mm threaded adapters. It does not directly fit my Sigma macro which has a 58 mm filter thread.

mgoodm3: Thanks for the input. This coin had enough edge darkness to show all of the markings to my taste. Since I was hand-holding the light, it would have been simple enough to tip it to the side to get more oblique lighting.

Jim