I've been having a blast with the $30 NEEWER 48 LED Ring Light
You don't have to worry about flash sync or TTL communication since the NEEWER lighting is continuous. There are 3 lighting options: full, left side only, or right side only. The output is approximately 15GN (both lights on), which is plenty bright for macro photography, and helpful for portrait shooting in good ambient light.
I've found the light so useful, and easy to use, that I just leave it mounted on my Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. The kit includes mounting rings in the following diameters: 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, and 67mm. You also get a plug-in wall adapter if you don't want to use batteries, although I've been getting more than an hour of use from two rechargeable AAs.
Passion Flower in the shade illuminated with the NEEWER 48 Ring Light.
On the downside, this isn't the most rugged unit. So it probably won't take extended abuse. Also, the ring light does swivel on the adapter. I've found that by moving the power cord under the lens then bringing it up to the hot shoe from the opposite side helps stabilize the ring light. You could also use a bit of gaffer's tape.
Aside from that, however, this light is fun... and a bargain. If you've wanted to experiment with ring lighting for your close-up photography, I would give this unit
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Hi Derrick,
I would like to try this light and get some practice doing macro photography. However, I don't have a dedicated macro lens. I have the Canon 24-105L which claims macro capability. (It says "macro" on the lens barrel.)
Have you ever tried doing macro shots with this lens?
Should I even bother?
The 24-105 lens has a 77mm filter thread. Wondering if I can still use the NEEWER light with a 77mm to 67mm step down adapter?
Thanks for your time.
Tom
Sounds interesting and I think it would be useful for the limited amount of fun macro that I do. I have the Orbis for commercial work and I love it, but when you just want to grab a light for quick backyard flowers, the unit can be a pain.
@Thomas
Adapter rings come with the unit. It all depends on if the back of the unit extends backward past the adapter. See the link.
http://www.neewer.com/macro-ring-light-for-sony-dslr-a350-a300-a200-new.html
Thomas -- I've got that same lens and use it as my everyday do-everything lens. The "MACRO" section on the focusing ring lets you know that it will focus at close to 1-to-1 size when you get as close to your subject as the lens will let you. In more plain English, this means that if you get within about 2.5" of your subject and can bring it into sharp focus at that distance, the result should be an image on the sensor that is about the same size (1:1) as the subject itself. (I think this is the classic definition of "macro".)
So the answer to that is yes. Extension rings or a close-up filter/lens will help even more.
As mentioned by another poster, there are plenty of step-down converters for the Neewer LED ring light, so that's not a problem. For $30, you can do a whole lot worse, especially when you catch Macro Fever and start buying every bit of macro gear on the market (I confess, I confess!).
Hope this helps,
Dave Dawson
Oops -- That's 2 feet, 6 inches. Two-and-a-half feet. Sorry....