According provided by Flash Meike Led Macro Ring Flash FC 100 (fits Canon) huge thanks to Alla Malko.
Overview of the ring flash Meike Led Macro Ring Flash FC 100
Meike Led Macro Ring Flash FC 100 is an external ring flash, the main purpose of which is to help the photographer in macro photography. 'Annular' - because it is made in the form of a ring, which is worn on the lens like a regular light filter. This flash shape allows evenly illuminate the subject and create volume in the photo.
Control unit Meike Led Macro Ring Flash FC 100
FC 100 is made in China, the assembly is pretty good. The wire that connects the control unit and the flash is sturdy and approximately 40 cm long.
LED Backlight Meike Led Macro Ring Flash FC 100
Meike Led Macro Ring Flash FC 100 has only one central sync pin on the control unit, and therefore this flash will be suitable for owners of Nikon, Canon, and Pentax without any problems. Of course, the FC 100 does not support any automatic modes of operation. In fact, for macro photography, automation is practically not needed. On the flash control unit, you can select the operating mode of the ring flash: Light, Flash, L, R. In the Light mode, the flash simply illuminates with its LEDs, this operating mode can be useful for shooting video. In Flash mode, the flash simply gives a pulse of light; the flash does not have any high-speed sync and similar additional options. There are only 7 power levels available: -1.5, -1, -0.5, 0, +0.5, +1, +1.5. 'L' and 'R' modes only include the left or right half ring on the flash. When I experimented, in Flash and Light mode at the same set power, I got the same exposure.
Battery Compartment Meike Led Macro Ring Flash FC 100
Flash power is very small, its leading number is only 15mand the diodes have light with a color temperature of 5500K. Such a flash works from ordinary 4 AA batteries.
Flash Meike Led Macro Ring Flash FC 100 and a set of rings for installation.
Comes with a flash adapter ring set with diameters of 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77 mm for mounting a ring flash on the lens. Such a ring is screwed onto the lens with one side instead of a light filter, and a flash is worn on the second side using two convenient locks.
End-to-end synchronization adapter Meike Led Macro Ring Flash FC 100
Along with the flash comes a pass-through sync adapter for studio flashes. Using this adapter, you can simultaneously control other flashes connected to the synchronizer with a special cable. The control unit and adapter are worn on the hot shoe of the flash and secured with a circular nut.
The picture was taken using only one FC-100 flash per cubit in a dark room in the Light flash mode set to full power +1,5. White balance on the camera was manually selected at position 5560K (at Nikon D700 cannot be set exactly 5500K). At ISO 800 and 1 / 100s, the aperture value was only F / 8, which is quite small for convenient macro photography. Nevertheless, the flash created a fairly voluminous shot.
In the work, the flash turned out to be rather weak due to the small leading number. Yes, and when using adapter rings appears noticeable vignetting. To avoid vignetting, I had to shoot with a full-size camera Nikon D700 in “Nikon DX” crop mode. Vignetting will most likely happen with any lens, it does not depend on the ring flash, but on the adapter ring, which is very thick.
I recently got a cubelight (or a light cube, anyone like that :)), when using 3 fluorescent lamps with a power of 48 watts (in terms of incandescent lamps, 240 watts is obtained), you can shoot macro on closed apertures even without a tripod. Meike Led Macro Ring Flashgun FC 100 sell for 20-30 cu, and for exactly the same amount I bought my 3 lamps.
The same picture with ordinary lamps. With other indicators being equal, the aperture here is F / 20, which is 6 times smaller than using the flash alone. Without processing, BB shamelessly lying :)
Meike Led Macro Ring Flash FC 100 will be very useful when shooting outside the studio, because the flash does not need an electrical outlet. Macro shot there is always not enough light and such a flash can come to the rescue :) True, I have little idea of shooting spider bugs with such a flash, because because of the small leading number you need to get close to them, while they all have to scatter. But shooting small objects should improve markedly.
Ring flash photo
Conclusions:
Meike Led Macro Ring Flash FC 100 is an interesting ring flash, not very expensive, easy to use and can really help with macro photography. For macro photography, depth of field is very important, in order to make it larger, you need to close the aperture strongly, while the amount of light for correct exposure may be sorely missed. In such cases, the FC 100 can really help out. A serious drawback of such a flash is vignetting due to the adapter rings with which the flash is attached to the lens.
Thank you for attention. Arkady Shapoval.
The Left and Right modes include the left and right semicircles, respectively, and are present on all macro flashes, even expensive branded ones. Allow to highlight the object to the left or right, and not just "head-on". If this does not work on your copy, you can say thank you to the Chinese, but actually, what to expect for $ 20 :-)
Reply
Thanks. I thought they were working, I was just not attentive.
Reply
And about light cub article will be?
Reply
When I master it, I will write.
Reply
when will it be? ;)
Reply
Gorgeous review !!! Recall the childhood and the kingdom of Kinder)
Reply
I bought this exactly a year ago. Unfortunately, there was no sync adapter for studio flashes in the box ((
I did not notice the vignettes on the crop and the 52 mm adapter.
Reply
And on a crop with which lens?
Reply
18-55.
By the way, I want to add - like a flash this device is ... so-so. But I constantly use it with a homemade light cube. A round hole is cut in the upper part, into which I insert this flash and turn it on as a flashlight))
Reply
This is not a flash at all, but a ring LED illuminator.
Reply
A diode flash is also a flash.
Reply
And where is it to break out? At 50 meters, you don’t need to beat, but at 20-30 cm the LED is enough. But on the other hand, it really is more of a light than a flash.
Reply
This is a flashlight. Once it gives a constant backlight, it means the illuminator. Once illuminated by an impulse, then a flash.
Reply
Explain the physics of the process, how does it create volume? A long time ago I read an article about ring flash, as one of the most expensive and which are often good when shooting fashion models. I wonder how the plasticity of the image is achieved when illuminated to the front.
Reply
There, one of several segments is switched on, or (which is very good) the power of each segment is regulated. Due to the fact that you are photographing quite close to the object, you get an imitation of a multicomponent light source. Modeling the shadow yourself, not strictly "back". This flash is more for macro, and the work in the backlight mode is especially good in that it makes it possible to fully aim, and the light will already be modeled by external sources, if the need arises.
Reply
I need to shoot up to 7 meters. Who shot, pull or not
Reply
7 meters I don’t know yet, but 5 is the norm for the new Meike MK-14EXT Macro TTL
Reply
Is it suitable for portrait shooting?
Reply
For portraits will do. There are no shadows, faces are not flat.
Reply
Good evening, Arkady, if the opportunity arises, then tell me about the Yongnuo MR-58 flash, or they are identical to the one presented in the review.
Sincerely.
Reply
I ordered this flash from China and I also had a fixing ring for a diameter of 40,5 mm, i.e. not seven, as in this review, but eight. Strange, but according to the logic of things, there should be a ring of intermediate diameter, but it is 49 mm. Apparently the flash manufacturer forgot about this. Since my main lens for macroshooting is Industar 61 L / Z and it has a diameter of 49 mm for the filter, this flash, alas, will not work. This fact is disappointing.
Reply
I have exactly the same, but it is imprisoned specifically for Nikon, and supports TTL mode.
Reply
tell me! But is there a strobe function on the video (flickering) here? it was the mode that pressed once and it began to flicker
Reply
Tell me, but this flash on a 50 mm lens and crop matrix will give a round highlight on the iris of the model’s eye ????
Reply
good afternoon
It would be interesting to read your opinion about this ring light. Here's the link:
ring light
I will be grateful for the answer
Reply
I bought a similar one, only 110th, with an LCD screen.
A toy, suitable only for parsing and alteration into a table lamp)))
There is enough light from it only on open holes.
On the F16-22, it is generally difficult to see the sense of it in the picture.
I had to return to the collective farm with a plastic diffuser from an LED lamp and a 30cm reflector with ali.
The price of the issue is disproportionately lower than the 110th.
In the "fields" it is not so convenient, but there is enough light.
Reply