Twin flash, ring flash or what else?

[Helix_2648]

Hi all together,

I would like to ask you to post your flash equipment, your diffusors and any kind of tutorial to build one.
There are a lot of informations in the web about this and I read a good artikel about the Meike MK-MT24 twin flash.

I'm especially interested to get more informations about flash light for focus stacking. I think you can only use continous light and no flash, right?

Let's discuss about it. I would also be happy to see some pictures of your equipment as well.

Thank you.

 

[Bob Noble]

I use a Metz Macro Ring Flash. Works very well and it is good that it is wireless - less things to catch on branches.

 

[rcorteschile]

Hi Helix_2648 , I was thinking before to buy a ring flash for my camera, but the cost for it it's quite high, at te moment only using only one flash. But still haven't tried yet any stack techniques.

I think rcorteschile know more about it, as i saw a lot of stacking images from him.

You can use any fish for stacking, but the thing is that you have to fire from 40 to 100 images to make the stack, so you have to be sure to have enough batteries, or use an external power source. I prefer externally controlled flashes, as they give me more lateral light control.

 

[Helix_2648]

rcorteschile That's exactly my problem. I take up to 2000 pictures a day when go out for a walk. Each stack has (as you described correctly) about 30-120 pictures. So whic system might handle this power consumption? I'm not interested in using a flash light which only works for the first 5 stacks.

 

[MinitecaPhotographie]

rcorteschile That's exactly my problem. I take up to 2000 pictures a day when go out for a walk. Each stack has (as you described correctly) about 30-120 pictures. So whic system might handle this power consumption? I'm not interested in using a flash light which only works for the first 5 stacks.

The lighting system I'm using allows me to do such amount of flashes that I only recharge my battery pack one time per month. Only 2 cells of LifePO4 20Ah in series to get the 6V needed by my cobra flash.

 

[MinitecaPhotographie]

You can use any fish for stacking, but the thing is that you have to fire from 40 to 100 images to make the stack, so you have to be sure to have enough batteries, or use an external power source. I prefer externally controlled flashes, as they give me more lateral light control.

Maybe using a smaller aperture will make you win a lot of shots to get the same result. No?

 

[Helix_2648]

MinitecaPhotographie Yes, this was also my idea. Depends on the subject. I use f8.0 for the Raynox DCR-250 lens if I take a stack of e.g. a leafhopper with approximately 2-3mm and f4.0 for the standard 60mm macro. A smaller aperture might reduce the number of pictures for a stack if the background is far away to avoid a disturbed background. The flash light might help to reduce the shutter speed and to get a nice black background. So I've to test it at the end. But thank you very much for your information!

 

[MinitecaPhotographie]

Helix_2648 yes for sure. You should also look at which aperture your lens has the best sharpness. For mine it's between F/8 and F/11 so that's why all my shots are at F/11. Also for beginners it's easier to use flash because exifs are always the same, you can easily concentrate yourself on the composition of your photo. On my photos, background is only visible during day and only when it's near from the subject when I shoot by night. The only thing I change during my shooting is the flash power, 1/4 when I'm really close to the subject (3:1 magnification) and 1/8 when I'm a bit far away.

 

[rcorteschile]

rcorteschile That's exactly my problem. I take up to 2000 pictures a day when go out for a walk. Each stack has (as you described correctly) about 30-120 pictures. So whic system might handle this power consumption? I'm not interested in using a flash light which only works for the first 5 stacks.

Well, you have the option to use the flash with the less possible power (1/128), and increase ISO. Use external power to extend the duration. Besides, I find hard to do stack images in the field, too many external variables to handle.