Ring flash or bright LED ring light for 100/2.8 APO Macro-Elmarit-R - Suggestions?

[wlaidlaw]

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I bought last autumn a Meike ring LED light to use for macro with my APO 100/2.8. It is a tad feeble but OK for real close ups with the LED's at full throttle. However even when switched off it still runs the 4 x AA batteries down which is beyond irritating. Meike's warranty back up, like so many Chinese makers, is non-existent and they have not even bothered to reply to my emails. Unfortunately I bought this one via Fleabay rather than Amazon, where I could just chuck it back at them for a refund or exchange. 

I want to buy a better light. It needs to be able to mount on either an e60mm or more probably e62mm lens front (Using a 60 to 62mm step ring. I have a couple of these for fitting various odd filters, where no e60 fitting is available for my various Leica e60 lenses). Most of these lights seem to be dedicated Nikon/Canon/Sony and the ones that aren't, seem mostly to be made by Meike or look identical, so probably made in the same factory under a different brand. I don't want to spend a vast amount on this ring light for very occasional use, as I am neither an entomologist nor a lepidopterist. Can anyone suggest such a light that is either universal or Leica compatible. I would most likely be using this on my SL and CL but it would be nice for it to work on my R cameras as well. Happy to buy second hand for a non-Chinese flash/light, where there is a reasonable chance of it working for some time. 

Any suggestions folks? 

Wilson

Edited February 27, 2021 by wlaidlaw

[tommonego@gmail.com]

I have done a lot of work with macro flash systems, but always had a Nikon or Canon camera. There is always the discusion of what is better a ringlight or a double macro flash. I went through Ebay and B&H this morning and I see what you have said, mostly Chinese (not necessarily bad) and dedicated to one of the big brands. I would check with a high end dealer, B&H or Leica to see what they recommend. You have to remember you get what you pay for, so a cheap unit will not give you a decent light, neither will some of the more expensive branded units. You may have to pay more than you like for a unit that does what you want. If you can't get one dedicatedto Leica I would look at a thyristor flash, may take some calibration on your part but might be the best idea.

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[wlaidlaw]

I am UK based so B&H or Adorama not an option. All camera shops are mail order/online purchase only at the moment in the UK due to lockdown, so you can neither consult nor browse. I would prefer an LED ring light to a capacitative discharge flash, as modelling and macro focusing is so much easier. If I consider how incredibly bright my Olight X7R marauder torch/flashlight is, LED is more than powerful enough, especially if say it runs on 3 or 4 x 18650 Lion batteries. I really don't want to spend £400+ on something I might only use 4 or 5 times a year. 

Wilson

[gbealnz]

Would an Olympus T10 ring flash work? They are only 49mm or 55mm threaded, but they have modelling if needed? I did have a T-8, beautiful piece of engineering, but (stupidly) sold it.

[wlaidlaw]

Gary, 

I need to have at a minimum, a 60mm thread to go on the front of the 100mm APO Macro-Elmarit lens. Unfortunately that seems to disqualify a lot of the better made Japanese flashes which only go up to 55mm. The only one I have found is an ancient Vivitar Macroflash 5000, which comes with a 62mm adapter and a PC cable. I do somewhere have a hot shoe to PC adapter. It is for sale on eBay for a huge £16, so I might take a chance on it, although I would prefer LED for reasons I explained above. The other one is the JJC LED-60. Unfortunately Amazon UK is out of stock of this (like a huge number of other items  because of Bozo the clown's border b***s-up), so I would have to buy that one via eBay from China. I have have good luck in the past with JJC items, good value and well made (lens hoods and caps). 

Wilson

PS I have found another UK seller on Amazon marketplace who claims to have the JJC in stock. I will think about that one. 

Edited February 27, 2021 by wlaidlaw

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Wilson,

At the time that your lens was introduced it was showcased with a modified ring lite which was similar to a then available Minolta flash unit. At that time Minolta, who are still remembered for their light/flash meters today, were also the producers of many ingenious flash units.

This ring flash could also be partially lit on various sides to modify the flash output. Altho these are probably dinosaurs by today's standards you might find it interesting to look further into this.

Best Regards,

Michael

Edited February 27, 2021 by Michael Geschlecht

[ph.]

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sir,

Apart from removing one battery every time you put the device away, I would suggest the Olympus

 ringflash . A bit of epoxy glue and a suitable filter-ring should take care of adapting to the lens. The advantage of olympus is that it is designed to be used with a special crosspolarizing  filter-set, so that one avoids  reflections . I use it on my 60mm and have not tried on my 100, but assume it would serve the same way.

p.

[wlaidlaw]

A dealer I spoke to recommended a Bilora D140RF ring flash, as it is universal thyristor controlled, not camera make dedicated and comes with adapter rings up to 67mm. I did not know Bilora were still in existence or at least were until relatively recently, as there are a number of new examples of these for sale, at just over £100. For sentimental reasons, I would quite like a Bilora flash, as my father always used Bilora, first bulb flashes on his Super Ikonta B and after I had Wallace Heaton add an E sync socket, when they did a CLA on his IIIa, he bought a Bilora electronic flash, a rebadged Mecablitz, which I used for years afterwards, until its NiCAD cells died and they were a non-standard type (like a series of fat coins stacked in a pile), so could not be replaced. 

Wilson