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robar
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join:2002-12-04
Mesquite, TX

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robar

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[Tech] DIY: led ring light

just finished soldering all of this together. it's my first electrnics project. i'm building it to take macros for nocturnal shots. it's not pretty but it does work. i'll find a way to mount it tomorrow and hopefully get some shots w/it in the next week. i'll be mounting it in a 1'' piece of 3 1/2'' pvc plumbing. it'll stay on all the time so i don't have to figure anything as in using a flash.

Catman
Coasting On Lifes Highway
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join:2003-03-13
Pineville, WV

Catman

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Re: DIY: led ring light

Keep us posted..

That looks like a neat project, something I would try even. You might could figure a way to fire it through your hot shoe contacts, if you want to get fancier.

SandShark5
Long may you run
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join:2000-05-23
Santa Fe, TX

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I applaud you for your patience, determination, and ingenuity. What are you using to power those puppies?

Catman
Coasting On Lifes Highway
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join:2003-03-13
Pineville, WV

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One of those little rectangle 9v batteries should power the heck out of that.
Catman

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btw

»www.brainerror.net/texts ··· g_en.php

DnnsMenace
Good Bye, Lenin
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join:2002-03-30
Brooklyn, NY

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I recently saw a guy make a flash diffuser out of paper in the shape of a ring, which goes over the lens. Basically the flash is beside the lens on a custom braket shooting into the paper. Was neat and gave good results, ill try to find pics. This should yield good results too.

robar
Premium Member
join:2002-12-04
Mesquite, TX

robar to SandShark5

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SS, i'm using 4 NiMh AAs in a battery pack. 4.5-4.8 volts.

catman, there is no need to go thru the hotshoe. these are on ALL the time. hopefully it'll produce enough light at 4''-12'' to get above the flash sync of 1/180sec, which is too slow for some lenses.
i've also seen the link you provided and the guys ohm values for the resistors are all wrong. for 4.5-5volts you need a resistor of around 75ohms. i got 100 of them at fry's for $1.50.

so far, i've got about $13.00 in this and some time. also have accrued some valuble knowledge. it's been a fun project so far.
i'll post a completed pic when it's finished. like i said--it won't be pretty but it will work. hopefully, to the extent i want. i already have ideas about a second generation tho.
robar

1 recommendation

robar to SandShark5

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said by SandShark5:

determination, and ingenuity.
for the record-- it took a lot. i've never soldered anything before except pipes and a lot of stained glass. i'm hell w/a torch.

Catman
Coasting On Lifes Highway
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join:2003-03-13
Pineville, WV

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I didnt pay attention to the resistors in his list. Reason being, LED arent very expensive, and resistors just keep the voltage regulated too keep from burning them out quickly.

Fine job for not having soldiered wire before. The littler it is the harder it is, in my eyes.

robar
Premium Member
join:2002-12-04
Mesquite, TX

2 recommendations

robar

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finished this today. unfortunately i sold my 100mm macro today(ebay) and packed it before realizing that i don't have another macro that will work w/it. these were shot w/the kit lens. the pliers is a full image resize. i may try it w/a reversed 50mm but i'll have to adjust the light spred to do it. the sigma 105 is on the horizon..

SurfTheSky
Flyingphotog
MVM
join:2001-08-26
Fairfax, CA

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Congratulations. I know that these are fun to make. While I have never made any of my own self-sustained photography related devices, I have made things like iPod chargers. These projects are great!!

camstone
join:2003-12-11
Alexandria, VA

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Neat...
I have a couple of questions though...
How well does it work wrt white balance?
Much of a color shift?
Also, any issue with uniformity of the light?

WaxPhoto
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join:2004-04-08
Fort Wayne, IN

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I'd guess that robar is using the fluorescent setting for WB.

robar
Premium Member
join:2002-12-04
Mesquite, TX

1 recommendation

robar to camstone

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said by camstone:

Neat...
I have a couple of questions though...
How well does it work wrt white balance?
Much of a color shift?
Also, any issue with uniformity of the light?
look at the last two pix above.
and this one
»/showp ··· er=0&1=1
all shot w/auto wb. i haven't tried a manual wb yet. but as you can see, the colors seem to me to be very accurate with the subject.

these were 20 degree LEDs , that's why i left about 1/2'' of space below the led. you can damage the led if you bend the wire too close to the lens. i'm still taking a chance bending the wire as it is. i've got the LEDs tilted at about 20 degrees and have a pretty good convergence from about 3''-14'' which would be well within the range of the sigma 105 i plan to get.

Andrew J
Premium Member
join:2001-11-09
Lancaster, PA

Andrew J

Premium Member

Click for full size
Canon PowerShot A510
5.8mm 1/60th F2.6

Click for full size
Canon PowerShot A510
5.8mm 1/60th F2.6

Click for full size
Canon PowerShot A510
5.8mm 1/13th F2.6

Thanks for the info and pics. I just made one not as good but it works. From 2- $10 Home Depot LED flashlights and a CD/DVD package. Don't put this in your carry on.

NoelC
D S L R Bliss
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join:2003-09-03
Florida

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What a cool idea!

How is the bluish color handled by the cameras' white balance functions?

Edit: NM, I read the above thread.

-Noel

robar
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join:2002-12-04
Mesquite, TX

robar to Andrew J

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said by Andrew J:

Thanks for the info and pics. I just made one not as good but it works. From 2- $10 Home Depot LED flashlights and a CD/DVD package. Don't put this in your carry on.
andrew,
it that your resistors on the side? from what i've been told you really need to use them in case a LED shorts. it could cause the battery to catch fire.

all said and done i think i've about $14 in this. the most expensive piece is the step up ring i used to attach to the camera. i've got enough LEDs to build 2 more of these if anyone's interested in helping me get the sigma.

Andrew J
Premium Member
join:2001-11-09
Lancaster, PA

Andrew J

Premium Member

Yeah, the little circuit boards are on the side with the resistors. Just put little extension cords to each LED.

DrewCapu
Giant Diehard
join:2001-12-19
California

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Hmm, reminds me of the "flashlights" I saw being sold all over the place in my recent trip to Thailand. Depending on the size, it would have 2 or 3 rings of lights plus a red laser pointer in the center. I wasn't really interested in getting one so I never inquired on the price, but I'm betting they would've been around $4-5 +/- bargaining.

But I'm sure making one is more fun than buying one

robar
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join:2002-12-04
Mesquite, TX

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said by NoelC:

What a cool idea!
How is the bluish color handled by the cameras' white balance functions?
Edit: NM, I read the above thread.
-Noel
i'm also interested in the blue wb. i know that with the whites i used-- auto wb hits it right on the nose. look at the second pic in the composite above. the LEDs are on but i get no blue from it at all.
robar

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said by NoelC:
What a cool idea!
How is the bluish color handled by the cameras' white balance functions?
Edit: NM, I read the above thread.
-Noel

i'm also interested in the blue wb. i know that with the whites i used-- auto wb hits it right on the nose. look at the second pic in the composite above. the LEDs are on but i get no blue from it at all.

ttiiggy
Premium Member
join:2001-03-27
Bozeman, MT

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said by robar:

from what i've been told you really need to use them in case a LED shorts. it could cause the battery to catch fire.
Ahh. THAT explains it... I was wondering why you had a resistor to each and every LED. Seemed to me that you could have just attached the LEDs to a couple of wire circles and use less batteries or one resistor for the whole setup. But without a resistor for each, if a LED was to short out, it would be a dead short across the battery and it might make something get pretty hot.

robar
Premium Member
join:2002-12-04
Mesquite, TX

robar

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bells and whistles for you tiggy.. i went over and over w/this w/a designer before doing this project.
jimjomac
join:2005-06-29
Ridge, MD

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I'm serious about building one, because all the decent lenses are too big for the Digi-Slave or other illuminators. I'd also like to be able to use it for slightly longer distances than macro (rings are nice for portraits because no shadows). But perhaps I'll never get enough light out of them for that purpose. If I do, I might need wider angle leds.

You never mentioned where you got your leds or what mcd rating? And what ISO did you set the camera to?

Catman
Coasting On Lifes Highway
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join:2003-03-13
Pineville, WV

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radio shack carries LED.

Gbcue
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join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA

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Anybody ever tried building one with Luxeon's? It might be a bit overkill, though...

robar
Premium Member
join:2002-12-04
Mesquite, TX

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i used 20,000mcd, 20degree angle of view. iso was at least 800 and i got them off of ebay. 24 would be better to use and also something with at least 30degrees viewing angle. i don't think this would be good for portraits because they are VERY bright to look at. if you put enough of them together to do this your subject would be blinded, try a ring flash. when i get the time i'll do one with 24.
try , googling' for outlets. you'll pay a fortune if you buy them at radio shacck. call around town, who knows..

Red_Menace
poking around since 1978
join:2001-11-03
Fruita, CO

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said by ttiiggy:

Ahh. THAT explains it...
Actually, the resistor is to limit the current flow through the device so that you don't burn it out - I suppose an LED could short out, but it would be unlikely.

robar
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join:2002-12-04
Mesquite, TX

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said by Gbcue:

Anybody ever tried building one with Luxeon's? It might be a bit overkill, though...
i haven't, but it looks worth looking into. thanks.

drjim
MVM
join:2000-06-13
Long Beach, CA

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Radio Shack will quickly drain your wallet buying things like this. I'm lucky that Im have a real, live, genuine "Hole-in-th-Wall" electronics place down the street from me where I can buy things like these dirt cheap.
eBay is also another good source.
»cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP ··· 783&rd=1
»cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP ··· 538&rd=1
»cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP ··· 778&rd=1