Photography presents, did you get any?

[Britman]

Just wondering if any of you guys got some sort of photography related Christmas presents this year?
I got a camera clock

[Steve Lampkins]

Heh, that's pretty cool.

[keri]

I got contributions towards my new SB900 & ThinkTank Retrospective 30

[Mr Anderson]

I got a lens mug from my secret Santa

And a few books - Performance by Richard Avedon, Don McCullin by Don McCullin, Speedliter's Handbook, Just One Flash and 150 Photographic Projects for Art Students

(Links are DDN affiliate links)

I got contributions towards my new SB900 & ThinkTank Retrospective 30

I've had that bag on my wish list for ages, but got no takers

[keri]

I got contributions towards my new SB900 & ThinkTank Retrospective 30

I've had that bag on my wish list for ages, but got no takers

Fair play it is a fantastic bag, so well thought out, definitely made by photographers for photographers, far from cheap but well worth it. I got my local Jacobs digital to get one in stock so i could have a look knowing full well i'd probably buy it, and yup as soon as i had a nose i was 150 quid lighter, that and the flash equal an expensive (but productive) shopping trip

[fordie]

I got the Olloclip for my iPhone, which I'm really enjoying playing with

http://olloclip.com/

[slaughteredlamb]

For a bit of fun I bought myself a Christmas present, a very, very cheap Ring Flash (adapter)

O-Flash

Considering that a true dedicated ring flash costs in excess of £300, the £25 I spent on this was, to say the least, quite a saving. I didn't really expect the results to be perfect but in all honesty I'm finding it hard to take a bad photo with it. I typically hate using flash as I don't like the results I end up getting and although I have the necessary gear I can't be bothered most of the time to get out my off camera sync cord, diffusers, reflectors etc and then work out the manual flash exposures. In fact the only time I like using flash is simply as fill flash. But this little baby just delivers very good results with the flash in full auto and on camera. Yeah sure, you do loose two stops of light (perhaps partly why It gives me the results I'm happy with) but considering you only use a ring flash for close up work that's hardly a problem.

[Britman]

Do you not find the output to be a little uneven around the ring? I'm tempted to get one just to add catch lighting.

[slaughteredlamb]

Do you not find the output to be a little uneven around the ring? I'm tempted to get one just to add catch lighting.

Yes and no. Yes there is a gap at the top of the flash where there are no LED's and therefore no light and so yes you can get some fall off at this point. If shooting portraits then if you far enough away to use a 90mm lens (zoomed in to head & shoulders composition) than you can get flash fall off all around the edge of the subject because the flash doesnt throw a wide 'beam' of light but focuses it into the center. However at a zoom of 70mm or less it's pretty much fine and for close up stuff it's perfect. Ultimately though you have to factor in the price and adjust your expectations to match. Is it as good as a dedicated ring flash? Not really, at least not in all situations (although in some it gives it a serious run for it's money), but a dedicated ring flash is going to cost at least £300. This costs £25!

I bought it mostly for doing close up work with the occasional portrait and for this, I think, it's great considering it's price. If portraits are more your thing then, if you have the money, get yourself a dedicated ring flash. If you have studio lights then you should be able, with a flash meter, to be set the ring flash to give you nice catch lights and the studio lights to compensate for any fall off. That said when I used to have studio lights I used to get nice catch lights just by using softboxes but clearly these aren't as portable as a ring flash!