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On top of my dining room table is the Polaroid Macro LED Ring Flash mounted on the old Nikon D80. I was able to get it on an Amazon Lightning deal of 20% off last week. I’ve always wanted one of these for macro work but they generally are too expensive for my taste but this price was very tempting. It comes with 8 mounting rings to fit most lenses and also some diffusers for the LEDs. I have not attempted to put it through it’s paces but I did take it out to see what the light looked like on some fallen leaves in the backyard. My first impression is that it’s easy to set up and use and offers a nice amount of flexibility at a very reasonable price. Click on any shot below to enter the gallery. All shots were made with the ring flash on the D80 and all post processing was done in Lightroom 5.
2clicksaway 
I will be interested to hear more from you about this. I have had my eye on a ring flash for a while for use with higher magnification work. Expense has so far prevented a purchase.
Thanks, Ehpem. Normally, I would not be looking to purchase a ring flash because, traditionally, they cost more than I’m willing to spend. But $42 (US) is pretty inexpensive for an item like this which I’ll only use occasionally.
I love them. All of them! That’s all I have to say this Monday. 🙂
Thanks, Malin. You need not say more.
Congratz with your new ‘toy’, Ken; the shots look good.
Thanks, Harrie. I’ll have some fun with this.
These images looks like your new toy provides a nice result. I’ve seen these devices but never saw any results of it’s use. Keep us posted as you produce more images. These look nice, Ken.
Thanks, Jimi. As cold weather approaches and the days get shorter, I like to do some indoor projects. I have some shot planned and I’m looking forward to using these toys.
Ken – looks like it does a nice job. I’ve wanted a ring-light (this is continuous lighting isn’t it?) for a while now as well, but they’ve always been low on my priority list because of the cost.
Thanks, John. The ring can be set to a continuous light as well as a flash that will sync with the camera. It’s not a sophisticated flash set up with through-the-lens metering but it’s relatively easy to control and get a good exposure.
Last week!? . . . and you’re just now telling me!?
Still, even at the $55 it seems reasonable. I assume the amount of light is not significant?
I’ll be interested in hearing your feedback on this, but meanwhile, off to read reviews.
By the way, I would be interested in seeing a few shots comparing “with” and “without” just to see the impact of the flash.
Sorry for the delay, the Lightning Deals at Amazon only last a few hours, although there is advanced notice of what will be on sale.
The light is really bright, at least a couple of stops using all the LEDs. In macro work, especially in the field, that can make all the difference between a good shot and a not so good shot.
Good to know, and I was only kidding about the notice.
Hello Ken, technic is not for me but you made nice picks with your new toy. But I don’t really understand the way it works. My technical english is so poor!
Thanks, Chantal. It’s basically a light for close-up photography. Really nothing more.
Well, leaf shots are all well and good, but I want to see some head shots of Emo, if he’s in the mood to pose! I’ll be hanging around waiting … 🙂
That would be a long wait, Paul. Emo does not like flash or really bright light. I’ve used a bounce flash and he doesn’t seem to mind that. He’s willing to pose almost any other time. He has a photo published every Saturday on my wife’s Facebook page called Caterday. It’s been very poplular.
I would never have guessed that flash had been used for this series of images, Ken. A great set.
Thanks, Andy. The subject is really flat, so there really wouldn’t be harsh shadows like you would see in a standard flash photo. I need to do more tests with more three dimensional subjects.
Got mine . . . will need to play with iso and f-stops to get desired results. It seems a bit of a trial and error process, but I suppose for the price that is the compromise one makes.
Exactly. And I confess I have little experience with any flash attachments, so a lot of experimentation is in order. Since these were shot I’ve had some good (and bad) results on macro work but I still don;t think I fully understand the process yet. But it’s gonna be a long, cold winter.