Canon Macro Twin Lite vs. Ring Lite - which is better?

[ddt0725]

Hi All,


I currently own a T1i, Canon Macro100mm f/2.8 L Lens and a 580EX II. I have been looking into buying a macro lite but haven't decided which one to get, the MT-24EX Twin Lite or the MR-14EX.


Any feedback on +/-'s of either would be extremely appreciated. I have done a great deal of reading about them online and have not been able to figure out which one would have the most benefits.


Thanks Much! [:)]


Denise

[Jon Ruyle]

Oh, that's easy. Get the more expensive one :)


Okay, maybe that isn't the best advice. But I have the twin flash and think it is great. I haven't used the ring, but imagine the twin gives more control of which direction the light comes from (and of course you can always remove one of the flashes from the ring and mount it elsewhere). I find it useful to use one flash to fill the background and one to light the subject. The lights are super-adjustable.


One downside of the ring is the twin reflections (two glints of light in each eye of an insect), which can be distracting.

[Brendan7]

The twin is newer, more versatile, and more expensive. I have used both and honestly, I don't think it's too big of a deal. They're both specialty flashes, the twin is just slightly better. They'll both work fine, the difference between the ring and the twin is like the difference between a jaguar and a ferrari – they're both luxury cars, one's better, but they both do the same job. Well, sort of.


BTW, why are you considering buying one? Are you disappointed with your 580 II ? I found it to be an excellent macro flash.


Remember, these flashes are for setup macro work. To get the full benefit of a macro specialty flash a tripod is a must IMO. You might want to buy that first, and remember, try before buy! You can rent the Macro Twin Lite here:


http://www.lensrentals.com/rent/canon-mt-24ex-macro-flash/for-canon


brendan

[ddt0725]

Oh, that's easy. Get the more expensive one :)


Okay, maybe that isn't the best advice. But I have the twin flash and think it is great. I haven't used the ring, but imagine the twin gives more control of which direction the light comes from (and of course you can always remove one of the flashes from the ring and mount it elsewhere). I find it useful to use one flash to fill the background and one to light the subject. The lights are super-adjustable.


One downside of the ring is the twin reflections (two glints of light in each eye of an insect), which can be distracting.






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Thank you, Jon! Your review has been very helpful!The adjustability of each was one of my main concerns. Sounds like the twin flash wins in that regard!

Denise

[Jon Ruyle]

To get the full benefit of a macro specialty flash a tripod is a must IMO.


Brendan-


Why do you say that? Do you think it is too difficult to frame/focus by hand?


For extreme closeups, I do get best results with a tripod, but often my subject is moving too quickly or the ground is too uneven to set one up, so much of the time I don't use one. (That doesn't mean you're wrong, of course.)

[ddt0725]

BTW, why are you considering buying one? Are you disappointed with your 580 II ? I found it to be an excellent macro flash.




I am very pleased with the 580 II but just looking into adding to my lighting options and it sounds like these may work better for macro work ...still investigating the issue.










Remember, these flashes are for setup macro work. To get the full benefit of a macro specialty flash a tripod is a must IMO. You might want to buy that first,





Tripod was ordered last night! [:D] I really went against the majority on this one so I can't wait to see if it ends up being a good or bad choice. Figured what do I have to lose, if I made a bad decision...back it goes! If I made a good decision, money well saved for other more exciting gear!! [:D]


Denise

[Brendan7]

For extreme closeups, I do get best results with a tripod, but often my subject is moving too quickly or the ground is too uneven to set one up, so much of the time I don't use one. (That doesn't mean you're wrong, of course.)





Well, the macro twin lite is used mostly forextreme closeups. It's built for ultimate macro work, which involves very narrow apertures (f11,f14 etc) and non-handholdable (even with IS) shutter speeds. If Denise isn't doing that kind of extreme closeup, then I might argue that the macro twin lite is not a necessary buy.






Why do you say that? Do you think it is too difficult to frame/focus by hand?








Often, well, yes.





brendan

[Brendan7]

Tripod was ordered last night! /emoticons/emotion-2.gif I really went against the majority on this one so I can't wait to see if it ends up being a good or bad choice. Figured what do I have to lose, if I made a bad decision...back it goes! If I made a good decision, money well saved for other more exciting gear!! /emoticons/emotion-2.gif








what tripod? (holding my breath here [:P])


brendan [:D]

[Jon Ruyle]

Well, the macro twin lite is used mostly forextreme closeups.


If you believe that, then the twin isn't appropraite with the 100mm macro, which can't go beyond 1x without extension tubes. But I've found the twin useful at .5x to 1x. Maybe, though, I could have gotten away with a traditional flash in many of these cases.



It's built for ultimate macro work, which involves very narrow apertures (f11,f14 etc) and non-handholdable (even with IS) shutter speeds.


I don't understand this. How is shutter speed an issue if the flash is providing the light?

[Mark Elberson]

Well, the macro twin lite is used mostly forextreme closeups. It's built for ultimate macro work, which involves very narrow apertures (f11,f14 etc) and non-handholdable (even with IS) shutter speeds. If Denise isn't doing that kind of extreme closeup, then I might argue that the macro twin lite is not a necessary buy.
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How does 1/250th sound (or whatever the max sync speed of the camera is)? When stopped down to f/11, etc available light has taken a backseat to the flash. Even at a full pop (1/1) most speedlites have a duration of no more than about 1/800th which enough to stop camera shake with about any camera/macro lens setup I'm aware of. At powers of 1/16th and less flash duration is something crazy like 1/15,000th or less! When your subject is less than a foot away you can shoot at incredibly small apertures with the assistance of flash.


As far as the 580EX goes, if you're too close to your subject (commonin macro work) the flash will illuminate slightly above your subject. This is where the Ring Lite and Twin Lite really shine, pun intended :-)

[Brendan7]

It's built for ultimate macro work, which involves very narrow apertures (f11,f14 etc) and non-handholdable (even with IS) shutter speeds.


I don't understand this. How is shutter speed an issue if the flash is providing the light?





brain fart. my bad!







Well, the macro twin lite is used mostly forextreme closeups.


If you believe that, then the twin isn't appropraite with the 100mm macro





Unless you are shooting an extreme closeup the difference between a 580 II and a twin lite is small IMO. Food for thought [I]


brendan

[ddt0725]

Well, four months after posting this original thread, I finally made my purchase! I bought the Canon MR-14EX Ring Lite. I received the lite yesterday and the adapter &amp; end cap today. Since it was rather gloomy outside when I got home from work this evening I couldn't wait to try it out! I must say, I absolutely LOVE it!!! Best gadget purchase I've made so far! I have well over 50 varieties of flowers in my gardens and many are in bloom now so I had plenty to choose from to photograph!

I've never used the twin lite so I don't know how they compare but if you are thinking of purchasing one or the other ...I suggest saving yourself a few hundred $ and try out the ring lite first.

Denise

[mikehillman89]

Great question Denise. I'm all about the macro in both photography and video. As a tangent to your question, how bad would it be to use two regular flashes instead of getting the twin/ring light? Any ideas guys?

[btaylor]

I think it would work just fine Mike (and I've done it at times) but you need to get in pretty close to eliminate any shadows off your camera gear. It would work well for objects that don't move but I'd imagine it would be hard for insects and stuff that move around a bit.


That is unless you make something portable like this guy I've been following on flickr for a while [:P]


http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoopa_hs/4351166939/in/set-72157622681513885/ ("http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoopa_hs/4351166939/in/set-72157622681513885/)


http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoopa_hs/3636467040/in/set-72157611107153997/ ("http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoopa_hs/3636467040/in/set-72157611107153997/)


Ben.

[mikehillman89]

That looks pretty awesome Ben! I wish I was that creative in designing creative stuff...


Maybe I will just have to save up for the light...Though I'm a stickler for fancy stuff so I'll probably end up saving up for the Twin Light.

[ddt0725]

Great question Denise. I'm all about the macro in both photography and video. As a tangent to your question, how bad would it be to use two regular flashes instead of getting the twin/ring light?


The ease of mobility is a major plus for my outdoor photography! I suppose if I were just taking photos of my flowers, I could set up two light stands when I am using my tripod but of course for moving objects, not possible. Also, in my main flower garden, there is barely enough room for my feet in there &amp; definitely no room for a tripodand/orlightstands! When I go back to theChicago Botanic Gardens using the ring lite is going to be awesome!! I have also triedusing myside brackets and I prefer my ring lite 100% more!

Denise

[mikehillman89]

Everyone here makes me want to spend way more money than I can possibly fathom!

[btaylor]

Welcome to my world...

[Sheiky]

I keep telling to myself that I don't need anything more now for the coming year....


....it's hard to ignore some haha [:P]


Have fun with your ringlite Denise, I love to see some pictures!


Not too good please or I will have to buy one myself [:P]