Product Details
- Brand: Polaroid
- Model: PL-MRFC
- Dimensions: .70 pounds
Features
- Soft Shadow Free Lighting
- 32 LEDs at 5500K
- Light Mode - Constant On
- Flash Mode: All 32 LEDs, Left 16 LEDs, Right 16 LEDs
- Soft Shadow Free Lighting
- 32 LEDs at 5500K
- Light Mode - Constant On
- Flash Mode: All 32 LEDs, Left 16 LEDs, Right 16 LEDs
Product Description
The Polaroid PLMRFC macro LED ring flash attaches to canon hot shoes and macro-capable lenses with mounting ring diameters between 52mm-77mm- seven adapters are included with this package. The power pack attaches to the cameras hot shoe through which all synchronizing electrical signals travel.You can control the output level of the LEDs and select all or half of them to fire - 32 LEDs for full lighting, 16 LEDs to create purposeful shadows on three dimensional subjects. You will also be able to change from flash firing mode to constant on. Constant on will let the camera decide which exposure is best and provide continuous light when using video cameras or the HD video mode in compatible digital cameras.A ring light is the best source for close up photography. And that makes the Polaroid macro LED ring flash the perfect choice for photographers who require shadow free illumination - perfect for medical scientific and forensic photography.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
By Jothdu
I wasn't quite ready to drop the $500 needed for the Canon ring flash, so I decided to give this a shot, mainly since it was the only "name brand" (Polaroid) ring flash (not just a ring light) that was under $100 or so. It takes 4 AA batteries. There is no battery life indicator, so I assume it'll just be a nice surprise when the batteries die, though you should probably always have some extras regardless.Build Quality: Sturdier than you would expect. I can only compare this to my Canon Speedlite 430EX II as it's the only other external flash I own, and while the Polaroid isn't even close to that level of quality, it doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart if you accidentally bump it on something. There's a hot shoe mounting wheel that tightens against the unit to keep it from falling off the camera. The entire unit is plastic, including the adapter rings (no surprise there) and the cable connecting the power controller to the ring flash is fixed on each side, though that isn't an issue because you first screw the adapter ring to the lens, then using a quick release (just like a lens cap) you attach the light unit to the adapter.Features: This is not a TTL flash unit, so be prepared to learn how to use this manually and get to know the light meter in your camera. My T2i, much like the other reviewer's 7D, does not recognize this unit as an external flash when attached to the hot shoe, HOWEVER, the unit does indeed function as a flash triggered off the shutter, but NOT in Live View mode (see UPDATE below). Strange, but I'm sure there's some technical reason for that. It will fire as a flash (your mileage may vary) when you're using the viewfinder. This may have something to do with that fact that it only has a single pin contact to the hot shoe, unlike my Speedlite which has 5 contacts (though that could be for TTL purposes). It has 7 brightness levels ranging from -1.5 to +1.5 for either flash or light modes. The paperwork claims an effective range from 2-60 inches. It appears as though you can only select left or right side LEDs in flash mode (meaning left, right, or all). In light mode, all 32 LEDs are on and you cannot change that. There is a pilot button that fires the flash to check how the lighting will look. This way you can see how using left, right or all of the LEDs will change the lighting before you take the shot.Operation: The unit is fairly straightforward besides the quirks previously mentioned. Anyone who's used an external flash before shouldn't have much trouble. I was up and running in just a couple minutes. Since I bought this to dabble in macro photography, my specific issues might be different than someone who's using this just as a ring flash. However, I'm not sure this really has much appeal for anyone outside of macro work.Complaints: Since the unit won't work in Live View mode (see UPDATE below), it's a bit annoying to have to compose, focus and meter the scene, then switch out of Live View to take the shot, but it's not the end of the world. I've specifically tested this on a T2i with a 50mm f/1.8 II and a full set of Kenko extension tubes (12mm, 20mm, and 36mm). That being said, my minimum (and maximum) focusing distances are pretty small with that setup, so the light tends to be right up on my subject, creating some harsh glare from time to time. I might have to figure out a way to diffuse the ring and soften the light a bit (you can use the lowest power setting and decrease your shutter speed to somewhat mitigate this issue, but I don't prefer it). Also, since I'm working with small apertures (f/11 up to f/22 on that lens), unless it's really, really bright from natural light, I'm not finding tons of use using the unit in flash mode. Since I need to use such slow shutter speeds, I'm having to use the unit in light mode to keep the images from being very underexposed. I assume that would be an issue common to pretty much any ring flash used in this manner, so I'm not sure I'd consider that a negative specific to this Polaroid.Overall, considering the low price of this product, I think you're actually getting a bit more than what you paid for. I'm always wary of buying low-priced items, especially for camera equipment, so (so far) this has been a nice surprise.UPDATE 5/1/12: It appears as though there is somewhat of a battery life indicator. The "light" LED seems to flash when the battery starts to get low. The battery life is OK at best, but that was with prolonged use of the unit in light mode. I'm sure I'd get better life if used only as a flash. I was using Sanyo Eneloop rechargable batteries; the same I use in my Speedlite and combined with the battery grip on my cameras. Also, I want to redact what I said earlier about not getting tons of use from the flash function. I should preface that by saying that I don't get much use from it *indoors*. With decent natural light, the manual flash is more than effective. I just picked up the Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1:1 Macro lens, so if I find anything more useful to report regarding the ring flash, I'll update again. So far, this operates nicely.UPDATE 5/5/12: I tested this unit with my Canon 60D body and it also works fine on it as a flash with the same restrictions I had on my T2i. It's not recognized through the camera menu, but still fires as a flash when the shutter is pressed. It also worked fine through a Yongnuo RF603 C3 Wireless Transceiver which I was using on the 60D to remotely trigger a Speedlite along with the ring flash so I could shoot with a faster shutter speed and still use the unit in flash mode as opposed to light mode to try and conserve a bit of battery. It's bright, but I wanted a little fill flash in some cases.UPDATE 5/30/12: On higher end Canon bodies (not Rebels), there's a setting called "Silent Mode". In order for this unit to fire as a flash when using Live View on my 60D, this setting needs to be set to disable. Unfortunately, it's not an option (the setting does not exist) on my T2i (Rebel 550D). Hope that helps anyone else who may be having an issue with this firing as a flash in Live View. I'd be curious if the other 7D reviewer has that setting set the same way.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
By Mark Davini
Gee. I don't really understand what the other two reviewers are talking about, because I have a Canon 7D (Firmware v1.2.5) with a 24-105 f/4 L IS. The ring light worked right out of the box, in Live view (both Live modes, and the Quick mode) and the flash fired every time. One thing I did not do was follow the directions where they said to turn off the "internal flash" mode. I put that in quotes, because there is only flash enable. If you turn it off, the flash is off.) But all three Live settings - even the incredibly frustrating "Quick View" - work just fine. I plan on spending some time with both the ring light and my 430 EXII flash to see if I can control the 430 wirelessly along with using the ring light.I really hope this helps clear some things up. Aside from the fact that mine works as advertised, all other aspects of the other two reviewers are right on. The "light" mode seems much brighter than the "flash" mode, it's made of plastic, etc.[UPDATE] Dopey me. Of course I can't use both flashes together! I need the on-board camera flash in order to trigger the 430 as a slave. Using this ring light in tandem with other lights would have to be a continuous only solution. I do wish the flash was a bit brighter, though.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
By Christopher Wegrzyn
This works great as using just for a light and I do love the sensitivity adjustments. I have this on my Canon 7D but it will not work as a flash with it. It will say in the menu it is an incompatible flash, though this is supposed to be compatible with it according to details. I can't account for any other Canon camera. If you want a great light then this is much better than the Neewer brands, but if you expect it as a flash, I wouldn't recommend it
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