Interesting coincidence,jackitec. I ordered this very LED setup two days ago, but cancelled on second thought. I decided that in addition to ample light intensity, I need to get the advantage of high speed electronic flash, to guarantee sharpness. The butterfly house does not permit tripods, and camera must therefore be handheld.

The quality and crispness I'm aiming for can be seen here:
http://www.pbase.com/drjaysel/some_residents_of_the_butterfly_garden_at_the_detr...

These were shot (again coincidentally) at the Detroit, Michigan Zoo, which is three miles from my house, and to which I have daily access via the Old Folks Bus run by my suburb. The bus even has an elevator to lift my electric wheelchair.

With the two-flash bracket setup I hope to get some modeling in the lighting, yet softening it with white pillow case cloth covering the strobes for diffusion, which will also serve to reduce overexposure. All theoretically, of course.

Big Al

Thanks to all for your comments. Those who suggest a longer lens, I appreciate the concept, but financially, I’ll stay with my 50 mm macro autofocus Sigma. It has stood me in good stead on many many flower shots, and the butterflies will just have to make do with it. I do have an old manual focus 100 mm macro Pentax mount lens, but my tired old hands no longer function so well in that department.(age 89.)

I particularly like fatspider’s suggestion about going to the butterfly house only on sunny days to catch the stronger light coming through the domed roof. That presents some possibilities.

Still concentrating on contriving some flash or other artificial light for the macros. Been analyzing the ring-light options. Decided the ever-burning LED arrays won’t work, as they will scare the butterflies away before I can get in position to shoot. Build-it-yourself flash ring lights are just too cumbersome and ugly. It’s a shame the well-designed flash ring-lights are so expensive. I smell a rip-off there.

What I think I’ll be doing is rigging some cheap-o used small strobes with slave triggers in a two light arrangement on an E-bay Twin-Light Bracket, such as THIS . I can do the whole thing under Sixty Bucks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Twin-Flash-Bracket-Canon-T1i-40D-50D-7D-XSi-XS-T2i-/26066171...


What do you think?

Big Al

Just discovered a butterfly house in my neighborhood, and started shoooting them. Pentax K10d - 50mm macro auto-focus lens - anti-shake setting. Not using tripod because the darn subjects won't lie still long enough. I shot at EV 800 which gives me unacceptable noise.

Feel I need auxiliary lighting in addition to the ambient (which is not all bad). Is ring light the best way to go? If so, flash or non flash? How useful are the less expensive LED rings, including under $50. (Can't afford the $300- $500 ones) If I do get a ring light, are the little tiny bulbs replaceable if they blow out (Screw-in screw-out; no good at soldering)?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Big Al