ringflash Weegee style on LF camera next to the lens- will this work?

I would like to try ringflash lighting for portraits with my hand-held 4X5 camera, used Weegee style.

It would be somewhat difficult for me to place the lens through the centre of the ringflash, but I could place the ringflash right next to the lens, like an on camera-strobe. Would this still give the desired lighting effect even though it is off axis? Has anyone tried this?

I have a Broncolor Mobil system which can accomodate the powerful Broncolor ringflash.

henry

i haven't done it in a while, but i used to mount my lumedyne flash ( on a bracket ) on my speed graphic using the side-tripod threaded hole to to shoot portraits &C. i don't know what kind of output your ring flash has, but the 244 put out between 50 and 200ws of light.

i don't see why yours won't work.

-john

Hi there,

"It would be somewhat difficult for me to place the lens through the centre of the ringflash, but I could place the ringflash right next to the lens, like an on camera-strobe. Would this still give the desired lighting effect even though it is off axis? Has anyone tried this?"

That is exactly how it was described and diagramed in William Mortensen's "Pictorial Lighting" in 1937 but he didn't use a ringlight, just 1 main light for a single highlight in the eyes. I guess it still works;-)

Have fun with it.

What camera are you using? I'm thinking that if you were using a Technika or other camera with a tripod hole on the body and another one on the bed, you might be able to attach the Broncolor Ringflash bracket to the tripod screw on the bed and use a 210mm lens, so that it will be positioned around where the light is positioned. Otherwise, maybe the solution is just to use a ring light that mounts on the lens, though these are in general less powerful than the Broncolor.

Thanks to all for your responses.

I use a Linhof 4X5 Technika often hand-held (or with a monopod). For head and shoulder portraits with rangefinder focusing I use coupled 210 or 250 mm lenses.

The Broncolor ringflash has a diameter of 200mm, and though attaching it to the Technika would not be a problem for ground-glass focusing, the ringflash would partly cover the rangefinder. This is why I was thinking of using the ringflash off the optical axis of the lens, mounted on the side of the Technika like a flashgun, where it would not impede the use of the rangefinder.

On the other hand, if the ringflash can be mounted a little below and to the left of the centre of the lens axis, the rangefinder would not be obscured and the ringflash would be surrounding the lens...

Broncolor ringflash availability

My local Broncolor dealer has told me that the ringflash will be available by January 2006, and that they will have a rental unit available as well.

I have used a ringflash round the lens of a 35mm S.L.R in the studio to take portrait shots of young female models, I got the idea from some shots I saw in Vogue a few years ago and I liked the effect, not only does it give soft shadowless light, ideal for young girls, but makes doughnut shaped catchlights in their eyes that makes them look like catseyes.