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LED Light Panel for Macro Photography

Started 6 months ago | Questions thread
c h u n k
c h u n k Senior Member • Posts: 2,042
Re: LED Light Panel for Macro Photography

Mike Engles wrote:

On a really bright day, to be able to use say 1/1000 to freeze movement and say f11, you will need a ISO of 500. That is with daylight. How much brighter will a panel have to be, to better this. I have experimented with this, using 2 LEDs one taking a Sony rechargable and the other 4 NIMH batteries, I was getting to ISO of 2000 and much over that. You have to get a double arm to mount these as well as somehow secure them to... what? The whole thing is so front heavy, that it is almost impossible to hold steadily.

One light has 160 LEDs, un diffused and the other 96 diffused. In the un diffued one you see the LEDs in any reflection. Once you add a good diffuser, the light loss is considerable. I have also experimented using the brighter light with diffuser and a flash. Also very heavy. You will not notice the LED as the flash is so bright even at 1/64 power. The two LEDs and batteries,will set back more than a cheap flash. LED lights will work very well with still life macros and the use of a tripod. They will allow you to model the subject. They are not much use for anything to be wielded in a field or garden.

This year I took several hundred pictures using that combination. I have thrown them away, much too noisy. I do not use heavy NR. If you are prepared to, you might get away with it. You might be on better ground to use magnifications of x1 or greater, as the LED can be really bright at close working distances. It is not bright enough at half life size, if you wish to get some DOF and use lower ISOs.

LEDs might be sufficient for stacking, as f4 or 5.6 might be enough to give high shutter speeds and low ISO.

Like I said, there is no point for f11 in the scenarios you would use this for. More like 2.8 - 4. That brings you back down to below base iso so diffusion is then fine. Sounds like it would be fine. Also, iso 500 is NO PROBLEM for my cameras.

I dont know why in the world anyone would even attempt this for single exposures. I cant imagine ome reason. But for stacking multiple exposures, ability to use electronic shutter, in camera bracketing, super high speed bursts for stacking handheld, it makes tons of sense...and its being done well.

I also, if you are happy with F/11 at 1:2 magnification, Im sure F8 is very doable. That would have brought iso to around 250 which any camera should be fine with. I have some shots at lower mags with my R7 and iso 2000 which are fine. I mean they needed some processing and noise reduction, but it was relatively mild NR.

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