LED ring light for camera

kayos · #1 09-29-2004, 05:19 PM

I would like to shoot short close up video clips and thought that I may be able to make a LED ring light runs on batteries and contans around 40 LEDs. Problem is that I am ignorant of how to design a LED circuit. Are there any curcits that I can buy or easily build that would allow me to build my light?

IlluminatingBikr · #2 09-29-2004, 08:34 PM

Kayos,

Welcome to CPF!

I was at the gum specialist's office yesterday, and got a picture of my gums taken. The picture was for the insurance company, because we are trying to get them to cover all/part of the cost of a gum graph I will be getting in January.

They had a Canon digital camera which they used to take the picture. I believe it was the A75, but didn't get a good look at it. Well anyways, they held it up close to the area where I need the graph, and took a picture. They had a ring around the lense of the camera, with probably about a dozen 5mm LEDs around it, that were on the whole time. I'm pretty sure they ran off of the camera's battery, rather than some external source.

I have a feeling that if a normal doctor's office has one of these, that they are probably being sold by a company. Perhaps you could try and aquire one, rather than having to make it.

Just thought I would share my personal experience with you.

Negeltu · #3 09-30-2004, 02:23 AM

I made my own 5mm led macro light ring. I used some velcro strips. Unfortunately, I didn't get good results. It just wasn't bright enough for my purposes...so I took it apart and used the leds for something else.

reefphilic · #4 09-30-2004, 02:56 AM

I was searching for LED ring light a few months ago.

Most places want a few hundred dollars for a bunch of 5mm LEDs and a pcb assembled.

With the Luxeon LED, you might be able to built one with say 3LEDs. Save you the trouble of the wiring up all the 5mm LEDs.

markus_i · #5 09-30-2004, 08:41 AM

If you want to go for serious illumination, you might consider the Luxeon rings. But prepare for serious $.

Bye
Markus

Negeltu · #6 10-02-2004, 03:17 PM

My next try is going to be with luxeons. The 5mm just didn't put out enough light for my camera.

PhotonWrangler · #7 10-02-2004, 04:48 PM

Luxeon-based rings...

greenLED · #8 10-02-2004, 10:02 PM

If you're going to build a LED ring light for your camera, make sure you use a diffuser for it. Otherwise, you will get uneven lighting on whatever you're shoothing. This might be worse if you'll me doing macro photography.

The LS-rings might be too bright.

LED-FX · #9 10-03-2004, 04:20 PM

Leave long leads on the LEDs the you can focus them on the point of interest.

Get some perf board , radio shack, some LEDs possibly banner Ad here, presume white use this to find your resitor value, if your using 12V for instance wire 3 LEDs in series then use a 150 Ohm resistor:

http://linear1.org/ckts/led.php

Bit of hacksawing or use couple of hole saws to make the ring.

Solder LEDS to board , illuminate object, post some pics back ;-)

Adam

radellaf · #10 10-03-2004, 07:41 PM

Digi-Slave makes one with 24 5mm LEDs, $150, and inexplicably powered by a 9V battery.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...937&is=REG

kayos · #11 10-05-2004, 10:33 AM

Thanks for all the replys. I contacted Digi-Slave and was told that they will be coming out with a more powerful LED ring flash in a month or so. I think I will wait for that rather than going through the hassle of wiring something up myself.