Canon Macro ring lite MR-14EX II User manual

Macro Ring Lite

MR-14EX II

Guide to Mastering

the Macro Ring Lite Flash

Beautifully and easily

photograph everything

from flowers and insects

to small items and people!

Shoot

portraits

Shoot plant life

in dark locations

Shoot

accessories

Shoot

nail art

Introduction

Contents

What is a

Macro Ring Lite

flash?

This flash fires from the very front of the lens for even

area lighting. Making use of this ability, the Ring

Lite flash can be used in a variety of situations, from

capturing shots of small subjects such as flowers and

insects to portrait photography. Browse through this

guide to find a use that perfectly fits your style.

The Macro Ring Lite is

a ring-shaped flash that

attaches to the front of the lens

Photo captured with shoe-mount flash

Photo captured with a Macro Ring Lite flash

Shoot trinkets

and accessories

BASICS

ADVANCED

Shoot

clothing

Shoot

wristwatches

Shoot flowers

and blue skies

Shoot

flying butterflies

Four merits

of a macro

ring flash

MR-14EX II

Features and

Part Names

14 16 18 20

Canon

Macro Ring Lite

MR-14EX II

Four major merits

Get close to small flowers

when shooting

Because light from this kind of flash is not obstructed

by the lens as happens with built-in or clip-on flashes,

you can feel comfortable getting close to subjects.

Reduced camera

shake and subject blur

Because the subject is illuminated only for a moment,

this flash produces the same effect as when using a high

shutter speed, for reduced camera shake and subject blur.

Flat light means

fewer shadows

Because the flash tubes are ring shaped,

the overall subject is evenly illuminated

for minimal shadows and vividly detailed subjects.

Sharp photos from the

foreground to background

Because the light from the flash is bright,

the aperture can be stopped-down for a wider in-focus area,

and accurate, three-dimensional subject details.

Icons used in this guide

Macro Ring

Lite flash

clip-on

flash

Built-in flash No flash Get close to

small subjects

when shooting

Flat light

Fewer

shadows

Reduce

blurring

Sharp shots

from the

foreground to

background

FREEZE!

Basics

Reduce shadows with flat lighting

Easily and beautifully capture

the details of trinkets and accessories

Shapes and colors

are clear without

any annoying shadows

Everything from the fine shapes,

colors, and materials of the colorful,

overlapped buttons are vividly

captured.

• EOS 70D, with EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM macro lens

• Manual exposure mode; E-TTL II ash

• 1/60 sec. at f/11; ISO 400

• +2.0 ash exposure compensation

Flat lighting provides shadow-free images

and reproduces shapes and colors

as they appear to the naked eye

Have you ever shot a favorite

accessory with an SLR only to end up

with strong shadows in the photo? If

so, a Macro Ring Light is just for you.

Because this flash emits light evenly

from a ring-shaped flash tube, it is

possible to illuminate each and every

detail of the subject so that annoying

shadows from a single direction are

not a problem. This flash offers a

variety of easy flash lighting solutions,

such as in photos of handicrafts for a

blog, or shooting small figures for an

online auction.

Minimal shadowsClose-up shots

Macro Ring Lite flash

With a Macro Ring Lite flash you can…

Tips

Extreme close-ups

of a single button

on a macro lens

Because macro lenses are designed for close-ups,

you can focus in close on a single small button.

The Macro Ring Lite makes it possible to perfectly

illuminate the subject, whereas a built-in flash would

be inadequate at this distance.

This is the EF-S 60mm f/2.8

Macro USM, optimal for cameras

equipped with an APS-C size

sensor. Not only is this lens

perfect for macro shooting, but it

can be used in a wide variety of

applications such as landscapes,

portraits and candid images.

Close-up of an elegantly-designed button. Even with

a diameter of approximately 0.8 inch (2cm), the ne

indentations and ridges, as well as textures are captured

in great detail with lighting from the MR-14EX II.

Simply attach the Macro Ring Lite to the lens for macro

shots that are a touch different than the average

Because light is evenly distributed,

strong shadows are less likely to occur

Because light is not obstructed

you can get close to the subject

Flash not

obstructed

Flash

obstructed

Blocked flash

and strong shadows

A shoe-mounted flash causes strong

shadows in the photo. Also, when the

light from the flash is obstructed by

the lens, the brightness differs where

light is illuminating the subject and

where it is insufficient.

Simple

and

beautiful

‘Blocked flash’ refers to obstruction of the flash by the lens, resulting in dark sections in the image.

Macro Ring Lite flash

clip-on flash

Easily and beautifully capture the details of trinkets and accessories Basics

Sharp and vivid

from the foreground to background

Vividly capture the natural, three-

dimensional feel of nail art designs

Basics

Sharply capture

overlapping fingers

The overlapping fingers in both the

foreground and background are both

sharply in focus and the fine designs

on the nails are vividly recorded.

• EOS 70D, with EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM macro lens

• Manual exposure mode; E-TTL II ash

• 1/60 sec. at f/32; ISO 400

• +2.0 ash exposure compensation

The subject is brightly lit and in-focus

all the way to the background

In macro photography without using

a flash, shadows from the lens or

camera can make the subject appear

dark as well as make camera shake

more likely to occur, and drastically

reduce the area in focus (depth

of field). When shooting nail art,

these factors often result in photos

with dull-looking nails. If you use

a Macro Ring Lite flash, the bright

flash lets you stop down the aperture

for a greater depth of field. The

instantaneous illumination also helps

to prevent camera shake.

Minimal shadowsClose-up shots Sharp fore and

background

Macro Ring Lite flash

With a Macro Ring Lite flash you can…

Stop down the

aperture for a

sharp foreground

and background

Shoe-mount flash: sharp focus, but annoying shadows and uneven exposure

Focus range

Focal position

Without flash: nails in the background look blurred, from wide lens aperture

You can shoot

vivid extreme close-ups

Even during extreme close-ups, the Macro Ring

Lite flash produces uniform lighting, making

it possible to capture the minute patterns and

subtle tones of the nail art perfectly.

Without the flash,

the focus is shallow,

and with the normal flash,

strong shadows appear.

When shooting without the flash

and at wide lens apertures, the range

of focus becomes shallow. A clip-

on flash makes it easier for strong

shadows to appear.

Because you can stop

down the aperture when

using a Macro Ring Lite

flash, the depth of focus

(depth of field) can be

increased.

Simple

and

beautiful

No flash

clip-on flash

Vividly capture the natural, three-dimensional feel of nail art designs Basics

Compatible from close-ups

to normal shooting distances

With this single flash, you can shoot

photos of a favorite accessory on its

own or a shot of someone wearing it

Basics

No troublesome shadows,

and the overall shot is

beautifully captured

The light passes over the complex

shape of the entire brooch for beautiful

colors and sparkling light.

With this single lens, you can shoot

both close-up and pulled back photos

with complete freedom

The Macro Ring Lite flash is not

just for close-ups, but is fully

capable of being used at general

shooting distances.

You can easily shoot a favorite

accessory on its own or a shot of

someone wearing it for inclusion

in a blog or online auction.

Because the MR-14EX II flash tubes

are split into two semicircles, A

and B, the strength ratio of the

flash (flash ratio) can be easily

adjusted for shots that perfectly

match the feel of your subject.

Minimal shadowsClose-up shots

Macro Ring Lite flash

• EOS 5D Mark III, with EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM macro lens

• Manual exposure mode; E-TTL II ash

• 1/60 sec. at f/16; ISO 800

• +1.0 ash exposure compensation

With a Macro Ring Lite flash you can…

Adjust the flash ratio of both lamps

to perfectly match your ideas

Tips

There is a shadow on the upper left

side of the ring. Even though a shadow

appears in the direction of the loop, the

eect is natural.

1 : 8

There is a somewhat strong shadow

on the upper right part of the stone.

Shadows on gemstone photos make for

a complex and confusing impression.

Details in the ring are sharp. Faint

shadows appear on both sides.

8 : 1 1 : 1

Flash tube B Flash tube A

You can adjust the flash

ratio of both flash tubes

in half steps from 1:8 to

1:1, and from there to 8:1.

Because you can change

the direction (position) of

where shadows emerge,

and how strong they are,

you can shoot with your

ideal lighting.

Strong shadows clash

with the image

of the jewelry

There are strong shadows on the

accessory and cloth. The jewels on

the inside section are difficult to

make out, and the image is lacking

in three-dimensional feel.

Details of a single enlarged section are perfectly captured

Because shadows are not

noticeable around the neck

and clothing, the subject

stands out even more

Both close-ups and pulled back

shots are quick and easy

With a single Macro Ring Lite flash, you can easily shoot

close-ups of a part of an accessory, or pull slightly back to

capture what it looks like when a person is wearing it.

Simple

and

beautiful

Macro Ring Lite flash

clip-on flash

With this single flash, you can shoot photos of a favorite accessory on its own or a shot of someone wearing it Basics

Blur-free shots even in dark locations

Easily capture shots of

small berries found close to

the ground in a dark forest

Reduce blur during shooting even

in difficult outdoor lighting conditions

The Macro Ring Lite flash is useful

even for nature photography. For

example, sweet flowers blooming

in the deep forest, or small berries

found close to the ground. Even dark

subjects such as these are easy to

capture without blurring. In that kind

of situation, comfortable shooting from

a low position is possible when using

a camera equipped with a variangle

LCD touch screen monitor. With

touch operations, various settings can

be adjusted and the AF point can be

moved for effective shooting utilizing

the flash even in positions or angles

that are normally difficult to shoot in.

Capture bright, beautiful

images of berries even

in dark, low positions

This shot was taken in a dark forest, which is

generally difficult to shoot in. However, the

flat lighting helped to faithfully reproduce

the colors and shape of the subject.

Basics

Close-up shots Reduced blur

Macro Ring Lite flash

• EOS 70D, with EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM macro lens

• Manual exposure mode; E-TTL II ash

• 1/60 sec. at f/5.6; ISO 400

• +1.0 ash exposure compensation

With a Macro Ring Lite flash you can…

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