easy DIY flouro ring light "ghetto style"
- Thread starter slinks
- Start date
Helooka Likeaman
Member
Finally made mine!!
Finally made mine!!
This was like the easiest DIY project ever!! True it's not pretty to look at on the camera but the results are exactly what I wanted. Gotta luv those catch lights in the eyes! Thanx Slinks!
Originally I made this with a Home Depot ballast I removed from a two ring ceiling light just to see if it would give me the desired effect lighting wise. It did but the ballast was really big and seemed like a waste of money because it also had a cord for a 22 watt bulb that I was never going to use. So I went ahead and purchased the recomended ballast from Sunpark (for those of you who live in the LA area the warehouse is located in Torrance and I was able to just walk in and by the one ballast - Total purchase price: $7.58). What a difference! Not only is the Sunpark ballast a heck of a lot lighter but the fluorescent ring now glows even brighter than with the previous ballast I used before. Very happy with this purchase and this project. If you're lookin for a cheap and easy ring light this is definitely the way to go!
Slinks, my hats off to ya!! :thumbsup:
Finally made mine!!
This was like the easiest DIY project ever!! True it's not pretty to look at on the camera but the results are exactly what I wanted. Gotta luv those catch lights in the eyes! Thanx Slinks!
Originally I made this with a Home Depot ballast I removed from a two ring ceiling light just to see if it would give me the desired effect lighting wise. It did but the ballast was really big and seemed like a waste of money because it also had a cord for a 22 watt bulb that I was never going to use. So I went ahead and purchased the recomended ballast from Sunpark (for those of you who live in the LA area the warehouse is located in Torrance and I was able to just walk in and by the one ballast - Total purchase price: $7.58). What a difference! Not only is the Sunpark ballast a heck of a lot lighter but the fluorescent ring now glows even brighter than with the previous ballast I used before. Very happy with this purchase and this project. If you're lookin for a cheap and easy ring light this is definitely the way to go!
Slinks, my hats off to ya!! :thumbsup:
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i would welcome some additional frame captures. i've got a talking head shoot coming in a few weeks and i'm not allowed to set-up lights. a soft ring lights might do the trick.
slinks-any more images u care to share? in the one capture at the start of this thread, about how far away were u from the subject? how far would u guess your ring light is effective? would love to see it used as a key. think it could throw light 5 feet? 10 feet? 15 feet?
thanks in advance for sharing your imagination
be well
rob
slinks-any more images u care to share? in the one capture at the start of this thread, about how far away were u from the subject? how far would u guess your ring light is effective? would love to see it used as a key. think it could throw light 5 feet? 10 feet? 15 feet?
thanks in advance for sharing your imagination
be well
rob
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My DIY Kamio light runs off 12v DC power. Eventually I'll pick up a battery belt to power it, but cash flow's tight right now.
Um I highly recommend you talk to professional Gaffer's qualified electricians.
No offence but that thing is scary.
The only time anything is not earthed is when it's double insulated.
This means that when a fault occurs, any metal parts that could possibly touch live wires, will be impossible for the human hand to touch.
The Ballast is metal and I have seen where their coils have deteriorated and blown a big black mark inside the housing. They have an earth so that people don't get killed.
PLEASE!! Make sure any electrical stuff involving 110-240v and above, is safe. Don't risk it!
12 volt is awesome. You can spend you life trying to kill yourself with a 12 volt car battery and never have any risk of succeeding.
Maybe try this MODEL 108?
http://www.thinlite.com/prod12.htm
Or maybe put 3 in a triangle shape? Or 4 in a square shape?
http://www.commandelectronics.com/fluorescent-lights.html
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...Index/Fluorescent_Fittings_Mini_and_Circular/
You can have it portable with a small 12 volt battery. Maybe a small motor bike battery?
But then from what I see, people use LEDs. These are perfect I think. LEDs are super cheap. You can run them on a AAA battery. You can make it easy. No danger. ("Ringlight" in google images)
A few ways to do it but I recommend some stiff plastic like an ice cream container. The white should reflect the light forward well. Put holes in it for the LED terminals to slide through. Then solder all the LEDs up in parallel. Then have 2 wires go down from the LEDs to a battery. One wire, have a switch. Find some thrown out electronic device and tax a switch off it.
Buy the LEDs though. They are super cheap. $14 AUD on Ebay for 100 x 5mm WHITE LED Ultra Bright bulbs with Resistor. 2.4 - 4.2 volts so 2 AAA batteries in series would make it work great. If you used all 100, it might need 2 AA batteries to let the batteries last longer. Not sure. But that's pretty bright. The ones I have seen online don't even use that many.
http://www.s131567196.onlinehome.us/images/pic_ringmini.jpg
That there is a $3000 light. There are about 100 LEDs there right?
Put a semi clear plastic cover over the LEDs and you have a more defused light.
http://www.apostar.com.tw/image/other_im/led-60ta.jpg
Whack a variable resister (volume pot) in where the switch is and you have a dimmer.
http://i12.ebayimg.com/03/i/08/fe/db/d9_1.JPG
They are about $3 each.
Electricity is dangerous. Go for the cheaper, lighter more common version, which won't kill you if you make a mistake.
No offence but that thing is scary.
The only time anything is not earthed is when it's double insulated.
This means that when a fault occurs, any metal parts that could possibly touch live wires, will be impossible for the human hand to touch.
The Ballast is metal and I have seen where their coils have deteriorated and blown a big black mark inside the housing. They have an earth so that people don't get killed.
PLEASE!! Make sure any electrical stuff involving 110-240v and above, is safe. Don't risk it!
12 volt is awesome. You can spend you life trying to kill yourself with a 12 volt car battery and never have any risk of succeeding.
Maybe try this MODEL 108?
http://www.thinlite.com/prod12.htm
Or maybe put 3 in a triangle shape? Or 4 in a square shape?
http://www.commandelectronics.com/fluorescent-lights.html
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...Index/Fluorescent_Fittings_Mini_and_Circular/
You can have it portable with a small 12 volt battery. Maybe a small motor bike battery?
But then from what I see, people use LEDs. These are perfect I think. LEDs are super cheap. You can run them on a AAA battery. You can make it easy. No danger. ("Ringlight" in google images)
A few ways to do it but I recommend some stiff plastic like an ice cream container. The white should reflect the light forward well. Put holes in it for the LED terminals to slide through. Then solder all the LEDs up in parallel. Then have 2 wires go down from the LEDs to a battery. One wire, have a switch. Find some thrown out electronic device and tax a switch off it.
Buy the LEDs though. They are super cheap. $14 AUD on Ebay for 100 x 5mm WHITE LED Ultra Bright bulbs with Resistor. 2.4 - 4.2 volts so 2 AAA batteries in series would make it work great. If you used all 100, it might need 2 AA batteries to let the batteries last longer. Not sure. But that's pretty bright. The ones I have seen online don't even use that many.
http://www.s131567196.onlinehome.us/images/pic_ringmini.jpg
That there is a $3000 light. There are about 100 LEDs there right?
Put a semi clear plastic cover over the LEDs and you have a more defused light.
http://www.apostar.com.tw/image/other_im/led-60ta.jpg
Whack a variable resister (volume pot) in where the switch is and you have a dimmer.
http://i12.ebayimg.com/03/i/08/fe/db/d9_1.JPG
They are about $3 each.
Electricity is dangerous. Go for the cheaper, lighter more common version, which won't kill you if you make a mistake.
Sorry..are you referring to the DIY circular light or the post above?