Saga Dive Fiber Optic Ring Flash

Jack Connick · Issue 84, May/Jun 2015 · pp. 33–35

Products mentioned: Saga Dive Fiber Optic Ring Flash, Athena Industries ring flash, Sea & Sea YS-01, Sea & Sea YS-D1, Nauticam housing, Nikor 105VR, ReefNet SubSee +5, Nauticam Super Macro Converter, Stix FB-AQ float belt, Inon Z240, Inon D2000, Nauticam flip diopter holder

Ring lights have long been a popular way for macro photographers to get bright, even light directly onto small subjects. Due to the magnification involved, macro photos can consume a lot of light. Underwater photographers have long struggled to get their camera housings with two strobes into tight spaces, or get the lights positioned close enough to the front of the lens without creating lens flare or shadows from the port. Ring lights take care of many of these difficulties, and while a bit bulkier they are fast and easy to shoot with. Until now there haven’t been many choices. Athena Industries produced a ring flash for a while, although it’s been pulled off the market now. It had a large ring strobe light unit, power unit, electrical sync cord and needed adapters to fit ports. Thus it was a good, but somewhat heavy, bulky and expensive system. It also would not work with electrically…