Athena ARF Ring Flash

Phil Rudin · Issue 57, Nov/Dec 2010 · pp. 31–34

Products mentioned: Athena ARF Ring Flash, Athena ARF-01 power unit, Sea & Sea YS-01 DS-TTL, Inon UCL-165 M67, Inon quad-flash, UK-Germany ring flash, Olympus E-3, Olympus E-330, Olympus 50mm macro lens

If you are a fan of prime time TV programming then you have probably seen a ring flash in action during the C.S.I. crime dramas, America’s Next Top Model episodes and other less well known series. The ring flash was originally introduced in 1952 for use as a dental photography tool and has a circular (360 degree) flash tube which fits around the camera lens. The ring flash has gained popularity among nature photographers for macro/close-up use and has become an invaluable tool for portrait and fashion photographers shooting stills or using fluorescent “ring lights” for video. While only a few underwater equipment manufactures like Athena, Inon (quad-flash) and UK-Germany have released a ring flash they remain an extremely useful tool for underwater macro and close-up photography. Why use a ring flash? Most nature and portrait photographers enjoy the diffused and shadowless lighting creat…