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
12
Shoot plant life
in dark locations
10
Shoot
accessories
8
Shoot
nail art
6
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
4
14 16 18 20
3
22
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
1
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
4
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
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‘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
5
Easily and beautifully capture the details of trinkets and accessories Basics
1

Sharp and vivid
from the foreground to background
Vividly capture the natural, three-
dimensional feel of nail art designs
Basics
2
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
6
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.
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No flash
clip-on flash
7
Vividly capture the natural, three-dimensional feel of nail art designs Basics
2

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
3
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
8
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
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Macro Ring Lite flash
Macro Ring Lite flash
clip-on flash
9
With this single flash, you can shoot photos of a favorite accessory on its own or a shot of someone wearing it Basics
3

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
4
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
10
With a Macro Ring Lite flash you can…