Help with a ring flash/light

Hello, I recently bought a D5300 bundle, along with a small tripod and a aputure halo ring light, as I finally had the money to start my own macro setup. However, I just put the ring light together and tested it for the first time and I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing wrong. With the light on flash mode, the pics don't seem illuminated at all, almost as if the timing doesn't match. I put the camera into live view mode to try to get a better look, but for some reason after I did that the shot seems to take 1-2seconds, as if the shutter were set really slow (I didn't change any settings), and the shots are black. I then tried taking shots with the light on continuous lighting at full blast, and somehow I still ended up with black or very dark pictures. How is this possible? I'm testing it on objects from 3 inches to 2 feet away and the issue is the same. I am trying to keep the ISO at 100, but I tried opening up the aperture all the way and slowing down the shutter, but STILL had dark shots. I don't see how this can happen because on full-blast it is literally as if a flashlight is pointed straight at the object, yet it turns out dark. What am I doing wrong? What settings do I seem ignorant to?

What settings are you using on camera and on ring light? Do you meter for the scene as though no flash is used? I just received my ring light and works flawlessly. Very happy with it.

I'm using the amaran aputure hc100 ring flash. I was testing shots in a fairly well lit room, on manual mode, keeping ISO at 100-200 for consistency, and I tested shutters at 1/20-1/500 and aperture from 5.0-32. I kept the ring light on continuous lighting for all the shots, at max brightness. I did not mess with exposure compensation. All my test shots ended up black or nearly black. The light is very very bright and should be able to handle shots in any dark condition, so I don't get it. When I took the ring light off and shot with the same settings the pics looked essentially the same as with the ring. When I turned on the built-in flash the shots looked fine. Other settings I am not familiar enough with to comment on.

So you have the modeling lights on continuous? With strobes, the modeling light doesn't contribute to the exposure. In fact they shut down for a brief second while the strobe fires and comes back on in a second or so later. Do you notice this happening. Just tested mine and yes the modeling light shuts down when the shutter activated. What are your settings on the flash?

It's not a modeling light, and it's not a strobe. It is on continuous light, as in the light is ON, and pointed at the subject. It does not turn off, it does not flicker, it is simply on.

storhaug said:

It's not a modeling light, and it's not a strobe. It is on continuous light, as in the light is ON, and pointed at the subject. It does not turn off, it does not flicker, it is simply on.

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Sounds very mysterious... if it is operated as a continuous light, it should just work. Sounds like your manual exposure must be insufficient for the low power level. Try one time setting camera A mode, start with a wide aperture, and let the camera meter it. It can go to 30 seconds if necessary, so higher ISO if necessary to prevent excessively slow shutter speeds. Seems like a continuous light cannot Not work.

I think it must be this light:
Introducing Amaran Halo LED Ringflash - Aputure Blog

There is a Support menu there, with contact access link to email them. Or a phone number. Ask them.

It says continuous is 6 watts, which is not much... A 1/100 second shutter is open to pass 6 x 1/100 = 0.06 watt seconds. Compared to a 75 watt second speedlight, that's not much. But at a few inches macro distance, you'd think it would do something. A 5 watt LED flashlight does a little, it is not black, certainly not at a few inches.

And it seems to say flash mode is 2x power, and has GN 15, which means f/5 at 3 feet ought to be right. You seem to say it is not however. It has some hot shoe thingie with a cable, so I assume it is a regular flash trigger, no slave or anything to complicate it. I would try to inquire of the manufacturer support...

Sounds like its not communicating with the body properly. I use my WJ-60 for such ventures and it's just a standalone, continuous ring and never had a single issue with it. Since this thing comms with the body, it has no be giving improper light power or something to the camera.

Your best bet is to see at what settings the camera takes decently exposed images without the ring light. I am getting
. ISO 100
. F5.6
. 1/5 sec
Start with these values and no flash. If the image is fine, then connect the flash and check at the same settings. If the images is still exposed as without flash, then it is not firing. In continuous mode I do not think it will change the settings by 2EV or so.

Also note, as this is a non TTL flash, set the menu item for flash as Manual, else it will never fire.

aroy said:

Also note, as this is a non TTL flash, set the menu item for flash as Manual, else it will never fire.

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That should solve his problem. It's manual mode only for "flash". Anything auto should use the constant led light.