Orbis Ring Flash – Review

A little while back I reviewed the “Ray Flash” A very cool “hook on the front of your flash, ring flash” A lot of people commented that it was expensive and so on… Well, here’s an alternative model, the Orbis Ring Flash Attachment, for Use with Existing Flash / Strobe,

It’s only $10.00 cheaper but hey, it’s an alternative! Make sure you read all the way to the bottom for my verdict! You may be surprised, considering I loved the Ray Flash SO much!

Orbis Ring Flash

The first thing I noticed with the Orbis Ring Flash was that it’s a “jam it on your flash” it has something like a plastic claw inside the base, you slide that part over your flash unit, in my case a Canon 580EX II, and it sits on top. I have to say that I really felt for my hot shoe, I don’t know why, but even more so than with the RAY Flash.. It just seemed to move around a bit more and to me, it felt like I was carrying a huge “tower of camera” I must say though, that with the flash off the camera, using my Alien Bee triggers to fire it remotely as I held it in my hand, it was fine.

You can see in the image (My ugly mug!) below that the Orbis gives off a nice even light and, by way of the catch lights in my eyes, an almost full even circle of light.

In addition, the Orbis actually flew off my flash at one point – not sure why, was being very gentle! Honest! but all in all, I’d say that the Orbis Ring Flash does exactly what it’s mean to do. And that if I were in the market for one of these types of ring flash that I’d seriously consider the Orbis.

You get another self portrait of me now, taken again with the Orbis Ring Flash, You can see that the device produces a nice even light. I realise that I don’t look happy, I was, really! This photo is taken at f8 / 1/125th at 70mm with a Canon 5D MkII and a Canon 24-70mm f2.8 L series lens.

I think I’ve scared you enough now!

I liked the Orbis and I think given that there is only $10.00 in it that I would go for it over the Ray Flash and I’ll tell you why – When you have the Ray Flash on the front of your Flash, it covers the IR sensor that your camera uses to focus in darker conditions when it has the flash unit on… With the Orbis, this is not the case. It stands straight up and out of the way.

I’d suggest that the well built Orbis Ring Flash is a FOUR star add on – I still think that as a device that’s essentially a piece of plastic, that it’s a little bit too expensive. 4/5****

Sime