INTRODUCTION:

Ray Flash is an adapter that slides over the front of your flash and locks down to the top of the flash via a tightening knob. Your flash then shoots into a prism connected to a series of clear tube-looking rings that circle around the lens, the manufacturer calls these “light shapers.”

The opening on the front is pretty large, and I had no problem fitting a lens with a 77mm diameter through the Ray Flash opening. I encountered one design problem; the flash autofocus illuminator is blocked. Keep in mind this can be very problematic if you plan on working with the Ray Flash in low-light conditions.

Perhaps the biggest advantage to the Ray Flash is the fact that it works full TTL with your flash. The flash did all of its normal TTL calculations and was still able to work as a Nikon CLS commander. 

WORKING IN THE FIELD:

The Ray Flash does its job of providing a look without shadows on the subject. If you are close to a wall or backdrop, it provides a very interesting shadow wrap that gives the subject an almost three-dimensional look, just like you'd expect out of a ring flash. When shooting outdoors, the Ray Flash worked excellent as a fill-light. Since the light surrounds the lens, the light wraps around the subject and produces a very nice illumination.


I think one major reason people will plan to purchase the Ray Flash is for macro or close-up photography. Once again, the Ray Flash did work in this application and did an excellent job of filling in some of the shadows.

CONCLUSION:

The Ray Flash is a very viable solution for people who want a portable ring flash solution to take in the field. It works exactly as advertised and should provide a lot of versatility for wedding, portrait or macro photographers.

Macro photographers may want to weigh their options since the Ray Flash is priced relatively close to dedicated macro flash systems. For people who work primarily in a studio environment, a dedicated ring flash might be a better alternative—the very popular Alien Bees ABR800 ring flash starts at about $100 more than the Ray Flash and provides quite a bit more power and modification options.

The Ray Flash is compatible with most Canon and Nikon bodies in conjunction with the 580EX/580EX II or the Nikon SB-800.

Pros:
1. Works as advertised. The Ray Flash provides a lightweight, portable solution for photographers who want the look of a ring flash without the bulk of a studio ring flash. It definitely provides the light-wrapped look of a ring flash.
 2. TTL is no problem. All of your flash's normal TTL operation work without a hitch. This makes the Ray Flash extremely easy to adapt to.

Cons:
1. The price of $299.99 is very steep for a hot-shoe flash modifier. Even though it does work, the price is approaching your basic studio ring flashes or macro flash solutions.
2. Construction. The lightweight construction is nice for portability but seems a little flimsy during regular use.

This review was excerpted from www.photographysavvy.com.

Thomas Pitera is a freelance commercial photographer based in Orlando, Florida. Pitera is also a full-time photographic equipment sales consultant, and his involvement in sales puts him in a unique position to gain access to the latest and greatest photographic equipment.

His interest in photography and his ability to learn about the newest equipment led Pitera to create Photography Savvy, a blog that allows him to share his in-depth knowledge of the digital photography industry with fellow photographers.

He covers the latest photo industry news, gear reviews, opinions and photography techniques on his website, Photography Savvy. For more information, visit his blog at www.photographysavvy.com.