Zeus RingMaster ZRM1 and Dyna-Lite M1000XR ringflash system (review)

I've finally given into the temptation to pick up a ringflash (read: budget) and after much research I decided to get a power pack system. Choosing the Ring Master ZRM1 by Paul C. Buff was almost a no-brainer. The component is extremely lightweight, fairly inexpensive (as far as ringflash heads go), and has plenty of power.

The power pack was more difficult to choose. The options were the Paul C. Buff Zeus Z1250 pack for $600, or a Dyna-Lite M1000_ or M2000_ series pack from eBay (M1000X, M1000E, M1000XL, M1000XR, or M1000WR). I had read online that the original M1000 and M2000 packs are incompatible with the ZRM1 due to cable differences, so that model was out. I found an M1000XR (late model) pack in great condition and won the auction for $518/shipped. In the end I decided to go with the Dyna-Lite mainly because it's a tried, tested and true design with exceptional user reviews. Its low center of gravity prevents it from getting kicked over and (unlike the Zeus) its carrying handle is always available even when the flashhead is plugged in. Pretty minor design differences, but the M1000s are also readily-available used. I'm sure the Zeus Z1250 is a great pack and I actually think the the 5-stop flashpower output dimmer is easier to adjust on the Zeus than on Dyna-Lite packs.

The ZRM1 ring flash head has a 12' cable that plugs into the power pack to give the flash and modeling lights power. This cable does not trigger the strobe however, so for that I picked up an (uncoiled) 15' Paramount PC to AC (household) sync cable for $25/shipped. The PC sync cord is bound to my power pack cable with velcro every 3'. Since the ringflash needs to be hard-wired in order to get power I figured I may as well trigger my flash with a cable rather than wireless.

The Paramount PC sync cord is compatible with the Canon PC sync socket. I've found this brand of cable fits much better than the cords supplied with Paul C. Buff strobes and better than the screw-mount variety of cords. To keep the sync cable in place a 1/4" strip of gaffers tape secures the cable to my Canon body.

The reasons I chose a pack system over an ABR800 AlienBees Ringflash are twofold. The AlienBees Ringflash will not overpower the sun under most circumstances and it's also a pound heavier. That may not sound like much, but when shooting handheld-lightweight design is king in my book.

In addition to the ringflash head I picked up the 20º grid. It emphasizes the ringflash effect on subjects. It also makes the ringflash head unit heat up much faster so you've got to be extremely careful not to overheat the flash head with the modeling light. I haven't had luck with the grid so far, but I'll need to take some additional test shots to see if I'm going to keep it or ditch it for a Moon Unit softbox.

Build quality on my Dyna-Lite M pack is excellent. It is an old-school design that is durable, reliable and functional. The pack has blazing fast recycle time as well as a beep that tells you when the strobe is ready for the next shot. However, adjusting the power output on three separate switches (for one light) is not particularly user-friendly. The Zeus RingMaster plugs right into the M1000XR and everything works perfectly since the voltage and cable pins are identical.

The construction of the RingMaster leaves something to be desired. It feels like a plastic prototype just waiting for metal components. That being said, the parts are modular, lightweight, and easy to replace in case something breaks. Paul Buff stands behind his products so I'm sure that parts are readily-available and warrantied (or inexpensive). The modeling lights get very bright when powered up which is a great feature to prevent red-eye and to aid in focusing.


My photo assistant Maria was nice enough to stand in for some test shots of my new flash system. Here you can see the telltale "donut" catchlights in her pupils. You have to really get in your subject's face in order to see the ringflash catchlights, because as you move back the light source appears smaller. ƒ/11, 1/125 second, ISO 100, M1000XR on minimum power (125 w/s), bare bulb (no front diffuser).


Here is another shot slightly further this time with the distinctive outer shadow from the ringflash on a white sweep. At this distance from the subject, the donut-shaped catchlights are solid small circles. ƒ/10, 1/125 second, ISO 100, bare bulb (no front diffuser or grid).

Second Generation iPod Shuffle review

I picked up a 2 GB Shuffle for $40 directly from Apple (refurbished) and it was a fantastic value. I already own a 1 GB first gen Shuffle, but the battery isn't what it used to be and it requires pocket space (buttons can easily get accidentally pressed in a pocket as well).

Second Gen Shuffles have a great industrial design. They are super small, the clip is extremely useful, and build-quality is excellent. Clipping the 2nd gen shuffle to a pants pocket is the way to go and it simply works really, really well. Weighing in at .55 oz. these are nothing short of amazing.

I can't say how long the battery life is or how many charges the battery can take before losing capacity permanently. I guess it's a bit unfortunate that the batteries are not user replaceable since I'm sure that will likely be the first thing to go on mine.

When I travel I intend to bring both my 2 GB Shuffle as well as my 1 GB unit. Both will be fully charged and loaded with music and at less than 1.5 oz. (for both) weight and volume are not an issue whatsoever.

The headphones that came with my 1st gen Shuffle are superior to the ones that came with my 2nd gen unit. They shortened the cord and made the earbuds bigger which quickly become uncomfortable. (I am an average-sized person). I strongly recommend picking up a pair of isolation earphones like Coby and Skull Candy make if you plan on wearing headphones for over an hour or if you have small ears. The silicon inserts are incredibly comfortable and they seal out ambient noise as well.

I chose the 2nd gen Shuffle over the 3rd Gen shuffle because I don't like the idea of proprietary headphones (you have to use the Apple remote earbuds) and I don't see the need for and additional 2GB of music. I ripped most of my music at 192 kps and the 2 GB Shuffle will hold 24 hours of tunes at that bitrate. This is more music than one charge will play since the battery is rated for up to 12 hours with a full charge.

The dock is nothing special. I liked the convenience of simply plugging the 1st Gen Shuffle into a USB port without needing a dock, but I don't think that engineering feat was possible in a design as small as the 2nd gen Shuffle. For the uber geeks, they disassemble the tiny Shuffle here.

Let's talk white balance!

Years ago I thought I was able to figure out a shots color color correction in post. For the most part that's true-if I spend enough time working on a photo I can, particularly if I look at it next to another image with proper skintones. I know the approximate color temp. of my strobes (and hotlights if I'm using those).

I'll tell you what... that's a very inefficient way of working, and one that I no longer use. Instead I picked up a product that came highly recommended called WhiBal. The one I ordered is credit card sized and I keep it in a pouch in my camera bag. Once my subject is positioned and the studio lights are set, I take one shot with the calibrated gray card in the frame. Then in Photoshop RAW Converter I click the card with the white balance eyedropper and color in the photo pretty much snaps into place. The next step is to select all the images used with the same lighting setup and use the "Develop Settings > Previous Conversion" operation. It will quickly adjust the color temperature and tint to the color corrected image settings.

The reason I believe this product is superior to others on the market is simple. They use a SpectroEye Spectrophotometer on each card before shipping to measure the cards to be spectrally neutral. You can visit their site and watch the infomercials (which are surprisingly interesting), or you can just take my advice, spend 25 bucks and get your own.

One thing I'd like to add is that proper color balanced skintones are not necessary the most flattering tones. But once you know your image is white balanced it makes it much easier to do subtle color tweaks to make your image perfect!

Equipment Journal: From CF card to final output

• SanDisk Ultra II CompactFlash cards in 1 to 2 GB versions. I've found the read/write speed to be perfectly adequate for the work I do. When my friend and I shoot sports we use 8 or 16 GB Extreme IV cards which need a faster write speed while using a motor drive. Personally, I'd rather have my photos spread out on three or four cards rather than just one in case something happens to one of the cards (like an accidental erase, loss, or malfunction).

• Canon EOS 5D. I have serious admiration and respect for my D-SLR body. That fact that these are down to two grand amazes me. I have had work published with it using ISO 3200 and under. 3200 ISO with no visible grain on tabloid-sized newsprint, a feat absolutely not possible with film. I've owned the body for over two years and am still awed by some of the advanced technology that goes into these things. I would buy a backup 5D in a heartbeat if I felt I needed one.

I often scale images down 75% to deliver to clients, as that is a more practical size for most print needs (other than magazines or large prints). The EOS 5D and the Canon 1Ds Mark II were really the first digital SLRs released that meet and exceed the quality of 35mm film. The copy I have is dependable, lightweight, and has intuitive controls which can be switched rapidly. When my focus lock beeps and the shutter clicks, I know damn well that I got my shot.

My 5D has very few shortcomings, but a faster sync-speed (I've gotten between 1/120 and 1/200 depending on the rest of the chain) would be helpful in future models. I also tend to get a slight red shift in the color balance on skintones when converting from RAW to Adobe RGB color mode. I'm able to easily fix the issue in post, but I do consider it a minor annoyance. It very well could just be my copy's auto white balance is off. A larger, brighter lcd screen would be nice and I'm sure the 5D successor will be updated with such. A water resistant body would be extremely practical as well.

• 16-35mm f/2.8L. This is the wide angle glass I use use for architecture, landscape/travel, and large group photos. I'm happy with the copy I have although it can suffer from chromatic aberration and slight edge softness. It is also quite heavy which I consider a disadvantage. Others will call it an advantage due to excellent build-quality. I consider wide angle (and extreme telephoto) both sort of necessary evils. By nature I tend to dislike zoom lenses: they are relatively slow glass, clunky, and often times offer barrel/pincushion distortion at the focal-length extremes.

• Canon 35mm f/2.0 EF. This is my "crappiest" lens. Wide open it suffers from a multitude of minor optical problems on a full-frame sensor. Nevertheless I love the lens for reportage, band promo photos, group shots, exteriors and environmental portraits. This lens is super lightweight and has a nice low profile. I enjoy hiking with this one sometimes. The f/1.4 L version is a remarkable lens if you have the money.

• Canon 50mm f/1.4 EF. This is my baby, my workhorse. I don't shoot her below f/2.0, I don't ever really need to. From f/2.0 on this lens really shines. Fast focus lock, tack-sharp, bright viewfinder and good color clarity. I can hand hold this down to 1/60 sec. and still get a sharp image which is key in low-light venues. A very useful focal length, my 50 is often my walk-around lens. Not a good choice for copy work-suffers from barrel distortion.

• Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF. Excellent portrait lens. Razor sharp from edge-to-edge, beautiful bokeh, lightweight design, fast glass. For photographing people-this is the first lens I'll grab every time if I have enough working space. I prefer to shoot handheld as much as possible and wouldn't even attempt a full-day fashion shoot with a 70-200mm f/2.8. Since much of my location work is done in low-light venues, fast glass is absolutely necessary. Color saturation, image clarity and bokeh on the f/1.8 is not nearly as nice as the f/1.2L which happens to be one of Canon's finest lenses.

• Photo filters and fittings. I use circular polarizers outdoors quite a bit, they can really make a blue sky and clouds pop. My lens diameters range from 52mm to 77mm. I own a Hoya 58mm circular polarizing filter and a Hoya 77mm circ. polarizing filter and a B+W neutral density filter. I am relatively happy with the optics of the filters although if I had to do it over again I'd have gone with B+W slim mount, thin ring, multi-coated filters. They are expensive as hell, but aren't going to vignette your wide-angle photos. To affix my 58mm diameter filter to my 52mm diameter lens I use a step up ring which works perfectly.

On very rare occasions I use a rectangular Cokin P mount, 2-stop graduated neutral density filter and filter holder. It takes some time and patience to set up, but really keeps a landscapes dynamic range in check and perfectly darkens skies. The Photographer's Guide To Filters by Lee Frost is the best book I've found on the subject.

• Kenko three extension tube set. I ordered this kit for around 100 bucks from eBay from a respected seller in Hong Kong. There is no glass in extension tubes so optics are not affected. These work as they are supposed to for macro work.

• Opteka remote shutter release cord. I recently picked one of these up for $20 and I'm very happy with it so far. The connector shorted two weeks after purchase. Will not be ordering a new one.

• AlienBees AB1600 strobe. I have a bunch of these and use them with various modifiers: softbox, beauty dish, umbrellas, gels, bounced, etc. In a pinch I've used just the reflector dish and modeling light. I like my Bees but they are not perfect. Build quality is average, but it's well-documented that Buff has unparalleled customer service. Though I own one, I really can't recommend the Paul Buff softboxes, spend the extra money and go with Chimera or Photoflex. I do recommend the Paul Buff beauty dish, it works beautifully. I trigger my strobes with either 4-channel remote triggers or hardwired with the sync cord.

• DIY battery pack. On location I use a battery pack I constructed myself to power the strobes. I get nearly 400 flash bursts from one battery charge which suits me perfectly. Mine uses a 150W power inverter and I would increase that to a 300W inverter if I was building another one.

• Impact 10' air-cushioned heavy duty light stands. They work well with heavy softboxes and have a wide footprint for stability indoors or out. I've heard of the knobs breaking on them, but mine seem solid. For light-duty work I use a Smith Victor RS75 Raven stand which is compact and lightweight. I also use several Bogen Superclamps for mounting lights or gear to ceiling trussing, rails, or light stands.

• Canon SpeedLite 550EX flash. Dependable, works well as far as on-camera flashes go. I'm not crazy about using them as a primary light source unless I really have to. Tip: do not leave your AAs in the battery compartment of your flash during storage. Eventually the batteries will drain and leak acid all over your expensive flash. Sadly, I know this from personal experience. After I'm finished using my 550EX I simply remove the batteries and rubber band them together to keep them all in one place. Be sure to check out strobist for more useful flash/lighting information than one person can possibly consume in a lifetime.

• Lowel Tota-Light (750 W) and Paterson Interfit 1000w variable-powered quartz hotlights. Continuous lighting works great under certain circumstances. However, once the light is diffused (such as through an umbrella or bounced) it's very tough to get enough light on the model or sitter. Even with multiple hotlights you can expect to shoot at 400 ISO or worse. The Tota is very light/compact and works very well for simple location shoots. The umbrella mount on it only works with a rather small Lowel umbrella.

• Slik Able 340DX AMT tripod with 3-way quick release pan tilt head. There are plenty of tripods that are better than this one. However, for me, this tripod fits the bill perfectly. It's lightweight/compact (a recurring theme with my gear) and inexpensive. At times I wish it went taller and had a bubble level-but I'm willing to sacrifice those features for the fact that it's so damn toteable. It's made of an aluminum, magnesium, titanium alloy and weighs in at 3.5 lb. A Bogen with pistol grip weighs easily twice that-which adds up on a full day hike or multi-location shoot. For me, a tripod is just something to set my camera on and nothing more.

• Adobe Photoshop CS3. I've kept my machine up to date with software updates to both the OS and Adobe updates. Everything is running very smoothly now and I'm happy to be using the latest-generation software. No question about it; Photoshop is the ultimate in imaging/retouching software. All of the controls in Camera RAW mode are a godsend. The healing brush tools are extremely useful for digital photography.

• Apple G5 tower dual 1.8 gHz, 2.5 GB RAM. A very solid, stable machine. Retouching 13 megapixel, 16 bit images is not a problem and most operations happen in realtime. I use various external hard drives ranging from 80GB to 400GB that are USB 2.0 or FireWire based. I use Time Machine software (free with the OS) to back up my system, but manage/back up my "Photos" folder by hand.

• Dell 2005FPW UltraSharp 20" LCD monitor. I love this thing. It's got a very consistent, profiled color and is extremely vivid and sharp. I can't see myself needing a monitor over 22" ever.

• Epson Photo R1800 printer. I have a love/hate relationship with my R1800. When it has full tanks of ink (eight), and I have the right paper on hand, and I need a print quickly–I'm happy to have it around. Drawbacks: the thing is constantly out of one or two cartridges of pigment. The tank capacity is not nearly large enough. Replacement ink is over 100 bucks and I don't even want to know what the cost basis is per print. If I'm out of yellow pigment the drivers won't allow me to print a text document in b/w because of the company's faithful commitment to the consumer. Black and white prints on the R1800 pretty much suck so I typically just print them sepia toned which works well. My printer occasionally suffers from some unwanted color casts (which need to be corrected in post). Needless to say, I still do much of my printing for clients at the photo lab.

In summary, I like my equipment reliable, affordable, lightweight, and durable. I don't beat on my gear which is one reason I don't need heavy-duty stuff. I generally like to use natural light or minimal lighting setups with 1-3 lights.

I prefer using prime glass and I know my gear extremely well. I read my camera manual from cover to cover. When it's time to shoot I make a conscious decision on the spot as to focal length, filter selection, lighting, ISO, aperture, shutter speed and focus point. Once the technical decisions are made, then it's time to compose the photo and capture "the decisive moment" as Henri Cartier-Bresson put it.

D-SLR camera body reviews

It’s important to think of the D-SLR kit as a system. The photos are only going to be as good as the lens and body permit. If you go buy a Canon Rebel, I personally do not recommend the kit lens. It is a $100 lens and you get what you pay for. Just budget for the camera and lens/es when choosing your system. For purposes of this review, I will be reviewing the camera body primarily. You’ll need to decide what lens will suit your own shooting style. I recommend glass that is f/2.8 or better. Yes, it’s expensive. But, there are deals to be found and a good, fast lens is key.

Do not buy into the megapixel race. It is far from the most important factor when buying a camera. Retailers would have you believe it is. Generally, the more pixels you cram into a small sensor the more noise you get. So an 8 or 10 megapixel sensor on a compact camera is overkill.

The Lumix, Sony and Pentax have shake-reduction technology built into the bodies. This is very useful, but those lenses for those camera are not as fast as I like. Canon and Nikon make lenses with stabilization.

Model: Canon EOS 5D (body only)
Price: $2100
Megapixels: 12.8
Lens: n/a
Lens mount: Canon EF
Crop factor: none
Notes: This is the camera I use and love. It uses a full-frame sensor which is the same size as a 35mm film negative. There is no crop factor, but you need to use high-quality lenses since the edge of the frame can get soft [focus] or darkened (vignetting). The wide ISO range goes from 50-3200. I have shot images at 3200 ISO that have been published and have an acceptable amount of noise. I’m sure the successor to this will be coming out soon and should be considered.

Model: Nikon D80
Price: around $720 (body only)
Megapixels: 10.2
Lens: n/a
Lens mount: Nikkor
Crop factor: 1.5x
Notes: This is a very nice camera body. Nikon also makes excellent glass so you’ll have a wide-array of lenses to choose from. The kit lens Nikon includes with the package is pretty good from what I hear.

Model: Canon Rebel XTi (EOS 400D)
Price: around $500 (body only)
Megapixels: 10.1
Lens: n/a
Mount: Canon EF
Crop factor: 1.6x
Notes: 10 megapixels is more than most people probably need. It takes a fast computer to work on the files in Photoshop. Nevertheless, it’s a great bargain and there are a ton of great Canon lenses to chose from. The kit lens is not worthy in my opinion. Go for either a high-quality zoom or a few fast prime (fixed focal-length) lenses. It’s old school, but that’s how I like to shoot whenever possible. The Canon 50mm lenses work fantastic (particularly on the 1.6x bodies for portraits).

Model: Pentax K20D
Price: around $1100 body only
Megapixels: 14.6
Lens mount: Pentax K-mount
Crop factor: 1.5x
Notes: shake reduction (built into the body), weather resistant body, dust removal system.

Model: Leica M8 (body only)
Price: $5500
Megapixels: 10.3
Lens mount: Leica M
Crop factor: 1.33x
Notes: This is a beautiful, compact machine. It’s not a D-SLR at all, but is actually a digital rangefinder. This style camera is much more difficult to use than a D-SLR and is for specialized usage, by photographers with discriminating taste. I have a technolust for this camera. High ISO not as good as some of its competitors. A fast 50mm lens is going to set you back at least $3200 and a 35mm f/1.4 $3900 but trust me, you'll want both.

Model: Nikon D300 DX
Price: $1300 (body only)
Megapixels: 12.3
Lens: n/a
Lens mount: Nikkor
Crop factor: 1.5
Notes: Magnesium alloy body, professional feature set. Very solid construction for the price. Self-cleaning sensor.

Model: Pentax K10D
Price: $775 body only
Megapixels: 10
Kit Lens: 18-55mm
Lens mount: Pentax K-mount
Crop factor: 1.5x
Notes: shake reduction, weather resistant body.

Model: Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 (body only)
Price: $570
Megapixels: 10
Lens mount: Sony Alpha, Minolta A-type
Crop factor: 1.5x
Notes: shake reduction, availability of Zeiss 24-120mm zoom