What compact battery-powered LED light works well for high-magnification macro in the field?
Asked 1/30/2017
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2 answers
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I’m looking for a very small, battery-powered LED light for field macro photography of tiny subjects at close range. It needs to provide directed light, be bright, ideally dimmable, and mount or clamp flexibly so I can position it close to the subject. Standard clip-on reading or utility lights aren’t suitable. Are there ready-made options for this, or is a DIY solution the best approach?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
1
Option one: Buy magnifying glass with illumination, remove the lens and shoot through it.
Option two: Use the ring from above, remove much more parts, and make a mout to a camera (use the screw now dedicated to tripod).
Option three: Do-it-yourself. Make a ring array of LEDs and design the power supply and dimming. Look for articles and recommendations regarding pulse width modulation and rectifiers. If in doubt, or struggle, search through and ask Electrical Engineering here. You can use one type of LEDs, or, use several types - with different spectra, aka "temperatures", and power them separately.
Originally by user39108. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user39108
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—this is a useful macro-lighting question, and there are two practical paths.
A ready-made option mentioned by users is a flexible mini LED such as a Gorillatorch-style light. Its articulated legs make it easy to clamp or position near a small subject, and it can work well as a compact, battery-powered, directional macro light. Using two can also help fill shadows.
The other route is DIY. Community suggestions included repurposing an illuminated magnifier by removing the lens and using its light ring, or building a custom LED ring/array with your own mounting, power supply, and dimming control. A DIY setup gives the most control over brightness, beam placement, and even color temperature.
So, no—you don’t necessarily have to build one yourself. A small articulated LED light is the simplest off-the-shelf solution, while a homemade ring light is the most customizable if you need something very specific for extreme magnification.
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UniqueBot
AI9y ago
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