Customer Reviews

Coco Ring Flash Adapter for Canon 580EX II Flash with Canon EOS 5D MARK II, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D & 60D Digital SLR Cameras

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I purchased this ring flash after considering a few others like the Ray Flash (too pricey $299 at one point, now $199) and Orbis (nicer than the Ray Flash and cheaper at $169) and went this route since it was the least expensive and did the job like the other two.

I like the way light is cast using the Coco ring flash. Recently I took some pictures of my kids with their friends using the Coco Ring Flash, using the 580 ex ii only, and others using just the flash from the Canon camera and got the pictures developed. The three parents I showed the pictures to all picked the photos taken with the Coco Ring Flash as their favorite. To me this is the best testimonial.

Since it is a nice accessory to have, I think it is great at this price point. I don't use it all the time. It is something to use to get some interesting shots though. I also own expensive studio strobe lights and I don't use them all the time either.

The Coco Ring flash is well constructed. Using it is pretty straight forward.

This item fits my Canon speedlite 580ex ii perfectly. It does not leave a mark on it after you remove it from this flash. That was one of my concerns before ordering it.

I would like to address points brought up by other "reviewers" of this product.
1. I can attest that the pictures here on Amazon are what this item looks like. It is not a poor photoshop job. There are strong resemblences to the Ray Flash.
2. It appears well built to me. I didn't find anything wrong with the build quality. I didn't see any paper that would have been used to make this product like someone said (maybe cardboard for the product labeling) -- I do see plastic, maybe some polycarbonate, and reflective items though.
3. It is "big and bulky", but so are the Ray Flash and Orbis. None of these disassemble or fold -- how could they? It isn't logical to think that they would fold (like a softbox). The Alien Bees ring flash is usually set on a tripod and is much larger (bulkier) and more expensive.
4. It fits the 580 ex ii perfectly which is what is listed in the product description. THERE IS NO REASON TO RUBBERBAND it to the stem (I don't know what the other reviewer's flashes are, but only the 580 ex ii is listed in this product description).
5. I can't confirm if this is good for macro work since I don't have a macro lens like the 100mm lens. I do like the way it works for the portraits/candids I've taken.
6. I don't know about the IP issue that was brought up. Someone did mention that this design is really Polaroid's or some other photographic company, but we weren't able to determine if Ray Flash had paid them a license either. I don't feel though this is something you should care about when looking for this item. Regardless, it is important to realize my review is based on me actually owning,using the product, and seeing the results of the pictures I have taken and not written because of whether I agree with the company's practices or mold design without even buying the product. Puh-leeze!

I also considered going the DIY (do it yourself) route when initially the only ring flash product that I could find under $500.00 was the Ray flash at $299 and even looked at some videos on you tube to see how it is done, but I don't have the patience, tools, and skill and for this inexpensive price point, the Coco Ring Flash is absolutely worth the money.

When using the Coco Ring Flash, I used one hand to hold the Coco Ring Flash and the other to hold the camera. This seemed to work well for me. I copied the style I saw the photographer use in the Orbis flash you tube video.

If there is something to quibble over, then it is that this item does not come with a bag to put the ring flash in like Orbis. The Ray flash doesn't have a bag, but the Orbis does. This is no biggie though. I use one of those drawstring backpacks that they give away at conventions and the like or you can find this type of bag at Target for less than $5.00 if you think you need one.

If you are looking for a ring flash, then the Coco Ring Flash is the way to go.

I considered purchasing a ring flash adapter for about a year but hesitated because of what seemed high prices for a piece of gear with no moving parts and no electronic components. I find the Coco to be a good value with no notable deficiencies. If you understand in the first place what a ring flash ADAPTER is and how it might be used, the Coco fulfills that niche very well. Some things that I would have found helpful to know before purchasing this item follow.

1. If purchasing for use on the Canon 580EXII, note that the Coco is designed to be used with the flash head in the LOWERED position. This places the adapter perpendicular to the lens axis and also serves to lessen the strain on the flash head.
2. I find it necessary to use a substantial rubber band to keep the flash head in the lowered position when the Coco is in place.
3. If using the Coco in combination with your camera's ETTL flash exposure mode be certain to DISABLE AUTO ZOOMING of the flash head and adjust the zoom manually to its widest position. Failure to do this will result in increasing under exposure as the flash head zooms to its telephoto settings. Under exposure will be substantial at the longest zoom setting.
4. Even if used in manual flash exposure mode set your flash head zoom to its widest setting. I measured a slight decrease in efficiency if the flash head was zoomed to telephoto.
5. I used a Sekonic flash meter to measure light loss with the Coco in place. I tested in a 12x20' room with light beige walls and a white 8' ceiling. Flash to subject distance was 7'. The flash head was zoomed to 24mm (for both parts of the test) and power output was manually set to full power. I measured light loss with the Coco to be 2.1 stops.
6. I have found ETTL exposures with the Coco in place as the sole light source to be on average 1/2 stop less than the exposure under identical circumstances with bare direct flash. Flash exposure compensation was necessary and effective. This phenomenon is most likely due to the design of the camera/flash auto-exposure system and would likely be the same or similar with any ring flash adapter.

I had some reservations about this product before purchasing because of some of the previous comments about the quality of construction. All of those concerns have been laid to rest and I am glad I made this purchase.

I just got my Coco Ringflash and started using it immediately. I don't know what some of the other reviewer got -- or even if they are legitimate -- but the build quality of this product is supurb, and at one-quarter the price of the Rayflash it is well worth the money spent. I didn't give it 5 stars because of some finish blemishes and lack of instructions but those don't affect how the product works. And it works great. It fit snugly over my 580EX II and doesn't budge once I lock it down. The images were just what I expected. I lost probably one f stop but I anticipated that. I used this to take portraits of my cat and also for some macro work immediately out of the box and I'm very happy. Also, the package is very professional and secure. The lack of instructions was no big deal because it is kind of a no brainer how to use this thing. Let me say it again, I am extremely happy with this product.

I've seen the RayFlash in person and this is "almost" a direct copy of the RayFlash with a few subtle variations. Still, the only thing that really matters here (as far as most consumers are concerned) is that the Coco Ring Flash is cheap.

Yes, if I was the creator of the RayFlash I would be VERY angry at the company that makes this product, but the reality is that the RayFlash is an overpriced hunk of plastic. This Coco Ring Flash costs very little but is almost identical to the RayFlash.

I'm quite certain that the makers of the Coco Ring Flash would make a profit on this device even if they sold it for $20 ... so the fact that the RayFlash costs $199 just drives me insane.

If you want a low-cost ring flash then buy the Coco Ring Flash. If you care about intellectual property then pay $199 and buy the virtually identical RayFlash.

OK, first let's dispense with some of the other reviewers' objections. There are some that say the Coco is a direct knock-off of the Ray Flash Ring Light. I have no way of knowing that because I would have to hold both units in my hands and look at the system of mirrored light-reflecting channels inside. I'm not about to pay Ray Flash $199 to find out. But really, it doesn't matter to me. If there is a patent infringement, what some are erroneously calling "Intellectual Property" infringement, then that is a matter between Ray Flash and the makers of the Coco. All I care about is does the Coco Ring Flash work as advertised. The answer is YES.

Next is the objection that the Coco Ring Flash is "cheap plastic" and the construction (gluing the bits together) is sloppy. The one I received is made of high-impact plastic and feels solid as a hammer. There is no excess dried glue that oozed out during assembly. Folks, it's plastic, OK? If you prefer ballistic Kevlar, maybe this $49 item isn't for you.

Finally come the objections to color and logos. I am not a qualified photo analyst so I don't know if the photo shown here on Amazon is a Photoshopped version of the Ray Flash. I can tell you that there is no "Coco" logo on the "Nose" of the one I bought, but a logo is plainly visible in the photo here on Amazon. The color of the nose is light gray, not white. I doubt if it makes one bit of difference in reflectivity.

This is what I know for sure: The Coco Ring Flash Adapter for Canon 580EX II flash units fits my 580EX II just like a glove. The hole in the center of the "donut" is large enough to accommodate my 17mm-55mm Canon f/2.8 IS USM zoom lens and would easily fit my 70mm-200mm Canon f/2.8 IS USM lens also. I have not tried this Coco unit with Canon's 100mm f/2.8 prime macro lens so I don't know if there would be a problem there. I use my Canon MR-14EX for all my macro work anyway.

Light absorption is about the same as the Orbis Ring Light, which I also own: I'd say about 1 to 1.5 f/stops.

Practical uses for the Coco Ring Flash: It's a device to use when you want to get "creative" and try something new. All ring flashes for portraiture do one thing well -- hide the stark black shadow a direct on-camera flash makes behind the subject's head. It does place a catch light in the subject's eyes, but not like a monster 22" Speedotron beauty dish. I've noticed that it is very kind to subjects who wear eyeglasses. It does almost eliminate the black shadows of the eyeglass frames where they would fall on the face if a direct on-camera flash was used.

Does the Coco Ring Flash rival Canon's fabulous, and fabulously expensive Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX? Of course not! As one reviewer did note: You get what you pay for. The Coco, the Ray Flash and the Orbis are all just experimental tools in the creative photographer's arsenal of options. For $49 have some fun -- about the same amount of fun you would have if you spent the near $200 for the Ray Flash or the Orbis. By the way, I have experimented with using the Canon MR-14EX as a portrait light and nearly blinded one of my subjects it is so bright. The Coco at least, imparts a nice soft shadowless light without over-kill.

I did not give the Coco Ring Flash Adapter a fifth star because I wouldn't want to leave the impression that this tool is going to completely revolutionize the way you take flash photos. There will be times when any ring light is not the solution. It is not a 22" Beauty Dish you would find in a good photo studio. It's not large enough in diameter to give your subject those perfectly round catch lights in their eyes. So if you manage your expectations, you will not be disappointed with the Coco Ring Flash Adapter on your Canon 580EX II.

I have been a photographer since graduating from the U.S. Army Still Picture Photography in 1958 at Ft. Monmouth, N.J. I am reasonably competent, and I know equipment. The Coco ring flash adapter is an excellent value for the money, and after using it over the weekend, I doubt that I will ever need a dedicated ring flash. I will also say straight out the the comments on the images posted with this product are absolutely false. I am 69 years old and my fingers had no trouble tightning the lock screw on my Canon 580EX II. You would have to be dead not to be able to turn it. I will say that the adapter does indeed "fit like a glove" and tightning the screw is not necessary on mine.

The workmanship is quite good, especially for the price. I am using the Coco with Canon's EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS, EF 100 f/2.8 Macro, and EF-S 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS, on a 40D and 7D without the first problem. The comments in reviews about "instructions" are a joke. It is so obvious how it fits and works, a Caveman could do it. The packaging was excellent, both from the manufacturer and from Amazon. I do find, as is to be expected, that there is some loss of light thru the prisms, but the low noise, high quality, ISO's available on my Canon's are more than sufficient to offset this.

If you are new to Macro, I suggest a visit to dpreview's macro threads on the 7D-40D forums would be of good benefit. I went thru several tutorials that are listed there, and the suggestions on how to use flash, focus, etc. were invaluable. The Coco ring flash adapter is an excellent product, and does exactly what it is supposed to do, that is give very nice light on macro images. Highly recommended.

First I would like to say that I almost didn't buy this item based on the reviews I read.
I decided to order putting on my apex So incase it was any good I could dispute the charges.
The item arrive mine is for a canon 580 ex flash.
When I opened the box I was almost afraid to see what I would find. The ring flash is perfect, very high quality, packed and boxed very professionally and fits the flash good. It is a little loose where it mounts on the flash but one piece of 1/8 inch cardboard solved that problem and I know it won't scratch my flash. The entire flash ring is a little smaller than a saucer so it was lager then I thought but since is it so lightweight that is even better.
All this talk about poor quality must be written by people from Ray Flash.
I started shooting with it the min, I received it and it works like a studio strobe and soft box, no shadows very soft light.
I am so happy with this product for the price and quality. I have to agree Ray Flash should be embarrassed about the price from #299 to $199. I have seen Ray flash and this unit is exactly the same.
Even if it was ripped off for the amount Ray Flash was charging they should and could have hired better patient lawyers.
JOHN

Is the Coco ring flash adapter sloppily made of plastic? Yes.
Is it a cheap knockoff of another product? Yes.
Does it work well? Yes.
Is it a great value? Yes.

The Coco ring flash adapter comes nicely packaged in a custom box (you should keep the box to store it in, since it's so oddly shaped). There is no user's manual, aside from three pictures on the side of the box showing how to attach it to a Speedlight. There is an adjustment knob on top of the adapter, and the box includes a rubber wedge to help tighten the join between the adapter and your Speedlight. In my case, I already had some Velcro on my Speedlight and the adapter fit very snugly without the wedge.

Opening the box, I noticed a powerful smell of glue, similar to model cement. The edge of the transparent circle had a lot of glue residue, indicating that the device was sloppily made. The gray "bridge" at the top of the circle seems to be lined on the inside with construction paper (I can see where it has been cut and folded). Despite these quality issues, the Coco ring flash is simple to use and produces good results photographically, so I am satisfied with the purchase.

Much more efficient (2 stops) than another cheap ring flash adapter I tried. Stays on my 580ex very well. Wish it had diffusion options.

The Coco Ring flash was everything that was advertised ... Thank you I will order from you again ....