Ring flash has long been recognised as characteristic of high-end portrait and fashion photography. The preserve of the upper end of the market, studio ring flash systems cast beautiful shadowless light yet are bulky, fragile, unwieldy and costly.
It was conceived by a full-time professional photographer inspired by the Strobist philosophy and developed by top optical designers,
A patent-pending ‘one-size-fits-most’ dock means that the orbis works with a huge range of flash/strobes with no need for add-ons.

digital-photography-school writes:
“I liked the Orbis… 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.”

outdoorphotogear writes:
“What I’m more interested in with the Orbis ring flash is the ability to create on axis, fill light. When working with off camera lighting, you can create some really dramatic shadows. However, sometimes you might want those shadows to be a little more “opened up” in the darker recesses of your shot. That’s where the Orbis absolutely sings! You can light someone or something with a hard or soft light off camera at a sharp angle, and then where you get those deep dark shadows, you can fill it in with just a wink of light from the ring flash. It’s pretty much an effect that can be tailored to your own tastes, but the point is, using an on axis fill allows you to control those shadows and details as much or as little as you want.”

photofocus writes:
“I think that both thr RayFlash and the orbis ring flash do a great job for the money. I’d give a slight nod to the RayFlash because it doesn’t require a separate sync cord or remote trigger to fire and because it mounts directly on the flash, freeing up my left hand to steady the camera. But there may be some people who prefer the freedom provided by the orbis method. There’s no doubt it works. It’s just a question of whether or not it works for you. Recommended.”

Users write:

PROS:
-cheap. cheap cheap cheap!
-durable plastic. looks like it could last a few years.
-product itself is pretty light, even built as durable as it is.
-well thought out design.
-seems to distribute light evenly throughout the ring, even if it doesn’t expose properly.
CONS:
-seems to underexpose every shot using ETTL
-very cumbersome in concept. turns shooting into a very awkward experience. NEEDS A FIXED MOUNT!
-plastic ‘clip’ grip for flash mounting seems a little strange. would have liked to see some kind of strap, maybe? velcro?

photoinduced write:
“It’s a fine tool for those who need it for simple work. the $200. price point has made this, and the RayFlash, a very attractive solution to a lighting problem or choice, for the hobbyist, or the strobist who is looking for a new choice of light.”

macnn write:
“For a modest price relative to the price of a DSLR, the Orbis ring flash allows virtually any small strobe the ability to become a soft, flattering ringlight for a fraction of the price of higher power, much more expensive flash units. With high quality results, and extreme portability, it is another tool of must-have gear in our photographic equipment locker.”

It enables you to take photographs with shadowless quality ring flash light – without the high costs associated with buying or renting a bulky studio ring flash. All you need is a standard flash/strobe unit and an off-camera cord (or other remote triggering method).

The Orbis Ring Flash is handheld so neither impedes your camera system’s functionality nor relies on the fragile hotshoe connection. The orbis arm, a simple kit enabling you to fix your orbis to your camera, is under development and will be released in 2009.

It was designed to give passionate photographers an edge; by enabling you to quickly and easily take beautifully lit photographs, and to get the most out of your equipment. If you’re inspired to light in a ‘Strobist’ style using modular accessories, like softboxes and similar, the orbis is ideal.