Photo answers review
Photo answers rating 
Marumi's LED8 macro ringlight certainly looks the part but we found it had certain design dawbacks.
Compacts are incredibly accomplished at taking close ups, as most models can focus just a centimetre or two from the front of the lens. However, the problem with this is you inevitably end up blocking the light from your subject. This ringlight is designed to get around this lighting conundrum. All you need to do is screw the battery pack onto the bottom of your camera and use the flexible arm to position the ringlight over the lens. Power it up and the eight daylight-balanced LEDs throw light onto all sides of your small subject for perfectly lit shots. Well that’s the theory anyway.
In practice, we found the LED8 has a few design issues that make it less than perfect. Firstly, the light output is disappointing. Going on the amazing intensity of modern LED torches, we were expecting to be dazzled. The truth is, you’ll actually need to crank up the ISO to 200 if you want to handhold your shots – that’s with your subject virtually touching the LEDs, too. Move 5cm away and you’ll probably need a tripod.
Also, at just 3cm, the hole between the lights is too small for many lenses to squeeze through. This means vignetting can be a problem as compacts typically focus closest with the lens at full wide-angle.
The colour temperature of the LEDs was colder than expected too. Rather than being around 5600K (daylight), it was closer to 9500K. Even with Auto White Balance selected, there was a pronounced blue cast. To get around this, shoot RAW if your compact can, but be aware that you’ll get odd results in mixed lighting conditions.
The build quality is pretty good, but it does feel over priced at £65.80: £30 seems more realistic. All-in-all, this product is a nice in principle, but sadly is overpriced and poorly designed. It did excel in one area though – jewellery photography. There are not enough lights here for silky smooth results, but it adds a bit of sparkle.
Product informationBattery: 3xAAA
Arm length: 115mm (approx)
Pack dimensions: 40x60x35mm (approx)
Power settings: High/low
Fittings: Male and female tripod thread
Hole diameter: 30mm (approx)