Published Feb 24. 2022 - 2 years ago
Updated or edited Feb 24. 2022

Big Flies Photo Gadget

I have covered lighting flies for photography in various articles, and mentioned Siberian Ramil Yamaliev’s gadgets before. Here’s another one.

Cell phone
The Big Flies Photo Gadget in action
Martin Joergensen

There’s a 3D-printer - or several - running in Krasnoyarsk in Siberia, which spits out fly tying and fishing gadgets of all kinds. Ramil Yamaliev’s products range from reels over line clips to various tying tools and lamp systems for photographing flies.
I have covered the Flies Photo Gadget in its first incarnation, but Ramil has upgraded this a couple of years ago, and now has the BIG Flies Photo Gadget – which might not be intended for bigger flies, but certainly is physically bigger than the first model.
And apart from the size, it has also been upgraded with various extras, which I will cover below.

USB

Like the first model, this new one is also powered with USB-power, which is very smart and flexible, since basically any phone charger, USB power bank or even a computer can power it.
One of my complaints about the first model was its brightness – or lack of same. It gave a very nice light, but not much of it.
That has been fixed now. The LEDs are much brighter in the new model, and it has two rows of LEDs, which can be turned on independently. The gadget itself is also bigger, and that gives room for a larger array of LEDs yielding an increased brightness in itself. When you add the two rows of LEDs you now get significantly more light.
If you want to vary the somewhat flat light from the ringlight, Ramil supplies two shades, which can be used to create darkened ares in the ring and will help make for more interesting light, particularly on shiny items.

Big setup
Big setup
Martin Joergensen

Shape

The old model was round and the new one is rectangular with beveled corners. There’s more space to work in, and indeed room for bigger flies – which will still be nice and evenly lit thanks to the increased brightness.
It also opens for adding a larger “stage” or platform where you can place whatever you are photographing. The new gadget still supports the use of a small clip of the type used for electronics, and Ramil supplies one, but there’s also a smaller round plate to place your flies on as well as a really large rectangular one, which can hold much bigger items than flies.

Rotating

And the real novelty in the new gadget is the built-in motor, which allows you to continuously rotate the fly. This of course isn’t particularly interesting for photography, but for fly videos, it’s a welcome new feature.
If you are the kind of tyer who likes to post small videos of Facebook, Instagram or even TikTok, this is a device for you. Mount your phone, place the fly, turn on light and rotation, and you have an instant display video of your fly, ready for social media – or even an online catalog if your aim is to sell flies.
Both the clip and the round platform can be rotated.

Better quality

Whatever 3D-printer is used, it has either been adjusted or upgraded sine the production of my first Flies Photo Gadget. The finish is smoother and the surfaces are nicer, and the gadget appears to be in an overall better quality.
There’s still a background holder for the system as well. The light and rotation is controlled with three small switches on the front of the base, and everything seems solid and nice – withing the limits set by 3D-printing.

The jewelry workshop
The jewelry workshop
Martin Joergensen

Not only flies

Since the gadget is bigger and brighter, it’s obvious that larger items can be placed and photographed. When I showed the gadget to my wife, she immediately commandeered it, and started making videos of the jewelry she makes from all kinds of found objects. And of course the Big Flies Photo Gadget became the Big Jewelry Photo Gadget in an instant.

Inexpensive light

The old gadget was quite inexpensive, and although the new one is pricier, it’s still quite approachable. The old one was 40 US$ and the new one 99.-. Considering the good light and the amount of accessories, that’s a good price.
And if you still hesitate – it’s coming from Siberia after all – don’t worry. I have had Ramil’s products within days after they were sent, and the mail from Siberia seems to be faster and more stable than mail from the other end of my own country.
Right now the Big Flies Photo Gadget is sold out, but I’m sure a new production will start soon.

Contact

Shop for the Big Flies Photo Gadget
See the Flies Photo Gadget on Facebook here.
Follow Ramil Fly Fishing on Facebook here.

Video

Big Flies Photo Gadget in use for fly videos.

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