My Iris Gear Essentials (2026 Update)
I get asked by a lot of photographers about my set up and the gear I use for iris photography so I thought I would make a quick post to share some of the essential gear that I use. Since I have now updated my set up, it was time for an updated gear list.
First and foremost is my adaptalux led light kit from an amazing company based in the UK. I started out using a budget macro light setup from amazon and while it did ok and I use it as my backup, nothing beats the awesome quality and control of the adaptalux set up. It is bluetooth controlled from an app and allows me to independently control multiple arms and brightness settings which has really helped with my session workflow. If you can get your hands on one of these set ups, I highly recommend it.
Then I also bought the adaptalux xenon flash photography kit (if you are looking for one kit that has both led light arms and the xenon flash arms check out this kit...... FLASH LED KIT)that came with an extra control pod, so that I have two control pods.
In fact I love this macro lighting set up so much that I joined their affiliate program and get a small kickback from any purchases made through the link I posted above. Even if I didn't make a single dime for referring their products, I would still share the love anyways because I love their macro lights and flash arms not only for iris photography but I use them for taking epic lit pictures of my crystal collection.
First we will go over my lighting set up that I've switched over to and am loving..... I'm not affiliated with either of these lighting companies and don't earn a dime from recommending them, but out of all the lighting set ups I've used, I've found this to be the best bang for the buck so had to sing their praises.
This dual gooseneck led light from amscope, I use for my focusing and pupil constriction, I love that it has dual knobs for on and off and power settings so that when I am ready, I kick it on for focusing and then after I take the pic I quickly just rotate the knob to turn off the light so it’s less brightness for the client offering a more comfortable and efficient operation, it has been a game changer
Then for my new flash setup, I use the Kakas K808 macro dual gooseneck flash
It's more powerful than the adaptalux flashes which helps get crisper images and the goosenecks are long and flexible and much more easy to reposition, I love that it also can fire both sides at the same time or each side independently with just a quick push of the buttons on the back of the flash and power adjustment is quick also.
Next up is my beloved Sony 90mm 2.8 Macro lens. A macro lens is a must have if you plan on doing any kind of close up photography and irises are no exception.
If you can't afford an expensive macro lens quite yet, I did shoot my first few iris sessions with just a 24-70 and some extension tubes from Amazon and got some great photos while I was waiting for my Sony lens to ship.
Although not essential, I also love my optometrist chin rest that I bought off of Amazon just to help my clients stabilize their head movement and keeping their eye as still as possible. You can get away without this piece of gear but I have found it helpful especially when photographing younger children.
The only other tools I would highly recommend is a macro sliding rail mount for fine tune focusing and also a remote shutter cable with remote to help eliminate camera shake.
So to recap this is the main camera equipment I use to capture all my iris photos along with some other useful tools I keep around the studio, and other resources and services I use religiously for my iris business and studio.......
Sony a7Riv 60 megapixel mirrorless camera
Neewer 4 way macro rail mount from Amazon (essential for fine tuning your focus on the iris)
Adaptalux Iris photography LED kit from adaptalux
Adaptalux Xenon Flash Macro Lighting Pack from adaptalux
Amscope dual gooseneck LED lights
Kakas K808 Macro dual gooseneck flash
Generic Optometrist Chin Rest from Amazon
Ulanxi LED Cube Video Lights from Amazon (used on my iris viewer and sometimes used in conjunction with my xenon flash arms)
Vivo Sit Stand Desk from Amazon (essential for getting the chin rest to the correct height for my client for optimum comfort)
Calibrate Display Pro HL Monitor Calibrator from Amazon (used to calibrate my newer iMac and MacBook Pro M4, essential for getting accurate color in your edits)
Macro LED lights from Amazon (my first ever set which worked great until I was able to get my hands on the adaptalux kit, I still keep these lights in the studio as a backup to my adaptalux)
Pixieset website (I love pixieset websites and it has been worth every penny, from handling all my online booking, giving me an easy built in store for my clients to order prints from, and a million other features, if you are looking for a website, I highly recommend them)
Anyways if you have any questions feel free to drop me a message :) Check back in the future for some fun educational blog posts and how to tutorials along with some gear reviews giving pros and cons to some of the different shooting methods when doing iris photography and in the far future I plan to create some exclusive online iris photography training courses to help overcome so many of the hurdles in regards to starting an iris photography business.
Hopefully this has been a helpful post and the beginning of many more in the future..
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, I only recommend items I have personally used and love in my iris studio, but would happily share the products regardless :)
