camera flash bracket

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testbloke

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Kevin
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First wedding coming up and really want to get the flash of the hotshoe but also want to have my left hand free. Really liked the look of the lastolite bracket, only thing I can see wrong with it is when it rotates to portrait mode the camera is upside down. The images on there site show a gripped camera but in portrait mode the grip is useless as you cant get to the shutter release.
Does anyone know of a similar bracket that works properly in portrait mode or any other suggestions ?
 
I've got two camera/flash brackets of differing designs. I like neither one and do not use them. Indoors I prefer to bounce, and might use a simple white reflector fastened to my flashgun to control the light a bit. If you're going to bounce, which I think makes for nicer light, then you don't need a flash bracket. If you're going to fire on camera flash (albeit from a bracket rather than the camera itself) straight at your subjects indoors then be prepared for some unpleasant results. Outdoors the shadow from the flash will show barely, if at all, so a bracket is not really necessary outside.

I say save your money and your arms and work with bounced flash and a DIY reflector card. You can get some ideas from this website - http://www.abetterbouncecard.com/.

If you're determined to get a flash bracket then here are the two versions I have, both bought from eBay....

Design 1

Design 2

For those who do use flash brackets the Newton bracket appears popular and compact, if pricey - http://www.newtoncamerabrackets.com/
 
testbloke said:
First wedding coming up and really want to get the flash of the hotshoe but also want to have my left hand free. Really liked the look of the lastolite bracket, only thing I can see wrong with it is when it rotates to portrait mode the camera is upside down. The images on there site show a gripped camera but in portrait mode the grip is useless as you cant get to the shutter release.
Does anyone know of a similar bracket that works properly in portrait mode or any other suggestions ?
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I got the Lastolite for a Xmas present and initially found the same problems as you.

However, if you put the Lastolite on so the flash is on the right side of the camera, you can use it fine in portrait mode.

It still needs a wee bit contortion in landscape mode though!

I think it wasn't really thought out for a pro camera or a gripped one.



All in all, Tim has my vote too!
 
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Have a look here and read the comments - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEw0TWzHqQg

I watched the original video for this bracket years ago and thought it was the bee's knees. My partner nearly bought it for me as a present one year. I'm so glad she didn't waste her money, because a waste it surely would have been.

Also, for shooting weddings I'd often go with a two camera setup, with a short/wide lens on one and a long/narrow lens on the other. Each may well have a flash but each could hang from a Black Rapid dual harness and ease the weight on my neck, arms and hands. Try doing that with a flash bracket or two in the equation.
 
Good points well made and have now binned that thought. Going from one extreme to the other, I am now thinking of having two heads on stands, one with softbox, other with brolly or grid. We are two shooters, but effectively this means one shooting and one organising, which might not be a bad thing.

...update, just watched linked video, looks promising, any UK distributer and any sample pictures ?
 
Tim makes some good points. If you can bounce, you get the light off camera, and greatly softened, and horizontal/vertical isn't a problem. Just easier and better.

I sometimes use one of these, Manfrotto 233, but with a 24in brolly on it :eek: http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-manfrotto-mn233b-camera-flash-bracket/p11017 Great light, but more than a little cumbersome. Most flash brackets seem to be about maintaining on-axis flash in horizontal and vertical, but they're all clumsy things.

I know some folks that never shoot vertical because of it. There's a lot to be said for that actually, especially when it comes to on-screen viewing, if you can compsoe your way around it.

I also use one of these quite a lot - Lumiquest Quik Bounce. It's good for an on-camera jobbie, very versatile, packs flat :thumbs: http://www.lumiquest.com/products/quik-bounce.htm
 
tdodd said:
Huh? You agree a flash bracket is a non starter but you want to know of a UK source for the Justrite bracket? :thinking: Well here you are - http://www.bellwood.co.uk/flashbrackets.shtml.
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LOL, no. I was asking for a UK distributer for the better bounce card. I know it is a lot of money for what it is but I dont want to shoot a wedding with a DIY version.

Will also look at the lumiquest one

Thanks for infor and replies
 
I don't think there is a UK distributor for the BBC. I've made my own using some "fun foam" and some velcro dots bought in Aldi for something like £2.99 for a pack of 100 or so.
 
My other problem with this is that my Pentax flash (for some reason) does not rotate, only tilt. All these modifiers seem to fit with the flash rotated 90 degrees, ie on the narrow side. What about the Lightspheres ?

Back to my shooting portrait issue, the video for the lumiquest modifier linked above shows some kind of hotshoe swivel to rotate the flash for portrait mode. This is exactly what I am after, what the hell is it called and where can I get one !
 
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Kev, you need to keep the flash head aimed upwards so that you can bounce light off the ceiling (giving a large light from above) as well as throwing some light forward to fill in eye sockets and add a twinkle to the eyes. If yours does not tilt and swivel then that would be a problem for shooting in portrait orientation.

I haven't seen the Lumiquest vids so I don't know about swiveling hotshoe adapters.
 
tdodd said:
Kev, you need to keep the flash head aimed upwards so that you can bounce light off the ceiling (giving a large light from above) as well as throwing some light forward to fill in eye sockets and add a twinkle to the eyes. If yours does not tilt and swivel then that would be a problem for shooting in portrait orientation.

I haven't seen the Lumiquest vids so I don't know about swiveling hotshoe adapters.
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Yep, that is a problem in portrait mode, hence I was looking for a method of keeping flash upright while rotating camera. Lumiquest video is here ...
http://www.lumiquest.com/products/quik-bounce.htm. Otherwise I might have to buy a new flash or shoot everything landscape :'(
 
testbloke said:
Yep, that is a problem in portrait mode, hence I was looking for a method of keeping flash upright while rotating camera. Lumiquest video is here ...
http://www.lumiquest.com/products/quik-bounce.htm. Otherwise I might have to buy a new flash or shoot everything landscape :'(
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There's no adapter. The only rotating that's going on there is from the flash gun. If all you've got is tilt, then you're a bit stuck for vertical shooting without one of those camera-rotator things.

You can make a bounce card look fairly professional if you take some care over it, but you might try a Rogue FlashBender which is also available from UK retail. You might even be able to bend that to work in vertical (after a fashion).

Also check out a Demb Flip-it which is a quite neat and versatile bounce card device, but again there's the vertical problem without a bracket. And it's only available direct from the maker in the US I think.
 
I'm awaiting delivery of a quik bounce today for events/corporate stuff, will post up my thoughts when I've played with it :)
 
Again, thanks for replies. I am now considering new flash as mine is GN36 which could do with a bit more, especially if losing a stop with a modifier. Could really do without the expense but needs must. Kerso has one on ebay just now, will drop him a pm and see if he will do me a deal :-)
 
You'll lose a lot more than a stop if you bounce it. More like three. Depends on the height/distance/colour of the ceiling/wall.
 
HoppyUK said:
You'll lose a lot more than a stop if you bounce it. More like three. Depends on the height/distance/colour of the ceiling/wall.
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so GN36 is definately going to struggle. Was looking at the bigger Pentax flash, that is GN54
 
testbloke said:
so GN36 is definately going to struggle. Was looking at the bigger Pentax flash, that is GN54
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That's more like it. You need all the power you can get for bouncing, and also for high speed sync which I think that gun has.

A gun like that with an LQ Quick Bounce is my standard outfit for social situations. The Quick Bounce is also good outdoors, softening the light usefully without wasting tons of it all around like most other modifiers do.
 
Okay, off to rob a bank ...
Actually, is that actually now a crime seeing as we now own all the banks :thinking:
 
Just given the quik bounce a "quik" test ;)

A little expensive for what it is, it is simple, but it does work well, perfect for events/weddings etc as they claim
 
Mahoneyd187 said:
Just given the quik bounce a "quik" test ;)

A little expensive for what it is, it is simple, but it does work well, perfect for events/weddings etc as they claim
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Thanks for the report. Light modifiers are always overpriced, as long as they deliver what they claim !
 
Haha yes! But I like simple, less is more etc. Expensive for what it is, cheap for what it does.

Apart from the capability of the Quik Bounce, it's called 'quick' because you can literally flick from horizontal to vertical in a flash (hoho), alter the ratios (for high ceilings, you can put an extra stop up there by zooming the head to max), close the flaps and use it outdoors efficiently - good for HSS.

If you want to use pure bounce, close the flaps and just point it wherever you want, though it does spread the light about when used like this and you might run out of movement on the head tilt/rotate. It will cover a 24-28mm lens on full frame quite evenly, but for ceiling/wall bounce I usually take it off and zoom the head out to get a bit more light.

Then just rip it off and it folds away to nothing :)

PS Tip - using the Quik Bounce with the flaps closed, zooming the head back to 24mm helps to fill it right to the corners. Adds a little bit of extra softening - not much, but it's noticeable and every little helps. Use it as close as you reasonably can like this, to get the light source as big as possible relative to the subject.
 
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testbloke said:
so GN36 is definately going to struggle. Was looking at the bigger Pentax flash, that is GN54
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TBH if I have to guess on the power of a hotshoe flash I always go for 36. Most of them seem to be around there. It always seems enough to me.

>> I know it is a lot of money for what it is but I dont want to shoot a wedding with a DIY version.

I do ;) Only time several guests have openly laughed at a flash modifier is when I used a genuine Fong Dong. Now I use home made cards and they go down much better.
 
PSILVERMAN said:
Who cares what people laugh at or think as long as you get the results you're after. I regularly use a Fong and I don't care what people think of it.
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It's pretty important not to have your credibility questioned if you're a hired professional. Or a bit sensitive. If not, you might as well use a plastic milk bottle which actually works pretty well. You can turn one of those into a Fong Whale Tail thing in two minutes with some gaffa tape.

I've had folks joke about my LQ Quik Bounce - ooo, he's got a little hat on it - but it's fun rather than ridicule, raises a smile, and they can see that it's made to do a job and doesn't look like something out of the kitchen cupboad.

My objection to the Fong is that it's very inefficient when used outside, or inside for that matter, like a Stofen. But a Stofen-clone only costs three quid off Amazon/ebay. All that precious light - about half of it - wasted out of the back and sides does either very little, or nothing at all. It can be greatly improved by lining the back and sides with foil, but then it won't collapse. And you might as well get a LumiQuest instead.

Other people get very upset over the Fong marketing, which makes some pretty outrageous claims and is so economical with the truth that it does border on lies. They wouldn't use it if it was the best thing out there and their lives depended on it, but perhaps fortunately, it's not. However, it does work!
 
HoppyUK said:
My objection to the Fong is that it's very inefficient when used outside
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Actually the main problem is the top dish fills with rainwater...

Plus it takes up too much space in the bag. Plus somebody offered me a significant fraction of what I paid for it....
 
I got a half bottle of scotch once. The Fong would be ideal for that. :D
 
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