Which flash bracket for weddings

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missmoloko

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Does anyone have any opinion on what flash bracket to use for shooting weddings.

I have a Pro T stroboframe but find it a bit big. What do other wedding photographers use.

Is the Canon Flash Bracket any good. Looks alot of money.

Any would really appreciate any tips.

Missmoloko
 
Sorry to pull this in a slightly different direction but why do you need a flash bracket for weddings ?
 
Hello

For those dark high ceilings when you can't bounce the flash.

missmoloko
 
Ah that makes sense :thumbs:
 
I use one of these with a neutered Nikon SC-28 clone on it. It means you can have the flash pretty much where you want it and by snipping a couple of wires it works at up to 1/8000 on a Nikon D70s. I also have another one with a bracket on top which allows two flashguns to be fitted and triggered simultaneously for faster recycling and/or extra fill.
 
Wow two flash heads on one support sounds heavy to me. I'm a canon girl through and through so need something for a 5D. I'd like something thats not too bulky or heavy but that also does the job.

Missmoloko
 
The minipod weighs next to nothing, so it's really just the weight of the two flashguns. Using a single one (you can use any flashgun ;)) and, say, the Canon off-camera flash cable (sorry, don't know the numbers for the Canon equivalent) you would still retain full ttl flash metering, but be able to place your light source exactly where you want it.

Have a look here, the only difference with my setup is that the calumet minipod is a lot lighter than using a monopod, although obviously the reach isn't quite as great
 
Took a look at that site looks like a fab idea. But if you haven't got your camera on a tripod don't you need an extra hand.
 
missmoloko said:
Took a look at that site looks like a fab idea. But if you haven't got your camera on a tripod don't you need an extra hand.
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:thinking:

I suppose it depends on how big your hands are and how heavy your camera is. With the likes of something light like a D70 and a reasonably small lens it's no problem, a 5D with a heavy lens on it might be a completely different kettle of fish though.

If you've already got the necessary cable then it'll only cost you £10 or a visit to a Calumet store to see if it works for you :)
 
That is true. I would struggle with the weight. Broke my wrist and have a bit of a weakness in my wrist which doesn't help. But normally have an assistant at a wedding anyway so they could hold it in position if needed. Thanks for your advice.

Missmoloko:thumbs:
 
missmoloko said:
Hello

For those dark high ceilings when you can't bounce the flash.

missmoloko
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Partly true but mostly they are useful for reducing the risk of red-eye while adding a more flattering lighting, and (with a swivel one) you can keep the flash in the correct (above the lens) position as they usually swivel to 90 degrees too

Immediate added bonus over the amateurs there who may have the same camera you do :eek: is that you look more 'professional' than they do too

:D

DD
 
Yeah I agree. But it annoys me I read on one photographers website recently and he said it annoys him that some photographers use big flash brackets because they look really in your face. As he always uses available light and never uses flash at a wedding. So how does he manage in those sometimes really dark churches.
 
missmoloko said:
Yeah I agree. But it annoys me I read on one photographers website recently and he said it annoys him that some photographers use big flash brackets because they look really in your face. As he always uses available light and never uses flash at a wedding. So how does he manage in those sometimes really dark churches.
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There are currently 2 school's of thought on this one (probably always was, but presently they are 'SHOUTING' at each other :lol:)

Without flash is preferable as it's more natural looking, unless 'natural' also means too dark to take a photo anyway; or means having black holes where eyes should be; or means completely blown backgrounds where a dad of fill-flash would do nicely

The 'better' togs realise there is a time for flash, and used correctly it can look very natural too; and yes, sometimes there's no option but to use flash unless you have a D3 & f1.2 lens and still like 'grain' (noise)

Big flash brackets are loads better than tiny ones or on camera flash, so that comment is daft

Also, many are now using flash way-off-camera for added drama, and these often need to be far more powerful than Speedlights too

I've even seen a fab chap recommend using a variable power and hugely powerful 'video' light as being easier to see what's going on than pure flash

The latter though all need at least one assistant, or bags of time, or both - all of which most Wedding togs don't have

HTH - :shrug::shrug::shrug:

DD
 
I have a 1.4 lens but I really don't like the grainy looking photographs. This is just my opinion though.
 
Jessops do a cracking side flash bracket for a tenner, remember to buy a extra nut for it though to go into your flash. It does come with a connector for the flash but don't know anyone thats used that bit.

Dave
 
DiddyDave said:
The 'better' togs realise there is a time for flash, and used correctly it can look very natural too; and yes, sometimes there's no option but to use flash unless you have a D3 & f1.2 lens and still like 'grain' (noise)
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Although even that setup's no good if you want to get more than an eyeball in focus.
 
I bought the Kaiser one from warehouse express but it doesn't seem awful stable and I think I'd worry about my expensive flashgun sitting on top of it especially doing weddings where guests bump into you etc. I know sometimes you get what you pay for so in keeping with one of the original questions here has anyone got the original Canon one? the flashgun seems to fit differently in it but thats only by looking at photos of it. If you use it can you tell us if it feels stable and is worth the extra. Thanks
 
I have an eBay bracket, costing around £15 delivered. Mine came from Roxsen, but this is the same thing....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Flash-Rotatin...ryZ48515QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It isn't the last word in quality but it is compact, light, cheap and works.

I also have this eBay model, but find it bulky and unwieldy....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Flash-Bracket...ryZ64354QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Here's the first one with a 30D, 15-55 and 580EX...

20080609_135524_02933_LR.jpg
20080609_135749_02938_LR.jpg


The nice thing about this little one is that you are still able to cradle the lens in your left hand and easily adjust zoom and focus as needed. In contrast, the big fat Strobolump is designed to be held by the (slightly) padded grip on the frame but that leaves you no hands free for zoom and focus adjustments. When you release the grip on the bracket, in order to adjust those things, and just hold the apparatus by the camera there is some slop in the system which means it sort of half collapses, at least when used in portrait orientation.
 
Karen said:
Thanks. I have had a pm from Scott as he has the Canon one and looks like I will be ordering it now as it seems to be what I am after.
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I must be missing something because I've never figured out from the pictures how that Canon bracket is supposed to accomplish anything useful. It looks to me like it places the flash beside the camera, which is the last thing you want, unless you enjoy ugly harsh side shadows on your backgrounds, and the way most people rotate the camera for portrait orientation it places the flash underneath the camera, which is not a good place for the flash to be.

Apart from that, it's over £100!

What am I failing to understand?
 
OK, but in landscape mode it will still cast shadows sideways, which means you'll get an ugly flash shadow cast on the background beside people. For a profile shot that would put the shadow either directly in front of their face or just behind their head. The whole idea of the bracket, I thought, was to keep the flash vertically aligned with the lens so that the shadows fell behind and below the subject's shoulders, where they remain invisible.

In portrait mode, where does the flash head end up and where do the shadows then get cast?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but unless you have a large softbox/umbrella to soften the shadow edges, and can also raise the light substantially, or can put enough angle and distance between light, subject and background that the shadow fall out of sight, you really do not want the light source to be beside your camera. Of course, outdoors, with no background visible, the problem disappears, but that still leaves you with some lovely (NOT!) nostril uplighting when you rotate the camera anticlockwise (my preferred direction) for portrait shots.

Why would you want to pay over £100 to achieve this effect....

Bare%20flash%2C%20direct%20-%20portrait_LR-crop.jpg


Clearly I am missing the point of the Canon flash bracket completely. Please put me out of my misery :)
 
im probably missing your point tdod but why is the flash beside the camera, looks like it is on top to me, slightly more forward than having it directly on camera though. would that cause an issue.

if you use on of these brackets, and conectors, will nikon sb 600s keep the i-TTL modes?
 
Canon eh - :cuckoo::cuckoo::cuckoo:

:D

Mine's a Stroboframe which keeps the flash directly ABOVE the lens in Landscape mode, and swivels to do the same in Portrait too - thus avoiding that 'attractive' shadow effect

Oh - and I've seen people using it the 'wrong' way too. Argument goes that as a smidge of fill it works well for hats at Weddings, but if it's the main light source - Hammer House of Horror effect takes over :lol: and sadly a friend of mine had her Wedding reception and night do shot like that :eek:

I used to use Metz hammerheads donkeys years ago and they produce your nice shadows too tdodd if shot straight :shake:

DD
 
Bolerus said:
if you use on of these brackets, and conectors, will nikon sb 600s keep the i-TTL modes?
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YUP :thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

There'd be no point otherwise as working in manual flash mode is too much work most of the time

DD
 
Bolerus said:
im probably missing your point tdod but why is the flash beside the camera, looks like it is on top to me, slightly more forward than having it directly on camera though. would that cause an issue.

if you use on of these brackets, and conectors, will nikon sb 600s keep the i-TTL modes?
Click to expand...

I think you probably are missing my point. The pictures of the flash bracket I posted earlier (post 18) are of a "proper" flash bracket, which does keep the flash above the lens, and will conceal the shadows behind the subject. Here's an example of how a "proper" bracket (in my opinion) is designed and operates....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MjqWuxedug

The £15 eBay bracket I have operates in a similar way, at least as far as rotating the camera and maintaining the flash above the camera is concerned.


The example "portrait", in post 22, is intended to demonstrate exactly the problem of disgusting side shadows that materialise when you do place the flash beside the lens. That image was shot without a flash bracket, and as the camera was oriented to portrait mode the flash gun moved to be beside the lens. The problem I have got is understanding how Canon's flash bracket works, given that all it appears to do is shove the flash beside the camera. Here's the Canon bracket....

http://www.reevoo.com/reviews/mpn/canon/sb_e1_flash_bracket

Unless I'm going mad, that bracket purposely places the flash gun beside the camera, which is exactly what a bracket should be designed to avoid. Further, where my bracket allows the camera body to swivel within the bracket, thus keeping the flash above the camera, the Canon bracket has no such feature, and thus the flash will end up either above (good) or below (bad) the camera, depending on which way you swivel the camera for portrait mode. In short, I can see no point at all in the Canon bracket. Clearly there must be one so I'm obviously missing it.
 
There isnt a flash in the world that wont cast a shadow if the subject is close to your background.

You can only soften the shadow by using a stoffen/fong/softbox type gadgimo or bouncing the flash.

The Canon Bracket works in exactly the same way as the hammerhead flashes have for years the flash sits at about 45degrees to the lens and is as steady as a rock. You do have to take shadows into consideration if your close to a background but I have found that always to be the case flash above or to the side, but in general it is a 1000 times better than my hong kong bracket I got before it.

And why would you shoot with the flash below the camera, except for using for fill flash under big floppy wedding hats? :)

But its like everything else, horses for courses, some people hate brackets completely, me after testing the SB-E2 I like it.


It's biggest fault is its chuffin price - canon love to empty your pockets for accessories. :(
 
DiddyDave said:
Not seen that bracket before... it's errrrrr
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It is pretty wicked, just like the price. A lot of people swear by Newton brackets - http://www.newtoncamerabrackets.com/default-old.htm - but again the price is a bit on the high side.

What I love about the £15 eBay special is that it basically delivers most of the functionality, at a substantially reduced cost. It's light, compact, cheap and just works. At £15 you could pretty much buy one to try it and bin it if it's no good, or donate it to a good cause.
 
ohh ttodd sorry m8 completly misread your post, thought you were sayign the problem is WITH the bracket.

while I am here.

R.E shadows from flash, on the wedding I did a few weeks ago, I used a homemade flash card (basically a cut down and shaped sheet of photo paper and a laccy band) and it worked a treat, no harsh shadows and still get the benifit of the the flash
 
No problem :)

I also use a home made bounce card - my version of "ABETTERBOUNCECARD" - for indoor shots, and outdoors I do not worry about the shadows from direct flash.

I know I would get better results with the flash bracket but I must confess that I haven't used either of mine on an actual shoot. The problem is that I shoot with two cameras at the same time - a wide zoom (17-55 f/2.8 IS) and a long zoom (70-200 f/2.8 IS), and often have both cameras hanging off me at the same time. The cameras, lenses and 2 x 580EX are bad enough on their own, but with a flash bracket and sync cords as well.....? Forget it. Too heavy, too unwieldy. Maybe if I had two of the small eBay brackets I might consider it, but not when one of my brackets is the large Stroboframe thingy, like this....

20080603_092555_02927_LR.jpg
 
yup thats the flash card tutorial i used to make mine.

they work very well, but crease up quite easily when you change locations.

got one or two why have you got a piece of paper stuck to your camera question.

eventually i said yuo will see when you see the photos (bare in mind this was friends wedding so I coudl get away with having a laugh and a joke )
 
Took delivery this morning of the canon bracket, a very solid, well designed bracket. Theres a screw fitting on the 580EX11 that the bracket secures to and this holds it rock steady. All in all I know its expensive but I'm perfectly satisfied with it.
 
Karen, would you care to share an example of the results with the new bracket in landscape and portrait orientation. I'm curious to understand how the Canon bracket compares with the more traditional offerings which keep the flash above the lens. Thanks.
 
tdodd said:
Karen, would you care to share an example of the results with the new bracket in landscape and portrait orientation. I'm curious to understand how the Canon bracket compares with the more traditional offerings which keep the flash above the lens. Thanks.
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Yes please do!
:thumbs:
 
tdodd said:
Karen, would you care to share an example of the results with the new bracket in landscape and portrait orientation. I'm curious to understand how the Canon bracket compares with the more traditional offerings which keep the flash above the lens. Thanks.
Click to expand...


it will only create good results in portrait mode(with the flash on the right and the camera turned so the flash is above), as that is what it is designed to do for press(pap) work......:naughty:


i have a metz45cl4 set up the same way(with the flash the same side as the shutter button at the same height as the lens axis) - works a treat for portaits - just dont use it for landscape :eek:
 
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