flash grip brackets... - DPChallenge Forums

08/18/2004 06:55:30 PM · #1

Ive decided to make myself truly dorky and purchase a flash grip bracket thingy. Im tired of bad shadows. Can anyone give advice to their personal experience with these devices? Have you learned what works and what doesnt as far as brands and size etc. Also, do you hold it with your left hand or right hand? And if you hold it with your right hand...how do you trip the shutter? Im very confused. Any advice will be most appreciated.

08/18/2004 06:58:42 PM · #2

i am fed up of the flash too :) it is not as consistant as natural light and flash photography to me is all luck.

anyway , i got sb800 myself and the shadows are still following me :)

got the flash cord and sb800 comes with diffuser , that helps.

do you know any good book on Flash Photograhy ?

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/18/2004 07:02:31 PM · #3

ive got the sb800 as well. I am only having shadow issues when holding the camera vertical...despite the diffuser and bouncing off of ceilings and what not. The only time it works for me is to turn the flash completely around and bounce it off the wall behind me. Not every situation has a nice little wall behind me. I also ordered the flash cord...now i need to decide on a bracket grip thingy....dreadful as it seems.

KevinRiggs

Canon EOS-1Ds

08/18/2004 07:08:29 PM · #4

Julia,

There are numerous brackets out there but I use the Newton Di400CR flash bracket. You can see a mirror reflection of me holding it in the thumbnail below. You don't hold this bracket; you support the camera (or lens) with your left hand as usual and use your right hand to hold the camera. The camera feels pretty much like normal although you have a very slight change in weight and center of balance.

Kev

Natator

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/18/2004 07:14:17 PM · #5

This is a post I made a week ago on another thread (on a separate topic):

***************************************
I picked up the bracket at my local photo store, they had 2 or 3 different ones to choose from. Don't buy the official Canon one, it is a complete rip off. It fits onto any camera that has the screw hole for the tripod mount, as simple as that.

The off shoe cable is expensive, and for that I think you do need the Canon one though. I was wrongly informed by the photo store initially and bought a standard (cheap) off shoe cable and it simply didn't work, so they refunded it for me.

I've taken a couple of snapshots of the one I have. One put together with an old 35mm body, and the other with it split apart so you can see the parts. No battery grip there, but as the battery grip fits under the body, the bracket there would then just screw into the bottom of the grip.

Bracket is excellent value :)

The one design flaw is, with this model, maybe not others, is you need to do the screy up STUPIDLY tight in order to ensure the whole thing doesn't simply twist under the body, as there is only the single screw holding it in. Just like with a tripod mount not done tight enough, except here with the arm there can be a lot of leverage so it gets worse.

The cable I use heaps and heaps, I love it (with or without bracket), but still think it is overpriced for what it is.

Lafaminit

Nikon D80

08/18/2004 07:16:16 PM · #6

I've got a stroboframe flip, and it works great. I bought it new on eBay for about 1/2 price

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

08/18/2004 07:16:55 PM · #7

so...does this mean the camera will become too heavy for me to walk around with a rum and coke in one hand while shooting with the other hand? ....grrrrr.

And what about when you hold it horizontal?

Lafaminit

Nikon D80

08/18/2004 07:18:28 PM · #8

Originally posted by grigrigirl:

so...does this mean the camera will become too heavy for me to walk around with a rum and coke in one hand while shooting with the other hand? ....grrrrr.

And what about when you hold it horizontal?

Stroboframe has a handle...camera is very secure regardless of the orientation. It works fine when running with rum and coke, but gets a little off kilter when running with shots of tequila ;)

Canon EOS-60D

08/18/2004 07:19:38 PM · #9

Originally posted by grigrigirl:

so...does this mean the camera will become too heavy for me to walk around with a rum and coke in one hand while shooting with the other hand? ....grrrrr.

...yeah... gotta prioritize, you know!!!! ;o)

08/18/2004 07:21:25 PM · #10

lafaminit...LOL...now i know how you came with that name. :)

As for cords...I ordered the one specific for the SB800...seemed pretty pricey at $80..but also seems like something you dont want to be cheap about.

Thanks for all of your input!

d14

Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro

08/18/2004 07:32:09 PM · #11

the stroboframe quick flip 350 has been my choice as well. It usually gets used along with the Lumiquest softbox.

08/18/2004 07:36:40 PM · #12

i dig that softbox! Will it fit my SB800?

d14

Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro

08/18/2004 07:38:41 PM · #13

Originally posted by grigrigirl:

i dig that softbox! Will it fit my SB800?

it should. In the picture I've got it attached to an SB28. I think the SB800 actually replaced my flash.

08/18/2004 07:41:09 PM · #14

ok..im looking on B&H...they have a stroboframe flip for $66...weighs 15 oz. Then...the 350 is $46 and weight is 10 oz. What is really the difference here? I dont mind paying extra for what i really want...just need to know what i really want and need.

d14

Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro

08/18/2004 07:48:10 PM · #15

Originally posted by grigrigirl:

The $66 version basically folds down for easier storage.

08/18/2004 08:04:13 PM · #16

on ebay i could so many with extra fitting , can i put my camera on tripod too ? once i attach this stroboframe?

08/18/2004 08:05:47 PM · #17

//www.tiffen.com/Stroboframe_ProRL_page.htm
use this linkstrobe

Lafaminit

Nikon D80

08/18/2004 08:10:32 PM · #18

Originally posted by singale:

on ebay i could so many with extra fitting , can i put my camera on tripod too ? once i attach this stroboframe?

yeah, with the stroboframe, you can still attach to a tripod.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/18/2004 08:16:24 PM · #19

tell me which one to buy for nikon d1x with sb800 , with vertical shoot if necessary.

thanks

Natator

Canon EOS-5D

08/18/2004 08:24:35 PM · #20

Good point there about tripods ....

I forgot to mention, but with that cheap bracket I showed, which does not flip, you can't then use your tripod.

Grigrigirl ..... as a guy there is a slightly different approach I am taking. Where as you have the problem of "can I still walk and guzzle alcohol at the same time", my thought process as a guy goes more along the lines of ...

"Will this camera, with the massive lens (aka penile extension) look even more impressive with this particular flash bracket, as if it does my chances of having gurls throw themselves at me offering to strip for the camera as they think I am a pro increases".

The fact that the whole camera setup ends up weighing 25 Lbs can also be a bonus as the chicks now see your bulging biceps as you carry it ... you just have to hide behind something periodically as you catch your breath again from all the effort of doing so.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

08/18/2004 08:32:33 PM · #21

I have the quik flip 350. I basically bought it to shoot my sister's reception.

It does what it says, I didn't find it cumbersome or inconvenient to use at all.

It works pretty well with rum and coke in hand too. ;-)

There might be something better out there, but this does what I need it too.

08/18/2004 08:38:18 PM · #22

Originally posted by Natator:

LOL!

08/18/2004 08:39:35 PM · #23

i think the flip is better than 310

08/18/2004 08:41:53 PM · #24

well..i just ordered the 350 and that nifty little softbox!