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L Bracket Recommendation please

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Lundy

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Hello everyone,

Today my photography instructor asked me to assist him with 5 weddings for the next 5 weekends.

I have a 20D and a 580EX and a battery pack for both the 20D and the 580EX. And plent of memory cards.

All I need now is a L bracket frame so I can put my 580EX off camera.

Some recommendations with reasons why you like yours and pros and cons of its features would be great.

Yes I am cross posting in other forums to get the most results please don't fuss at me for that.

Thanks!
--
Lundy

'Sometimes the best part of wanting something is not having it.' ME 1994

http://www.pbase.com/lundy
 
Lundy said:
Hello everyone,

Today my photography instructor asked me to assist him with 5
weddings for the next 5 weekends.

I have a 20D and a 580EX and a battery pack for both the 20D and
the 580EX. And plent of memory cards.

All I need now is a L bracket frame so I can put my 580EX off camera.

Some recommendations with reasons why you like yours and pros and
cons of its features would be great.

Yes I am cross posting in other forums to get the most results
please don't fuss at me for that.
Click to expand...
I like my Stroboframe Pro-RL bracket due to high flash distance, ability to put bracket/camera/flash down on a table if needed, and the ability to lock camera into vertical or horizontal orientation. I posted a list of other bracket manufactures here: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1025&message=14185956
 
Technically speaking, you are interested in a flash bracket and not an L bracket. An L bracket is used so that you can attach the camera in a vertical position to a tripod head. I use an L bracket from Really Right Stuff. It works great but costs a couple of hundred dollars. For a flash bracket, I use a Stroboframe Pro-T. I need to return it for warranty repair as I wasn't able to get one of the screws loosened so that I could adjust the horizontal position of the flash.
--
http://www.fantasy-photo.com
 
If you get the Stroboframe Pro-T, don't forget to get an anti-twist plate to go with it as you'll probably need one for your camera. The anti-twist plate holds the Pro-T in place where it's attached to the bottom of your camera. It works better than the cork pad that comes with the Pro-T. Also, you'll need to buy an off camera cord for your flash, which you are probably aware of.
--
http://www.fantasy-photo.com
 
It is called the folding flip bracket by Stroboframe.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=325513&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Why I like it. It is lightweight.
It is relatively low cost.
It is relatively small, and compact.
It is sturdy enough for the combo your are referring to
It is low cost
And of course, it is low cost, did I forget to mention that.
Try one and see if you can use it.

In handling it, however keep your fingers away from the red studs or the unit will collapse while in use....I have learned that much so far.

RRS is a sophisticated system I might invest in after trying the fairly cheap flip flash from Stoboframe. Flash will not ride as high as some, but high enough for me....if you need higher, then an assistant with a monopod might be in order. I did weddings once and I would have used this baby, linked above.
Good luck, and save your hard earned kopeks...GS
 
I just bought a "FlashFrame" FF400 H.O.T. (Hand on Top) flash bracket from Ritz Camera of all places and I love it! It's relatively cheap and allows you to still hold on to the camera & not the bracket. It allows you to maintain the use of a vertical shutter release if you have one. It's also very lightweight.

http://www.omegasatter.com/v2/products/displayproduct.cfm?ProdID=3484

It looks like it would be cheap, but I asked to take one out and try it & they let me. I use it on my huge Kodak DCS SLR/N and it works great!

Gary
 
I second Pat's advice -- I got RRS flash bracket and I already used it at several events -- it works amazingly well. I use it with 1DsII/550EX.

One huge advantage of RRS over other flash brackets (in my opinion) is that it is so multifunctional. I also use it successfully for macro photography, I use part of it for panorama shots, and I use the L bracket constantly for architecture shots. I know people are also using it with great success in wildlife photography. Of course this is only an advantage if you do more than one type of work.

When you take it off, it colapses to a very small and flat package which helps save space in your gear bag.

The quality is amazing -- all parts are machined with superb precision and everything clicks together perfectly.

Alec
Patrick Love said:
I advise you take a look at RRS flash brackets. They are extremely
well built and easy to use. I bought both the L-bracket and flash
bracket from these guys.

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com

flash brakcet:
http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/flash/index.html

Pat
Click to expand...
 
Lundy said:
Some recommendations with reasons why you like yours and pros and
cons of its features would be great.
Click to expand...
I don't use flash brackets because they are bulky and heavy and don't do much. The only disadavantage of not using a flash bracket is when shooting vertical and firing the flash directly; this creates the well-known ugly shadows. One can avoid this by simply not shooting verticals (this has ither advanatges, for example when it comes to the layout of a photo album. Also, the 20D has more than enough resolution reserves to "crop" a horizontal shot to a vertical one) or then bounce the flash.

If you seriously want to work with flashes "off" the camera, then consider positioning the flashes in the room / on stands / held by the assistant and shooting with the Canon wireless system or other solutions liek Pocket Wizards etc. The wireless system has the advantage that you keep E-TTL.
 
I use it with my 20D and my 1DMKII

this is how it looks mounted with the 1DMKII, canon 580 ex flash and the canon 24-70mm 2.8 lense



 
This is being very helpful. Please keep the suggestions comming. Also include if you hold the frame with your left or right hand. I am right handed and plan on holding the frame with my left hand and want my right hand to be free for controls.
--
Lundy

'Sometimes the best part of wanting something is not having it.' ME 1994

http://www.pbase.com/lundy
 
that's why i like that strobe a frame of mine. has cable release built into the handle.
 
I've been very happy with the stroboframe Press-T and Pro-T brackets. They are compact, lightweight, and unlike most brackets, you still hold the camera, not the bracket. I much prefer that. These two brackets flip up for verticals -- nice touch. Not as elegant as the camera rotating brackets, but not as bulky and heavy either.

I use one of these two brackets extensively when I'm shooting groups and grip and grin event stuff. For news coverage, I tend to just go with the flash on camera, because it's more rough and tumble and I don't want the hassle of a bracket and cable.
--
Regards,
Paul
http://www.bangbangphoto.com
 
You must go to the store with your camera and try them on for size. The handles are different, the heights of the flash bracket, are different, the weights are different and how they attach to the bottom of the camera are different.
 
Lundy said:
...Also include if you hold the frame with your left or right hand. I
am right handed and plan on holding the frame with my left hand and
want my right hand to be free for controls.
Click to expand...
Don't over-analyze this trivial process - once you get the tool, it will be "obvious" how to handle that particular bracket.

The choice is three steps - the first decision is to choose a simple L-bracket or one that allows you to flip the flash for vertical shots.

The second step is to choose a frame that allows you to properly use your camera's vertical release or one that does not.

Your third decision is to choose the price of the unit to suit your pocket book.

IMHO - choose a fiipping frame that allows you to use the camera vertical release and is inexpensive.

tony
http://www.tphoto.ca
 
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