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flash brackets / umbrella holders without spigot connections??

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Chiemsee

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Hello Forum! :)

Maybe some of the experienced flash users could help me with a long time nagging problem...

I'm looking for stable but compact flash brackets without spigot connection.

Mostly for mid size flashes, a bit larger than hotshoe speedlites.

E.g. I very much like the compact design of the SMDV FJ-02. But for my taste the quality of the main angle screw is not good and not easily adjustable in fine increments.

Do you know of any better (all e.g. all metal, stable main handle with lever) alternatives?

I don't like the solutions with spigots (e.g. Phottix Varos Pro S ), as
  • I find it hard to have a stable connection which stays absolutely in line (and doesn't slightly rotate out of axis)
  • in addition most brackets are unnecessarily large for my taste, e.g. Phottix Varos Pro BG
Thanks for any insights! ;-)

Fab
 
Excellent question!

The most compact umbrella swivel in my bag is the LumoPro LP633.
http://www.cameratools.de/studio-ausrustung/swifels/lumopro-lp633-umbrella-swivel-hotshoe/

It’s 17mm shorter than the Phottix Varos Pro S. The Varos has 6 dents from 0-90°, the LP633 has 8 dents. Not as fine as I would like, but…

The shoe of the LP633 is mounted with 2 screws, so no misalignment with the umbrella. The umbrella hole is slanted.
It has a spigot-hole at the bottom - not sure how you want to mount it on a light stand without one.

An entirely different question is, whether a fixed shoe at the top is the best solution.
If you use a LumoPro LP180 speedlight you want a ¼” screw to mount it horizontally. The same if you strap your speedlight horizontally onto a DIY plate. In that case the Varos S is the way to go.

But let’s see which other suggestions come up. I’m also interested to find something more compact with finer adjustment.
 
Hi!

Thanks for the info of the LP633 (didn't know of this bracket yet). Unfortunately it doesn't look much more stable/fine tunable comparted to the SMDV FJ-02. And I need 1/4'' screw for flash, no normal speedlite foot.... ;-/

fab
 
Last edited:
Chiemsee said:
Chiemsee said:
Either a Chimera Single or Dual Axis Stand Adapter: http://chimeralighting.com/shop/?c=17227/GripHeadsandStandAdapters
Click to expand...
Interesting brackets! Haven't heard about them before (most brands aren't easily available in Europe... :/ ).

But it seems they connect to a flash (or e.g. the FourSquare Block you mentioned) by spigots? So no real difference to more ordinary Manfrotto or Phottix (e.g. Varos)?
Click to expand...
Chimera Lighting is the company that if they didn't invent "softboxes" ( the owner of the original Larson company did and he trademarked the name which is the legal reason why Chimera Lighting calls what they make "light banks") is the company whose designs made them them popular among working professional, editorial, and advertising photographers in the early 1980s.

The LightwareDirect FourSquare was created by one of chimera's co-founders, Gary Register, with his friend Paul Peregrine.

What are you referring to by "spigot"? Where the flash connects to the bracket or where the bracket connects to the stand?
 
Ellis Vener said:
Chiemsee said:
Ellis Vener said:
Either a Chimera Single or Dual Axis Stand Adapter: http://chimeralighting.com/shop/?c=17227/GripHeadsandStandAdapters
Click to expand...
Interesting brackets! Haven't heard about them before (most brands aren't easily available in Europe... :/ ).

But it seems they connect to a flash (or e.g. the FourSquare Block you mentioned) by spigots? So no real difference to more ordinary Manfrotto or Phottix (e.g. Varos)?
Click to expand...
Chimera Lighting is the company that if they didn't invent "softboxes" ( the owner of the original Larson company did and he trademarked the name which is the legal reason why Chimera Lighting calls what they make "light banks") is the company whose designs made them them popular among working professional, editorial, and advertising photographers in the early 1980s.

The LightwareDirect FourSquare was created by one of chimera's co-founders, Gary Register, with his friend Paul Peregrine.
Click to expand...
I knew most of this. Doesn't change that other brands are much more prevalent where I live (and therefore "cheaper").
Ellis Vener said:
What are you referring to by "spigot"? Where the flash connects to the bracket or where the bracket connects to the stand?
Click to expand...
Spigot: https://www.manfrotto.com/adapter-spigot

I'm mainly referring to the top connection (between flash and flash bracket).

Concerning the lower connection between light stand and flash bracket: I don't see any alternatives on the market except the spigot type. Though from a technical/engeneering point of view I think this connection is quite sub-optimal (at least for the things I expect from a comfortable good connection).
 
You are aware of that the Varos S does not have a spigot on top but a ¼” screw on which the shoe is mounted and secured with a counter thumb nut?
 
Seedeich said:
You are aware of that the Varos S does not have a spigot on top but a ¼” screw on which the shoe is mounted and secured with a counter thumb nut?
Click to expand...
Yes (I have two of those), sorry, the formulation in my original posting was misleading.

I meant whether you know of any bracket solutions completely different from the ordinary brackets like the Phottix stuff (like the SMDV FJ-02, which has a really nice top connection without rotation locking problems).

The Phottix Varos S is o.k. in my opinion, as it is quite compact and still stable. But the top locking mechanism is much worse than the SMDV FJ-02): If you use it the way as it is supposed to be used you
  • have to fiddle around to have both exact alignment and very tight connection
  • it's easy to make the connection lose when trying to re-adjust alinment, especially with medium sized flashes
 
Chiemsee said:
Ellis Vener said:
Chiemsee said:
Chiemsee said:
Either a Chimera Single or Dual Axis Stand Adapter: http://chimeralighting.com/shop/?c=17227/GripHeadsandStandAdapters
Click to expand...
Interesting brackets! Haven't heard about them before (most brands aren't easily available in Europe... :/ ).

But it seems they connect to a flash (or e.g. the FourSquare Block you mentioned) by spigots? So no real difference to more ordinary Manfrotto or Phottix (e.g. Varos)?
Click to expand...
Chimera Lighting is the company that if they didn't invent "softboxes" ( the owner of the original Larson company did and he trademarked the name which is the legal reason why Chimera Lighting calls what they make "light banks") is the company whose designs made them them popular among working professional, editorial, and advertising photographers in the early 1980s.

The LightwareDirect FourSquare was created by one of chimera's co-founders, Gary Register, with his friend Paul Peregrine.
Click to expand...
I knew most of this. Doesn't change that other brands are much more prevalent where I live (and therefore "cheaper").
Chiemsee said:
What are you referring to by "spigot"? Where the flash connects to the bracket or where the bracket connects to the stand?
Click to expand...
Spigot: https://www.manfrotto.com/adapter-spigot

I'm mainly referring to the top connection (between flash and flash bracket).

Concerning the lower connection between light stand and flash bracket: I don't see any alternatives on the market except the spigot type. Though from a technical/engeneering point of view I think this connection is quite sub-optimal (at least for the things I expect from a comfortable good connection).
Click to expand...
Pity it isnt optimal from a theorectical PoV. On the other hand its a way of doing things that had worked for tens if not hundreds of thousands of photographers for 30+ years.
 
Ellis Vener said:
Pity it isnt optimal from a theorectical PoV. On the other hand its a way of doing things that had worked for tens if not hundreds of thousands of photographers for 30+ years.
Click to expand...
Why such an aggressive unfriendly undertone? (My mother tongue isn't English (obviously); so maybe I offended you somehow without realizing it. So if that's the case: Sorry for this.)

By the way, I know a lot of photographers, who also think the spigot system is not optimal (but obviously for historical reasons still on the market).

Have you ever used boom arms with heavy load attached to spigot connections?..... ;)
 
Have you ever used boom arms with heavy load attached to spigot connections?.....

In fact, I have. Every time I mount a boomed light in a Grip head on the end of a boom, something which happens a few times a month, and I've been doing so since 1981.

--
Ellis Vener
http://www.ellisvener.com
Free your eyes and the rest will follow. (With apologies to George Clinton.)
 
Last edited:
Ellis Vener said:
Have you ever used boom arms with heavy load attached to spigot connections?.....

In fact, I have. Every time I mount a boomed light in a Grip head on the end of a boom, something which happens a few times a month, and I've been doing so since 1981.
Click to expand...
And you never realized that "it works fine, but could be a bit better in certain circumstances"?

Evolutionary scientists say, by the way, that most of evolutionary/historically developed systems consist of sub-optimal elements (also human organs e.g. ;)) and are continually adapted and optimized (sometimes (forever) hindered by latency due to lack of activation energy to hop above the phase transition barrier deviding the old historical standards from the new ones; especially when the benefit is only incremental, but the transition energy/investment high).

Anyway, I'd prefer to stay on the constructive and less meta-discussion level in my threads please, thanks. :)

Just wanted to find out whether there are alternatives to standard spigot systems on the market, I might not be aware of already, that's all.

I'm perfectly fine with the equipment I use. I just think it could be better :)
 
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