Flash Brackets, do you use one or otherwise?

Discussion in 'Photography, Art & Design' started by outlawaol, 12 Oct 2008.

  1. outlawaol

    outlawaol Geeked since 1982

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    I was at a wedding today and was snapping pictures alongside the photographer that they had there (I asked if I was bothering her, and she was cool about it) and she had a nifty fancy flash bracket. This one I think is the one she was using. But it was really slick, she just hit this button and the whole camera slid on this rail and was vertical without touching the flash. Very handy for keeping the flash setup the way you want it.

    Anyhow, I was impressed and liked the ease of use of this thing, and the fact that it threw the flash up and away from the lens. So I guess the question is obvious, do you use one? Or do you know why not to use one? Or otherwise, comments etc.

    I am throwing the idea around, as of late, to get into the photography field. And this would be a tool, more or less, to get better use out of my camera without dinking around with the camera to get things right.

    So comment away, unbiased responses get a free pat on the back. ;)

    :D
     
  2. Vers

    Vers ...

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    Eh, RPS brackets are OK but they are very cheap in construction. If you want a good bracket look into Custom Brackets (I have the CB JR, which is nice because of its size). If you ask whether or not they are vital for the average photog. I'd say no they are not, but they do come in handy at times. If you are planning on shooting events or weddings where you cannot set up proper lighting and if your planning on using flash most of the time then it may be wise to pick one up--although the last few weddings I shot I did not use mine.
     
  3. outlawaol

    outlawaol Geeked since 1982

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    Cool, thanks Vers *pats on the back* ;)

    Also, any comments/suggestions on Camera flash Shoe Cords? Or any generic one will generally 'cut the mustard'. And bracket switches, hehe. I am picking brains today! :D
     
  4. Firehed

    Firehed Why not? I own a domain to match.

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    Seems like an awful lot of bulk to still give you on-axis lighting. I think your money would be better spent on PWs or other radio triggers (the PCB units, while they don't have PW range, look like a fantastic value, unlike the cheap Chinese crap I'm currently using) and a couple rolls of gaffer tape. Tape a couple of strobes up in some discreet locations and have at it - it's not 'proper' lighting which would be ideal (unless you have an assistant, even umbrella'd lights would get impractical outside of some formals), but you can still create better light than what you'll generally get with an on-axis strobe.

    There's nothing fundamentally wrong with on-axis as a bit of fill light, but it tends to make a nasty key light especially in darker areas (ugly shadows in the backgrounds, little depth, etc). Bouncing off the ceiling can help quite a bit, but any decent flash head rotates anyways so if you were to use a bracket just to provide a consistent bounce angle it seems a bit of a waste. I don't think any flash bracket out there could let you place a flash high enough above the lens to really avoid harsh shadows.

    But then again I don't have a flash bracket nor have I ever used one. The above was just based off of little lighting diagrams and assumptions that boils down to basically the math of photography. Obviously plenty of people use them and while I think they can help to some extent, I don't see them as being a great investment.
     
  5. outlawaol

    outlawaol Geeked since 1982

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    I have to wonder about other advantages as well, better stability ect. *ponders*

    Thanks Firehed *pats on the back* :D
     
  6. Firehed

    Firehed Why not? I own a domain to match.

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    I don't see stability changing much. The hotshoe would still be the most likely point of failure but the 580EXII for example has a metal foot that's going to have to take a decent hit before it would snap off. I'd find the grips on brackets distinctly awkward as compared to your standard left hand under lens, right hand on camera controls approach, but I'm also quite short so added size and/or bulk never sits well with me.

    By all means, your best bet is to try one out in a local camera store if it's an option.
     
  7. Jumeira_Johnny

    Jumeira_Johnny 16032 - High plains drifter

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    Don't have one, don't use one, and don't see the value of one. I think if you specialized in a certain style the required one, then maybe; but until then I wouldn't worry about it. I think you would be better served with getting a good flash and learning to use it properly so that you get consistent results.
     
    Last edited: 12 Oct 2008

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