I love Bogen 233B flash bracket!

[cowman345]

A word out to anyone looking for an awesome flash bracket: I just picked up (about 50 bucks after shipping) a new Bogen 233B telescoping flash bracket.

The thing opens to 17" and makes my snapshots look awesome. Combine that with a homemade velcro-on flash bouncer and a 420ex, you have a killer flash system!

I can't imagine why I originally bought a Stroboframe RL 2000 at over twice the price. My photos with my new Bogen blow the old ones away!

Problem though: The bracket, due to it's length, seriously shifts the center of gravity... has anyone found a good way to hold this in both vertical and horizontal with minimal movement of the flash?

-dave-

[robertwgross]

Did you ever hear "You don't get something for nothing"?

The term "awesome" is seldom used on a mundane flash bracket.

---Bob Gross---

[DaveG]

cowman345 wrote:
A word out to anyone looking for an awesome flash bracket: I just picked up (about 50 bucks after shipping) a new Bogen 233B telescoping flash bracket.

The thing opens to 17" and makes my snapshots look awesome. Combine that with a homemade velcro-on flash bouncer and a 420ex, you have a killer flash system!

I can't imagine why I originally bought a Stroboframe RL 2000 at over twice the price. My photos with my new Bogen blow the old ones away!

Problem though: The bracket, due to it's length, seriously shifts the center of gravity... has anyone found a good way to hold this in both vertical and horizontal with minimal movement of the flash?

-dave-

A near as I can tell from photos of the 233B, there's no way to get the flash tube directly over the lens of the camera in either the vertical or horizontal camera orientation. If this is the case you are going to get "side shadow", that horrible shadow on the one side of the subject. Side shadow is unacceptible in a professional photograph and you'd get your ass booted if you submitted one.

What the Stroboframe brackets (I have the Pro-T) do is to pivot the flash (or in some, turn the camera) in order that the flash stays directly over the lens in either orientation. There is still a shadow but it fall directly behind the subject. If you don't have the subject's close to a wall that shadow fall in such a way that the lens can't "see" it.

[cowman345]

Actually, the Bogen allows the flash to tilt in any direction at all... it's a simple matter to get the flash directly over the lens. I could even pop a tiny gitzo ball head on top to make the flash go straight if neccessary so it's not tilted.

However, I'll have to be careful of the side-shadow as you've mentioned. I was hoping for more directional lighting, but perhaps it wouldn't exactly work as I had planned.

Thanks for your input!

-dave-