Disable tilt/swivel locks on Speedlites?

[Anders Östberg]

I don't like the lock buttons for the tilt and swivel on the Speedlite flashes (I have one 420EX and one 550EX), they seem redundant as there is a "click stop" for each possible position, and they are difficult to use.

Has anyone tried disabling these lock buttons?

-Anders

[robertwgross]

I don't find the buttons to be difficult for anybody with an opposable thumb.

What is difficult?

---Bob Gross---

[Vegas Poboy]

Locks work fine by me, I would also like to know whats the problem.

[Anders Östberg]

I just feel they are annoying and redundant. I don't see what use there is for the lock, the flash head is kept in place by the click stop in the other positions, so why having to fiddle with a lock button in the center position?

Maybe I'm alone. I'll see if I can't get rid of the locks anyway, they fill no function.

-Anders

[robertwgross]

Why do I get the feeling that somebody will see slightly modified Speedlites showing up on ebay soon?

---Bob Gross---

[DaveG]

I don't like the lock buttons for the tilt and swivel on the Speedlite flashes (I have one 420EX and one 550EX), they seem redundant as there is a "click stop" for each possible position, and they are difficult to use.

Has anyone tried disabling these lock buttons?

-Anders

I know of no way to disable the lock buttons, but I too think that they are useless. Just to begin it makes using the flash a two handed affair.

A few years ago when I was working for a daily newspaper I photographed the arrest of a local drug guy. I was using a Nikon F3 and a Metz 45 Ct-1 on a bracket. He took issue with me and while handcuffed leaned back and took a kick in my direction. I leaned back too and the tip of his foot just caught the edge of the Metz and flipped it up. If the flash had been a Canon 550 it would have broken something.