Flash bracket help?

[midnight_rider]

I have been trying my hand at macro and I am ready to invest some money to get a better rig. I have read several threads and seem a lot of impressive homemade rigs. I would prefer to buy a cord and a bracket. I like the design of the delta but I am concerned about the build quality. I saw this bracket ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/551443-REG/Bogen_Manfrotto_330B_330B_Macro_Flash_Bracket.html ) in the "show your macro rig thread" and liked the way it looked. Has anyone used it? Could you recommend a better one. I do not want to spend so much that I could just buy an actual macro flash ( at least not yet) but I would like something that is well recommended. It will be used with a gripped 40D, 100mm 2.8, and a 430. I may add tubes in the future. I am sorry if this is a repost but it is a little overwhelming considering how many different brackets there are out there. Thanks for your help and responses.

[scot079]

Get the delta, it's a good bracket and can be used one of two ways: One is putting your speedlite at the end of the arm. The other is taking the arm off (allen wrenches) and replacing it w/ a small ballhead then putting the speedlite on that. It's more compact that way and you can always re-attach the arm.

If you want to use the ballhead method only, try this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/423407-REG/Custom_Brackets_CBMINI_CB_Mini_Camera_.html

[Bubble]

or this one ( i just found out)

http://www.aphanphoto.com/id.jpg

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/220145-REG/Ergorest_185500_Multi_Pod.html

[midnight_rider]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I like ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart&A=details&Q=&sku=278249&is=REG )this one but I am uncertain about its range of motion. This one would need a ball head as well? Any recommendations on a ball head? That was a good price on the mp-e 65. The only thing that I did not like about that link is that it was sold.

[scot079]

Yes I would put a ballhead on that one too...but I think the vertical arm is useless.

Here's a delta/bh combo:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2826922&postcount=56

Here's one w/ the Bogen bracket you like:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3266220&postcount=82

Here's a modified delta (used a center column from old tripod) Also shows the best diffuser IMO
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=4424542&postcount=149

In the end, I took off the vertical post and mounted the ballhead directly to the camera platform. The end of the diffuser met right up the end of my lens (w/out hood) and everything was great, don't have any pics though. To get the light directly on top of my subject, I rotated to portrait orientation, and since you have a grip on your 40D, you can shoot comfortably in portrait.

What made me give in and buy the MT-24EX was the varying length of the MP-E 65, it became a huge hassle to adjust the ballhead every time I changed the magnification.

Giottos has a good ballhead for this situation. You're looking compactness and load rating. You want the bh to be able to handle at least 3 lbs.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/221096-REG/Giottos_MH1004_320_MH1004_Mini_Ball_Head.html

Hope that helped

[RPCrowe]

The Siegelite bracket was not designed for macro photography but does extremely well as a macro bracket. Dr. Deepak Rao of Bangalore, India, a top notch macro photographer, sent me a picture of his rig. I realized that the Siegelite bracket which I had bought a few years earlier at a garage sale for $5.00 would work. My wife calls me a pack rat because I never throw anything photographic away. There is always a second chance to recycle equipment.

The bracket is articulated so I can point my flash where I need it. The image is showing a Canon 10D with a 420EX flash. I now use a 30D with a 550EX flash and, of course, a Canon off camera flash cord. The softbox is an old Lumiquest which I have also owned for years. However, Chinese copies are usually found on eBay for around ten dollars or you can fabricate one out of cardboard and some diffusing material.

The Siegelite is shown on a tripod in order to shoot the picture of it. However, I usually hand hold it. The arm on which the flash is mounted incorporates a handle so I have a two handed grip on the unit with my left hand on he handle and my right hand on the camera.

this specific Siegelite bracket is no longer sold new but is often found on eBay and usually goes for $10 to $20.

[midnight_rider]

Yes I would put a ballhead on that one too...but I think the vertical arm is useless.

Here's a delta/bh combo:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2826922&postcount=56

Here's one w/ the Bogen bracket you like:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3266220&postcount=82

Here's a modified delta (used a center column from old tripod) Also shows the best diffuser IMO
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=4424542&postcount=149

In the end, I took off the vertical post and mounted the ballhead directly to the camera platform. The end of the diffuser met right up the end of my lens (w/out hood) and everything was great, don't have any pics though. To get the light directly on top of my subject, I rotated to portrait orientation, and since you have a grip on your 40D, you can shoot comfortably in portrait.

What made me give in and buy the MT-24EX was the varying length of the MP-E 65, it became a huge hassle to adjust the ballhead every time I changed the magnification.

Giottos has a good ballhead for this situation. You're looking compactness and load rating. You want the bh to be able to handle at least 3 lbs.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/221096-REG/Giottos_MH1004_320_MH1004_Mini_Ball_Head.html

Hope that helped


Awesome, thanks for the ball head recommendations also.

[midnight_rider]

The Siegelite bracket was not designed for macro photography but does extremely well as a macro bracket. Dr. Deepak Rao of Bangalore, India, a top notch macro photographer, sent me a picture of his rig. I realized that the Siegelite bracket which I had bought a few years earlier at a garage sale for $5.00 would work. My wife calls me a pack rat because I never throw anything photographic away. There is always a second chance to recycle equipment.

The bracket is articulated so I can point my flash where I need it. The image is showing a Canon 10D with a 420EX flash. I now use a 30D with a 550EX flash and, of course, a Canon off camera flash cord. The softbox is an old Lumiquest which I have also owned for years. However, Chinese copies are usually found on eBay for around ten dollars or you can fabricate one out of cardboard and some diffusing material.

The Siegelite is shown on a tripod in order to shoot the picture of it. However, I usually hand hold it. The arm on which the flash is mounted incorporates a handle so I have a two handed grip on the unit with my left hand on he handle and my right hand on the camera.

this specific Siegelite bracket is no longer sold new but is often found on eBay and usually goes for $10 to $20.

Are those style diffusers better than the smaller ones that just cover the front of the flash? http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart&A=details&Q=&sku=408072&is=REG
Sorry about all the questions but I am just starting to use a flash.

[midnight_rider]

Tanks everyone I just placed my order and went with.
1. Manfrotto 233B flash bracket
2. Giottos MH1004 ball head
3. Canon OC-E3 off camera cord
4. SBM #0106 diffuser

Maybe this will work well for me until I can convince myself to get a real macro flash.