Anyone using the Stroboframe quick flip 350 w/battery grip?

[Adam Hicks]

I just ordered one plus an off shoe cord (Canons not generic) for a bridal portrait shoot I'm doing Friday (I know I know... I don't want to hear about it.) and I'm wondering if it'll work properly with the Canon grip on a 20D (or 10D for all that matters.)

Thanks!
Adam

[Adam Hicks]

errr thanks for your help :)

[yenoram]

I have the 20D with grip and the Stroboframe quick flip flash bracket is too small - you'll need to remove the grip to make it useable.

[Moments]

I have the 20D with grip and the Stroboframe quick flip flash bracket is too small - you'll need to remove the grip to make it useable.


I have to disagree. I have a quickflip setup with both my old 10D and now with my 20D that both had grips. It is possible that I purchase the 120 and not the 35 quick flip as I remember having the camera with me when I was looking for a bracket. It is at the studio so I can't look to make sure, but I have shot over 100 weddings with it. I did have to do a little modifications to the quickflip bracket I have.

#1: The initial way most people attach it to any camera I believe is wrong. I have turned it around so that the handle part of the stroboframe is on the same side of the camera as the CF card door so when you shoot vertical the shutter button is on top as well as the flash.

#2: In order to do this I drilled another hole about 1/4 inch further out on the brackets base so as to move the handle part away from the camera's CF door so it will open.

#3: In order to keep it from shifting and drifting while in the vertical postion, I added a stroboframe quick disconnect. I also found that the glue used on the quick disconnect's mounting plate that the the cork attaches to does not hold. I used epoxy to attach the cork to the mounting plate. The quick disconnect also makes breaking down the system quicker than unscrewing the bracket and it also sits flatter without the wing type screw when you put it down.

The only thing that I'm not too crazy about is if you have the bracket postioned for horizontal shooting and you are holding the camera by its grip, it is easy to turn the setup slightly to your right and then the bracket can swing its self to the vertical postion and the weight of the flash can snap the flash off its shoe, or damage the off camera she cord. For this reason and this reason only would I suggest the Stroboframe Bracket - Pro-RL in which the camera rotates not the flash. It does cost a considerable amount more than the quick flip. I just don't remember which way it rotates. It is a much larger bracket and if I remember correctly, that is the reason I did not originally purchase it do to space in my case.

I'm also considering the Lightsphere II by Gary Fong so as to do away with a bracket all together, but again the space issue lingers with the camera case for my digital system.

my 2c

Pete
www.memorablemoments.net (http://www.memorablemoments.net/)

[WesleyWong]

i have the quickflip with my 10d and battery grip and the size is perfect - you still have a couple inches of clearance from the top of the body to the flipping area.

[Adam Hicks]

Cool thanks guys. Hey Moments, I keep hearing stuff about this lightspehere but I don't quite understand how it's going to eliminate the need of a bracket. Can you enlighten me? I'm using the Lumiquest 80/20 with inserts right now.

P.S. This is for a wedding, and I know I'm going to be shooting 80%+ of my candids and couple shots portrait mode, so I wanted to get the frame and get comfortable with it a few weeks before go time. I think I'm ok on lenses (will have the 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8, 70-200 2.8 IS, 100-400 IS, 28-75 2.8 and the 10-22.) the wedding is actually outdoors so that's either a good thing (no low light no flash issues) or a bad thing (they sure like the have outdoor weddings at 12 noon!) I might need another tip or two from you before we get there. I'm working out a checklist of shots I don't want to miss, and a checklist of camera settings, etc before each shooting session. I've done a few before so I think I'm pretty well prepared for this one, but I know we get better with experience!

Thanks!
Adam

[yenoram]

Well, clearly Moments and WesleyWong must have a different model QuickFlip than I have. I'm at work so I can't say what model number my bracket is but there is no way it can fit a 20D with grip - the popup flash on the 20D impedes the horizontal crossbar that holds the flash. If the unit was flexible enough to allow extension of the handle, the setup would work but it doesn't as is. I'm considering having a 2 inch extension welded to the handle to make it work.

[Todd Jacobsen]

Cool thanks guys. Hey Moments, I keep hearing stuff about this lightspehere but I don't quite understand how it's going to eliminate the need of a bracket. Can you enlighten me? I'm using the Lumiquest 80/20 with inserts right now.

Thanks!
Adam

Adam,
I'd like to see your result differences between the Lightsphere and the 80-20! Please post them on a different thread.

I just purchased the Lightsphere as well and am really interested in getting the Lumiquest ProMax system (which includes the 80-20). Both of them are comparable in price.

Since the 80-20 alone is for low ceilings, I guess that's all you can test against. Weddings tend to have high ceilings so the reall comparison would be between the ProMax system vs Lightsphere II.

Essentially, the Lightsphere attempts to be a bounce -and- direct diffuser in one package. Similar concept to the 80-20, just slightly different.

The less need for a bracket could only mean red-eye is eliminated.

[Todd Jacobsen]

Well, clearly Moments and WesleyWong must have a different model QuickFlip than I have. I'm at work so I can't say what model number my bracket is but there is no way it can fit a 20D with grip - the popup flash on the 20D impedes the horizontal crossbar that holds the flash. If the unit was flexible enough to allow extension of the handle, the setup would work but it doesn't as is. I'm considering having a 2 inch extension welded to the handle to make it work.

Or just purchase the Stroboframe RL... I have it and it's a definite step up from the Quick Flip. Easily handles the 10D/20D with battery grip.

[Moments]

Well, clearly Moments and WesleyWong must have a different model QuickFlip than I have. I'm at work so I can't say what model number my bracket is but there is no way it can fit a 20D with grip - the popup flash on the 20D impedes the horizontal crossbar that holds the flash. If the unit was flexible enough to allow extension of the handle, the setup would work but it doesn't as is. I'm considering having a 2 inch extension welded to the handle to make it work.


Yenoram, Yes the popup flash will not work with the quickflip. The popup flash will not popup when the off camera cord is on the hotshoe either. I don't know if the popup flash will work with a external flash via the pc socket either.

On my setup with the grip and a quick disconnect, I have a little less than a 1/2 inch of clearence between the top of the off camera cord and the top cross bar of the quickflip. My quickflip has not been extended either.

Adam,
As far as how the lightsphere works without a bracket, check out http://secure.mycart.net/catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=3354218&showprevnext=1

I have a 80/20 that I used with out inserts that I use on my Quantum T2 / Hasselblad set up. I love the way it works with my Hasselblad for any location that has ceilings up to about 15 feet.

On the digital side, I was never very happy with it when I had my 10D, and now on my 20D. I found the 80/20 to be too spotty. My other shooter has the 80/20 with inserts and I'm not too happy with the quaility of light from that either. He also upgraded from a 10D to a 20D. I now use a stoefen diffuser wich I liked much more. I would stay with it, but after seeing examples of the lightsphere, I think I will also give it a try.

Pete
www.memorablemoments.net (http://www.memorablemoments.net)

[yenoram]

I'm not concerned about the popup flash working when the flash bracket is mounted - clearly it would be pointless to use the popup when the idea of a flash bracket is to mount an external flash off-camera. The point I was trying to make (obviously, not very well :-))is that the bump where the popup flash resides gets in the way of the cross-bar that holds the external flash - in my case by about 1/2 inch or so.

[markubig]

I'm not concerned about the popup flash working when the flash bracket is mounted - clearly it would be pointless to use the popup when the idea of a flash bracket is to mount an external flash off-camera. The point I was trying to make (obviously, not very well :))is that the bump where the popup flash resides gets in the way of the cross-bar that holds the external flash - in my case by about 1/2 inch or so.
I agree with yenoram. Last month, I went to the camera shop and tried to buy the quickflip for my Drebel+grip. The popup flash "hump" hit the vertical bar, and that was without the off-shoe card attached yet. I believe the 20D is slightly larger than the Drebel, so I would think it, too, will not fit. I ended up buying the Stroboflip.
http://www.tiffen.com/Stroboframe_quickflip_page.htm

It holds the flash above the center of the lens in both the horizontal and vertical position by a quick "flip" that rotates the flash around the lens. It's fully adjustable to fit a camera with or without the grip. It's a lighter, smaller, and affordable option ($70). It's comfortable in the horizontal position. In the vertical position the bottom plate tends to get in the way of the battery grip's shutter release, so i've been sticking to using the normal shutter release button in the vertical.