Skyports

[DelvisFoto]

Has anyone found a way to keep the skyport on the hotshoe. I must of lost 3 of these already very annoying.


Del

[tim]

Someone came up with putting a semi-soft glue on the bottom, it gives you more friction and reduces the chances of them coming off. Personally I use the sync port with the skyport velcro'd to the side of the flash head, and a locking PC cable connecting them.

[Cathpah]

Someone came up with putting a semi-soft glue on the bottom, it gives you more friction and reduces the chances of them coming off.

yep, it was Robert (TMR Design), who posted that....I do believe he used gorilla glue. If you do a search, I'm sure you'll find it.

Edit: HERE (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=687838)it is.

[DelvisFoto]

yep, it was Robert (TMR Design), who posted that....I do believe he used gorilla glue. If you do a search, I'm sure you'll find it.

Edit: HERE (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=687838)it is.
That's great!
Thanks guys!


Del

[jdear]

someone should invent a hotshoe extender adapater, which simply heightens the hotshoe platform, but locks onto the camera and locks flash, receiver etc ontop.

[mufutau55]

Got a link to this adapter?

Mufutau

someone should invent a hotshoe extender adapater, which simply heightens the hotshoe platform, but locks onto the camera and locks flash, receiver etc ontop.

[symbolphoto]

I don't think it exists, but if it did, that'd be grand. I haven't had mine fall off yet, either of them, but they do occasionally come loose.

[picturecrazy]

I wish they'd just update the design dammit! Just this last weekend, mine fell off in the middle of a huge grassy field and I didn't realize it until I was already 1km away. Luckily I found it. The weekend before, it fell off on a dancefloor and I didn't know. The DJ came up to me asking if it was mine. Someone had found it on the dance floor and thought it was the DJ's. Luckily someone didn't step on it.

They drive me nuts!!

The gorilla glue looks like a good idea, except that I often put the skyport into the hotshoe of my PW miniTT1. On the pocketwizard, it's a VERY tight fit and will never fall off. I think if I put gorilla glue or something on it, I won't be able to get it onto the miniTT1 hotshoe at all.

[tim]

The workaround, I think, is not to put the skyport into the hotshoe.

[picturecrazy]

The workaround, I think, is not to put the skyport into the hotshoe.

Not a great solution for a shoe-mounted trigger. why oh why did they design a locking mechanism?

[TMR Design]

I don't understand why any manufacturer makes a shoe mount device without a lock or screw-down lock.

[tim]

Not a great solution for a shoe-mounted trigger. why oh why did they design a locking mechanism?

'cause they're ****wits. It's not a great solution but I just velcro it to the side of my flash and it stays put.

[FlashZebra]

I don't understand why any manufacturer makes a shoe mount device without a lock or screw-down lock.
It is a cost issue.

You can mold the entire flash foot in one piece, if it does not have a locking mechanism.

If you add even the simplest locking mechanism the piece count on the flash foot goes to at least 3 or more (more likely more, with associated fastening devices like screws) and then there is the the related necessary assembly costs.

While a manufacturer possibly should not decide to take this approach and net the associated manufacturing savings, this is WHY they do.

Enjoy! Lon

[TMR Design]

It is a cost issue.

You can mold the entire flash foot in one piece, if it does not have a locking mechanism.

If you add even the simplest locking mechanism the piece count on the flash foot goes to at least 3 or more (more likely more, with associated fastening devices like screws) and then there is the the related necessary assembly costs.

While a manufacturer possibly should not decide to take this approach and net the associated manufacturing savings, this is WHY they do.

Enjoy! Lon

Hi Lon,

That all makes sense and I do understand manufacturing costs. You would think that Elinchrom would have the lock, even at a slightly higher price, knowing that a large percentage of the sales are to professionals that need to rely on their gear every day of the week.

It would be great if someone could make a small component that contains a screw-down lock on a foot that also has a shoe with some sort of lock for devices that don't have a locking foot.

If I was involved in or knew someone in plastics manufacturing I would develop such a product. :cool:

[FlashZebra]

Hi Lon,

That all makes sense and I do understand manufacturing costs. You would think that Elinchrom would have the lock, even at a slightly higher price, knowing that a large percentage of the sales are to professionals that need to rely on their gear every day of the week.

It would be great if someone could make a small component that contains a screw-down lock on a foot that also has a shoe with some sort of lock for devices that don't have a locking foot.

If I was involved in or knew someone in plastics manufacturing I would develop such a product. :cool:
Plastic parts are very inexpensive to manufacture (per part hard cost), but the cost of the associated tooling and related expertise to produce plastic parts is very significant.

If the significant tooling costs cannot be spread over a lot of sales, the per part cost would be daunting.

Enjoy! Lon

[Curtis N]

It is a cost issue.Lon is right, but it disappoints me that a company such as Elinchrom, known world-wide for quality, would descend to that approach. It just doesn't seem to fit their company image.

The Skyports are electronically fine, but mechanically they are junk. My Chinese triggers that I got for about $30 are built better. Too bad they're electronically junk. :rolleyes:

[Titus213]

Cybersyncs apparently have the same design but not the same issue. Mine are still difficult to get off - so it can be done.

[tim]

Lon is right, but it disappoints me that a company such as Elinchrom, known world-wide for quality, would descend to that approach. It just doesn't seem to fit their company image.

The Skyports are electronically fine, but mechanically they are junk. My Chinese triggers that I got for about $30 are built better. Too bad they're electronically junk. :rolleyes:

I don't think they're junk, they've fallen off many times and are still in one piece so they can't be all bad!

[Rai33]

Another one here who hates that aspect about them too - makes slinging the camera over your shoulder (ie. the proper way with lens in towards your body) a pain since the top of the camera and thus trigger is against your body which subsequently results in either the trigger being completely knocked off or nudged out a touch resulting in a strobe misfire for the next shot.

[MR do little]

While i agree its a dumb move on Elinchroms part to leave out a locking mechanism(regardless of reason) i never had problems with my units coming off the camera, they fit extremly snug on both my Nikon and Sony cameras.

Then again i dont use them on my cameras anymore. ;)
Kindest

[Curtis N]

I don't think they're junk, they've fallen off many times and are still in one piece so they can't be all bad!Count your blessings. My transmitter didn't survive a 3-foot fall onto the gym floor.

[TMR Design]

My transmitter could back itself out of the Canon 5D Mk II hot shoe easily and was very loose. That same transmitter fits very snug in my Nikon D700.

[alt4852]

i wonder if elinchrom will ever release an updated version. the current one is functional, but it seems as though an improvement in build and design would really make them shine.

[Calbeee]

use gaffer tape when u use the transmitter

[jmb4370]

Hardware stores sell a Velcro type of strap that is about 1/2 inch wide that will stick to itself since it has the fuzz on one side, and the hooks on the other side. These are about 7 inches long or so. If you wrap this around the camera hot shoe after the transmitter is in place, it will prevent the transmitter from being dislodged. I will post a picture of this setup if this explanation is not clear enough.

[DelvisFoto]

yep, it was Robert (TMR Design), who posted that....I do believe he used gorilla glue. If you do a search, I'm sure you'll find it.

Edit: HERE (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=687838)it is.


Works like a charm I did have to dremel some off ,but now its on nice and tight.


Del