Dual Arm Macro Flash Bracket?

Does anyone know of an equivalent available in the U.S.? This is a "Walimex" product apparently available only in Europe and the Commonwealth:

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the two reviews of the Walimex product on Amazon UK are not encouraging.

I use the Iwish product which is fine for small flash like the MT24 heads but probably would not support a larger flashgun if thats what you have in mind.
https://www.amazon.co.​uk …&keywords=dual+​flash+arms

racketman wrote in post #18425839
the two reviews of the Walimex product on Amazon UK are not encouraging.

Something about the screws, I think? If so, that's easily fixed, since I frequently reconfigure this stuff for my own needs.

There is (or was) a similar Manfrotto product (for twice... or more, the price). It got somewhat mixed reviews as well.

Unfortunately, something like this is EXACTLY what I need as virtually ALL of my outdoor macro is of spiders, centipedes and millipedes at night, which REQUIRES BOTH a flash and an LED modeling light.

I could take one of the wide, two slot flash brackets which bolts to the tripod socket and add the swiveling arms. However, I don't know if using a couple of straight brackets would work, and making them from aluminum stock from Home Depot would be a real bear without having either a milling machine or a router and table to cut the adjustment slots.

Rebuilding the Walimex or something like it would be way easier than straight up DIY.

racketman wrote in post #18425842
I use the Iwish product which is fine for small flash like the MT24 heads but probably would not support a larger flashgun if thats what you have in mind.
https://www.amazon.co.​uk …&keywords=dual+​flash+arms

There are quite a few of these on U.S. Amazon (and eBay).

I'm using a full sized Sigma EF500 DG Super flash, so I'm kind of dubious of most of these flexible arms that use the jointed cooling pipe.

Ideally, what I need is something like the Walimex onto which I can mount a couple of mini ballheads, one with the flash and the other with the modeling light.

Right now, I'm using a single Vello straight bracket screwed onto the bottom of my L bracket, with a ballhead and modeling light on the end, and the flash on the hot shoe.

I tried using one of those cheap generic (ProMaster in my case) pivoting flash brackets mounted to the L bracket, and the Vello mounted to the bottom of that. It was very unstable and moved around a lot.

Something like the Walimex would give me exactly what I need, even if I needed to rebuild it slightly.

Temma wrote in post #18425820
Does anyone know of an equivalent available in the U.S.? This is a "Walimex" product apparently available only in Europe and the Commonwealth:

| Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

Oddly enough, I can only see the image when quoting your post.

This is what I see...

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Archibald wrote in post #18425888
Oddly enough, I can only see the image when quoting your post.

This is what I see...

Hosted photo: posted by Archibald in
./showthread.php?p=184​25888&i=i174058649
forum: Macro Talk

It was there, but I think I did a direct link. I'll upload it from my HD. That's better.

It's really simple, and really simple to make... if you have a milling machine or router. I have neither, so I'd have to lay out the slots, drill a series of holes (with a handheld drill) in the aluminum, join them with a saw, then clean them up with my Dremel. Now that I'm working, I'd rather just buy what I need... within reason.

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I have a similar bracket made by Manfrotto. Had it for years, never got used to it. It is an ungainly assembly with the camera on it, and the joints tend to swivel around. Haven't looked at it for a long time, maybe it is worth another chance.

There is a router attachment for the Dremel, but still, I would not try to make a bracket like this!

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Archibald wrote in post #18425955
There is a router attachment for the Dremel, but still, I would not try to make a bracket like this!

Hosted photo: posted by Archibald in
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forum: Macro Talk

You wouldn't have to fabricate the entire thing, just the two adjustable arms that attach to the base. I don't need the tilting feature.

There are plenty of suitable bases for sale on Amazon. Only the arms would need to be fabricated. The problem is that without a milling machine or router, you'd have to drill a series of holes in them and connect them with a saw and grinder. I'm not sure that the Dremel "router" rig is up to aluminum. You'd probably end up putting too much sideways force on the mechanism and kill it. It'd be far safer to drill a series of holes, connect them with a jigsaw, then clean up the slot with a hand held Dremel.

I just saw a YouTube video by a Turkish dentist who took one of these (the second image), flipped it over, and added a camera mount from one of the circular/semi-circular macro brackets. This seems like a good solution, since obviously mounting this thing on the hot shoe is problematic at best. Flipping it over and removing the hot shoe adapter allows it to be attached to the tripod socket on the camera. I may pursue that course, as it's pretty cheap, and potentially very easy.

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Here's another potential way to do it, albeit if you need two forward facing arms, you should use the long symmetrical bracket as the base on the camera:

I just ordered the Limo Studio bracket pictured above. I should be able to remove the central hot shoe and flip it over. If not, I can always drill a 1/4" - 20 hole in the center to mount it to the camera. If worst comes to worst, I can buy the long symmetrical bracket and use the two arms from the Limo Studio bracket.

The irony of course is that as it gets cooler and cooler in the evenings, there's less and less to photograph. The large grass funnel web spider I've been trying to catch outside of his web has been gone for a good week now. I did see a centipede last night, but it was after midnight and I didn't feel like reconfiguring for macro again after having shot some table top still life images of handguns.

A bit late but was going to suggest one of these

https://www.amazon.com …fRID=YTE69EFDHH​H0TP7YQ3G2

and two of these
https://www.amazon.com …keywords=neewer​+magic+arm

I've been using one of those magic arms as a flash holder arm and it works wonderfully plus very adjustable.

Brian V.

LordV wrote in post #18426387
A bit late but was going to suggest one of these

https://www.amazon.com …fRID=YTE69EFDHH​H0TP7YQ3G2

and two of these
https://www.amazon.com …keywords=neewer​+magic+arm

I've been using one of those magic arms as a flash holder arm and it works wonderfully plus very adjustable.

Brian V.

I'm going to have to buy at least three magic arms anyway (I was looking at iMorden) for my studio macro table to replace the troublesome articulated arm lamps I've been using.

Yours is a good alternative.

Here is a few different types of macro flash brackets:
http://bugs.adrianthys​se.com/2014/03/macro-flash-brackets/

and here: http://www.earthboundl​ight.com …macro-flash-brackets.html

The cheapest one I know about is the iShoot twin arm bracket (available under various names): https://www.aliexpress​.com …lash-bracket_reviews.html

Here is a suggested set-up with that bracket (with one arm removed): https://photofocus.com …canon-macro-flash-set-up/

TheDocAUS wrote in post #18426450
Here is a few different types of macro flash brackets:
http://bugs.adrianthys​se.com/2014/03/macro-flash-brackets/

and here: http://www.earthboundl​ight.com …macro-flash-brackets.html

The cheapest one I know about is the iShoot twin arm bracket (available under various names): https://www.aliexpress​.com …lash-bracket_reviews.html

Here is a suggested set-up with that bracket (with one arm removed): https://photofocus.com …canon-macro-flash-set-up/

Thanks.

The flexible arm types probably won't work, since I use a full sized Sigma EF500 DG Super flash. They just wouldn't keep it upright without rolling forward or backward.

What I need is either a simple flat plate or a magic arm with a mini ballhead, and I need two of them since I HAVE to also have an LED modeling light in order to shoot ANYTHING here.

I ordered the flash shoe bracket with the two sliding plates last night. Fortunately, I'm not dumb enough to try to hang the bracket, the flash and an LED light from my camera's hot shoe. Hopefully, I'll be able to unscrew the hot shoe adapter and attach the bracket to the tripod socket. If not, I'll just drill and tape a 1/4"-20 hole for a bolt and knob.