Help - speedlight on a tripod

Sorry if this has been posted, I did look and googled.

I have a tripod that I'm not using and I wanted to mount a speedlight with umbrella to it. How can this be done? I see hundreds of different mounts on Amazon but which is the right one?

You need something like this.

And also a cold shoe adapter to fit onto the spigot with the male thread. The spigot with the female thread can be attached to tripod.

All this said, the tripod is likely to be too short to get the light high enough to be effective.

I guess it will depend on what you are planning to photograph.

dmward wrote in post #14359414
All this said, the tripod is likely to be too short to get the light high enough to be effective.

I've always wondered this. Is it best practice to get the speedlight, strobe etc high enough so its even, if not higher than the camera? Is that more effective than lower than the camera when u are shooting?

dmward wrote in post #14359414
You need something like this.

And also a cold shoe adapter to fit onto the spigot with the male thread. The spigot with the female thread can be attached to tripod.

All this said, the tripod is likely to be too short to get the light high enough to be effective.

I guess it will depend on what you are planning to photograph.

+++1 This is the ONLY one I would recommend. I've purchased some that the are cheap and the hot shoe flash won't even fit in the mounting bracket.

I also have several of these.

I forgot that they can with the female spigot. Nice thing is this one includes the cold shoe. They are metal. very much the same as the Manfrotto.

^^^I've recently "switched" to these "short" adapters. Not to say that I'm replacing any of the Manfrottos I have, but any new adapter purchase is of this "short" style. I have one from Midwest and another from Cheetah - the Midwest version is much nicer.

chugger93 wrote in post #14359517
I've always wondered this. Is it best practice to get the speedlight, strobe etc high enough so its even, if not higher than the camera? Is that more effective than lower than the camera when u are shooting?

Raising the flash above the camera, but more importantly above the subject at a 45 degree angle, to camera left, will give the Rembrandt effect i.e. nose shadow down and to the side. This will also reduce or eliminate shadows being thrown onto a wall or other object near the subject.

Thanks. I was looking for the same

Good to know, so the flash should always be above the camera in most situations it sounds like.

Does the same theory apply to OCF and using softboxes or umbrella's? Thanks!

chugger93 wrote in post #14365927
Good to know, so the flash should always be above the camera in most situations it sounds like.

Does the same theory apply to OCF and using softboxes or umbrella's? Thanks!

Yes, the umbrella/softbox are there to increase the apparent size of the light source which softens the shadows but your lighting principle is pretty much the same. 45 degrees to the side and above subject is commonly used in portraiture as a safe start. You can then add fill/rim/hair light as needed.

chugger93 wrote in post #14365927
Good to know, so the flash should always be above the camera in most situations it sounds like.

Does the same theory apply to OCF and using softboxes or umbrella's? Thanks!

The only time you want light coming from below is for horror lighting. Think about your most natural light source ( the sun ).... it is usually above you. Even windows provide light a little above the subject. If you want portraits to look natural, then you try to simulate nature.

Well so much for using those tripods. Another idea in the trash

thanks for the clarification guys

A decent height light stand doesn't cost much anyway, I get the Konig ones for around £10 each, and a cheap coldshoe brolly adapter for another £5 on top of that.