Why Flip Your Mark II?

I've been looking for ways to put my Mark II on a weight reduction program, and would like some feedback on this latest idea.

Wedding photojournalist Dennis Reggie stated (I can't remember where) that he doesn't use a bracket with his 1Ds. The file size is so large that he feels that one can get away with shooting all horizontal shots and then croping them into verticals. In his seminars he mentions that his clients buy very few large prints, rarely the large wall sizes.

Doesn't this seem like a good idea with the Mark II? It does have an 8.2 mp file. A shot taken at ISO 400 is noise free, and should be printable to very large sizes. If you just want to get 8x10 shots and smaller of an event, say a wedding, it seems like the quality should be there. This would mean no flash bracket weight, no stopping to flip either the camera or flash, and no need to use a chord to connect the camera and flash (so one less thing to go wrong).

I'm also considering using my 420EX instead of the 550EX. In shooting indoor events I usually go with automated flash, and the smaller, lighter flash should get the same exposures. Feedback would be appreciated.

Mike H

I shoot most of my flash shots with no bracket on my 10D's for weddings.(most are horizontal).The bracket introduces another link to flash failure and I've had the offcamera cord on a bracket missfire more than once. Don't get a 420ex flash. The 550EX is much more versatile and the features are worth the extra cost. Size is so close it is not a factor.

It's good to hear that people are doing this with success already. Regarding the 420EX and 550EX, I already have both. Thanks for the reply.

Mike H

I have never seen the point with flash brackets they weigh too much and are a hassel. I've been to many wedding, sports events and functions where many pro photographers have been shooting and I can't recall having ever seen a flash bracket in use unless it was attached to a metz hammerhead flash or an Oly E1, neither of these are able to be flipped.

As far as i'm concerned they are just another toy to spend unnecessary money on for not alot of benefit, especially if you're using medium format or 1Ds huge MP cameras.

For each of the last ten or so weddings that I have attended, all professional photographers used flash brackets for everything. Of course, nearly all non-professional photographers used no flash brackets. It is sure not a toy.

For my purposes, I found a good flip-type flash bracket to be a cheap investment to use with a Canon Speedlite or a Quantum flash.

---Bob Gross---

What is the advantage of using flash bracket?
Can anyone show me some example of using bracket and w/o bracket?

I am a beginner in photograhy. Even though I got the SLR (not digital) for almost 8 years, but seldom use it. Just bought 300D recently and wish to brush up the skill.

The flash bracket allows you to mount your flash higher which will reduce the "red eye" effect.

I have flash brackets and Canon remote cords but don't use them. What if you are taking a picture of dad and bride coming down the aisle and your flash fails....tell them to go back and start over while you change to another flash? The remote cords will fail but one never knows when it will occur. I have used brakets and remote cords for at least ten years and the bracket can eliminate red eye but the flash on the shoe rarely causes it(easily remedied in photoshop if it were to occur). Connected directly to the shoe, I have had more success. The brackets may look professional and many photographers use them, but I am out to simplify the whole approach and increase reliability. Brackets are ok for non-crucial shots which may be taken over again . I have stroboframes and off camera cords when I choose to use them. I shoot formals(no bracket) with my white lightning 1200 on a tall lightstand so I shoot vertical or horizontal depending on the size of the group.

Flash brackets are very important for the quality of your images. In addition to reducing Red Eye by increasing the angle between the flash and the lens, they allow you to add more depth to your pictures. Getting the flash up and to the side causes improved placement of shadows which adds depth to a picture. A flash on the camera gives you flat pictures.

With regards to the original issue of vertical orientation, I do 10x8 vertical prints all the time from 10D and Mark II files shot horizontally. The main reason for me to go vertical is to get what I want in the shot without backing up.

Scott

For what it's worth, my cover shot for Heartland Magazine was a "converted" horizontal shot from a 10D. Came out beautiful!!

There are two things that a flash bracket will do for you. The first is to get the flash further from the lens, thus reducing the chances of getting red eye. The further away your subject, the greater the distance needed between the lens and the flash to eliminate this problem. For shots taken fairly close up (say 8' and less), flash mounted in a hot shoe will be sufficiently far above the lens to do away with red eye.

The second thing you get is that most flash brackets allow you to keep the flash directly over the lens regardless of whether you are shooting with the camera oriented vertically or horizontally. This eliminates side shadow, which looks pretty awful in flash shots. I totally agree with DaveG, who in another string of posts said that this is unforgiveable for pros.

Whether you shoot with or without a bracket, it's a good idea to use bounce flash whenever possible. This means pointing the flash upward toward the ceiling, rather than directly at the subject. The advantage of doing this is that the ceiling and the walls (if they are close by) end up being a light source, rather than just the tiny head on the flash. The larger a light source is relative to a subject, the softer it is. Hence, the light on your subject is far less harsh than when using direct flash. This works best with white ceilings, of course, since colored ones will introduce some color balance problems.

I hope this helps.

Mike H

I'm not certain what you are doing wrong. If your flash fails to fire in this respect, then it is possible that you did not tighten the Off-camera shoe cord properly at the two ends. Further, if your cord gets unreliable, then that might be a sign that you have flexed it too much over the years and it has an intermittent break inside the cord or inside the connector ends. I avoided that problem by putting strain reliefs on the cord, fixing it to the bracket.

I always test my equipment when I show up at a wedding, and I've never had a major crash like that.

---Bob Gross---

Robert, I have gone through about 5 or 6 Off Camera cords in the last 6-7 years. I photograph a lot of weddings. Sometimes the connections are loose but sometimes the cords go bad. I test all of my equipment and these cords will go bad in the middle of a wedding after being used for many pictures the same day. I baby my equipment so its not a question of bending them too much. Maybe you haven't photographed about 600 weddings like I have but believe me, they will let you down eventually. I just get rid of them when they fail me and get new ones. Now, I just eliminate them and have no flash failures on crucial shots. I do use them at receptions occasionally but never in the aisle. You have two more connections to go bad. Why take a chance?

If you re-read my message, you will see what I do differently to help prevent the cord from going bad. Apparently you do not take these precautions, so yours go bad routinely. Something could be learned, even after 600 weddings.

---Bob Gross---

Bob...My cords are fixed to my bracket and get little strain. You will eventually find out that I am right about the cords.....time will prove my point. I probably have had about 3 of them go bad on me...I may have inflated the numbers a bit but if you ever do the volume of pictures that I do, you'll find out. I'm sure that you'll never agree with anything I say so lets end this conversation. Believe it or not, those cords go bad without operator error.