Better Beamer ?

Does it matter which brand of better beamer one buys ? Is one better than another ?

I was thinking of the Visual Echos from B&H- http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …er_for.html#got​o_itemInfo

I will be using a Canon 30D with a 430EX flash , with my 100-300mm f/4 and 1.4 converter.

I have been thinking about getting one . I thought there was only one brand of better beamer ,I didn't know there were more.
Mike

That is the one I got and I'm happy with it, if that helps.

Sp00ks wrote in post #5487626
That is the one I got and I'm happy with it, if that helps.

Thanks- it did

Adorama has one called the FX5 The Flash Extender- but they look to be about the same. There was another one I found, but i've lost that link .

CountryBoy wrote in post #5487643
Thanks- it did

Adorama has one called the FX5 The Flash Extender- but they look to be about the same. There was another one I found, but i've lost that link .

The nomenclature for the Better Beamer is odd as the same product is described in several different ways, but I believe the FX5 is the model. The individualize them based on the make/model of flash you are attaching it to. I'm using one. I haven't used it enough to capitalize on it fully, but it will send light out for quite a long distance. It's usually in my bag, but I haven't used it a lot so far. It doesn't weigh much and it stores relatively flat so it's not a nuisance to carry around at all like some of those molded flash accessories.

CountryBoy wrote in post #5487643
Thanks- it did

Adorama has one called the FX5 The Flash Extender- but they look to be about the same. There was another one I found, but i've lost that link .

The FX-5 is the Better Beamer made by Visual Echoes , they are one and the same . I love mine and it is on a 430EX works great .

tkoutdoor wrote in post #5487661
The nomenclature for the Better Beamer is odd as the same product is described in several different ways, but I believe the FX5 is the model. The individualize them based on the make/model of flash you are attaching it to. I'm using one. I haven't used it enough to capitalize on it fully, but it will send light out for quite a long distance. It's usually in my bag, but I haven't used it a lot so far. It doesn't way much and it stores relatively flat so it's not a nuisance to carry around at all like some of these molded flash accessories.

There are different models for the different flashes hence the different numbers FX- 3 FX-4 etc.
here is where I purchased mine :

http://www.naturescape​s.net/store/home.php?c​at=21

Thanks everyone, they all look like the Visual Echoes . I'll give it a try. Mainly going to use it for birding.

CountryBoy wrote in post #5487749
Thanks everyone, they all look like the Visual Echoes . I'll give it a try. Mainly going to use it for birding.

That is the only thing I have used mine for and it made the difference in keepers vs. non-keepers in my scenario. The birds aren't crazy about it, they usually jump pretty good when it goes off.

Sp00ks wrote in post #5487768
That is the only thing I have used mine for and it made the difference in keepers vs. non-keepers in my scenario. The birds aren't crazy about it, they usually jump pretty good when it goes off.

I was thinking that might be the case !

Sp00ks wrote in post #5487768
That is the only thing I have used mine for and it made the difference in keepers vs. non-keepers in my scenario. The birds aren't crazy about it, they usually jump pretty good when it goes off.

Yeah, birds will be the predominate use of mine. It's a little problematic though, because for birds in flight I "need" high shutter speed because the ambient light is high when I need to fight extreme backlighting. The cameras max sync with flash is 1/250th so it nullifies high shutter speeds and blurs the shots due to lots of ambient light.

What I'm about to try is the High speed sync feature on my Canon flash, but it reduces the effective distance of the light dramatically. I haven't tried it yet though and it may be that with the Better Beamer on there, this might be able to compensate for it well enough. I really want as a minimum to be able to make a catch light in the eyes and of almost equal importance I'd like to properly expose the underside of the bird against the sky. It could be that I'll get enough to enhance the detail to acceptable levels though and make a compromise. The third issue is the flash can't recharge fast enough for many shots per pass (BIF I'm talking about here), but all that may be okay with high speed sync. I just have to give that a go. With stationary or slow moving birds (swimming ducks) there is no real motion problem without HSS, however there may be a reflection problem off the water onto the duck.

Some birds react differently to the flash than others. Some swimming ducks have had a physical reaction to each flash that looks like you smacked them in the head. They keep swimming around though. Other birds don't even notice it it seems like. I've shot tree trunks where I thought an owl might be hanging out and I'd check my screen after I shot the pic. The dark spots of the tree exposed beautifully at long distances so the bird would have been fine. When I've shot elk with it (even in complete darkness) they didn't even budge (manually focused). I haven't shot enough of them to be an expert, but I shot a herd with it, when I was testing and it didn't bother them. No keepers though, I was testing to see what I could pull off. I keep wondering if I'd stir up a reaction if I'd flash a bear with it. They could really use the light (black bears) to get a good exposure.

White eye in animals has been a problem when it's the primary light and to a slightly lesser extent when it's fill light. I'll probably try a light stand and umbrella with remote triggers sometime to see what is possible without white eye one of these days.

Whenever I used BB on my 100-400L, 400mm f5.6, I used high speed sync. No problems. BB really helps. You just need to be careful when sun is out as it can easily burn a hole if sun shines through it and hits something on the other end. I bought mine on naturescapes.net.

Thanks for the tips !

bobbyz wrote in post #5493086
Whenever I used BB on my 100-400L, 400mm f5.6, I used high speed sync. No problems. BB really helps. You just need to be careful when sun is out as it can easily burn a hole if sun shines through it and hits something on the other end. I bought mine on naturescapes.net.

Good to know that high speed sync works. I'm thinking of making a cover of some kind that I can pop on and off the reflector quickly or rotate up out of the way to keep it from magnifying onto my gear and burning something up. Ever tried to start a fire with it on purpose to see if you it would pass for a survival tool? I'm gonna have to try that too.

Yea I bought the Visual Echoes one (which IS the Better Beamer) from B&H for my 580EX II and love it. Dont use it much, but when I need it, it does a great job.