Custom Bracket: Help me build it.

I do not have exposure to any professionals to help me determine what I need. So please help me build this rig.

I'm doing a school graduation party. I'll be the guy running around with the camera shooting the kids having fun. There will be a group shot at the end. I did this 2 years ago with Daughter #1 and some parents want me to duplicate that effort. (I want to do it better)

THE GROUP SHOT: I have a couple of studio strobes to help light the room. I have three PocketWizard II's to fire these off. The two strobes will light the room and dark areas of the group while the 580EX will be firing from the bracket. (two strobes, one flash, three PW's) I have access to the room ahead of time to test out the lighting. So I'm good here.

THE PARTY SHOTS: Here's where I need the bracket.

I've done the Quickflip Stoboframe enough to know I don't like knocking my flash around. It's really rough on the twisting issue. I saw a Custom Bracket rig at a wedding and I loved the photographer's ease and style. She had a Pocket Wizard mounted to the top which really clued me in on the direction I should take.

Here's what I want to do:
Mount Flash (of course)
Mount PocketWizard to bracket
Mount Canon 5D with Battery Grip to bracket
Mount Bracket to my Bogen Head's QR plate
Use an external battery pack for the flash


Here's What I Think I Want:
Custom Bracket Digital Pro-E Kit (LINK HERE)
Custom Bracket Cold Shoe to mount the PW Plus II
Canon CP-E4 Battery Pack (I don't own this yet)


Why I'm confused:
The Custom Bracket Digital Pro-M seems a bit bulky (LINK HERE). Plus, all those accessories makes me wonder if I'm doing this right at all by going with the Pro-E.
Does the bracket have a 1/4" screw hole at the bottom? Can't I just mount my Bogen QR plate to the bottom of the bracket and then just pop it onto my tripod without all the Custom Bracket doodads?
Will the Canon battery pack clip on to the flash bracket (if so which adapter)? Or should I stick to doing this with a belt holder?

I'm going with the Canon battery pack because I won't be using the external pack all that often and I don't want to have to maintain a lead-acid battery's life when I'm not using it. I'd rather just pop in 8 batteries and go with that.

I expect I'll use my flash bracket 4 or 5 times a year. If that helps.

Finally, What's the site with the inexpensive alternatives to the Pocket Wizard Canon cables? I want the one where I can use a PW to fire the camera remotely, but I don't want to spend an arm and a leg for that damned cable. I won't need the cable for this gig, but I've had a need for it in the past. I'll just use my Canon cable to fire the camera on the school group shot.

Not much help on the bracket except to say the Customs are really nice but heavy.

Check www.flashzebra.com for the cables...

I use the Quickflip Stroboframe Bracket and my flash doesn't get knocked around as I am very protective of it. It's just not a problem. When I need to set it down, I lay it down on the back side so it can't fall over. I also, use the Canon battery pack with no problems.
As to the smoothness of moving the camera from horizonal to vertical, the movement was a little too tight for me when the bracket was first purchased. I ever so slightly loosened all the nuts on the linkage just enough to, allow the movement that I was comfortable with. I have not had any loose nuts as a result of the adjustment. Sometimes, the bracket will sag when holding the camera only. I have learned to support the bracket as needed with either hand while adjusting the zoom.
There have been times when I have removed the flash assembly off the bracket and hand held the flash. With flash in hand, I can move the flash anywhere within the reach of the off camera cord. Don't stretch out the cord to the max length. I have done that and the flash did not fire until I brought it slightly closer to the camera. The cord works fine when not stretched out, I do have a spare one in the bag.
I hope this helps. Pat

Titus213 wrote in post #7819466
Not much help on the bracket except to say the Customs are really nice but heavy.

Check www.flashzebra.com for the cables...

That's the site! Thanks!

My custom bracket is older than what you're looking at. It has it's own Quick Release plate (which receives a 1/4-20 bolt). To use it with a quick release on my tripod, I just connect the tripod quick release to the flash bracket quick release and leave it on the tripod. I've not had any issues with it.

IIRC, the canon battery pack has a 1/4-20 receiver on the side of it which means it would be possible to mount it to the side of your flash bracket. Once more though, that adds weight which will catch up with you by the end of the night. I think you'll be happier putting the battery pack on your belt.

You won't want to leave the custom bracket QR plate and Bogen QR plate on the bottom of the bracket primarily because it will prevent the flash bracket from standing on its own. It also will add a small amount of weight to your setup that you don't need to deal with.

You over looked this in the description :

Specifications:
Weight: 17 oz. (482 g)
Bracket Dimensions: 10-7/8” high, 7-3/8” wide, 2-3/4” deep
Metric Dimensions: 27.6cm high, 18.7cm wide, 7.0cm deep
Center of lens to bottom of flash: 11” (28cm)
1/4-20 threaded hole for mounting bracket to tripod

have you look into RRS? Expensive but worths it.

https://photography-on-the.net …ghlight=RRS+fla​sh+bracket

JimL wrote in post #7821630
You over looked this in the description :

Specifications:
Weight: 17 oz. (482 g)
Bracket Dimensions: 10-7/8” high, 7-3/8” wide, 2-3/4” deep
Metric Dimensions: 27.6cm high, 18.7cm wide, 7.0cm deep
Center of lens to bottom of flash: 11” (28cm)
1/4-20 threaded hole for mounting bracket to tripod

DOH!

Bubble wrote in post #7823834
have you look into RRS? Expensive but worths it.

https://photography-on-the.net …ghlight=RRS+fla​sh+bracket

Yes, I've seen that thread. My concern is that the RRS bracket is a flash rotation bracket, not a camera rotation bracket. When it is mounted on a tripod, to go from Landscape to Portrait, you need to remove it from the tripod.

I'm sure it's a fantastic carry-around bracket, but I'm not sure about it's tripod functionality.

Have you looked at a Newton camera rotator?

Titus213 wrote in post #7827656
Have you looked at a Newton camera rotator?

I'm looking at it again.

Questions about using the Newton:
1) How easy is it to manipulate the lens zoom and focus while mounted?
2) You hold the camera and not the bracket, right?
3) Given that I'm holding the camera, is there some sort of release mechanism to rotate the camera? (I'm worried that the camera will release and try to rotate while holding just the camera and not the bracket)
4) It's all sharp angles. It looks painful.

Questions about the Newton web site:
What's up with those colors? Is he TRYING to make it hard to read?

According to their site:

When hand holding your right hand is always on the camera grip and your left hand should be under the base of the bracket for support. Doing this will allow the fingers on the left hand to zoom or focus the lens and relieve stress on your right hand and wrist. When carrying the bracket and flash always use the camera grip and not the bracket.

Titus213 wrote in post #7839712
According to their site:

When hand holding your right hand is always on the camera grip and your left hand should be under the base of the bracket for support. Doing this will allow the fingers on the left hand to zoom or focus the lens and relieve stress on your right hand and wrist. When carrying the bracket and flash always use the camera grip and not the bracket.

Yes, that's what the sales pitch says. However, I was hoping someone had a practical application reference.

For example, this review: LINK HERE (about 1/3 down) shows the camera rotating bracket blocks access to the zoom ring on some lenses.

The portion of the above text which reads "...your left hand should be under the base of the bracket for support" worries me as well. The base of the bracket is a big square of metal. I was looking for what people thought of that as well.

Which all leads me back to the Custom Brackets setup. It may be heavier, but it has a foam grip. LINK HERE