Good bracket for 5dmkII

I just started shooting weddings for experience and I want to get a good flash bracket that can switch between portrait and landscape. The flash im using now is a 430EXII and im also planning on using a westscott micro softbox with it. What would be a good bracket to use with this combo?

This RRS bracket looks nice: http://reallyrightstuf​f.com/flash/04.html

Edit: It didn't seem that bad at $150 but it looks like you need an L-plate as well which is about $140 so all in all it's about a $300 setup.

I personally like the custom brackets. They are a bit pricier, but worth it IMHO.

Remember that you'll need a flash sync cable, and I'd HIGHLY recommend the QR-C plate as an add-on so you can quickly mount and dismount your camera (or multiple cameras).

I bought he Pro-M Kit from B&H plus the QR-C plate (no idea why that isn't included in the kit) for $450 after shipping.

i use the Custom Bracket for my 5D2...i just love it.

Custom Brackets Pro-M for me as well. It is a little more money but well worth it to me for ease of use and durability. You can also order quick release plates compatible with arca swiss or bogen if you are using them on your tripod. If not, they also sell their own proprietary style.

Peace
Mark

....yep, me too. Some folks say it's pretty heavy with a one series and a brick on it. Yep it is. But it's worth it to me.

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Wow, Custom Brackets seems unanimously liked here. While I have used neither one of these, based off what I've seen I'd take the RRS bracket hands down. You can take it and throw it on your tripod in portrait or landscape without having to do anything to your bracket, plus it looks lighter and easier to use.

Yes, you can do the same with the custom bracket.
I hear this arguement over and over about "weight". Come on folks, we're talking about a difference that's measured in ounces......and yeah. yeah....I've heard the arguement about how at the end of the day, you've lifted it up a jillion times....yada, yada...sigh.....I can't win that arguement.

Custom Brackets and RRS are popular because they are very well made and do a superb job.

They also carry a high price tag.

I've been using the Newton Flash Rotator and absolutely love it. The build quality is excellent, it works like a charm and the price is very good compared to Custom and RRS.

You would use the same bracket on your 5D (Mk II) as I'm showing on my Nikon D700.

The design and construction are better than many of the generics and the Stroboframe's.

I would give some consideration to the Newton.

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To the OP, for sure, this thread started out sounding like an ad for custom brackets, and I certaily admit that I like mine. Having said that, to further what Rob says above, if you do some searches on brackets, you'll find that the Newton is also very highly recommended. And....okay....if weight is an issue, the the Newton is about half the weight of the CB if I remember.

coleygm wrote in post #8501777
I personally like the custom brackets. They are a bit pricier, but worth it IMHO.

Remember that you'll need a flash sync cable, and I'd HIGHLY recommend the QR-C plate as an add-on so you can quickly mount and dismount your camera (or multiple cameras).

I bought he Pro-M Kit from B&H plus the QR-C plate (no idea why that isn't included in the kit) for $450 after shipping.

I will say though that even though i do like my custom bracket, the three things i don't like about it are

1. It's hard to use the vertical controls when you rotate it as the plate gets in the way where your hand usually would be.
   
2. It sometimes rotates on it's own and crap does that hurt. The reason for this comes into my third dislike, but basically if you have your right hand on the camera and your left hand on the lens (assume zoom lens here)...the think will rotate on it's own to vertical mode sometimes. If i used nothing but primes this wouldn't be a problem as i'd have my right hand on the camera bracket handle.
   
3. The rotating bracket is in the way of the zoom ring of some flashes. ...so it's basically clutsy to get to the zoom ring as the bracket lines up with it. Not a problem on my 70-200 but a big problem on my 24-70.

Greg,
I'd be hard pressed to reccommend this bracket if I were holding those three points against it ! I don't know what camera you are using, or whether you have a battery grip if it's a body that can take one of those. On a one series, using it vertically is almost the same as using the camera w/o the bracket.
Interesting that you find it rotates on it's own. Maybe yours is a bit looser than mine, but mine has definite detents at the horizontal and again at the vertical position. In my mind, that is one of the best engineered parts of the bracket: the rotating assembly is smooth as butter, yet the detents keep it in place where I want it. Hmmm....like I say, maybe yours works differently than mine.
Your third point: it being in the way of the zoom ring on the 24-70. Man....now if I felt that way about it, no way would I use it ! My 24-70 is the go to lens for the kind of shooting I would typically be doing with this rig. Again, maybe my stuff functions differently than yours, but literally, I zoom the 24-70 with just one finger. The lens zooms that easily and smoothly. I attemped to take a couple of photos of how I hold it....didn't come out too good ! Nobody else is home right now to snap for me, so I just set another camera on the tripod and set the self timer! But I attached them anyway, maybe you can see, when I'm using it vertically, I cradle the padded part of the CB in the heel of my left hand, and use my left thumb to rotate the zoom. When in horizontal position, again I'm cradling the padded part in my left palm, and I'm using my right middle finger to zoom. Maybe you can see in the attached photo what I mean.
I guess I look at all these sorts of things as trade offs.....such as the fact this bracket does add a little weight, and some of this stuff is in the way of controls, etc....however, it's benefits of situating the flash nicely for specific kinds of work outweigh the diadvantages. That's my take on it anyway.

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I will be looking into the custom brackets. As for the problem with it being difficult to use in portrait orientation, I have a grip on the 5dII

I use newton and it works will with my 1dx bodies. It should take care of 5dmk2 toy too.

NEWTON! Less expensive than Custom or RRS, the flash rotator version is almost 16oz less weight than Custom. Pro grade bracket loved by many event/wedding shooters. I have used one with my medium format film system and the same one now for my dSLR system, with or without film winder or BG, to cover weddings and events since the early 90's! Many pros here on POTN have taken my recommendation and love them!


The extender offered by Newton permits sufficient clearance to the lens to permit small softboxes like Chimera XS, not merely use of the mini softboxes like Wescott Apollo.

www.newtoncamerabracke​ts.com

Call the phone number shown on the web site, to talk with Robert Newton about any specific questions and recommendations for your specific requirements and combination of equipment... a very willing and free source of sound advice about his products. Tell him I sent you.