Camera Flash Brakets

I will shooting a family members sweet sixteen and need some help with a flash bracket. I've shot family parties in the past and dislike the way the pictures come out when I shoot in portrait, I expect a bracket that keeps the flash above the camera to help.

Looked at RRS and CB but they both offer several options... options are great but sometimes they just confuse people (me).

Camera is either my 1DMKIII or my 5DMKI and the flash is a 580EXII. I may have use for this bracket down the road so I dont mind buying something solid... but it needs to be realistic.

Also, what lenses are most popular for Wedding Photog's? I think a sweet sixteen would be the same style shoot.

Thanks in Advance!!
Robert

are you using direct flash with the speed light on camera?

your 70-200 is good. other lenses would be the 24-70.

I have been but that's what I want to get away from... hence the thread title.

ew. snarky. actually your thread title just states "camera flash brackets".

there are other ways to avoid direct flash when your camera is on-board. on-board is different than direct.

you could use a homemade bounce card or one of the products from lumipro or Demb. even if you decide on a bracket you should avoid bare, direct flash, and one of those products, or a home made solution, would help you.

I see where you are coming from. I never used the term "direct" so I thought you were referring to it's mounting position.

I have a Sto-fen as well as the Honlphoto 8" Speed Snoot/ Reflector

the sto-fen is strictly a bounce aid. The Honlphoto reflector I have no experience with but it seems to be like many of the other reflectors out there. it wont do you much good in portrait orientation.

adding a bracket would be a start, yes. stroboframe makes a decent bracket that is affordable.

This is the one I was looking at. I do not have a lot of use for one so the Stroboframe was a good compromise for price and performance.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …l_Folding_Flip_​Flash.html

It is designed for both types of body sizes too.

My buddy is a full time wedding photog and uses this one:
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …RO_E_Camera_Rot​ation.html

And I believe this is the cord you need...
Flash Zebra Cords

I use this system for the flash:
Lumiquest pro Max

It has a main piece called the 80/20 which gives 80% bounce and 20% fill. If you can't bounce, there are multiple inserts to direct it all forward and it softens. It comes with a few of these...white, gold and silver.

Shoot landscape and crop. I'm not kidding.

Dont you loose a lot of resolution for the larger prints? It make a ton of sense but I'd definitely have to work at breaking that habit of flipping the camera.

Since you're not a pro, the expense of Newton or CB or the even more expensive RRS is unwarranted. You might give a look at this one, but it will not accomodate you 1D ...

http://www.tiffen.com …roboframe&itemn​um=310-900

As for lenses for your FF, something with 28mm works nicely without worry about inducing perspective distortion when you are too close to the subjects.

thread I started and came to the conlusion the Newton was the way to go if you care to read:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=840709

trudgy wrote in post #9888165
thread I started and came to the conlusion the Newton was the way to go if you care to read:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=840709

You made a good choice (it was not obvious that was the final choice, from that other thread, as you only had concluded with the mention of correspondence with Robert Newton)

duckiller01 wrote in post #9887010
Dont you loose a lot of resolution for the larger prints? It make a ton of sense but I'd definitely have to work at breaking that habit of flipping the camera.

With the 7D I still have 3500 or pixels or so, by 2300 or so, which is plenty for a 12" print. I rarely have them printed larger than 7" anyway.

It looks like the flash is no higher over the camera than when mounted to the hot shoe when using the Newton FR2. Isn't the main idea of a flash bracket to get the flash some 18" over the camera?

Savas K wrote in post #9888464
It looks like the flash is no higher over the camera than when mounted to the hot shoe when using the Newton FR2. Isn't the main idea of a flash bracket to get the flash some 18" over the camera?

The Newton + Canon OC-E2 cord puts the hotshoe flash higher by 3cm, compared to the 40D hotshoe placement.

The purpose of the bracket is primarily to keep the flash CENTERED ABOVE the lens axis, regardless of camera orientation. If you want the flash even higher, there is an optional extension to raise the flash higher.

Thanks. Looks great.