centering 580ex flash in small umbrella

<p>I have a canon 580ex flash and have just bought a 30 inch umbrella (photoflex convertible shoot through/bounce).<br />I also have a manfrotto swivel adapter with a hot shoe mount installed on top.<br />http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/546375-REG/Manfrotto_026_026_Swivel_Umbrella_Adapter.html<br />The problem is that when I mount the flash, it is tall, and ends up near the top of the umbrella instead of near the center - the umbrella shaft.<br />It seems that there is a way to rig it so it lies horizontally along the shaft, or perhaps there's another way to center it ?<br />Please try and explain & link to any accessory I may need to buy or make.<br />Thank you <br />Frank</p>

<p>First, make sure that on your umbrella adapter that the flash and the umbrella are on the same side.<br /> Second, 30 inch is probably kinda small for a 580, but it should work.<br /> Third, set the flash to eTTL (momuntarily) mount it to the umbrella and press the pilot button a few times. Observe where the light is hitting in the umbrella. If its just too high you may just be out of luck. You can rig something up but then again you could just buy a bigger umbrella and get softer light at the same time. If the light is somewhat hitting the center adjust the umbrella in and out until the light almost fills the umbrella. You can also adjust the zoom on the flash to accommodate. The 580 can also tilt the head down just slightly. Once you have the umbrella in place you can set the flash to M or eTTL or whatever you'd like.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>Problem solved. Someone pointed out how adding a mini-ballhead to the top of the swivel adapter and the shoe clamp on top of the ballhead would get the flash lying parallel with the shaft (regardless of the brolly size). Actually this 30 inch is a little bigger than I'd hoped as I want to be able to hand hold it:-)</p>

<p>I use a different brand, but mine is not exactly symmetrical. The pole for the umbrella is angled slightly, you want to arrange it so the umbrella slopes toward the flash. It it sloping away, put the umbrella in from the other side and rotate the flash 180 degrees.</p>

<p>Michael Bass, and now others, make a horizontal mount for flashes. But the ballheads work just fine. The only thing is they are easily jarred loose, particularly if handheld.</p>

<p>Adorama sells a kit consisting of a 20" white umbrella and mount. The 20" isn't convertible, but functions well as either shoot through or reflected (with some light loss). However, it is a nice size for handholding yourself.</p>

<p>Yes, that lastolite kit looks very interesting. Have you used it?</p>

<p>It is the following kit.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.adorama.com/LTUSU.html">http://www.adorama.com/LTUSU.html</a></p>

<p>Not the Lastolite kit although that looks like how I use the above kit. I've made a wide Velcro holder for the umbrella shaft instead of the grip kit. See photo.</p>

<p>I also adapted the following Norman octagonal 19" softbox for use with a speedlite. There is a difference in light quality because the softbox is lined with reflective silver.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.adorama.com/NMOSB19BP.html">http://www.adorama.com/NMOSB19BP.html</a></p><div></div>

<p>Wow. Thanks for this and the photos. What is the little white "tube" that takes the shaft & how did you get it into, or sandwiched in, the white velcro. I have a shoe clamp thingy like yours and in fact also have a swivel umbrella holder, if I needed it, so I don't need the kit. All I need is an umbrella. 20 inch sounds good. But they dont seem to sell it on it's own. I looked at a 30 inch photoflex yesterday (convertible bounce/shoot thru) and it feels a little too big and would get in the way. How much light do you lose shooting through this (I assume it doesn't work well as a bounce).<br>

You asked what I'd be shooting with all my questions about brackets and hand holding etc. I used to do advertising agency work many moons ago and currently do landscapes, still life, portraiture http://www.frankgross.com/ but have never done weddings, events, etc. & suddenly (& fortunately as I need work) I have been asked to cover two wedding receptions (another photog is doing the 'formal' wedding pics) and a charity event. There may be more. Never having done this kind of work I am not setup with the gear & all the bits & pieces one needs. I am trying to get setup for the first one, in about 2 weeks, a night time party for the couple and friends at a trendy restaurant. I have a 580EX and a 5D II but only primes (no zoom). I'm used to studio strobes and am not wild about on camera flash (although I see it's convenience)so I'm trying to see how to easily and inexpensively get a little height for the light and maybe a nicer 'quality' without too much, or minimal, light loss.</p>

<p>The wide Velcro band on the flash is a Honl strap. The vinyl tubing is the kind sold in hardware stores by the foot. I forget what diameter, but simply take the umbrella down to the hardware store and make sure you get the size that fits snug, but not too snug you have problems getting the shaft into the tube. At the same hardware store, they probably have the white, wide Velcro kit (self adhesive). I simply cut the bottom white piece (the stiff side) to fit the top of the flash, stuck the tube (cut to the width) in the middle and fitted the fuzzy white part to the bottom part. You use more fuzzy white than stiff side. It isn't completely tight when on the flash, but it will work. You can also put the Honl, black strap around the white part, or start the black part on the white and wrap it around so it covers the white, for tighter fit.</p>

<p>I never tested the light loss as light loss--I just know I can get f5.6, ISO 100, at about 6 feet from my subjects, reflected. Probably shoot through as well. Indoors in dimmer light, you should have no problem getting decent f stops. You should either put the wide angle diffuser down over the reflector or manually put the zoom on the head to 24mm.</p>

<p>The Adorama umbrella is not sold separately, but for $15, what the heck.</p>

<p>At a party, you should not have a problem, but at a wedding, handling even this size umbrella can be a problem. Try making a 'baseball glove' type diffuser, which can be used by itself (no bounced light to help it) or with bounced light to help it. Google A Better Bounce Card. You can buy them, but there are instructions to make them. I've made my own.</p><div></div>

<p>Awesome thanks. I ordered the umbrella. Like you said, it's so inexpensive. I imagine clipping (small stationary bulldog clips) or velcro'ing black fabric to the outside of the umbrella would make it better for bouncing - no? I'm not too clear on your velcro/tube construction method/description for the shaft, but I should be able to figure something out<br>

And I'm going to make the foam bounce thingy too. Again, as you said it's more compact than a 20" umbrella - wish it were a bit higher and bigger then I could just leave the whole contraption on the camera hotshoe (and keep both hands on the camera.</p>

<p>Do you have a link to making a 'big' one of the foam thingies?<br>

The ready made ones seem to be really overpriced, and that is the only link I see now?</p>

<p>Use "A Better Bounce Card DIY" in your search engine. Here is one that is a classic.</p>

<p><a href="http://super.nova.org/DPR/DIY01/">http://super.nova.org/DPR/DIY01/</a></p>

<p>I didn't use set instructions, just figured out what I wanted. I used 'stays' between the two pieces of foam (white and black). The stays are made from the plastic grids that people use to weave onto. You can get them at craft stores. They are lightweight and rigid. The circle shape you see on my unit is one of those stays. The others are ice cream stick shaped stays around the part that encircles the flash head. Otherwise, the unit can get too floppy, particularly if you make it large.</p>

<p>Peter Gregg, who invented the first A Better Bounce Card, just came out with the Studio Pro card, which is bigger than his 8x8 inch Extra Large. He says it is too big to put on an on camera flash on the camera. My unit is about 8x8, and I like the shape to be round.</p>

<p>I can also tell you that the Velcro strap really holds tight. I got the strap at a hardware store (15"), and just cut slots in the unit. I glued things together with spray glue.</p>

<p>The handle is an Ultrapod, which has it's own Velcro strap that I use as a wrist strap. You dangle the flash from your wrist so your hands are free.</p>

<p>About the white Velcro holder--the Velcro came in a blister pack, at the hardware store. It was already that wide, so I cut the bottom piece to fit the width of the flash top (the non-fuzzy part). These are self adhesive. Then laid the cut tube in the middle of the bottom piece. Then without cutting the fuzzy white part, fitted it to the bottom piece carefully, around the tubing and into the crevices around the tube. Then cut off the excess.</p>

<p>The other thing I talked about was fitting it to the Honl strap. You can use it as shown, but it will pull up slightly from the umbrella weight, which is workable. You can also start the Honl strap under the white piece, then fit the whole thing to the flash, with the Honl strap wrapping partly around the white piece, for better snugness--all held together because they are Velcro.</p>

<p>Thanks for all your help. Appreciated.<br>

Just one last small question - the Honi strap looks like any wide velcro srap (hardware store variety).<br>

Or there something special/unusual<br>

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/601260-REG/Honl_Photo_HONL_STRAP_Speed_Strap_for_Speed.html</p>

<p>Aside from having the opposite texture for the closure in the right place, the inside of the strap is made from grippy material, and hardware store Velcro is not. However, I've heard of people using self adhesive grippy shelf liner on the underside of regular Velcro. I also don't see that wide a Velcro strap in hardware stores, normally, although I've seen some 'industrial strength' types that wide.</p>

<p>Ok thanks - it is a unique product then. Probably worth having.</p>

<p>You have been very helpful.</p>

<p>(Since I can't view a product variety in-store, I do have another very basic question about brackets which I'm going to try and email to you as it's off topic.)</p>