Bronica Speed Grip and Metz flash

[darrengold]

I want to shoot a few pictures at a friend's party in a few weeks. I have an

ETRSi with prism and speedgrip, and Metz flash with SCA adapter.

 

Can someone who has a similar setup please tell me the best way to actually hold

all this gear? Up until now I've only used a hotshoe flash on the speedgrip.

 

Holding the flash, focusing and winding is a bit of a balancing act. Can someone

tell me the most ergonomic way to use all this gear. Is it better to hold the

grip with the right hand and focus with the left whilst balancing the flash

bracket on the left forearm; or hold the flash with the left and focus with the

right hand, making it difficult to push the grip shutter. I am left handed which

is adding to the confusion.

 

Thanks.

[Uncle Goose]

Err, tripod??

 

This configuration sounds a little bit heavy. Try to shoot on higher shutterspeed (it's a leaf shutter so it synchroizes on all speeds).

[User_502260]

You need a bracket like a Vertaflip. It will hold the flash in place while you hold the Speed Grip with your right hand and focus with the left. A remote cord may be needed to connect the flash with the camera. The shutter speed you use will depend on your film speed, the distance to your subjects and the ambient light. If you shoot everything at 1/500 your backgrounds will all go black. If you shoot at 1/60 you may get ghosting from the ambient light. A speed of 1/125 or 1/250 should be right.

[j_leonardo_smith]

It doesn't matter that you are left- or right-handed. The speedgrip fits to the right side of the camera so, without the flash, you are holding and firing with the right hand, and focusing with the left. Now with the flash on, it gets a LOT heavier, but the procedure is still the same. Rest that extra weight on your left forearm after focusing, and hold the whole works solidly in the left hand while winding with the right thumb. A lot of your problem will be just carrying the camera around while waiting for the next shot. I use a SQAi with the motor drive and a Metz 45 in this configuration. It's heavy and cumbersome, but worth the pictures.<P>

 

Leo Smith<BR>

Benicia, CA<P>

[darrengold]

Thanks guys. Thats exactly what I wanted to know.

 

Regards

[browncam]

You would find a strobo frame flip grip handy. The flash should be directly above the lens so that the shadow is hidden by the subj. The flip feature allows the flash to remain stationary on top when you change from horizontal to vertical.