Subject: Macro Flash on bracket - will ST-E2 work?

[bruce johnson]

I'd like to get a flash bracket for shooting handheld macro

photography. My current gear is Elan 7e, Speedlite 420EX and 100/2.8

Macro USM. The obvious way to connect the 420EX to the camera body

and preserve E- TTL is the off camera shoe cord 2. When I went to buy

it though, I was suprised by the price and began to wonder whether

I'd be better off with the ST-E2 transmitter. This would add IR

focussing ability to my Elan 7E as well as the ability to control the

flash at a further distance, along with any other flashes I may buy

in the future (considering a 550EX). This seems more versatile that

just the off camera shoe cord. However, I'm concerned - would the ST-

E2 be able to control the flash on the flash bracket, since both the

transmitter (ST-E2) and the reciever (on the flash) would be pointing

forward? Also, what if I turn the flash bracket so that the flash is

at 90 degrees (i.e. shooting from the side of the camera body) rather

than from the top?

 

Additionally, if you've got a flash bracket that you're pleased with

for macro photography, I'm open to suggestions. Since I've got an RRS

plate for my 100 Macro lens' tripod collar, I'm considering getting

their B85 flash arm which attaches to the RRS plate, but I've got no

idea how this solution compares to other macro flash brackets.

[PuppyDigs]

I use the ST-E2, 420EX and Elan 7E or EOS 3 to shoot macro. I don't use a flash bracket. The IR trigger needs line of sight. However, the beam pattern is wide enough that the 420EX will trigger above, below, to the side and slightly behind the ST-E2. I often hand hold the 420EX and bounce off a big white reflector. Although the 420EX's receptor is pointed completely away from the ST-E2, the reflective surfaces are sufficient to trigger the 420EX everytime.

[eosdoc]

I do not have an ST-E2 because I already owned an

Off-Camera-Shoe-Cord 2 when I bought the EF 100mm f/2.8 USM

Macro with the tripod-mount-ring adapter. Unfortunately the

TMR-B strikes the hand-grip of the BP-300 on my <a href=

"http://yahoogroups.com/group/elan7e"

>Elan 7E</a>, so I am forced to remove the BP-300 or the TMR-B

or just shoot with the camera upside-down )-:

<P>

<a href=

"http://www.manfrotto.com/products/metric/botfot3.html?man_code=330&company=MNO"

><img src=

"http://www.manfrotto.com/products/graphics/prodotti/330_itm_img.gif"

width=200 height=200 border=0 align=right

></a>

I have also used my Elan 7E with a 550EX on an OCSC2 slaving

a 420EX all mounted on a Manfrotto 330 / Bogen 3278 macro bracket.

That particular bracket also allows camera rotation for any

lens with or without a tripod mount and does not require

rearranging the lighting. While it works well, I found that I

did not like the harshness of direct flash light. See <a href=

"http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0028kn"

>thread</a> for an example of what I mean.

<P>

Now, when I travel light, I just leave the 420EX in the hotshoe

and hand-hold a piece of white paper to diffuse the light just

at the front edge of the 100/2.8USM lens hood.

[steve_baggett]

I use the ST-E2 on an EOS3 with a 550EX + 420EX on a Kirk double bracket. I have both flash "bodies" rotated about 90-deg so toward the ST-E2 so that the receivers can "see" the ST-E2's transmissions better, albeit from the side. (The flash heads are pointed forward, of course). I get a 100% trigger rate doing this. Before I did this rotation trick, I found that the ST-E2 would still trigger the flashes outdoors provided there was some "vegetation" within about 6-8 feet of the front of the ST-E2, which was true for aabout 90% of the shots I took. Apparently the IR would "bounce" off the plants without any problems at this range (just like walls when shooting indoors). However, occasionally when I wanted to shoot a tall, isolated flower at a low angle, where the ST-E2 was pointed up more or less at the sky and away from any vegetation, it would sometimes not trigger the flashes. To correct this problem, I rotated the flash bodies as described above. Hope this helps. Good Luck.