flash bracket question

[c._s.2]

<p>I was wondering specifically about brackets. Can the Speedlite 480 EXII be attached to a bracket? What is the true benefit of a bracket? ...- Is it to redirect the light from directly in front of to above, beside, etc.. more than the adjustable angles the flash allows when attached to the camera? Which brackets are compatible with this flash? Do I need any other equipment with a bracket? Thanks in advance for your time and any help you may give me!!!!</p>

[c._s.2]

<p>One more question. do you use gels with your flashes? which ones? I have seen several people recommend using gels - do you use these instead of diffusers? in addition to? Thanks!</p>

[SCL]

<p>Gels change the color temperature of the light. Diffusers spread the light. 2 different functions.</p>

[Charles_Webster]

<p>Almost any bracket that provides either a cold shoe or a 1/4-20 screw mount will accept your strobe.</p>

<p>The purpose of a bracket is to raise the light source above the lens to 1) reduce redeye, and 2) put the shadows created by the strobe behind the subject.</p>

<p>Brackets come in two families 1) flash rotates - when the camera moves from landscape to portrait, the bracket folds/unfolds to keep the strobe in the right place, and 2) camera rotates - in which the camera turns within the bracket keeping the strobe in the same place as the camera moves.</p>

<p>With a bracket you will need a flash cable that extends your hot shoe contacts up to the flash.</p>

<p><Chas><br /><br /></p>

[jcuknz]

<p>The other use of a good bracket is to enable you to position the flash to light the subject best, so it can move in an arc around and above the camera to 'model' the light to suit the angle of the subjects face, maybe more applicable to B&W rather than color.<br>

From another thread I got the opinion that you only use gels when you want to match the colour temperature of the flash, normally close to daylight, to an artificial light source or to daylight at its extremes of sunrise/sunset or overcast. Else for artistic reasons where I'm sure some set their camera WB to one setting, or use RAW, and gel to another etc. <br>

Flash is probably around 5500K, Tungsten around 3200K, Overcast up to 20,000K, Sunrise/Sunset ?K. Low K is reddish, high K is blueish. K is degrees Kelvin, a different scale to Celcius or Fahrenheit.<br>

The eye can detect a difference of just 150K. So it may be important to you when mixing light sources and your flash is not being used as the principle light source drowning out ambient.</p>

[scott_ferris]

<p>C.S.</p>

<p>Don't buy anything until you have got <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Speedliters-Handbook-Learning-Craft-Speedlites/dp/032171105X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314154096&sr=8-1">this book.</a> It is very well written with a huge amount of walkthrough illustrations and is 100% Canon orientated. It explains everything you will ever need to know about your flash, gels, brackets, triggers etc etc.</p>

[c._s.2]

<p>wow, looks like a great book, Scott! I'm on it! Thanks for the info from those who posted - I'm going to read the book and go from there.....I get ahead of myself sometimes before I really know what I am really buying...</p>

[scott_ferris]

<p>C.S.</p>

<p>You are very welcome, he has a reasonable website too, though like another favourite photographer of mine Zack Arias, he doesn't update it anywhere near enough (probably because they are both so busy!).</p>

<p>I was given the book as a present a while ago and I couldn't believe how much time, money and frustration it could have saved me had it been out a few years ago. An absolute must have for any Canon Speedlite user.</p>