Bogen's Flex Arm for macro flash(es)

[._kaa]

I've been looking for a macro flash bracket and am not too happy about

what I've found. There are expensive single-flash setups (e.g. RRS),

expensive and heavy modular constructions (e.g. Wimberley, Novoflex),

and relatively cheap but not too flexible dual-flash setups (e.g.

Bogen macro bracket, Lepp's).

 

Looking further I found Bogen's Flex Arm -- basically a metal

gooseneck with screws at both ends. It's cheap ($20) and flexible :-)

Mount a cold shoe at one end of it and it should hold a flash

perfectly well.

 

Now, if I am shooting from a tripod, I can use it as intended and

attach the second end to a Bogen Super Clamp which would be fixed to

one of tripod's legs. If I want two flashes, just double the setup.

But what if I want to shoot hand-held?

 

I think that I need, basically, a camera plate to which I can attach

one or two of these Flex Arms. I'd prefer to buy one, but it's

probably easy to make, as well.

 

Has anyone tried anything like this setup? Any reasons come to mind

why it should or should not work?

[dan_fromm1]

What range of magnifications do you work at?

 

What focal length lenses do you use?

 

What emulsions do you use?

 

What apertures do you prefer to work at?

 

FWIW, I've taken better than satisfactory pictures at magnifications from 1:8 to 1:1 on KM using a 55/3.5 MicroNikkor, with M-2 as required, two little Honeywell flashes, and an aluminum extrusion with shoes. The extrusion attached to the camera's tripod socket. Working apertures were f/13.5 - f/32, depending on magnification. Always used hand-held.

 

That rig was replaced by (a) 2 Minolta Electroflash 20s on a lightly modified Spiratone Macrodapter on a 105/2.8 AIS and (b) a Jones bracket with 2 Minolta Auto 14s on a 55/2.8 AIS. With PN-11 or PK-13 as required, of course. With KM, working apertures are f/16 - f/27.5 depending on magnification. Again, 1:8 - 1:1 (1.1 -1 with the 105). They work very well, are always used hand-held.

 

"Flexible" flash holders are, in my opinion, too dangerous to use. Ones with fixed flash positions can be calibrated once and for all, don't require thinking or calculations. Flexible ones don't give easily reproducible flash-to-subject distances given magnification, so require thought etc. Lazy is good.

 

When I run out of KM, I'll switch to EPP and put ND filters on my little flashes.

 

That little aluminum extrusion is easily replaced with a piece of, e.g., acrylic plastic or aluminum bar stock, but the flash on lens rigs have advantages over flash more-or-less at film plane ones.

[._kaa]

<p>Dan,

 

<p>My main (macro) lens is Canon 100/2.8 macro. It goes to 1:1. I also use a 100-400 zoom with a diopter if I really need working distance. I shoot digital (Canon D60), mostly at f11 - f16. I do not go beyond f16 and usually try to stay at f11 because of diffraction issues.

 

<p>My flashes are 550EX and 420EX -- fully E-TTL, with ratio control. I don't care about calibrating fixed flash positions: E-TTL is good enough plus I can immediately see problems on the digital.

 

<p>In the meantime I browsed a little bit more. Basically what I want is something like <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=240736&is=REG">this</a>, but I don't want to pay $216 for it. I want to make an equivalent from Bogen parts -- two goosenecks at $20/each, two cold shoes at ~$10/each, plus a base plate.

[eosdoc]

<a name=antispam href=mailto:uce@ftc.gov></a>

I currently use a Manfrotto 330 / Bogen 3278 dual flash macro bracket. It works fine, especially the built-in camera rotator,

but the cold shoes are fixed onto swivelling, extendible arms that

do not allow easy height adjustment. See:<br>

<a target=loser href=

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=macro+flash+bracket

>http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=macro+flash+bracket</a>

<P>

I was considering adding a short gooseneck clamp or two. Did

you see the Sunpak Clamp Pod (Spring clamp with short gooseneck

and ballhead. See:<br>

<a target=loser href=

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=clamp+pod

>http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=clamp+pod</a>

[dan_fromm1]

Look, .Kaa, if you know that much about what you're doing there's only one question to answer and you're the only one who can answer it.

 

Can you stand to handhold camera + bracket + flashes? I think your rig will be a little heavy and quite unwieldy, but that's your problem.

 

FWIW, my two "little flash" rigs work well handheld up to 1:1 on a couple of Nikons. I also have a "big flash" rig (2 x Vivitar 283, each with VP-1) that I use up to about 2:1 with a 2x3 Graphic. The camera has to be mounted on a tripod, otherwise focusing and composing on the ground glass would be impossible. Even if I made a focusing frame for it -- the thought has crossed my mind -- the assembly (camera + bracket with flashes) would be a bit much for handholding.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

[frank uhlig]

I can only give you a bit of develish advice : use what you already have!

 

If I shoot a lot of macros, such as in a butterfly center/botanical graden, of varying subjects ..., I take my flash bracket (Stratos 835) and flip it to "vertical" position, i.e, even in horizontal picture taking mode, my flash is to the side of the lens. However, I fix it to the bracket at about a 30 degree angle from straight forward, so that it illuminates whatever there is about a few inches in front of my lens. Flash set to TTl, or matrix 3D, all the pictures come out perfect, with a slight smattering of shadows, quite pleasant to look at. (Shadowles macros of 3 dimensional objects look flat to me.) And in vertical picture taking mode, I leave the flash on the vertical arm (no flip).

 

If I shoot with a tripod, because the whole thing is too tricky for hand-held, I have the remote release in one hand and the flash in the other and this is my "Flex arm".

 

So, everything is fine, without a silly gizmo and the results are just super. Simply try your flash bracket in another way and/or use what you have got: namely your own arm. Duh!