I'm looking to add a SB800 to my kit, but have read and been told I should get a bracket to move the flash off the body. What type of bracket should I be looking for? I'm thinking camera flip model. But I know no brands, models, prices etc.
Any advice on this and any other parts I will need to get this flash to work correctly would be appreciated.
I've found the SB800 for $310 at Digital Photo club. Anyone seen a better price?
I've also seen the SB600 for $259 at Crutchfiled and I have $125 woth of gift certs. there. So should I get the SB600 for $134 or spend twice the cash for the SB800? (I actually have a Visa gift card for $50 I can use anywhere.) So I can get the SB800 for $259.
Edited by brandofamily on Sep 06, 2005 at 09:17 PM GMT
Watch for a "new low price" on the SB600's. I found some info on the Nikon USA site about a price reduction... with all that flash stuff, it's hard to link to. Just go to the Nikon site and select "Flashes"
I use a Stroboframe Press-T bracket on my D100 with the battery pack. I like the fact that's it's more compact than the Pro-T, lighter, but still get the flash up nice an high. I use it with a SC-28, with no red-eye at all.
I have the Camera Flip and it works pretty well. A really nice bracket if you've got the cash is a setup from JustRite. I just wish I could figure out a way to get it to work with my D2H and the SC29 cable. A lot of folks also rave about the Custom brackets. They're about the same price as JustRite once you get all the pieces and parts I believe.
Just get an SC-17 and use the Statue of Liberty bracket. Hold the SB-800 up high! J/k but yeah I have done it, quite a few times actually. I always carry one SC-17 in my bag. Ya never know.
I have just a basic stroboframe but like Cary, have heard many speak highly of the Costum Brackets. There is also Newton that seem pretty decent. About the least expensive would be one of the Stroboframes. If you need one quick you are sure to have one in stock somewhere near you and it's a good start. You can always upgrade to a nicer unit later. Although I have wanted one, and some photographers I have worked with have suggested I upgrade to something a little more substantial (ie Custom Brackets) I have not really given it serious thought ... yet.
Have a look at Custom Brackets' "CB Junior"...I have them on all my kits...they work excellently, and are "not in the way" being compact, and functional.
Okay, I feel like i have a lot of experience with this and can give you a good answer. Get the Custom Bracket Digital S model. It's brand new and I just got one for my D70. It is extremely easy to use. You don't have any variability on the height above camera like you do on the CB Junior (which I use on my D2x), but I find it works just fine. It also has several extra holes along the top so you can mount a Pocket Wizard if you want. Also, I was using the Stroboframe Press T on the D70 and didn't like it at all (thus the CB Digital purchase). The CB Digital has a nice recessed wing nut (not quite a wing nut--it's more like heavy gauge wire in the shape of a wing nut) on the bottom of the bracket to attach the camera. This is great because you can set the camera flat on a table or such. Much better than the Stroboframe in this regard. The flip is a lot better, too. I (and my wife) had a tendency to get our fingers pinched in the Stroboframe, but the CB D has a completely different hinge that almost "springs" into place.
It is possible to fire the SB800/SB600 remotely when mounted on the bracket without having to purchase the SC-28. However, you will have to purchase a mounting shoe separately (about $6) if you go this route. I prefer the SC-28 because you don't get the pre-flash as you do when you use the SB800 in remote and you can use a Pocket Wizard (the SB8/600 will not fire a pocket wizard if it is in remote)..
The only downside to the CB (and the Stroboframe as well) is that I have to orient the camera "upside down" when in portrait mode. It beats having weird shadows, though.
Stay away from the camera flip type bracket made by Stroboframe. I tried it on my D70/SB800 combo and it sucked. The camera flip bracket is too small and will scratch your camera body easily unless you install it with surgical precision. There is almost no space between the bolts of the bracket and the left side of the camera body. Also, it is very difficult to flip the camera.
A low cost bracket I have is the Stroboframe Quickflip 350, a flash flip type bracket. I attatch my SB800 with a Nikon SC-28 TTL Remote Cord. It works perfectly well. Be carefull when you flip the flash though. I noticed that the remote cord sometimes gets caught in the fold of the bracket and it might damage the cord if you are not carefull.
Thanks snegron, I was about to post that I was going to buy the camera flip.Now I guess I keep looking. What's the diff between camera flip and flash flip?
Anyone else make a camera flip that's good?
The difference between both is that with the camera flip bracket the base that attatches to the bottom of the camera is a compact square with two levers attatched with bolts. When you turn the camera to the side you must rotate the entire bracket to position the flash on top. It is not as smooth an operation as the manufacturer says it is. If you are using a lens heavier than a 50mm, the bracket bolts need to be tightened so the camera won't shift while in portrait position. Problem with this is that when you tighten the bolts too much to prevent camera shifting, the camera flip function is too tight and makes it really difficult too flip the flash around. Conclusion, an all around pain in the rear using a camera flip type bracket.
The flash flip type bracket has a more simple operation. The camera is mounted on an "L" shaped metal bracket. On the top of the bracket a small arm extends over the camera with the flash attatched to the small arm. That small arm has only one bolt. When you turn the camera on its side to take a portrait shot, just move the flash arm and its done. The only two drawbacks I noticed with the flash flip bracket (Stroboframe Quickflip 350) are there are only about 5 inches between camera hotshoe and bracket hotshoe (maybe 7 inches when fully extended). In other words, there is not that much distance between your flash and your camera with this particular flash bracket. There are other flash flip brackets that create more distance between camera and flash for a few bucks more. The other drawback is that the Nikon SC-28 cable is rather long and has a tendency to get caught in that little corner when you flip the flash. If you are not paying attention to the cable it might get caught in the corner and get cut or damaged.
I have a Custom Bracket CB Junior, which is a flash-flip. I would recommend a flash-flip over camera-flip for the following reason. Since the flash reflector is rectangular, it appears that more light is dispersed horizontally to match the format of the camera. By rotating the flash (flash-flip) you keep the same light distribution when shooting vertically. The camera-flip seems more conducive to circular or parabollic flash heads, which give off an equal amount of light both horizontally and vertically.
For my CB Junior, I used a small nylon cable tie to route the SC-29 cable and keep it from pinching. My only complaint is that the base of the CB -Junior is not quite molded to the D70 and you have to loosen it slightly to replace the battery on the D70. A bit of filing should cure that, but havn't gotten to it just yet.
brandofamily wrote:
I'm looking to add a SB800 to my kit, but have read and been told I should get a bracket to move the flash off the body. What type of bracket should I be looking for? I'm thinking camera flip model. But I know no brands, models, prices etc.
Any advice on this and any other parts I will need to get this flash to work correctly would be appreciated.
I've found the SB800 for $310 at Digital Photo club. Anyone seen a better price?
I've also seen the SB600 for $259 at Crutchfiled and I have $125 woth of gift certs. there. So should I get the SB600 for $134 or spend twice the cash for the SB800? (I actually have a Visa gift card for $50 I can use anywhere.) So I can get the SB800 for $259.
Edited by brandofamily on Sep 06, 2005 at 09:17 PM GMT...Show more →
FWIW: I've had no problems with red-eye when using the SB-800 on my D70.
Check with buydig.com for great pricing on the SB-600/800.
Last time I checked this thread it was still about camera-flip brackets. Since it's turned to flash-flip brackets now, I'll throw in my 2¢.
I used one of the no-frills inexpensive Stroboframe flash-flip brackets for awhile. I mounted it backwards, so the "upward" part of the "L" was in my right hand. It worked okay, but I didn't like it because the camera was hard to hold and the camera would twist on the bracket.
I now use an older style Newton Di100FR. It doesn't have an anti-twist plate, but doesn't seem to need one. I'm not completely satisfied with this one either. Not real easy to grip the camera when shooting vertical. The newer Newtons seem to be designed more with the vertical shooter in mind. The Newton flip mechanism is pretty cool.
(If you like to tilt your SB800 up and extend the little white card, you can still do it while shooting vertical with a Newton bracket. With a Stroboframe, the little white card will be pointing to the side when you shoot vertical.)
My next bracket will probably be a Stroboframe Press-T with anti-twist plate.
I use a shortened SC-17 cord with my bracket, so no problems with it getting caught in the hinged joint on the bracket. I shortened it myself, using the directions on Al Jacobs' website. (I shortened to 15 coils, which is a little short. If I did it again, I'd go 17-20 coils.)
I use the Stratos 10" (1035) bracket: http://www.cam-ryte.com/stratos.html (scroll down). You'll note that they also make two versions of the 835: one folding, one not, but it's only 8", not 10". I do wish the 1035 folded, because it is kind of a pain to get it into my case.
You'll need the SC-28 TTL remote cord as others have mentioned.
B&H sells Stratos, but I haven't seen the folding 835 there.
