really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

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400d
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p.2 #1 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

I had the Photogenic and it was terrible, I can knock a 22" dish off it even it's correctly mounted. For entry level strobes, I think the Bowens/Calumet mount isn't too bad.

Jun 25, 2012 at 05:25 PM

hondageek
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p.2 #2 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

JZucker- Don't be so matter-of-fact about it. They obviously do have enough tension if you get all four fingers in the speed ring. Your problems are due to pilot error. You said this yourself in your first post that you're missing the grippers. Don't blame the equipment.

Jun 25, 2012 at 05:44 PM

jzucker
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p.2 #3 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

hondageek wrote:
JZucker- Don't be so matter-of-fact about it. They obviously do have enough tension if you get all four fingers in the speed ring. Your problems are due to pilot error. You said this yourself in your first post that you're missing the grippers. Don't blame the equipment.

no they don't. Even if you get all 4 grippers inside the ring it sometimes slips. The only way to ensure a good grip is to pull the light off the boom, put it on the ground and mount the modifier on it.

Jun 25, 2012 at 06:23 PM

rico
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p.2 #4 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

If mount design invites pilot error, I think criticism is deserved. Seems like the legacy Balcar mount should be abandoned, or at least reimplemented to lock the fingers into position. What opinions on the Hensel mount? I really like what I see of their (bigger) modifiers.

Jun 25, 2012 at 09:15 PM

kenyee
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p.2 #5 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

rico wrote:
Seems like the legacy Balcar mount should be abandoned, or at least reimplemented to lock the fingers into position. What opinions on the Hensel mount? I really like what I see of their (bigger) modifiers.

I've always wondered if you could design a Balcar mount w/ longer fingers and a locking switch on the head side.

Hensel modifiers are crazy light (to the point of almost feeling flimsy)...especially their BD. Can't remember how the mount hooked together though...

Jun 25, 2012 at 09:39 PM

400d
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p.2 #6 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

I moved to Broncolor and think their design is fine, once it's in, it's going nowhere. Although it might be easier to align/mount heavier modifier on a Profoto.

Jun 25, 2012 at 09:39 PM

jzucker
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p.2 #7 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

rico wrote:
If mount design invites pilot error, I think criticism is deserved.

Agreed. It's hard to discuss anything around here without some fanboism creeping in IMO...

Jun 25, 2012 at 09:51 PM

tedwca
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p.2 #8 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

The original Ultras had screws that held the fingers in place and were a pain to use, but secure. The spring loaded fingers are more convenient, but unsecure.

I LOVE Profoto's mount.

My Elinchroms will sometimes have the mounting ring tweak a little and will not lock in place. My 27" Beauty Dish does not lock securely anymore

Jun 26, 2012 at 03:15 AM

cgardner
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p.2 #9 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

The gear is what it is and you find ways to deal with it.

I've found the best way to deal with the AB connector when mounting a SB is to first put the SB on the floor facing down then take the flash head of the stand then insert it down into the SB. That allows me to use two hands on the flash head / connector, more easily guide the flash head without hitting the flash tube, feel the secure connection before releasing the spring arms and test the connection with everything close to the ground. Try it. It's much easier than trying to hold the SB in one hand and manipulate the spring lock tabs with the other.

I've used a large Photoflex Multidome Q39 with the AB speedring and the AB metal dish on my AB800s without any problems with the clip holding the weight. To rotate a SB with the AB speedring slightly loosen the two round thumb screws holding the V shaped base to the casting and rotate the casting on the attached base rather than releasing tension on the spring lock.

Jun 26, 2012 at 12:25 PM

Deezie
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p.2 #10 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

I've owned Hensel Integra monolights in the past and found their modifier mount very easy to use, and it firmly holds very large modifiers.

Jun 26, 2012 at 01:29 PM

kdphotography
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p.2 #11 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

The Balcar mount on the AB/Einstein "works" but it's also an exercise in mediocrity. Great care needs to be taken to make sure modifiers are secure. The biggest problem I've experienced (twice) is while taking great care to secure a modifier, inadvertently hitting the flash tube and breaking it. The glass dome on the Einstein really helps protect the tube in this regard.

ken

Jun 26, 2012 at 02:15 PM

kenyee
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p.2 #12 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

tedwca wrote:
The original Ultras had screws that held the fingers in place and were a pain to use, but secure. The spring loaded fingers are more convenient, but unsecure.

Interesting...I always assumed they were the same. Dug this up in case anyone else is curious what it looks like:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WHITE-LIGHTNING-ULTRA-600-STUDIO-FLASH-SPEEDLIGHT-WORKS-/130541573388#vi-content

Jun 26, 2012 at 02:37 PM

eSchwab
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p.2 #13 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

The elinchrom mount is good but not perfect. On one of my modifiers (I think it's the deep octa) the fabric is kinda bunched at the back. It makes it slightly more difficult to mount it and it can even turn the locking ring if you twist the whole softbox. It's never happened but I tried it and it could.

Jun 26, 2012 at 04:16 PM

cordellwillis
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p.2 #14 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

jzucker wrote:
rico wrote:
If mount design invites pilot error, I think criticism is deserved.

Agreed. It's hard to discuss anything around here without some fanboism creeping in IMO...

Nahhhhh. There's just some folks that find a problem with things that others don't. I would say that's beauty of all these gear options. Some people are capable of finding a way to make things work. Others dump the product and jump to another only to find a different kind of issue. A never ending cycle that appears on here all the time by same posters.

AB mount works well if done right. It aint coming off.....at least when I do what *I* am suppose to do.

Jun 27, 2012 at 02:13 PM

bobbyz
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p.2 #15 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

I never had issues with AB and 5' octa. I would hold the AB in hand with oact mounted and move the whole thing easily. Now I upgraded to Einstein and one of the two those fingers aren't good. Both these are v2 design but fingers still get stuck in on the Einsteins. So far they don't let go of the modifiers. The 2ns unit is perfect and lot stronger than AB mount.

Jun 28, 2012 at 05:46 PM

jzucker
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p.2 #16 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

ARGGGGGGGGG JUST BROKE ANOTHER !@#$!@#$ AB Flash tube this morning. $80 in 1 week

I just ordered a pair of einstein flashes and cyber commander system. I'm seriously considering returning them without opening and switching to elinchrom

Jul 04, 2012 at 11:37 AM

jzucker
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p.2 #17 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

Even Kacey (who makes the esteemed beauty dish for AB) is now contributing to the frey about the poor AB mounting bracket

Toss the rubber bands!
This custom grip bracket is made for the Einstein a Paul C Buff studio flash.The Einstein has had design issues with the mounting fingers since first released. Even with updated versions there are reports that the heat of 250 watt modeling lights are causing the springs to weaken and fail over time.

* Bracket allows Buff folding Boxes, Octa’s and strips to be mounted to the Einstein with no weight on the head.
http://www.kaceyenterprises.com/

Jul 05, 2012 at 07:58 PM

BrianO
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p.2 #18 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

jzucker wrote: Even Kacey (who makes the esteemed beauty dish for AB) is now contributing to the [fray] about the poor AB mounting bracket...

Jerry is a tinkerer who has come up with some really useful products, and this looks to be no exception. I've always thought hanging stuff on the front of a light was a bad idea, and this is a notable solution. (Top photo.)

Jerry uses the same idea for his beauty dish flash brackets (middle photo), and RPS does the same for theirs (bottom photo).

Hanging both the modifier and the light on a bracket, and having the bracket bear the weight, is just good engineering.

2013 © BrianO

Edited on Jul 06, 2012 at 01:06 AM · View previous versions

Jul 05, 2012 at 08:17 PM

jzucker
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p.2 #19 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

i agree brian, i just thought it was interesting that they've seen a problem with AB mounts when many folks say there is no issue.

Jul 05, 2012 at 08:24 PM

hugowolf
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p.2 #20 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip

BrianO wrote:
jzucker wrote: Even Kacey (who makes the esteemed beauty dish for AB) is now contributing to the [fray] about the poor AB mounting bracket...

… I've always though hanging stuff on the front of a light was a bad idea…

I always have an averse reaction every time I buy Profoto mount modifiers, because of the added expense of the wrap round gusset. But then I look at the alternatives. I have absolutely no problems with even the biggest softboxes even with front mounted grids.

Brian A

Jul 06, 2012 at 12:14 AM

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