cgardner
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 p.4 #5 · p.4 #5 · really hating the alien bee accessory spring grip | |
The best way to judge fit is to mount just the speedring without the modifier attached so the physical contact "foorprint" of the fingers on the flange can be evaluated. There's a significant difference between some contact and good solid contact.
But having followed this thread that will not die from the beginning I recall the problem of breaking the flash tube was the result of not getting all the fingers inside the flange correctly, which caused the modifer to slip off and break the tube. That's not a design flaw that's user error: an error in judgement in your abilty hold the fingers open with one hand and lift the modifer onto a light head mounted on the stand. Stubbornly doing it the same way despite seeing the same results is a "meatware" problem not a design flaw. The design holds the speedring quite well if all four fingers are engaged correctly.
If the ABs have design flaw its the lack of protection for the flash tube. But even addressing that shortcoming will not remedy the user error of not getting all the fingers inside the flange and having the modifier slip off.
The first time I tried to change a SB with the light on a stand I saw the two-handed juggling problem and the potential for breaking the flash tube. I did not go running to the lighting forum and whine about the gear, I studied the problem for about 10 sec. put the SB flat on the floor, took the flash head off the stand and using two hands on the flash head guided it safely into the SB.
The solution was obvious to me because over the years I've juggled and nearly dropped other gear like lenses and meters and them off tables, desks and shelves. So now where practical I store my camera gear on the floor or close to the floor when not in use. When practical I change lenses by putting the new one on the floor on it's lens hood, placing the camera with old lens on the floor next to it, twist the body off the stationary old lens and on to the new one. More inconvenient than doing it in mid-air but thats a task best done with three hands and I only have two and also keeps the body pointing down less likely to get dust inside.
Inconvenient? Yes, but not as inconvenient as broken gear.
Putting the SB on the floor removing the light and putting back on the stand with modifier securely attached took me less time to do it that way than my previous repeats tries to navigate the Large 36 x 48 SB onto the stand mounted flash head. I've never broken a flash tube in six years of use.
I offered that common-sense solution early in this thread. Did you ever try it? Apparently not because you continued to do it "your way" and broke another flash tube.
Perceived gear problems can be remedied by buying different gear. Repeating the same user error of not getting the fingers engaged and repeatedly breaking flash tubes is a problem between the ears more difficult to fix. A hot stove will burn your hand if you touch it. For most it only takes one touch to figure that out and decide not touching the stove is the better strategy.
No gear is perfect in all respects. To use it successfully one needs to get past how you think it should work if designed per your expectations, understand how it works and it's limitations, and find ways to work around them. I don't use my ABs in the rain because they aren't waterproof. I wish they were and they would be in a perfect world, but life just ain't fair at times.
Humor me Jerry. Put your SB on the floor when swapping modifiers... and let this thread die 
Edited on Jul 28, 2012 at 09:57 AM · View previous versions
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