Could you please suggest flash bracket which will go for Wimberley Gimbal II/500mm lens and birding purpose. Also I am looking for one cost less than space shuttle...

Wimberley makes them and of course the work perfectly on the Wimberley. ...did you check those out?

The good thing about theirs is the you can use on its own too. They come in pieces so it is more of a "system" that has more than one use. Its a little heavy as a stand alone flash bracket but I use mine all the time...you get used to it. And of course it is built to survive a smart bomb direct hit.

I think RRS has one but don't know for sure...but they are not not known for modest prices. Kirk may, they seem to make everything else.

I don't think any of these is going to be low-cost tho. But compared to your 500 and other stuff you have, seems like a small amount. Easy for me to say with your money.

MSC wrote:
Wimberley makes them and of course the work perfectly on the Wimberley. ...did you check those out?

The good thing about theirs is the you can use on its own too. They come in pieces so it is more of a "system" that has more than one use. Its a little heavy as a stand alone flash bracket but I use mine all the time...you get used to it. And of course it is built to survive a smart bomb direct hit.

I think RRS has one but don't know for sure...but they are not not known for modest prices. Kirk may, they seem to make everything else.

I don't think any of these is going to be low-cost tho. But compared to your 500 and other stuff you have, seems like a small amount. Easy for me to say with your money.



Thanks, right about price but still simple thing should not cost $200

I can't think of any vendors that are going to less than $200 on this. I guess if you are handy you could gerry-rig something. I suspose a Google search might be a worth a go, who knows. Good luck!

And I agree on costs, but shoot, a 20 oz bottle of Coke costs a $1.50, and I parked for one hour in DC today, $20 plus something for the attendant...and don't get me started on a trip with kids to Starbucks...

I use RRS B91-B. It works very well, serves as a second "handle", and can be used with normal lenses with MPR-CL that connects to the camera plate.

MSC wrote:
I can't think of any vendors that are going to less than $200 on this. I guess if you are handy you could gerry-rig something. I suspose a Google search might be a worth a go, who knows. Good luck!

And I agree on costs, but shoot, a 20 oz bottle of Coke costs a $1.50, and I parked for one hour in DC today, $20 plus something for the attendant...and don't get me started on a trip with kids to Starbucks...


I should explain this to my boss he still think we are paid enough ...

here's RRS B91-B on the 400

That looks like a nice piece of hardware. The only advantage to the Wimbeley bracket is that it is totally modular so you can get the flash up really high. I found this helpful in sports where I was getting shadows from the strobe on the bottom of the frame when the players were closer. I had to take the hood off to stop that until I got another extension. The disadvantage would be that it is in pieces so you have put it together. But that only takes a min or so. The Wimberley pieces can be configured in many ways, which I do all the time, including getting the flip bracket and getting the flash off in various lengths. The RRS bracket is a dedicated product that does one thing, albeit well. My RRS products I own are all well made.

These are the pieces: http://www.tripodhead.com/products/flash-bracket-individual-modules.cfm

But none of this is cheap. That RRS bracket is $250 and the Wimberley pieces would easily run you that much or likely more by the time you are done.

Was just curious...Kirk does make one...looks like the RRS one: http://www.kirkphoto.com/Telephoto_Flash_Bracket.html

But it ain't gonna save you much money.

mt-m wrote:
here's RRS B91-B on the 400

Breitling65 wrote:
Do you have rrs replacement foot or wimberley plate?

Hehe, I have them all Started with Wimberley replacement foot, but found it to be too close to the lens to serve comfortably as a handle. Then tried p-50 long plate on the original foot - was fine, except it put RRS flash bracket too close to the top of the lens

Finally the RRS replacement foot (in the picture) was the winning ticket

Yeah, Wimberley bracket is very nice indeed. Is there a bit of freeplay when everything is fully tightened? I've only seen it once - a fellow photographer was carrying his rig over the shoulder, and the flash was bouncing quite a bit. Maybe he just didn't tighten all the knobs.

RRS one is very solid, but you do have to tighten the bottom knob (bracket to lens plate) very well. Then even when walking, there's very little movement of the flash. Given the known "strength" of Canon hotshoes, cords, etc, that's a good thing

mt-m wrote:
Breitling65 wrote:
Do you have rrs replacement foot or wimberley plate?

Hehe, I have them all Started with Wimberley replacement foot, but found it to be too close to the lens to serve comfortably as a handle. Then tried p-50 long plate on the original foot - was fine, except it put RRS flash bracket too close to the top of the lens

Finally the RRS replacement foot (in the picture) was the winning ticket


What about this strap on gimbal, what for is this?

Breitling65 wrote:
What about this strap on gimbal, what for is this?


the other end of the strap is on one of the legs - this is the way I carry the tripod when disconnected from the lens - tripod on the strap over the left shoulder and the lens/camera in the right hand.

The strap is Domke Gripper Utility with quick-release, so it's easily removed when not needed, while the velcro eyelets stay on the tripod leg and the head.

No freeplay at all, it tightens completely and securely. That said, if you have two extensions on it, like I do at times when I want the flast way up and off the lens (it is over a foot off the lens [the lens I'm talking about is the 400 2.8 IS...the fat one) with two extensions) it 'moves' a bit. If you were walking with the kit over your shoulder, you would likly see it 'bounce. ' That is flex in the metal...think of an airplane wing. It is just a function of weight at the very end of a long piece of metal. The rods about the same thickness as the RRS bracket you show...they are just a lot longer so there is flex in it. Imagine the RRS bracket with two plus times the length of the metal and that is a good idea. Shooting people at a game for instance, you need the extra distance to not have red-eye. I have no idea about wildlife. But for instance at a football game, some people take thier flash off the camera and gaffer tape it thier monopod below the lens for the same reason. They mount this way down the monopod, over a foot below the lens...otherwise you still get redeye (of the dreaded white-eye )

Looking at the RRS bracket, I would think you would still get some shadow from the flash hitting the lens hood...it is not that high off the lens. I've been forced to take the hood off to deal with this at games and even then I would still get some shadow...until I got the longer extension. Maybe if you are just going for a catchlight in the eyes of wildlife, therefore dail down the flash a lot, and they are distant, it is not an issue? No may area...unless you football players wildlife...and there is truth in that.

I have Wimberley and RRS and Kirk gear, all are well made and will last a lifetime plus have plenty of resale value because of it. The only RRS products I don't care for are the ballheads. But they are def on a par with Wimberley in build quality...and Kirk is too for that matter. Kirk gets left out of a lot of these discussions but they make top flight ballheads and tons of great non-ballhead stuff too.

Same idea, different ways to tackle the problem...get the flash off the camera and away from the lens.

MSC wrote:

Looking at the RRS bracket, I would think you would still get some shadow from the flash hitting the lens hood...it is not that high off the lens. I've been forced to take the hood off to deal with this at games and even then I would still get some shadow...until I got the longer extension. Maybe if you are just going for a catchlight in the eyes of wildlife, therefore dail down the flash a lot, and they are distant, it is not an issue? No may area...unless you football players wildlife...and there is truth in that.


It also depends on where along the lens the flash bracket puts the flash. The way the RRS bracket is mounted on RRS replacement foot on my 400 is that the bracket itself is just forward of the focusing ring, putting the flash head in line with the back edge of the lens hood.

I just fired a shot at a wall at minimum focusing distance, (full flash power, full-frame camera) and there's no shade from the hood at all.

Are you using Wimberley lens foot/plate? I suppose if you mounted the flash bracket on the back of the lens plate/foot (not an option with RRS replacement foot) you could get the shadow from the hood, as the flash would sit at the very back of the lens.

True. I have the Wimberley replacement foot that is really long. You can mount the bracket on either end. If on the back, the shadow issue would be a more of a potential than on the front...just depends on how high the thing is...a geometry puzzle. Yours is forward and must be enough to stop the shadow.

hehe, indeed. I'd say consider the RRS replacement foot - makes the lens soooo much easier to handle (although since it's farther away from the lens, your flash will be lower, unless you mount it upside down as you mentioned - then it will be farther away from the lens )

I have the Wimberley F9 bracket for my WH200 II. In addition, I bought an M6 extension to get the flash even higher. The F9 works nicely by attaching to the gimbal swing arm. It is solid. A nice feature is that I can attach it to my RRS L bracket when I need a flash bracket.

Jim

Also, the F9 with an M6 extension works great as a standard flash bracket attached to the side arm of my RRS L bracket.

Jim

Breitling65 wrote:
MSC wrote:
Wimberley makes them and of course the work perfectly on the Wimberley. ...did you check those out?

The good thing about theirs is the you can use on its own too. They come in pieces so it is more of a "system" that has more than one use. Its a little heavy as a stand alone flash bracket but I use mine all the time...you get used to it. And of course it is built to survive a smart bomb direct hit.

I think RRS has one but don't know for sure...but they are not not known for modest prices. Kirk may, they seem to make everything else.

I don't think any of these is going to be low-cost tho. But compared to your 500 and other stuff you have, seems like a small amount. Easy for me to say with your money.




Thanks, right about price but still simple thing should not cost $200

i wonder what your time and effort are worth?

sjms wrote:
Breitling65 wrote:
MSC wrote:
Wimberley makes them and of course the work perfectly on the Wimberley. ...did you check those out?

The good thing about theirs is the you can use on its own too. They come in pieces so it is more of a "system" that has more than one use. Its a little heavy as a stand alone flash bracket but I use mine all the time...you get used to it. And of course it is built to survive a smart bomb direct hit.

I think RRS has one but don't know for sure...but they are not not known for modest prices. Kirk may, they seem to make everything else.

I don't think any of these is going to be low-cost tho. But compared to your 500 and other stuff you have, seems like a small amount. Easy for me to say with your money.




Thanks, right about price but still simple thing should not cost $200

i wonder what your time and effort are worth?


I wounder how this is related to the post?

Got Wimberley F1 bracket for now, not cheap but will work for mine Wimberley plates I am using. Will try it if not going to work well possibly will replace with RRS, that would need replacement foot as well for 500mm lens. Thanks all!