Joe,
I received my new bracket yesterday, thank you for the quick response. After using it on several stands I have come to the following conclusions. These are only my first impressions based on my using it in the studio.
1-VERY difficult to attach the wing nut bolt to the Vagabond mini (yes, I did try to push the mini down into the bracket per your enclosed instructions) My suggestion would be to enlarge the hole by 1/2 of the thickness of a piece of hair. () It would still hold very well and not affect the stability in anyway.
2-Not practical to change batteries if you relied heavily on studio lights during a wedding, (I only use studio lights for portraits and group shots so the battery holds up just fine for me) the difficulty with the wing nut bolt will slow most people down who do rely on studio lights and their attempt to change the battery might be too frustrating for some people. Of course, if you have an assistant it is not a problem or if you only needed to change it during a slow shooting time. Weddings can be frustrating enough already.
3-VERY nice manufacturing and professional appearance + MADE IN THE USA!!! Price point is very acceptable for most professional photographers.
4-Perhaps using a u-bolt with wing nut configuration and form fitting back plate with a rubber anti-slip pad would be better than the velcro strap. (That would prevent the bracket from moving regardless of where you had it mounted on the stand.)
Overall, I would say you have done a great job at coming up with a fix for the problem and I would encourage you to market this to Paul or on your own. I intend on using it and I thank you again, Jeff
Thank you Ken & Jeff for your reviews of my bracket. I appreciate the feedback a great deal, as I want to make this bracket the best it can be. There are a lot of VML users out there, and while there are dozens of make shift mounting solutions there isn't one that stands out among the rest as the clear choice for mounting the VML to a light stand. My hope is to change that with the development of my bracket.
The whole idea behind my bracket was to create something that was simple, functional, and that I didn't have to worry about...I put the VML into the bracket, secure the VML to the bracket with the wing nut, wrap the velcro cinch strap around the VML and the light stand (or use a super clamp), and boom...done!
Now, that's not to say that there aren't limitations or things that could be addressed with regard to the current design (which I'm working on). The main thing that I've received feedback on is the ability, or inability as it were, to change the battery on the VML when it's mounted in the bracket and on a light stand. This is something that I'm addressing in the next version of the bracket, which I hope to have in a few weeks. Basically the new design will allow for a quicker way to get the VML out of the bracket, swap the battery, and pop it back into the bracket. While the wing nut used to secure the VML to the bracket is a good idea, the new design will make the wing nut an option and not a necessity to ensure the VML is securely seated in the bracket. This should allow for a quicker dismount of the VML from the bracket and decrease the amount of time it takes to swap out the battery. For most VML users this won't be an issue, as many photographers only use one VML on a shoot. But my goal is to accommodate as many photographers as possible, and if there are photographers that use four VML batteries per shoot then they should be able to swap them out quickly without sacrificing any of the things that make my bracket superior...stability, function, and aesthetics.
With regard to stability of the current design, using the bracket in conjunction with a super clamp (whether it be the original Manfrotto super clamp, or the Adorama clamp...I think they are the same size) seems to be the more preferred method of mounting my bracket to a light stand...and with good reason. Doing so makes for the most solid mounting solution, and eliminates all concern that the VML and bracket could move around at all or at the very worst potentially come loose from the light stand. While using a super clamp rated to hold up to 33lbs (15kg) is admittedly overkill, the design of the clamp is far superior to any other clamp that's out there. And, the super clamp is a pretty common item these days which most photographers either are using or at least have stashed away in a drawer somewhere. Again, at least for me, I don't want to have to worry that the VML and bracket are going to somehow come loose from the light stand at some point during my shoot. Using a super clamp in conjunction with my bracket offers me peace of mind knowing that that's not going to happen. Period.
As always, thank you all for your feedback and the discussion in this tread and please keep the comments and suggestions coming! I take them all very seriously, and have taken as many of them as I can into account with the new design.
Thanks, RobertLynn! There seems to be several people who have tried to come up with a solution (as you know, there are a ton of make shift solutions), but not many that are of the caliber and build quality that could be marketed as a true solution to mounting the VML to a light stand. It's not as easy as people think to not only come up with a solid design for something like this, but also everything else that goes into it...the actual design process, finding a good (domestic) metal fab shop to work with, deciding on materials and coatings, testing prototypes, marketing, etc, etc. To make something of the caliber I personally would be interested in using, there's quite a bit of work that goes into it!
I'm actually going through the second round of this process, as I've just finalized the design of version 2 of my bracket. Lots of time spent and lots of money invested...but in the end, it'll be worth it!
OK, I'll try to do that in the next couple of days. But, it's pretty much like the flat plate design at the beginning of this thread except that instead of using sheet metal, I used Acrylic. Mainly because I don't have any good way to cut sheet metal.
I planned to put a screw through it in to the threaded insert on the VML but now that it's built, I see that it's not needed.
I got one of Joe's brackets in the mail at the end of last week. First off I would like to say "Great Job!".
I think the design has been pretty thoroughly analyzed by others in the previous posts, so I won't repeat what has already been said.
I will say that it is a huge improvement over the integrated clip/mounting system of the VML and it certainly increases my confidence in the fact that the VML won't be going anywhere once mounted.
"Hats Off" to Joe for finding a need for something and then applying a little intelligent R&D to come up with a suitable product. I do like the fact that it is made here in the USA. Hopefully there is enough market for it to justify more production.
onetrack - good show by creating your own bracket! I love to see people come up with their own solutions for common problems!
As with Matt's (hondageek) design, there seems to be a negative side to using any kind of tape or adhesive directly on the VML itself...mainly the fact that it's nearly impossible to get off if you should ever need/want to. Another concern I would have in using your design would be with the use of acrylic as a mounting plate to attach the VML. I've worked with acrylic in the past, and it's great for a lot of things. But when you start drilling holes in it, it can become very finicky and prone to cracking. And should it ever get dropped or banged around, it can very easily get chipped and/or lose it's reliability and strength. At some point, it will most definitely have to be replaced (here is a perfect example of why not to use industrial strength velcro tape on the VML...good luck getting all the sticky residue off. ). But, as I've said about other make shift designs...your design is functional, and it would work. Personally, I just wouldn't trust it over the long term, and I wouldn't want anything permanently stuck to my VML's.
Hey, Bill! Thanks for the compliments on my bracket! I'm glad you're happy with it, and it's getting some solid use! The R&D continues, as I've been slammed with PM's and emails over the last week or so with comments and suggestions on how I can make the bracket even better!
I should have more details and pictures of version 2 of my bracket soon. I had a meeting last week with my metal fabrication shop to finalize the new design, and I should be getting a prototype soon. I'm currently working on a website to showcase the bracket, provide more details, pictures, and information, as well as the ability to take pre-orders for version 2. I'm hoping to have the website up and running by the end of next week. Thanks again, Bill, for the kind words. I appreciate your feedback!
I'm not too worried. The Acrylic is 0.2". I did drill the holes slowly with a drill press. Holes are clean and by drilling it slow, it tends to melt the inside surface. Sanding all edges gets rid of any issues from the initial cuts.
If it gets dropped, I'm going to be more worried about the VML then my Acrylic.
Don't care about getting the velcro off of the VML. Don't plan on removing it. It's not outside for long periods so it should have good life as opposed to an application that lives outside. I've got the female/fuzzy stuff on the VML.
Good luck on your bracket. Perhaps you should have a bunch made and sell them to Buff.
Just wanted to give everyone an update on the progress of version 2 of the VML Bracket that I have designed...
Delivery of the new bracket was supposed to be a little less than 2 weeks away, but I received a call today from my rep at the metal fabrication shop to let me know that the new brackets will be ready for pick up TOMORROW!!
It's going to be a few days before I'll have pics and more details available, but I'll get details posted ASAP. I've almost completed the website I've built for the VML Bracket, and will be finishing up a few other little things before the new bracket will be ready to make its debut on the open market.
Hi Patphoto, thanks for the suggestion. Could you give me an example of how you would be mounting a VML overhead per se?
As for the release of version 2, for those of you who are interested, when I went to go pick them up from the metal fab shop it was discovered that the draftsman measured incorrectly and the brackets were off by 1/8" rendering them useless (a costly mistake for the metal fab shop). So, they are under production again and hopefully will be available soon!
I was thinking about when you are attaching strobes on top of bleachers for basket/volleyball setting for instance. You then secure a safety cable to the strobe. I would add another one to the battery as well.
Well, the time has come to announce the website I created for my VML Bracket that has all the latest details, images, and information on version 2. The final design just passed R&D this morning, and the new VML Bracket should be available to ship in a few weeks.
As some of you who have been following this thread (or who have been in constant contact with me throughout the process of getting the VML Bracket designed and fabricated) know...it has been a long road in getting version 2 completed. Throughout the last month and a half I've run into numerous issues with the metal fabrication shop I've been working with. While this has been a great learning experience in terms of how the process of taking a drawing and turning it into an actual product works, it has also been a great exercise in extreme patience!
Despite all the setbacks, stress, and design issues that I've encountered over the last six weeks or so, I'm proud to say that it has all paid off and the final product is exactly what I was hoping it would be. The second version of the VML Bracket is a huge leap in functionality for mounting a Vagabond Mini Lithium battery pack to any light stand, and I think that most will agree it has been a long time coming.
For all the details, pictures, history, etc of The VML Bracket, please go to http://www.vmlbracket.com
As always, thank you all for your support, suggestions, and advice. Please let me know what you think, and if you know of anyone who might be interested in The VML Bracket please refer them to the website. Thanks!
joejack wrote:
Please let me know what you think, and if you know of anyone who might be interested in The VML Bracket please refer them to the website. Thanks!
It still looks like a real pain to change the battery. You didn't address this issue at all and I'm sure it will put lots of people off.
Actually, ukphotographer, the speed at which it takes to change the battery on the VML using the VML Bracket was never really an issue for most people. And with version 2 of the bracket, it's still not an issue.
However, version 2 of the VML Bracket does allow for quicker battery changes than the first version because the new design doesn't require the photographer to use the knurled thumb screw (a wing nut on the first version) if they don't want to. The VML can be secured to the VML Bracket with a single velcro cinch strap which makes changing the battery quick and easy. Simply loosen the strap, take the VML out of the VML Bracket, replace the battery, pop the VML back into the VML Bracket, and tighten the cinch strap. Easy! And even using the knurled thumb screw in addition to the velcro cinch strap only adds a few additional seconds to the process of changing the battery.
I'll be posting videos on my website soon to demonstrate the battery changing process, as well as a few other key features of the second version of the VML Bracket.
) It would still hold very well and not affect the stability in anyway.
