Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Lighting & Studio Techniques | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2017 · First Attempt at a Wildlife Flash Rig

  
 
jbear
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · First Attempt at a Wildlife Flash Rig


I am getting adventurous and wading into the realm of shooting with a Better Beamer and flash bracket. So...a couple of questions for the experienced.

I picked up an RRS WFP-QR folding flash bracket (have not received this yet). I know that the other curved brackets are perhaps a "better" choice, as may be the Wimberley F-1. Thing is...I'd like to be able to use this on my Sidekick-mounted gear and hand-held. The RRS attaches to the camera's L-bracket allowing this. I also want to be able to kayak with it and the ability to fold it up is a factor. The gear is Nikon: a D500, D7200, & D750, primarily with a 300 2.8 VRII, 300PF, and 200-500VR (the three tc's when applicable). Macro may be the next flash adventure, but one thing at a time.
Here are the questions:
1-Will this bracket get the flash (SB-600 at this point) far enough from the lens axis to eliminate red/steel-eye in my subjects?
2-Would I be better off to accept that this was a poor choice, sell it, and grab one of the other two products?
I am a very experience shooter, but with NO flash experience, so feel free to talk to me like I'm five.
Thanks all.



Dec 08, 2017 at 09:44 AM
sk66
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · First Attempt at a Wildlife Flash Rig


I don't use flash brackets for wildlife... it's either mounted in the hotshoe on the camera or in a coldshoe on the lens hood (when shooting from inside a vehicle).

The 4" difference in height (or less) has zero real effect on the angle of incidence at the distances you will typically be shooting. Even if you went to an extreme and placed it a foot higher it wouldn't make much difference beyond ~10ft.

I also don't use a better beamer/fresnel with the speedlight. Instead I opted for a speedlight that zooms to 200mm (not much wider than the better beamer's spread). The speedlight I'm using currently is the Godox V860II/Flashpoint Zoom Li-Ion, so any difference in battery consumption/recycle time is more than made up for.

I do own/use a MagBeam on an AD200 sometimes, but that's because the AD200's fresnel head doesn't zoom.



Dec 08, 2017 at 05:58 PM
jbear
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · First Attempt at a Wildlife Flash Rig


Interesting take. Thanks for your response.


Dec 08, 2017 at 09:55 PM
Zach-55
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · First Attempt at a Wildlife Flash Rig


I am curious did you actually compare light spread of Godox 860 at 200mm setting compared to usage of Better Beamer or similar fresnel lens concept and how much of a difference in light spread on a "target" at 10, 15 or 20m distances is there? Thanks!

sk66 wrote:
I don't use flash brackets for wildlife... it's either mounted in the hotshoe on the camera or in a coldshoe on the lens hood (when shooting from inside a vehicle).

The 4" difference in height (or less) has zero real effect on the angle of incidence at the distances you will typically be shooting. Even if you went to an extreme and placed it a foot higher it wouldn't make much difference beyond ~10ft.

I also don't use a better beamer/fresnel with the speedlight. Instead I opted for a speedlight that zooms to 200mm (not much wider than the better beamer's spread).
...Show more




Dec 09, 2017 at 09:32 AM
sk66
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · First Attempt at a Wildlife Flash Rig


Zach-55 wrote:
I am curious did you actually compare light spread of Godox 860 at 200mm setting compared to usage of Better Beamer or similar fresnel lens concept and how much of a difference in light spread on a "target" at 10, 15 or 20m distances is there? Thanks!


I haven't. The actual size of the light from the beamer also depends on the flash zoom position... I would say it is always much wider than 200mm FOV, but the even area is smaller. It's designed for lenses of 300mm + so I would estimate that to be it's (sort of) zoom position. Having the area wider than the lens' FL makes aiming/centering the light less critical. I really wasn't that fond of the better beamer...

I found this article that pretty well shows everything about using/focusing/centering the better beamer.
http://www.naturephotographers.net/tdg0502-1.html



Dec 09, 2017 at 01:16 PM
Fred Amico
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · First Attempt at a Wildlife Flash Rig


You might want to PM Morris, who posts in the Nature and Nikon forums. As far as I know, he uses flash extensively for his bird/wildlife photography, and is a helpful source for information.


Dec 09, 2017 at 05:02 PM





FM Forums | Lighting & Studio Techniques | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.