Which Diffuser and Bracket?

Derrel · Nov 22, 2009

usayit said:
I have an older version of this:

Stroboframe | R4B Rotary-Link Flash Bracket | 300-450 | B&H

Like usayit, I too, have this same,exact Stroboframe bracket. It works with BIG cameras, like the Bronica SQ-AM motorized 120 rollfilm SLR, or a large 35mm camera like a NIkon F3 + MD-4 motordrive, or a Nikon D2x or Canon 5D + battery grip. This is a "real" bracket that positions the flash quite high over the lens, allowing you to shoot even long-range shots without fear of redeye.

For calculating redeye, the old formula I got from a Herbert Keppler article 20+ years ago was a ratio of 1 inch from the lens axis for every 72 inches distance. In practical terms, that means if the flash is 1 inch above the lens, you can shoot 72x that distance, or six feet away from the camera before redeye becomes a problem. With some of the "cheap, small brackets" where the flash is 5 inches above the lens when the bracket is rotated, that means you run the risk of redeye on shots done at only 30 feet. Six inches gives you 36 feet, 7 inches gives you about 42 feet, 8 inches yields a 48 foot maximum distance, and so on. If you need to do any long-range flash on bracket shots, there's a reason the professional Stroboframe is so tall compared to the cheap "paparazzi-style" $30 brackets.

There is a reason the specifications for this bracket list "lens to flash height" as 12.5 inches: for professional shots where you need to capture long-range flash shots, a tall bracket of 12.5 inches lens-to-flash height will prevent redeye as far as 75 feet from the camera, which might be important if you're using flash at news events, fashion shows, or any other situation where you might have to shoot from quite a long range and want to avoid those glowing red eyes.

Rmclain3 · Feb 22, 2010

Does Stroboframe make a flip-bracket that will work on a gripped 40D? It's hard for me to tell by looking at the pictures if a 40D with a battery grip will work with the flip mechanism.