DIY Flash Bracket for Umbrella

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Ruidoso Bill

Senior Member
Available off the shelf brackets to hold your flash and aim it at your umbrella result in poor alignment (off center). I use SB800 and a SB910 to shoot into umbrellas but the alignment is very poor with the brackets I use and the flashes seem poorly supported. I stumbled across this article for making brackets that will aim your flash into the center of the umbrella and hold it much more securely than the regular brackets available. So DIYers show/post up your project brackets.

DIY Brackets
 
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Mike D90

Senior Member
All of the research I have done has all told me you do not want the flash aimed into the center of the umbrella and this goes for soft boxes/brolly boxes as well from what I read.

So now I am confused.
 
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singlerosa_RIP

Senior Member
How do you trigger your flashes? If using IR, you have no way to line up the flashes with the transmitter (pop up flash or SU-800). I use the very sturdy Manfrotto umbrella brackets with Giotto ballheads. The ballhead allows me to rotate the flash for IR triggering. Not an issue if I use RF.

JFS_5584.jpg
 
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skene

Senior Member
Well if it's a matter of setting off the flash via IR, you can always just secure the flash at the head and raise the base as if it were resting on your hotshoe and rotate the body till the IR receiver is in view.
 
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Ruidoso Bill

Senior Member
carguy said:
My cheapo CowboyStudio strobe/umbrella holder has them on the same axis. I guess I'm confused.
Click to expand...

My cheapo cowboy studio brackets are the problem, not only is the flash off center axis I don't trust the brackets after one dropped a new SB910 on the floor.
 
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Ruidoso Bill

Senior Member
Didn't mean to confuse, simply posted an alternative DIY bracket for holding my flashes that looked good to me, sorry if you don't get it or are all still confused.

Another interesting concept: Bracket
 
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RockyNH_RIP

RockyNH_RIP

Senior Member
WJYPhoto said:
Available off the shelf brackets to hold your flash and aim it at your umbrella result in poor alignment (off center). I use SB800 and a SB910 to shoot into umbrellas but the alignment is very poor with the brackets I use and the flashes seem poorly supported. I stumbled across this article for making brackets that will aim your flash into the center of the umbrella and hold it much more securely than the regular brackets available. So DIYers show/post up your project brackets.

DIY Brackets
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing! I enjoy looking at peoples DIY ideas!

Pat in NH
 
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singlerosa_RIP

Senior Member
"I don't trust the brackets after one dropped a new SB910 on the floor."

​I feel your pain. That's why I like mounting my SB800s to their base and securing them with the little latch lock vs the screw type attachment found on most cheap umbrella mounts.


 
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