equipment advice

[Pozo]

Hi community!

I am starting to experiment with off-camera lighting. The last thing I need to get started is an adapter to hold my 430 EXII onto my lightstand bracket. I'm seeing this referred to as a "cold shoe adapter". Does anybody know of a good one which will securely hold my speedlight? I don't have the cash to be fixing a dropped speedlight!!

Thanks

[Skirball]

What are you using to trigger your 430, optical?

I use triggers, and I buy triggers that have a 1/4" thread because I like the security of knowing that my flashes are screwed on solid.  A less elegant but viable solution is to use the little plastic feet that come with the flash.  You’ll notice that there is 1/4" thread on the bottom of that as well.  Lock your flash onto the foot, then screw in 1/4" spigot to that.

http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-118-Spigot-4-20-Inch-Adapter/dp/B001M4HTH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=13...

If you want to use a cold shoe then I’d get a Stroboframe.  There’s a lot of discussions on Amazon about fake ones, but this is the link I bought mine from and they’re fine:

http://www.amazon.com/Tiffen-300-SHO-Stroboframe-Bracket-Mount/dp/B00009UTL1/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=...

I just don’t like the cold shoes, I feel like I’m going to break my flash.  But many people use and like them.

[TCampbell]

Your 430EX II came with an off-camera foot.  It's sort of horse-shoe shaped (more or less) and has a 1/4" threaded plastic hole on the bottom which can attach to a light stand (or even a camera tripod) as well as supporting the flash if it's placed on any level surface.

That foot is normally in a pocket built into the case that came with the flash.  

You can get a basic cold-shoe mount adapter which has a 1/4"-20 threaded hole on the base and the shoe for the flash at the top.  

You can get a better version which is articulated so you can tilt the flash head down if needed (or up -- although the flash head tilts up on it's own) with a "spigot" type mount on the bottom (most flash stands have a spigot on the top - a simple "post" and you drop the flash on and tighten down... BUT... it also has a hole through which you can slip in a "shoot through" umbrella (or reflector) - a very simple way to diffuse the light.

Most of these tend to be plastic.  Photek makes one that is apparently all metal.  (Photek SMA-1000)

I have a few Impact brand umbrella bracket / cold-shoe mounts... but the Photek version looks like it's probably better than the ones I have.

[Pozo]

Thank you guys! I have been using the horseshoe-shaped stand with my speedlight since I got it months ago, but I never noticed the threads on the bottom! I will just use that to get started. 

I will be triggering my 430 speedlight optically will my T3i's pop up flash. I have played around with that setup a bit, and it works just fine, at least indoors it does. I already have an articulating mount for the light stand that holds an umbrella, and I have a shoot through umbrella. 

Thanks for your help, I'm excited to get shooting

[TCampbell]

According to Syl Arena (author of the Speedliter's Handbook and sometimes does product videos for Canon) the flash will actually work outdoors ... but there is a trick.

The Speedlite 430EX II's optical receiver (when being used as an off-camera flash) is on the front of Speedlite's lower half of the body (behind that red-tinted plastic.)  This needs to be able to "see" the flash fire on your camera.  

Most people tend to just let it face forward, but he suggests that if you turn the lower unit sideways (so that the recevier is pointing at your camera) and then take advantage of the fact that the head on the speedlite not only tilts... but also swivels, then you can still point the flash at your subject (or however you want to point it) and it will fire reliably because it can "see" your main-flash fire.

[ScottyP]

If you get a metal cold shoe umbrella mount, I have read that the metal can over time sand down the little elecrtonic connection pins on the bottom of your flash.  They say to put gaffer's tape or similar into the bottom of the shoe to prevent this metal-to-metal scraping.