Quote:
Originally Posted by Al_Escudero  As an addendum to the previous post - a flash bracket seems like my best option for improving my flash lighting while on the move - yet all brackets (as near as I can determine) require an off-shoe cord - leaving this flimsy canon cord as the weak link in the system. I find it somewhat surprising (given the volume of negative posts and the apparent prevalence of this problem) that the situation hasn't been remedied, or that professionals have not discovered a workaround for off-shoe E-TTL lighting.
Suggestions welcomed...
AL |
This will be very long, for which I apologize, but I think all users of the Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord 2 (and users of Nikon and other off-camera flash systems, for that matter) will find it worth wading through.
I've been a youth sports photographer (T&I and action) for 20 years, and have been using the same pair of primary/backup Cord 2's for over a decade; I agree that they're indeed a weak link. Canon apparently has realized this too; for an additional 25 bucks (at B&H, at least) you can now get the Cord 3. It allegedly provides a stronger shoe and better contact sealing to complement the 1D3 and 580 EX II.
Actually, the standard shoe-mount system is really the Achilles' heel for these relatively heavy and large "pro" flashes. Many years ago I broke the shoe on a Vivitar 283 (mounted on one of my current Stroboframes) when on a skiing shoot I tried to keep my Canon A1 warm and functioning by carrying the whole rig under my parka, stressing the flash shoe too much in the process. I developed a preventative flash-brace solution for the 283 similar to that described below, and still have it on a different bracket I use with my old Mamiya C330—now mostly gathering dust. I later adapted the design to my EOS gear, and since coming up with that system I've had no broken shoes and only one occasion to have to go to my backup Cord 2 in innumerable shoots and a quarter of a million shots. I think should a brace like this should be standard with every shoe-based flash bracket (manufacturers take note--royalties welcome ;<)
Cord 2 Repair: But first, for an immediate alternative to replacement, you can repair the Cord 2 relatively easily. I'd describe the process, but Conrad Erb has saved me the trouble with his description of repairing the hot shoe on his 20D (fortuitously recently posted by John DeMings in response to a query on fixing the hot shoe on a 1D2):
http://www.conraderb.com/flashrepair/
You can attack the Cord 2 (and, I suspect, the hot shoes on most EOS SLRs, at least prior to the 1D3) in exactly the same way. I wound up having to do so last year on one of my cords--hence the need to go to my backup then. Even with my bracing system, the four tiny screws that hold the shoe together (the actual heel of this Achilles' heel) loosened up enough that my TTL contacts became intermittent, resulting in some shot failures that were very puzzling until I discovered the problem. I did Conrad's repair without the benefit of his excellent illustrated description, and trod the same path of discovery he did. I used a Loctite removeable thread locker similar to what Conrad illustrates; they sell several versions—the lightest-duty removable formula should suffice. This should obviate the need to retighten those four tiny screws ever again, while still allowing disassembly should some other repair become necessary.
Flash Brace: First, if you're using the clamp-down aluminum shoe that comes with the Stroboframe (and others, I think, though I haven't used any others), remove and toss it into your junk box. It only adds height and vulnerability when used with the Cord 2/3. Instead, I directly connect the Cord 2 shoe to the Stroboframe arm with the 1/4-20 socket conveniently provided in its base. I used a hex-head bolt of the correct length for torquing capability, but you may be able to use the Phillips-head bolt salvaged from the Stroboframe shoe. Although plastic—at least on the Cord 2—this socket provides a much sounder connection to the frame than the rail connection--also plastic on the Cord 2. Just make sure that the bolt extends nearly the full depth of the socket, engaging as many of those plastic threads as possible.
However, the real key to my solution is a flash brace. This is a simple "L" bracket mounted to the Stroboframe arm (using that same 1/4-20 bolt and socket), extending up alongside the opposite (blank) side of the flash body from the battery compartment. Depending on which way you mount your flash, this may be outboard or inboard. On my Stroboframe, my left-handed outboard configuration lets me mount it underneath the arm, with its long edge along the "L" profile of the arm and the mounting hole in the middle of that leg of my bracket. This prevents twisting without a second hole and bolt/nut. For an inboard mount, my bracket would have to be on the flat top of the Stroboframe arm, so a second bolt/nut (or maybe just a few wraps of electrical tape) would be advisable as an anti-twist solution. As a bonus, this brace also eliminates the tendency of the flash shoe itself to twist on the arm, as it can with just the bolt mount (the aluminum clamp-down Stroboframe shoe has an anti-twist pin, but that's its only virtue).
I secure the flash to my bracket with a piece of self-stick Velcro tape extending the full length of the flash body, mating to a similar piece on the bracket. This transforms the vulnerable single-point mount into a two-point connection, and remarkably firms up the assembly without adding more than an ounce or two. This is especially effective in countering the gravity stresses on the flash base and shoe when shooting in the portrait position.
As for materials, for 49˘ I bought a light-duty black-anodized aluminum shelf bracket (the kind that clips into vertical standards), cut off the mounting end, and trimmed, bent and drilled it to fit. The flexibility of this light material is inconsequential when it's attached to the flash, and actually an advantage when removing the flash, as you can easily hold it away a bit to avoid the Velcro re-engaging as you slide the flash out of the shoe. As for the Velcro, the standard 3/4" or 1" stuff should work, but you'll get a firmer connection with the Industrial Strength variety, which is lower-profile and has shorter, stiffer hooks. I have a box of this from Sams Club; just go to SamsClub.com and search on Velcro.
However, for the ultimate connection (and what I actually used), check out a little-known alternative to Velcro called 3M Dual Lock tape (Google this name and you'll find dozens of sources for various quantities, including by the yard). I discovered this stuff (then called Twin-Post ScotchLok) in the early 90's, when I worked at 3M for awhile. Besides the fact that it holds like grim death (I typically use a coin or a screwdriver to pop apart the two halves), it has two other significant advantages. First, it's a single-part system, not hook/loop like Velcro; it has hundreds of little flexible plastic "mushrooms" that engage each other when you press two pieces together.
Second, unlike Velcro, which "grabs" like a cockleburr (the inspiration for its inventor) as soon as the two halves touch each other, Dual Lock requires a bit of force to engage it. This is useful in my application because once disengaged, the mating pieces don't try to grab again as I'm sliding the flash out of the shoe.
Dual Lock is now available in a bewildering array of variations of "mushroom" density and adhesives. The lowest density will be plenty; just be sure you get an adhesive rated for plastic applications. That said, I don't have a clue about the formulation of the old stuff I have, but it has never failed over spans of more than a decade in many different applications to which I've put it.
Here's a shot of my setup (click it to go to my gallery of several others):
A Final Tip: I'm a firm believer in carrying my rig fully assembled, as every assembly/dissassembly adds wear and tear (and in the case of lenses, sensor dust potential). This holds true with flashes and cords as well; I'll often go for months without knocking down any of these, to which I attribute much of their trouble-free performance.
While those nifty compartmentalized cases and backpacks are very protective and cry "professional," my current camera bag is a $30 soft-side rolling cooler from Sam's Club with a couple of inches of foam on the bottom. This holds and protects my assembled 1D2/28-70L (with lens hood attached)/Stroboframe/flash just fine, and I'm ready to shoot within seconds of hitting a site. I also keep other essentials in this single compartment, either in their own cases or separated from each other with microfiber towels or foam. As a side benefit, a rolling cooler is much less tempting as a theft target than a fancy camera bag, whether sitting in your car or at a shoot.
Happy DIYing,
~KenH
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