My 70-200mm f/4L IS lens and fill flash rig

[rpcrowe]

The posting on 70-200mm lenses prompted me to post this...

This is my favorite outdoor fill flash rig for run and gun, fill-flash, portraits. The Canon 5D Mark-2 and the 70-200mm f/4L IS lens on a Stroboflash Camera Flip Bracket. I also use the 7D Mark-2 with this rig…





The camera-flip flash bracket keeps the flash over the lens when the camera is in the vertical (portrait) position. I could use the lens tripod ring to attach the flash to camera/lens to the bracket and would not need a camera-flip bracket. I would just rotate the camera in the ring. However, I like to balance of this rig better than I do when I am using the tripod collar. I don’t like the extra piece of gear between my camera/lens and the flash bracket.





One problem is that the cork spacer of the bracket is not as wide as the foot of the lens collar. If I liked the balance of the unit with the collar, that would be easy to remedy but. I have left it as it is and use the camera mounted directly to the bracket. I use it this way even if I am using my 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens.

Mounting the camera/lens using the tripod collar might be better on a bracket that has a solid bottom bar and a rotating op bar to hold the flash (flash flip bracket)… However, I like this bracket with the solid top bar because I tend to use that bar as a carry handle to rest my arms when shooting.

I began using this rig with the Canon 550EX as my flash (as pictured here) however, I now generally shoot with the Canon 600EX RT because it is a tiny bit more powerful and has radio transmission when I want to use a secondary flash. The 600EX RT is negligibly heavier but the less than one ounce in additional weight is not noticeable…

Here are a couple of shots with this rig using my 7D2...

[Cantab]

Richard, how do you find the weight (handheld) of this rig? I've used a 600EX RT on the stroboframe with a 60D and a kit 18(?)-200 zoom and find it gets heavy after awhile.

[rpcrowe]

Bruce,

Yep, it does get heavy. Additionally, I usually tape the softbox to the flash and also tape the flash to the bracket. However, I couldn't find my gaffer's tape. The softbox was a bit wobbly and so was the flash on the bracket. To compound things, I was using the Canon off camera flash cord. I like my Calumet off camera cord better. It was a mistake to bring the Canon cord.

Today, at the Renaissance Faire, I used a Stofen diffuser but didn't bounce the flash. The Stofen works pretty well diffusing straight-on fill flash outdoors when I am using the bracket, and is considerably lighter in weight than the softbox. Much better for walk-around shooting...

I think that I will use the Stofen for walk-around shooting but, use the softbox when I am shooting a model...



I spoke to my wife on the phone after I returned from the Renaissance Faire (she is visiting her sister) and she told me that she had put the Gaffer's Tape in with our painting supplies because she thought it was black masking tape