How to use Canon flash bracket SB-E2?

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Tim
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I'm looking for a flash bracket to hold the flash close to the lens axis to minimise shadows in landscape or portrait orientation, for use in confined space at busy events with poor light. The SB-E2 looks like a contender however the design is a bit confusing as it looks like the flash would be underneath the lens in portrait orientation with a battery grip and the blurb says it's designed for portrait mode use?
 
Could an admin move this to the flash section please?

I've since gone for a custom bracket cb mini-rc which holds the flash on the right hand side close to the lens axis and slightly above. It's working well in landscape and portrait and looks like the one Terry Richardson uses. Yes you do get side shadows in landscape, which is ok for me.
 
I'm looking for a flash bracket to hold the flash close to the lens axis to minimise shadows in landscape or portrait orientation, for use in confined space at busy events with poor light. The SB-E2 looks like a contender however the design is a bit confusing as it looks like the flash would be underneath the lens in portrait orientation with a battery grip and the blurb says it's designed for portrait mode use?

Giving this one a bump as Canon’s SB-E2 design still leaves me puzzled and I don’t find an answer anywhere.

The flash mounts on the left positioned close to the lens axis, so in normal camera portrait mode that means it will be underneath. I can’t imagine Canon intended it to be held the other way up as how do you take the picture?

However, against backgrounds you will get small shadows going up which would be odd. Outdoors or with no background maybe it doesn’t matter and being lower means no hard nose or chin shadows?

Or did Canon simply make a design howler?
 
Giving this one a bump as Canon’s SB-E2 design still leaves me puzzled and I don’t find an answer anywhere.

The flash mounts on the left positioned close to the lens axis, so in normal camera portrait mode that means it will be underneath. I can’t imagine Canon intended it to be held the other way up as how do you take the picture?

However, against backgrounds you will get small shadows going up which would be odd. Outdoors or with no background maybe it doesn’t matter and being lower means no hard nose or chin shadows?

Or did Canon simply make a design howler?
The simple answer is that they didn’t consider people using grips with it (or indeed 1 series cameras) and on a standard camera it’ll hold the flash in the right place.

Although, pointing a flash from camera position direct at a subject is my idea of hell. Each to their own.
 
The flash mounts on the left positioned close to the lens axis, so in normal camera portrait mode that means it will be underneath. I can’t imagine Canon intended it to be held the other way up as how do you take the picture?

Okay, at the risk of proving that I'm jaw-droppingly stupid......hold the camera the other way up so that the flash is above the lens.

It's how we used to shoot back in the dim & distant past (before cameras/motordrives had upright shutter buttons). In fact it was the preferred way to work when shooting verticals because:
- It's more stable as your elbow tucks in tightly and is supported by your body.
- In a crowd your elbow doesn't stick out and bash the person standing to your right.​

It's probably how I still shoot, I've never thought about it; but I don't generally use the alternative upright shutter release on my cameras.

uprightflash.jpg
 
The simple answer is that they didn’t consider people using grips with it (or indeed 1 series cameras) and on a standard camera it’ll hold the flash in the right place.

Although, pointing a flash from camera position direct at a subject is my idea of hell. Each to their own.

Okay, at the risk of proving that I'm jaw-droppingly stupid......hold the camera the other way up so that the flash is above the lens.

It's how we used to shoot back in the dim & distant past (before cameras/motordrives had upright shutter buttons). In fact it was the preferred way to work when shooting verticals because:
- It's more stable as your elbow tucks in tightly and is supported by your body.
- In a crowd your elbow doesn't stick out and bash the person standing to your right.​

It's probably how I still shoot, I've never thought about it; but I don't generally use the alternative upright shutter release on my cameras.

View attachment 135113

Thank you very much - mystery solved!
 
Although, pointing a flash from camera position direct at a subject is my idea of hell. Each to their own.

That’s the Terry Richardson look, no? I’ve been using the CB mini bracket with flash at FEC -2 or so for small amount of fill and catch light, seems to work quite well.
 
That’s the Terry Richardson look, no? I’ve been using the CB mini bracket with flash at FEC -2 or so for small amount of fill and catch light, seems to work quite well.
Yes it is.:mad:
You don’t really want a discussion about that horrible b*****d do you?

The ugly light in his photos is a reflection of the ugly attitude he has to people. I love people - he and I are polar opposites.

My first run at this was just the C bomb. A word I rarely use. :(


Edit
Sorry if that sounds like a rant :) feel free to emulate whoever you want :)
 
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Yes it is.:mad:
You don’t really want a discussion about that horrible b*****d do you?

The ugly light in his photos is a reflection of the ugly attitude he has to people. I love people - he and I are polar opposites.

My first run at this was just the C bomb. A word I rarely use. :(


Edit
Sorry if that sounds like a rant :) feel free to emulate whoever you want :)

I don’t like the look either and reading up on him you’ve got a point! I’m using the bracket for a much more subtle fill and catch light that’s all.
 
I don’t like the look either and reading up on him you’ve got a point! I’m using the bracket for a much more subtle fill and catch light that’s all.
On camera flash bounced is better, it’s easier to move the flash head about without a bracket.

I worked through the old school ‘flash bracket’ phase, where a bracket was ‘necessary’ to keep the flash above the lens, it was a lot of arsing about for nowt.
 
On camera flash bounced is better, it’s easier to move the flash head about without a bracket.

I worked through the old school ‘flash bracket’ phase, where a bracket was ‘necessary’ to keep the flash above the lens, it was a lot of arsing about for nowt.

I agree in general, in this case the reason is because it’s outside and nowhere to bounce....and I don’t like the shadows from flash in the hotshoe.
 
I agree in general, in this case the reason is because it’s outside and nowhere to bounce....and I don’t like the shadows from flash in the hotshoe.
But the Canon bracket creates a side shadow in landscape and a ‘standard’ shadow in portrait orientation. In other words, the same but ‘opposite’ as a straight on camera mounted flash. Outside I’d be mostly aiming only for ‘fill’ so there shouldn’t be a shadow. When it’s a keylight, id go for OCF to make a proper job of it.
 
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