****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
This bracket is a solidly build product which allows me to use a variety of softboxes with my battery-powered speedlites for stobist-style run-&-gun lighting. I have tested it with both a Canon 550EX and 420EX flash - both mount fine (as should all standard shoe-mount strobes). The speedring has 8 holes on standard 45-degree-apart spacing with standard 1/4" holes for softbox arms. My softboxes are Fomex SB-60X90 24"x36" models which use 4 arms which mount on 90-degree spacing which works great with this ring. This is the first time I will be using the softboxes with small battery strobes as I've always used them with larger Alien Bee B400 and B800 studio strobes previously.The product arrived promptly via US mail and was packaged well.I did not give this product 5 stars for the following reasons:(1) the photos for this product indicate that it includes adapters for mounting to a standard 5/8" lightstand spud as well as 1/4" & 3/8" threaded mounts (like the 1/4-20" thread on a tripod). This is not the case. The product will only mount to a 5/8" lightstand spud because the threaded adaptors were not included. Since I use standard lightstands with spuds normally and have some of these adaptors in-house, this isn't a big deal for me. However, buyer be aware.(2) the photos for this product indicate that it has a one-way toothed angle adjustment bracket at the bottom for mounting to the lightstand. According to the photos of the product, I expected a bracket similar to this: Calumet Umbrella Adapter With Hot Shoe Mount (what i call a standard strobist umbrella mount adapter). These brackets can only pivot forward and backward and have interlocking teeth to set the angle -- very strong. Instead, the product actually arrived with a ball-head mount like the one shown here: Interfit STR127 Strobies Folded Softbox (24-Inch x 24-Inch). The ball-head will work, but it is not what I would have preferred nor is it what I ordered. I purchased this product because the one-way brackets are significantly stronger than a small ball-head -- especially considering that my softboxes are large 24"x36" units which put a significant amount of torque on this joint when used outdoors in the wind. Time will tell if I regret keeping this rather than returning it to Fotodiox.(3) due to where the ball-head is mounted, the angle of softbox tilt can only be adjusted ~15-degrees down (towards subject from above) since the ball-head body collides with the up-down sliding rail. This isn't a complete deal killer because the collision actually adds some rigidity to the ball-mount by adding an additional point of support. Additionally, I may cut the up-down sliding rail shorter with a hacksaw to eliminate this collision. Again, this isn't a really big deal, but certainly not ideal and certainly not what was shown in the product photograph. Buyer be aware.(4) When turned backwards so the flash's IR sensor is facing away from the softbox/subject (for stobist-style E-TTL IR shooting), the cold-shoe mount adjustment knob collides with the ball-head mount such that the strobe isn't actually inside the softbox, but just barely flush with the rear of the softbox. Again, this isn't a big deal and probably won't affect flash efficiency, but i would have preferred for the strobe to actually be embedded inside the softbox by 1/2" or so to minimize light loss to the sides. When turned forwards (normal) so the flash's IR sensor is facing the softbox/subject (for tethered or RF triggered shooting), the flash does protrude into the softbox as desired. Again, had the product shipped with the angle adjustment bracket indicated, this might be less of an issue.
