[jmdeegan]

OK, probably a really simple question to be answered, and while I searched the forum, it wasn't helping me make sense of it.

Basically, rather than buy a cheap-o lightstand, I want to recycle/reuse two wally world tripods which I have used with my camcorder. They are not anything special (my dSLR got the good one....but they should do the trick by and large.

Except, short of using wire ties, I don't know what I need to mount a flash on top of the tripod....

Here are my flashes and gear, if it helps:
1-pentax 360
2-vivitar 285hv

plus a set of the ebay wireless triggers.

For any shots that I need to position the flashes higher than the tripod goes, I have the telescoping home depot painting poles, which can go floor to ceiling secured, plus clamps and my favorite wire ties to secure it, so im not worried about the height.

Just would be nice, if feasible, to have the tripod option available

Or, if there are other better/cheap options, I am game.

Most of the use would be for portraits

thanks

[rormeister]

Is this (adapter) what you've got in mind? It's a little spendy, but looks like it would be pretty flexible.

[jmdeegan]

yea, thats definetly more than I wanted to spend LOL. I was hopin there is some type of tripod mount adapter, so I can screw the flash onto the tripod much as I would the camera.

though, those clamps could be useful when stands and such don't work, i was hoping for a 10 dollar type item

[pentkon52]

I have a set of those ebay wireless triggers, and they have threads on the bottom. I just checked mine and they screw in fine on my wally world tripod.

Dave

[jmdeegan]

Nice. An excellent and quite unexpected bonus, so basically, I should have everything I need

I love it when I don't have to go spend more money!

[rormeister]

Take a look at the 3rd item down $7.95. This is so simple, a female shoe that fits on the tripod.

[nosnoop]

Take a look at the 3rd item down $7.95. This is so simple, a female shoe that fits on the tripod.

But I always wonder if this type of all metal hot shoe is OK for dedicated flash as it would short out all the pins and electrical contacts?

[Mikhail]

But I always wonder if this type of all metal hot shoe is OK for dedicated flash as it would short out all the pins and electrical contacts?

Thats what electric tape is for...

Thanks

[Lowell Goudge]

It depends on what you want to do with the flash.

The product that rormeister showed you has a lot of features, it can hold a difusing card, a flash umbrella, either semi transparent or reflecting, and allow the flash to be tilted or aimed at the same time.

its not bad value for what it can do,

for the price you indicated you can get a basic one that will put a female flash mount on the 1/4 inch screw of a tripod.

For a little more you can get one with a hindge, and cross drilled to take the shaft of a flash umbrella (that is useful at times)

[spyglass]

Hey Jmdeegan,

I ran into the same problem. I have three 360 flashes. I wanted a solution for mounting them to tripods when used in their wireless mode. I looked around and found a lot of cheap metal shoes but only a few pastic ones (priced like gold).

Solution.

Swing by an metal shop and buy 12" of 1 1/4 flat bar (14 guage), or find a piece of scrap 14 gauge metal and cut an 1 1/4 strip with a jig saw etc. Make the stip 4" long. Then simply bend it into a 3 sided box. Drill a hole in one face (bottom) and run a 1/4 tap in to create threads (if you do not have a tap or want to buy one simply over size the hole so that the 1/4 stud on your tripod can pass cleanly through and use a 1/4 "wing nut to tighten it to your tripod. On the opposite end (top) cut a sqaure notch out of the flat bar. Your flash should be able to slide into this notch and its thumb turn lever will make it snug. A few minuits with a file and you can safety up the corners and tune it up, a spray of black and people will ask where you bought it. I have made a few for friends. I even made a beefier design and cast some out of aluminum. The nice this is that this approach does not touch the flashes contacts.
If you are interested I can send you a picture of the one I described above. Because you can easily get all the items required for free / use up the bit that are probably hanging around your house it is a good option.


Spyglass

[pentkon52]

It depends on what you want to do with the flash.

The product that rormeister showed you has a lot of features, it can hold a difusing card, a flash umbrella, either semi transparent or reflecting, and allow the flash to be tilted or aimed at the same time.

its not bad value for what it can do,

for the price you indicated you can get a basic one that will put a female flash mount on the 1/4 inch screw of a tripod.

For a little more you can get one with a hindge, and cross drilled to take the shaft of a flash umbrella (that is useful at times)

A few weeks ago, i did some searching on a site called Expert Village, under photography. I found a video for low cost light system with flashes. He used those stands for back drops and installed a strobe adaptor that had a flash shoe on top, and the umbrella holes. Looked pretty good. The strobe light adaptors just slide over the pins of the back drop stand and you can tilt the trigger to get the flash.

Sorry i forget who did it, but it might not be to hard to find.

Dave

Dave