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Has anyone seen a generic "foursquare" yet?
I love my generic tri-flash brackets from ebay, but have yet to find any 4-brackets. Foursquare:  they'er sold as kits with apollo-style softboxes. 30" for about $300 http://www.lightwaredirect.com/Resource … ilman3.jpg With so many generic modifiers (apollo style, with the speedlites central, aimed at the back) it'd be nice to add another flash for a tad more power. Anyone seen quad-flash brackets for less than the $100 foursquare? Feb 12 12 02:47 pm Link Awesometographer wrote: No, but I have used gaffers tape to assemble an array of up to six flashheads. Cost about $.50 I'd guess. Feb 12 12 05:17 pm Link I love my Four-Squares! Feb 13 12 05:06 am Link Ian Brooks Photography wrote: I would too, I just don't like to pay $100 for a $25 bracket, and I like using other modifiers, other than the ones they make. Feb 13 12 07:38 am Link checking in to this thread Feb 13 12 08:11 am Link I'd say it's time for a studio strobe if you need that much light. Feb 13 12 08:18 am Link Awesometographer wrote: It is quality stuff. I love how solid the flashes lock into the block. I am using them almost every weekend right now for ice hockey. Totally changed my work. Without modifiers for hockey. Feb 14 12 09:23 pm Link George Ruge wrote: I have studio strobes. I use them when needed. Feb 14 12 09:25 pm Link Ian Brooks Photography wrote: my $12 triflash bracket is solid too... it's aluminum, I'm certain a generic aluminum copy would be just as solid. Feb 14 12 09:27 pm Link Feb 14 12 09:35 pm Link Seville Media wrote: looking for a not $100 version, since the foursquare is $100. Though I love the Lastolite's setup much better now that I'm comparing the two. Feb 14 12 09:37 pm Link Awesometographer wrote: LOL, you did say "Anyone seen quad-flash brackets for less than the $100 foursquare?". That right there my friend is a whopping dollar less. In all seriousness, even though this is a nice setup, gaffer tape, as suggested earlier, will do the trick for a fraction. Good luck though. I'm sure it exists somewhere on ebay . Feb 14 12 10:12 pm Link Seville Media wrote: I check regularly. I've gone the gaffers route, I'd just like something a little less ghetto. Feb 14 12 10:26 pm Link In case any of you are interested, here's the way I'm making my HOTSHOE six square for $31.10 or £20.57 (not coldshoe foursquare for £100 or $125) this is the kit I'm using: Triflash trigger with 3.5mm input: http://www.bestofferbuy.com/FLH08-Flash … n=gbase_uk ($7.50 or £4.95 each) Umbrella bracket: http://www.bestofferbuy.com/flash-shoe- … 69213.html ($12 or £7.96) 3.5mm jack splitter: http://www.bestofferbuy.com/35mm-splitt … -7701.html ($1.10 or £0.73) and two of these 3.5mm jack to jack: http://www.bestofferbuy.com/35mm-audio- … -7695.html (£0.99 or $1.50 each) Attach the two together hotshoes together (I will be doing this using a metal plate and two 1/4 20 BSW screws and then putting a 1/4 20 BSW nut over a dilled hole to mount the bracket however you could judt epoxy resin the whole thing together and it should hold fine just leave one scew thread exposed to mount it) Then mount it all on the umbrella bracket. Then you can put the 3.5mm splitter into your trigger and the two cables into the two shoe sync ports to trigger both sets of flashes simultaeneously form one trigger Voila, a six square with all hotshoes that can be triggered by any trigger with a 3.5mm jack output (you couls also use a pc sync version of the shoe and cables depending on the flavour of your wireless trigger!) And you can split down into two triflashes if you decide that's a better setup on the day (providing you didn't epoxy resin them together) Before any of you start asking "why don't you get a monolight, what would you need this for" etc etc I would just say that I have monolights with battery packs that I use when they are appropriate, however I have a specific use for this bracket in mind (PW hypersync on location far from nearest road) I will be using YN-560 flashes (cheapo chinese ones) at full power, probably only 4 at most, but with the option of six!) hope that helps someone Jon www.jonroberts.co.uk Feb 18 12 05:29 am Link I've been contemplating doing the same and just making something. And a 6 speedlite setup has so many benefits over mono/battery in so many cases... Having the option is nice. ... Just bought four of those sync brackets. This should be fun. Using YN460IIs, so my setup should be pretty much identical to yours  Feb 18 12 11:10 am Link FINALLY FOUND A GENERIC!!! (I'm the OP - different account) http://www.cowboystudio.com/product_p/mountq.htm  I'm going to repurpose an old umbrella bracket to get rid of the ball-head (which I expect to be terrible) - But for $21 (eBay) my Frankensteining is taking a step up! Sep 01 13 04:43 pm Link Awesometographer wrote: Oh, and called it @ $25, lol. Sep 01 13 04:48 pm Link pardon the ignorance but what does this do? allow more speedlights to be used with one stand or am i completely off? Sep 01 13 05:00 pm Link Karl Johnston wrote: Correct. I can now stick four speedlites in a softbox/umbrella/apollo/etc for: Sep 01 13 05:09 pm Link -JAY- wrote: Ooo i like that idea Sep 01 13 05:10 pm Link Karl Johnston wrote: Yeah, it's nice being able to fit a camera, 80-200/2.8 - 24/30/50 primes - 8 flashes, and accessories in a smallish backpack, with a couple softbox umbrellas attached to the outside, with accessories in the pockets. Grab a lightstand in either hand, and you're good to go pretty much anywhere. Sep 01 13 05:17 pm Link Karl Johnston wrote: Yes. And no, you're not. 3 (or 4) speedlights concentrated into a large umbrella/softbox/brollie, triggered by the same wireless source gets you close to the power of a studio strobe at a fraction of the weight and powering issues. I frequently mount 3 SB800s on a Lastolite pushed into a 30" umbrella or brollie, all on top of a CF monopod. Portable and extremely manageable for the assistant, and makes high-speed sync much easier to negotiate. I actually have all 3 of the lights attached to PW's ControlTL triggers, which enables me to shoot with only one light, or two, or all three lights ganged together. Reasonable power, flexibility, and LOTS of control from the camera position. I've stopped carrying the studio kit to location shoots, for all the reasons iterated above. Sep 01 13 06:00 pm Link Nice find -JAY-!!! Sep 02 13 06:38 pm Link Ian Brooks Photography wrote: Thanks. I ordered it along with an 86" umbrella, so I should get decent spread, filling a good portion... BIG and soft, with a good bit of power. Should be a pretty kick-ass combo. Sep 02 13 07:55 pm Link 550ex is like < 1/4 power of my AB800. Weight of 4 would be little over weight of single AB800. So roughly little less power for same weight. Agree VML is additional 3.5 lbs. But then to match power of AB800, I would need to fire flashes at full power. I only use to use two flashes in my kacey dish using dual speedlite bracket and setup even with that top of line flash bracket was clumsy compared to using kacey dish with AB800 or Einstein. Sep 02 13 08:16 pm Link -JAY- wrote: Looks nice, but perhaps too small. I would be worried about clearance issues using the lower right shoe with some flashes. Sep 02 13 08:22 pm Link Robert Lynch wrote: Rotate the head so that the turn-knob is behind or in front Sep 02 13 08:34 pm Link BobbyZ Photography wrote: True, but a rig like this, while being about the same weight / a little less, can also be much less expensive, and more easily portable. $240 for 4 YN560IIs + $25 for the bracket is $265. Compare that to a similarly powerful B800+VBM for $538.58 after shipping. The speedlites fit more easily into my backpack. PLUS, when i need a main light, rim light and a hair light, I've got 4 lights for that, whereas the B800 is only one light. Sep 02 13 08:38 pm Link -JAY- wrote: It's clearance with the vertical shaft that concerns me, not the knobs. Sep 02 13 10:33 pm Link Robert Lynch wrote: We'll find out in a few days. Sep 02 13 10:40 pm Link Please post some 'gear' shots when it arrives. I can't imagine an 86" umbrella in my location lighting kit. I'd love it, just the wind. 4 flashes and that great big umbrella are going to give that little ball head a work out. I bet it is the first thing to go. I use a Manfrotto ProBall 308RC to keep my Lightware Direct softbox under control (think big ball head). Umbrella will definitely be easier, but I am thinking something a little beefier than what is supplied will be in order. Time will tell. And the price is right. Sep 03 13 12:59 pm Link Just tested it out, and I am very happy. f/10 @ 10 feet through the umbrella, nice coverage of the umbrella, much more solidly built than I expected. Pics up in a few. Sep 06 13 06:27 pm Link So. More details with pictures. The 4 way bracket is VERY solid. I had expected it to be thin aluminum, but it is quite heavy duty. The ball head I expected to replace holds steady with the 4 flashes, and a huge-ass umbrella sticking out about 2 feet.  Seen with the 86" translucent umbrella.  The 4 flashes fill the umbrella quite nicely  Putting out f/10ish at teen feet (can't find my light meter) - think about that for a moment. An alienbee b1600 will put out f/8 + 7/10 at ten feet in its octoboxes and large folding softboxes (that's f/10) That's some pretty beefy power. I used 2 YN560II and 2 460II flashes - they have the same output under these conditions.  Sep 06 13 07:12 pm Link -JAY- wrote: Thats a 7'2" umbrella? Sep 06 13 07:38 pm Link ThePlayer wrote: Correct. Sep 06 13 07:41 pm Link Thanks -JAY- for the update. Sep 06 13 08:21 pm Link Ian Brooks Photography wrote: Thanks - I actually like this more than the original foursquare, the mounting bracket is much nicer. Sep 06 13 08:32 pm Link -JAY- wrote: Is there a reflective parabolic of the same brand? if so please do tell. Sep 06 13 09:35 pm Link ThePlayer wrote: Yes. That's what I use on a lot of my shoots: Sep 06 13 09:40 pm Link Took it out and put it through its paces today. Goddamn, I like it. Shot using four $60 YongNuo YN560II flashes.(Blog write-up) 30 minutes into a 45+ minute hike in the hot-ass desert, we stopped for one look. There was a tiny bit of cloud cover, so I only needed two flashes on 1/2 and two on 1/4. The full sun came out a bit, and all of them on half did the trick.   And when we finished the hike, and didn't need to compete with the sun, the giant umbrella, with 4 speedlites, meant I could have the modifier 15-18 feet from Sonja, at low power (1/8 - 1/16) for instant recycle, and insane battery life - and still have a very large light source.   Sep 08 13 06:29 pm Link |
-- that part will likely be replaced, though. Not a fan of these ballheads.
