Flash Bracket For Canon EOS Elan7e

[Russ]

Good morning, Does anyone know of a Flash bracket which would allow me to use my Sigma EF-500 Super (Canon 500ex clone) with my Canon EOS Elan 7e and maintain the E-TTL features. I assume that the setup would require the proper adaptor/module at both the Camera hot shoe and the bracket hot shoe for the flash and camera to communicate the E-TTL information. If this is possible I really would like to get the flash off the camera. I saw a man shooting a wedding yesterday with a bracket which had a felxable arm allowing the repositioning of the flash position. His bracket was made by "Stratos" (Sp?) but I can't seem to find that model for a 35mm camera. That would be a plus if someone new where to find something like that but a bracket that gets the flash off the camera and maintains the E-TTL feature(s) would be enough for me. Many, many thanks.
Russ

[another view]

The most popular brand name is Stroboframe, and you'll hear photographers refer to brackets in general by this name. I have the Camera Flip bracket which is about $65, and puts the flash about 4" or so above the position it would usually be in, directly above the camera. They also have anti-twist plates which you should get for both the camera and flash. They have other models too which you should look at in a lot of price ranges. Stroboframe is part of Saunders Photo, the Tiffen people - but their website isn't any more helpful than B&H's, etc.

I shoot Nikon so I can't tell you the part number, but there's a TTL cord that connects the camera to the flash. One end of the cord has a hot shoe like the one on the flash, slide it in to the hot shoe base on the camera. The other end has a hot shoe like the one on the camera and bolts to the top of the bracket. You'll need this to make it work - a PC cord could do it too but won't be TTL.

[Van A]

In addition to the bracket, you'll need the Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord 2 to retain E-TTL functionality. This item goes for around $50.

[schuchmn]

Ditto Stroboframe. They make bewildering array of brackets and the quality is first-rate. Which one you choose depends on what you're going to use it for. For people pictures, it's good to get the flash as high above the lens as is practical -- the lighting looks more natural, you avoid the dreaded red-eye, and if your subject is near a wall, his or her shadow will be low down, hopefully out of the frame. The Pro-T bracket does a good job here but if you want something a little shorter and easier to carry there's the Press-T.

As mentioned, the Camera Flip works just fine and they just came out with a new bracket called the Folding Flip. One of the problems with a lot of flash brackets is how you get them to fit in a camera bag. Most camera bag compartments are sized for compact things like lenses, flash units, etc. A big, gawky bracket just doesn't fit. Enter the Folding Flip. When not in use it folds up into a shape that fits even modestly sized bags. There's a picture of it on Tiffen's home page.

The other one I use is the Stroboflip. I use this one for close-up work because it's compact and easy to carry. I removed the flash mounting shoe and replaced it with a small ball head that lets me aim the flash as needed.

If you're wondering why all these brackets have "flip" in their names, it's because the swinging arm that holds the flash is flipped over when you switch to vertical shooting, keeping the flash directly over the lens.


Regards
Dennis