And I am spoiled!
Went to Greenville last Tuesday (while Hurricane Alex was passing by off-shore) and stopped at my favorite camera store, ASAP Photo. While we were there, the wife suggested that I see if they had a flash brackett. One Stoboframe quick flip went onto the counter. Got to have a sync cord for the flash to work on it. A SC-28 went onto the counter. Then the owner shows us that the Stroboframe, while positioning the flash on top of the camera in the vertical position, is still not quite over the lens. He recommended a MB-16 battery pack as the solution. Works just right, so the MB-16 went onto the counter. Of course, there's a piece to hold the flash to keep it from slipping (only $11.95), so the wife said to add that to the pile. $237 later, I am set to take vertical portraits without shadowing. We actually bought this for my brother's wedding. He asked me to shoot it for him, and I want it done right.
But wait, I have been looking for a Pentax 50mm f1.4 lens for astrophotography work. ASAP had one about three months ago, and Dawn told me to buy it the next time I got up there, which was a week or two later. Gone. Already sold. The owner says he has one at home he'll sell me. I've been looking every time I get up there, but no 50mm f1.4, so I figure it's already sold too. Nope.
As we're looking at my pile of goodies, the owner says, "I brought in that Pentax 50mm f1.4 lens you wanted". He had put it aside for me in the back! I am a happy man. :-)
I'm also staying out of ASAP Photo for a while. ;-)
Now, should I tell Dawn that Old Timer's wife told him to "go ahead and buy that 80-200mm f2.8 lens you've been wanting"? :-O