Mounting speed lights on tripod (Page 2): Godox S-Bracket...

bearwitme Loc: VA, USA

aphelps wrote:

What is the best way to mount a speed light with hot shoe connector to a tripod with 1/4 -20 thread?
I have tried those plastic cubes that provide a jack for wired triggering but they are too fragile and break easily. Is there a metal adapter out there? The speedlight will be radio-triggered so no need to access hot shoe terminals. Some good ideas would be appreciated.

Godox S-Bracket

fetzler Loc: North West PA

CO wrote:

If you are looking at a swivel umbrella bracket, Kupo is the strongest. The Kupo brackets have a large clamping area and will not slip from the leverage the umbrella exerts on it. I use one with my 41" umbrellas. I had a Manfrotto swivel umbrella bracket once. The leverage from my 41" umbrellas would cause it to slip even when well tightened.

You can use a bracket like CO mentions or you can use a simple cold shoe adapter.
Below is an Ebay listing for such a device. This is NOT a vendor recommendation.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1pcs-Flash-Cold-Hot-Shoe-Bracket-Mount-Adapter-1-4-Screw-for-Tripod-Credible/192369648247?hash=item2cca1fe277:g:hnkAAOSwz3JaElIi

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

aphelps wrote:

What is the best way to mount a speed light with hot shoe connector to a tripod with 1/4 -20 thread?
I have tried those plastic cubes that provide a jack for wired triggering but they are too fragile and break easily. Is there a metal adapter out there? The speedlight will be radio-triggered so no need to access hot shoe terminals. Some good ideas would be appreciated.

I use these:

http://flashzebra.com/products/0200/index.shtml

I've got metal and hard plastic ones - both are serviceable - and the plastic are lighter.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Profoto has a serious bracket that will hold several Speedlites and their modifiers if desired...but it is nearly $200.

shauntiago

The table stand/foot that comes with speedlights should have a threaded socket on the bottom you can use to attach it to the top of the tripod.
Shauntiago

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

RRS to the rescue. I do this all the time using both inexpensive tripods and light stands. The RRS part number is FA-CS3, costs $32.00 and is made of all metal. Available direct or from B&H. These work exceptionally well and are worry free. Best of luck.

wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

They really do think of everything, don't they? (Except a fitted plate for a Lumix G85, when I was thinking about getting one of those bodies - lack of a proper RRS plate was a big negative, as all my other bodies have one.)

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

aphelps wrote:

What is the best way to mount a speed light with hot shoe connector to a tripod with 1/4 -20 thread?
I have tried those plastic cubes that provide a jack for wired triggering but they are too fragile and break easily. Is there a metal adapter out there? The speedlight will be radio-triggered so no need to access hot shoe terminals. Some good ideas would be appreciated.

Numerous sellers of hot-shoe isolating adapters.
B&H has this one: Vello Universal Accessory Shoe Mount $6.99. Center section is depressed so the flash's center contact does not touch metal. I have several of them, used for putting flash units on tripods and on metal-foot camera flash brackets.

Others sell it, and ebay has no-name equals.

MrT Loc: Gilbert, AZ

I ordered the Godox S mount adapter last night after much consternation. The cold shoe adapters are cheaper but after thinking about breaking the foot off my Nikon flash I decided to try the s-mount. Bought it off Amazon for 19.95. should be here next Wednesday. Good luck what ever you decide.

DVZ Loc: Littleton CO

Most of the replies are cold shoe mounts or umbrella mounts, but if you are asking for hot shoe mounts that are less plastic and more metal, I've used FlashZebra products and there are others. I know what you mean about the all plastic hot shoes, I've had the split along the glue seam from just the weight of the flash.

http://flashzebra.com/products/0115/index.shtml
http://flashzebra.com/hotshoes-shoes/0065.shtml

CanonDude

I use an inexpensive ball head and a metal cold shoe for the Speedlite, or a metal umbrella adapter. Either option works for me because my Canon Speedlites have built-in radio control.

blackest Loc: Ireland

wrangler5 wrote:

I have some of these and they are indeed a great w... (show quote)

Probably not that much force, most umbrellas use a hollow tube which is more likely to bend before the screw breaks. Maybe the biggest force on an umbrella would be from wind, again the tripod is more likely to topple before the screw breaks. Most light stands have similar 1/4 screw attachments and strobes and modifiers are regularly attached. Even disco lighting rigs often use the 1/4 20, although a secondary attachment like a chain might be a good idea in case something got loose and could come crashing down.

cross section of a 1/4 20 bolt is around 0.0318 inches and Aluminum 6061 and a tensile yield stress of about 8000 psi uts is about 18,000 psi. using the lowest figures i could find for aluminum works out around 254 pounds to break a 1/4 20 bolt. Or to put it simply something else is going to break first

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

I use the Manfrotto metal umbrella Speedlite holders as well as the included Canon support base sometimes. Some umbrella holders work great, other brands not as well. I may also have one of the 3 way holders to use with a 7’ parabolic umbrella. But I now have a couple Alien Bees to use as part of my kit now too for larger modifiers. I still value the Profoto holder for using radio control 600s inside softboxes though.

CanonDude wrote:

I use an inexpensive ball head and a metal cold shoe for the Speedlite, or a metal umbrella adapter. Either option works for me because my Canon Speedlites have built-in radio control.

Old Edmundo

Pocketwizard makes a RF Shield called the AC7 it has 3 very strong mounting points for tripods or light stands and will even hold an umbrella or other light modifier, filters etc.
https://www.pocketwizard.com/products/other_gear/rf_shields/