# Best Flash Bracket System for Wildlife Photography



## MJ (Sep 13, 2018)

Hello fellow CR friends, I know here are a quite a few wildlife interested people, heavily invested in quality gear, and I count on you and your valuable insight. 

Which of these two systems would you recommend for shooting wildlife with long lenses (Canon 600mm f4L IS II, 200-400 f4L IS... and also smaller lenses like 100-400 L IS II) 
Feel free to elaborate and vote! 



_Option 1_. *Really Right Stuff FR-91-QR* (or B91-QR) LARGE FLASH RING WITH ORBITING TILT MOUNT (270-310 USD) 

combined with 

*FA-QREX2*: TELESCOPING FLASH EXTENDER (an additional 130 USD) 


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_Option 2._ *Wimberley F-1Telephoto Combo Flash Bracket* (196 USD) 

combined with 

*Wimberley Module 6 M-6 Extension Post, 5"* (43 USD)


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## Otara (Sep 13, 2018)

Neither - Ive had the wimberley, and prefer the Custom Brackets option:
http://www.custombrackets.com/tilt-head-flash-mount.html


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## Maximilian (Sep 13, 2018)

I would try to shoot wildlife without any flash - for the animals health and benefit.
I know that discussions about this have been conflicting, but avoiding is always the better choice IMO.


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## MJ (Sep 13, 2018)

Otara said:


> Neither - Ive had the wimberley, and prefer the Custom Brackets option:
> http://www.custombrackets.com/tilt-head-flash-mount.html




Interesting third option. Thank you for the tip. The price is definitely nice compared to the other options  . What exactly is it that you like better about them? In what field do they excel? What do you think of their built quality and portability?

Bird photographer Glenn Bartley (on YouTube) was very fond of them until he started using a Wimberley bracket and finds the latter option sturdier.


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## MJ (Sep 13, 2018)

Maximilian said:


> I would try to shoot wildlife without any flash - for the animals health and benefit.
> I know that discussions about this have been conflicting, but avoiding is always the better choice IMO.



Hello Maximilian, thank you for your contribution. I'm with you on this and totally for the well being of animals. I'm only sparingly using flash in extreme backlit situations. If animals are disturbed or change their behavior I immediately cease flash fire. 

A dark picture of a relaxed animal is better than a series of bright pictures showing annoyed animals or spooking them completely resulting in them leaving.


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## Maximilian (Sep 13, 2018)

MJ said:


> ...
> I'm only sparingly using flash in extreme backlit situations. If animals are disturbed or change their behavior I immediately cease flash fire.
> ...


Thank you. Good and careful manner.
Please also do you research in advance, because some animals really can suffer from flashlight, esp. night and cave creatures.


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## Otara (Sep 13, 2018)

MJ said:


> Interesting third option. Thank you for the tip. The price is definitely nice compared to the other options  . What exactly is it that you like better about them? In what field do they excel? What do you think of their built quality and portability?
> 
> Bird photographer Glenn Bartley (on YouTube) was very fond of them until he started using a Wimberley bracket and finds the latter option sturdier.



Birds, reducing steeleye.

Height, lots of height adjustment and less knobs sticking out mostly - but it looks like theres a newer version of the wimberly out, so I guess Im out of date. I also didnt have the extender.


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## Jim Saunders (Sep 14, 2018)

ProMediaGear makes brackets that may be of interest. I have one and for owning some RRS stuff I don't mind telling you it's comparable to RRS for build quality.

Jim


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## MJ (Sep 14, 2018)

Maximilian said:


> Thank you. Good and careful manner.
> Please also do you research in advance, because some animals really can suffer from flashlight, esp. night and cave creatures.


Yes, especially owls at night I'd never dare to flash. Also larger, potentially aggressive wildlife (wildlife, bears, bison) I'd rather not...

Yes, especially owls at night I'd never dare to flash. Same goes for larger, potentially aggressive wildlife (bears, bison)...


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## MJ (Sep 14, 2018)

Otara said:


> Birds, reducing steeleye.
> 
> Height, lots of height adjustment and less knobs sticking out mostly - but it looks like theres a newer version of the wimberly out, so I guess Im out of date. I also didnt have the extender.



I see...


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## MJ (Sep 14, 2018)

Jim Saunders said:


> ProMediaGear makes brackets that may be of interest. I have one and for owning some RRS stuff I don't mind telling you it's comparable to RRS for build quality.
> 
> Jim



That's cool, I've never heard of them.. How long have you been using them?


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## Jim Saunders (Sep 14, 2018)

MJ said:


> That's cool, I've never heard of them.. How long have you been using them?



I shot my last wedding with it and it held up just fine through that. The primary appeal is its ability to switch between landscape and portrait while keeping the light centered over the lens so it might not be a perfect fit for birds but I haven't tried it with a long lens. With the riser block the light is about 15" above the lens in portrait and that *should* be enough room over the hood.

Jim


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## neuroanatomist (Sep 14, 2018)

From my experience, for robustness of construction the rank order is RRS > Wimberley > Custom Brackets. There's some torque with a 580/600 flash on a long bracket, the RRS feels solid. One advantage of the RRS bracket (though it may not apply to you) is that you can get additional clamps/extenders and mount additional flashes to the ring. If you do go with RRS, I find the B91 version more convenient that I think the FR version would be, since with my B91 I can mount it without removing the lens from the camera (the full ring won't fit over the front of the 600 II, I'm not sure if it would fit over a standatd camera body, but it won't fit over the 1D X).


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## ethanz (Sep 14, 2018)

I have a promediagear tripod and gimbal head and can speak to their robustness. I have not used the flash extender though.


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## MJ (Sep 14, 2018)

neuroanatomist said:


> ...the B91 version more convenient that I think the FR version would be, since with my B91 I can mount it *without removing the lens from the camera* (the full ring won't fit over the front of the 600 II, I'm not sure if it would fit over a standatd camera body, but it won't fit over the 1D X).



Oh wow! Instinctively I favored the full ring over the half one, but I didn't know the Full Ring cannot be separated! That's a very valid point (I also happen to have a 1D X).

Thanks for that very important highlight, Neuro!


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## MJ (Sep 14, 2018)

Jim Saunders said:


> I shot my last wedding with it and it held up just fine through that. The primary appeal is its ability to switch between landscape and portrait while keeping the light centered over the lens so it might not be a perfect fit for birds but I haven't tried it with a long lens. With the riser block the light is about 15" above the lens in portrait and that *should* be enough room over the hood.
> 
> Jim



Aha... I thought you were using it in a long-lens scenario


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## neuroanatomist (Sep 14, 2018)

MJ said:


> Oh wow! Instinctively I favored the full ring over the half one, but I didn't know the Full Ring cannot be separated! That's a very valid point (I also happen to have a 1D X).
> 
> Thanks for that very important highlight, Neuro!


The full ring will slide right over the front of most lenses, including the 200-400. Actually, looking at the measurements it _might_ slide over the front of the 600 II without the hood, but based on TDP's measurements there's less than a millimeter of clearance.


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## MJ (Sep 14, 2018)

neuroanatomist said:


> The full ring will slide right over the front of most lenses, including the 200-400. Actually, looking at the measurements it _might_ slide over the front of the 600 II without the hood, but based on TDP's measurements there's less than a millimeter of clearance.



Now that's a tight fit


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