I tried doing some searching on the forums here about this, but didn't have any luck.

I've been saving my pennies for a macro lens, and now have enough to buy this guy. As I was doing research on it, it became quickly apparent that lighting is a big concern for macro photography (in my case, for insects). Evidently ring lights produce flat images, and are generally used only for medical photography. I'm reading that a good alternative is a bracket-mounted flash. This brings up two questions I haven't found an answer to yet:

1. How are bracket-mounted flashes better? Does it allow some new level of pivoting so you can get light on the subject in a better way?
2. What would be a good flash bracket for macro photography? I have a Rebel XTi, and my budget is around $300-400 for the flash + flash bracket.

Thanks in advance for your help, guys!

Five

 

If you leave the flash in the hot shoe, you won't be able to angle it down far enough to light your subject. If you use an off-camera cord, you can position the flash so it illuminates very close to the front of the lens. Most of my stuff isn't moving so I can just put the flash on a stand and move it around as desired.

A bracket would help if you like to shoot outside or are tracking a moving insect. Something like the Manfrotto bracket would be a good place to start: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...h_Bracket.html
There are more exotic mounts, but of course they cost more and it might not even be something that you end up using much.

As for flashes, the 430EX would be plenty for macro work. In reality, you can get away with just about anything for macros because the closer you are to the subject, the less power you need. The 430EX is a great everyday flash and can be found for about $240.

You're going to need an off-camera cord, so the rest of your budget will probably go there: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...#goto_itemInfo
You can do it on the cheap with a sync cord and a hotshoe adapter, but you'll lose ETTL-II. Just get the overpriced Canon cord and be happy that everything works.

 

I would just get this setup:




http://www.pbase.com/fotoopa/root

 

And I thought my home made 70-200 f4l tripod mount was something special.

This guy is on another level. (and after looking at more of his setup, that level is about about 30 or 40 floors up from what I originally thought.)

 

I'm fairly certain that both Really Right Stuff and Kirk Photo both make flash brackets for macro work. The problems you may run into though are that their solutions may assume you already have a quick release tripod mount for your camera, a tripod collar for your lens, or both.

 

I had my eye on a 430EX, thanks Dan. And for the pic you posted, that's a Nikon setup. Think you could go ahead and type out all the instructions to get that working for a Canon?

Billiam - yeah, that seems to be the tricky part. I have a quick release plate for my camera, but no tripod collar. And I don't know if the bogen plate would work with their equipment.

Anyone know of any good brackets that tilt forward/back instead of just horizontally and vertically?

 

They also make mini ballheads that will give you more control of the placement of your flash once they are on a bracket.