I’m still planning another post on the Softlighter, but I’ve got to find one more cable before I can get back to that. My intent when I got that modifier was to use my Vivitar 285HV’s in tandem. The only problem is, my triggers use 2.5mm plugs instead of the more normal 3.5mm plugs. Oh… and mono instead of stereo (which makes a difference, believe me). I thought for sure I had another 3.5mm to PC pig tail, but I can’t find it. I’ll order another and get the splitter situation resolved, and I’ll let you know what I think. The real point of this post is to mention a couple of things I picked up recently.
A couple weeks ago I decided that my tripod’s ball head just wasn’t cutting it.
It’s a knockoff I got from Amvona a couple years ago, and it’s served me well, but seeing the ease that Tiho takes to compose a shot in his camera thanks to his grip head showed me that grip heads, when the gear allows for it, is certainly the way to go. I had also noticed the original ball head had gotten sloppy in it’s rotational axis. Once the new grip arrived I took the ball head apart and discovered that it was missing some screws. I found replacements in my computer screw can, and now the ball head is semi-permanently attached to my monopod. Other than a loose screw that presented during our outing on Friday, the grip head is everything I expected it to be. And the price was definitely right: $52 delivered on eBay.
The other thing new toy was a bit of a surprise. Friday Tiho and I came across a small flea market on the way out of town so we stopped thinking we might find some props for still life shots. What I found instead was a hardshell golf bag carrier made by SKB.
Guess what I paid? $10. Obviously (or not so), I’m not using it for golf gear… it’s nearly perfect for light gear though. Right now it holds two big light stands, five umbrellas, a complete backdrop support system, and a few other random things. It’s nearly the perfect solution. Never mind that it looks awesome too.