DTOL Camera Speedlite Mount Flash Stand Bracket Umbrella Mount Holder Shoe Mount Compatible with Nikon Pentax Olympus Nissin Metz and Other Speedlite Flashes E Type 2 Pack

Cons: 1) The top mount is metal and your flashgun will be secured, but because the two little "lips" on the ramp are so short, once you loosen it with the screw even just a few turns, the entire flashgun can fall off. So basically, it goes from very secure to no security very quickly. 2) You can lose the top screw nut if you accidentally unscrew it too much. If you lose it, you're screwed (see what I did there?. It's also a plastic screw. This is perhaps the cheapest aspect of the holder. Pros: 1) Price. It's cheap. That's why you're looking at it. 2) It does what its designed to do well. Not spectacularly great, but it's not exactly a complicated job. 3) The angle of the neck is pretty secure when you tighten the screw, which has nice big grippy wings. But again, it goes from very secure to completely floppy fairly quickly after a few turns. 4) Light plastic. Not as durable as a metal one I suppose, but I'm sure I would lose this well before durability became an issue. I appreciate that it's light, as I'm often a one man band lugging gear around. Conclusion: In terms of performance, 8/10. With the cheap price factored in, 9/10. I bought a second one after I used the first one awhile. It's worth it.

3/22/2012 UPDATE TO MY ORIGINAL REVIEW - I have purchased 3 of these from Amazon. The 2nd & 3rd times, I just went to the previous purchase in my history and clicked on the first item and ordered again. The first two I got came from seller JRFOTO INC, now known as Fancier Studio. I did not notice the third time I ordered that the item came from a different supplier, HDE. Now, HDE shipped FAST and was great in that respect, and the price was the same as I paid before, but not Prime eligible, just a lower price plus shipping that was the same total. No problems with that seller. However, I have a SIGNIFICANT problem with Amazon representing the third item as the same as the first two! When I clicked on the item I previously purchased to make another purchase, Amazon defaulted to HTE as the Seller, and I didn't even notice the supplier was different. The choice to purchase the item from Fancier is there if you go to look at other sellers. But the big problem is not that the seller is different, per se. The big problem is that the item itself is different. This item I am reviewing from Fancier has two significant differences, in spite of the fact that the items look almost identical in the photos. The one from Fancier (JRFOTO INC) has a METAL shoe clamp, and a slightly larger mounting hole in the base. The one from HTE has a PLASTIC shoe clamp, and a slightly smaller hole in the base. For me these differences are all the difference in the world, as the plastic shoe clamp does not have the range of adjustment that the metal one does, and my expensive Rode SVM microphone will slip right out of the shoe, even with the shoe clamp tightened as far as it will go. Furthermore, the pole on the microphone stand that I am using for this will fit into the mounting hole on the base of the one from Fancier, but the one from HTE won't go on. In fairness, the mounting hole size difference is very slight, and the hole could be enlarged easily with a drill bit of the appropriate size. Also, the shoe on the Rode SVM is a bit smaller and thinner than most, and that's why it wouldn't fit snugly. The one from HTE did tighten sufficiently to snugly hold the other shoes I have. Looking closely, I can see that the tightening screw is bottoming in its hole before the shoe clamp has reached the end of its available travel, and that is what is limiting its adjustment range. So if the screw were shortened just 1mm or so, it would have sufficient travel to snug that smaller shoe on the Rode SVM. Even at that, I found that when I tightened the locknut on the Rode SVM shoe, it held ok. But all-in-all, I prefer the metal shoe holder. So, to me the difference between the one from HTE and the one from Fancier is worth the additional $2 cost (including shipping). Here is my original review: This flash shoe holder is well-engineered, solidly made, and provides a host of mounting and configuration options. It's amazing they can build something this good at such a low price. And the fact that it's Prime eligible is a double-bonus! ~NOTE~ NOT Prime eligible anymore.

Mixed reviews on this swivel bracket. My biggest complaint is that it's plastic and acts like it. It's got a lot of flex and give that I'm not used to having in equipment for positioning photographic gear. And the one reason I didn't rate it a three? Because it's plastic and is less likely to mar other photographic gear. This became important during a shoot that needed an improvised boom stand. I have two 14' stands, each fitted with one of these swivels. Neither is a boom stand. I needed to get an umbrella directly over the subject, and without a boom stand or an assistant, the only choice I had was to use what was on hand. I set up one stand on a table, leaned it over, and braced it against the other stand. I angled the swivel so the column of the stand lay in the channel on top of the swivel, and tied everything down with double-sided Velcro. It worked great. I got the shot, and because this swivel bracket is plastic it didn't chew up my other stand. As goofy as this sounds, I saw it as a plus. In defense of this swivel bracket, though, neither of the ones I own have cracked, bent, or taken any permanent damage. I figure when they go I can replace them. Meanwhile they work well, they get the job done, and they won't scratch up my gear. I'm not 100% happy, but I have a hard time saying I'm actually disappointed. They'll do.

The base is brittle plastic, be careful while tightening on stand, it can crack.

Great!

Perfect

It works just fine, however the track to slide the flash into is way too snug that it feels you may break your flash hotshoe if not careful.

This is capable of doing the job but you get what you pay for, it's cheaply made. However, it's only holding the weight of a flash. The weakest aspect is the actual clamp for the flash - just a tiny button screw going into a plastic thread and the clamp jaw is a very loose fit, It works OK only if the flash is centered relative to that screw. To use this with a 600EX-RT I shaved off the clamp and holder deep enough so the flash could sit centered (this is due to the rubber flange on the flash that prevents it from being mounted anywhere other than the edge, i.e. I created a new "edge" closer to the center). I'll use it, but won't likely buy another.