Longer or shorter arm first?

Hi Guys,

I just got my tray and arms set from http://www.i-divesite.com/. It took less than 4 days to get it all the way from Hong Kong.

Anyway. I ordered a 5" and a 7" arm. There is also the sea&sea connector.

It's kind of like this, but with an extra 5" arm and a clamp.

Should I use the longer arm next to the tray handle or next to the strobe?

Thanks

I like the short arm next to the handle. At least with my strobes, it allows the strobes to fold in next to the housing and take up the minimum deck space. Whatever works.

Steve

At the risk of triggering another arm's length controversy, why not leave the short arm off? I have cut down on weight by taking fewer arm segments on flights, and by using the "edge light" technique (described, believe it or not, by Martin Edge) get as little (or as much!) backscatter as I used to get with long arms. As some wetpixies know, I scatter my opinion on strobe arms at odd angles.

There is an image of my macro setup on the "hotshoe" thread below; my wide-angle setup uses two Ultralight 8" flotation arms instead.

Tim (another dubious pun at Christmas) Priest

Long arm near the handles. I like the short arms near the strobe for finessing the final position.

Three responses. Three opinions.

Three responses. Three opinions.

LOL! and they are all three "right" for the reasons shown. That's why they make them in sections I guess.

Cheers,

Steve

I think that the problem stems from the fact that the "correct" lighting depends on what you are shooting and the effect you want.

One of the most important factors in strobe positioning is camera to subject distance. For (true) example, someone could copy my exact strobe positioning and if they did not get to the same camera to subject distances as me, the results would be poor.

Alex

I think that the problem stems from the fact that the "correct" lighting depends on what you are shooting and the effect you want.

 

One of the most important factors in strobe positioning is camera to subject distance. For (true) example, someone could copy my exact strobe positioning and if they did not get to the same camera to subject distances as me, the results would be poor.

 

Alex

OK Alex, so what is your thought process as you are planning a wide angle shot, as it pertains to size and distance of the subject, and the spread and angulation of your strobes? Is it simply a matter of bringing the strobes closer to camera as the subject gets smaller and closer?

Merry Christmas.

I am actually writing an article about this in the other window! And don't necessarily just want to do a copy and paste it!!!

In simple terms, yes. For straightforward classic front lighting, I generally favour two strobes pointing forward, either side of the lens. If subjects are/will be close to the camera I move the strobes in, far away out. I will angle in and angle out a bit to extend this range with the arms I am using. My strobe positioning for macro and wide angle is almost identical - it is determined primarily by subject distance, not lens.

I think a common mistake many make is just to stick long arms on for all wide angle - for some shots you need them, for others they will restrict your images. On my workshops this seems to be one of the biggest problems folks have in getting the results they want with their wide angle. In the Red Sea last month I think 6 or 7 people's wide angle was suffering because they were using too long arms on the first few dives. Indeed, the main aims of the pool session on the afternoon of day one of my Cayman workshop is to prove to people how short arms give better lighting for CFWA than long ones. Which is why we shoot seafans made of fins in the pool!

Off course you don't always want straight forward front lighting...

Alex