Better Beamer questions

[Adrian LeRoy]

Hello, all. We're up in the California central coast enjoying its numerous wonders and photographing the elephant seals, known hereabouts as the e-seals, the noisiest mammals I have ever encountered. A Nikkor 70-300mm VR on a D200 seems just a little short (if I keep behind the fence), but circumstances kept me from renting a longer lens this trip. A 300mm with a 1.4xTC would probably be ideal, IMO, although I appreciate the VR as these guys move around pretty fast.

I found my Better Beamer, the model originally made for the Nikon SB-28, and it seems to fit the SB-600 just fine, although the fresnel lens is a little bowed with everything attached. I have been using it for lens (not flash) zoom settings between 200 and 300mm, equivalent to 300 to 450mm for film, leaving the flash zoom setting at 50mm. This seems to work OK (evens out illumination and produces one catch light in each eye), but I wonder if I've got it right. Is 50mm the right setting for the flash and should the side pieces of the Beamer be gently bent to make the lens flat?

[Robert O'Toole]

You can test it, just shoot a even surface, a white wall, and check for vignetting. If it is off you will see a spotlight hotspot in the center. I have gotten this effect using the short end of a zoom. As long as the light is even its good.

Yes, 50mm and yes, heat and carefully bend.

Robert

[Walt Anderson]

It is safer and easier to shim the side pieces outward to flatten the lens. You should have received some shims with your unit.

Walt Anderson
Visual Echoes Inc.

[Adrian LeRoy]

I had no luck heating with a hair dryer, so I'll try making shims out of thin cardboard or cardstock. (If shims came with the old unit, they are long gone.) Thanks for the suggestion.

[Walt Anderson]

If you send me your address I will send you a shim set.

Walt Anderson