new umbrella too heavy for strobe mount (elinchrom dlite-4) - any ideas?

hi there
I’ve just got a new EDIT (was : umbrella should be: softbox with bowens mount), but due to the weight of the softbox, the mount on the light does not stay at an angle and just droops down.

see here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pc6QxGYDFHPCMBnT8
and heres: https://photos.app.goo.gl/TkEgBb8c2U8HRv1T7
and this is the mount piece that just cannot hold an angle: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1rhttb8Jd28Xzkg87

any ideas? I can return it to amazon without issue, but if anyone’s got any ideas I’d be interested, thanks!

EDIT - here’s a better explanation: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qMaHwey3svfwdhpM8

UPDATE: going to return it, and stick to my current approach of boom stand + umbrella holder + large umbrella + strobe mounted separately (and NOT carrying the weight of the umbrella).

here is a picture with this setup: https://photos.app.goo.gl/HocdkvLze3g5UiUG9 and https://photos.app.goo.gl/oK6ZwXvUYdEyh6DB8

It is definitely a mismatch. I don’t have any experience with the equipment but would it be possible to lash rope around the joint to make it straight? And then use this

image

to adjust the angle because it looks stronger than the upper one. Not perfect but it may work.

I’d return it or get a new stand, no way that holds up well in the long term.

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Hi, I think you maybe need a “boom stand” (??? Galgenstativ in German) with some weights. It’s better for this kind of setup.

Definitely. The long term solution is to have a stand that tolerates the weight. Both of the locking mechanisms shown in the photos will wear down after a while. What you need are ones where you place a metal key through a pair of holes to lock them into place. I don’t know what those are called…

hi, my terminology was slightly off - it is a large softbox with a bowens mount attached to the elinchrom strobe. it’s the stobe’s own mount that cannot handle the weight. The boom stand is heavy duty stainless steel - no issues with the boom stand.

These elinchrom strobes are entry level, and do not have the same heavy duty mounts of other more pro strobes.

yeah, I have another 150cm umbrella that mounts to a separate piece ( https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B06Y5L79K6 ) , and the light also attaches separately and does not carry the weight of the umbrella - a much better setup due to the poor ‘locking mechanism’ on these strobes. I’m going to stick with that approach and yep, return the (now correctly named) softbox with bowens mount to amazon (love that feature)!

I thought this way you would get the same setup but with less weight on the strobes Mount. But you’d also need another Mount on the boom stand.

hi, thanks for the pic, appreaciate the effort! it’s not the boom stand, it’s the mount on the strobe itself. see here : https://photos.app.goo.gl/W63dBbXxGNrrCdv67

I’ve decided to return the softbox - this is my revised setup with my existing umbrella as the key light - https://photos.app.goo.gl/CFupd4SQfn4T5g6p6 all good!

how DO you embed an image in this forum?!

Drag and drop.

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You meed to put some different material in the joint. Like some rubber circle or even a thicker piece of paper could work. Like the paper for making gaskets. (I’d say asbestos would be perfect but you probably don’t wanna use that or can’t even get it.)

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thanks, that is a good idea, exactly the kind of answer I was after!

I’ve decided that it’s not the right mix of softbox and strobe, so I am going to return it, as I risk breaking the strobe, and I have an alternative setup that gets the same results. appreciate your response!