Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I became aware of this item while reading a book on location lighting. I've never been too fond of the Nikon shoe attachments that come with the speed lights. I bought a couple of these and what a wonder they are. Solid connection to light stand heads and almost indestructible. I'm going to order about six more. They are much more secure then the included AS-19 or AS-21 stands that come with the Nikon flashes. I was able to connect the Pocket Wizard and the flash unit in a very solid mounting. Every photographer, amateur or pro needs some of these in his/her kit.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

This is a great accessory for OCF! It's quite small in size, which makes it easy to fit into your gearbag without taking up much space. The Frio is built with solid plasic material, which makes it quite durable. My only complaint is that it doesn't work well with the Canon 580EXII and 600EX-RT Speedlites which have the rubber weatherseal as part of their foot. The additional material keeps the rear clip from locking into place. Additionally, these Speedlites are TOUGH to fully lock (I wouldn't recommend it). However, I've used the Frio with the Speedlite lock set at 3/4 closed, and it feels very solid. Unfortunately, I'm not yet at ease knowing that I have a $400+ Speedlite attached, knowing that it's not locked into place.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I feel much better using this on a light stand and mounting my 580EX II on it. It's just so much safer in all areas. I can now put my thoughts into the shot without worry.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I use these to anchor my Canon 580EII speedlites to a lightstand. For the money, they're great. Easy to attach and rock solid. I have had a couple break on me, when the light stand tipped over in the wind. But that hasn't kept me from ordering more. Great value.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Works great.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I use this adapter to mount my Rode StereoVideoMic Pro (with coldshoe mount) to my camera tripod. Great set-up for interviews, live music music, and recording straight to a computer. Sturdy little adapter with great applications.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I use these all the time to attach my speedlights to lightstands. They have a metal screw mount and rigid plastic so I never worry about sturdiness. The only reason I am not giving them 5 stars is that I sometimes have a hard time pressing the release tab down when a larger device is used -- would be nice if you would pull the tab from below. Otherwise they are superb.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

It is handy, small. Easy to connect and disconnect

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I owned 2 of these when I had 430EXII's and they were awesome. Secure and sturdy.

Upgrading to the 600EX-RT's made me find major disappointments in these. the 600 slides onto the unit just fine bit is loose without locking down the lever on the flashgun. about 2/3rds of the way to full lock it gets very tight and almost won't lock.

Unlocking takes considerable force and even after I had unlocked the unit's lever the weather sealing gasket made the removal of the Frio from the 600 nearly impossible. I felt like i was going to break the 600.

I attempted cutting off the rear "tail" of the Frio and that allows the unit to slide on and off freely, but the pressure it takes to lock the unit into place makes this unusable. I feel, over time, that much force on the locking leaver of the 600 will cause it to break.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I've got a dozen cold shoes running around my camera bag. Invariably, they're made of either two or three pieces (usually a screw and the base, sometimes screw, base, and clamp) and invariably they're either broken or come apart in transit and become unusable.

The frio is made of one solid piece of plastic. Nothing to come apart, nothing to lose. While I was initially worried about the its durability, i haven't had any problems in that regard. It may seem trivial, but I also like that I can spot the blue color in my otherwise very monochromatic (black) grip bag.

My only grips is, as another commenter mentioned, the shoe doesn't fit quite as snugly as some are used to. That said if you lock your flash down properly, you shouldn't have a problem.

I'd definitely recommend this.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

This will hold my speed lites with out any wobble or fear of falling

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Works perfect with my nikon flashes, old and new. Stronger than it looks.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Solid costruction, secure mount for flash.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Holds all my (different) speedlights securely. No more worries about lights coming loose and crashing to the ground. Lightweight, appears durable (ask me again in a few years). Good enough for McNally, good enough for me!

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I never liked mounting my flashes (2XSB800 & Q-Flash Trio) on typical coldshoes. These Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapters screw down tightly and the flash locks in snugly and securely. Brilliant! Price is great too.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Used The Frio adapter with my Sb-900, looks gr8 but more importantly works gr8! Very affordable as well!

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I often use my Canon 550EX flashes mounted on light stands via the 1/4-20 thread in the bottom of the flash shoe. Although I've never had a problem the shoe thread is plastic so I've been concerned about the robustness of this method. These Frios with their brass thread insets definitely resolve that concern. And they fit very securely to the light stand. If this is a common setup you could just leave them attached.
Attaching the flash to the Frio is more difficult than the OEM shoe. The tab on the rear of the Frio is fairly stiff requiring you to engage the flash in the slide part of the Frio & then push down & forward at the same time to get the flash to slide in properly. Once you tighten the flash locking collar the flash & Fria become one. The upside of the tab is the flash won't come out of the Frio if you forget to tighten the flash locking collar or you have another hot shoe device that does not have a locking mechanism.
Small part easy pack but easy to lose. I read another review indicating you can hang things on it. It does have a molded-in cavity that easily accommodated a couple key rings I tried.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Well designed, excellent function, easy to use, light-weight. Perfection!

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I do alot of macro photography and place several backlight flashes around my subject. Connecting them "just takes a flash....." This thing is so simple I wish I had thought of it.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

For a inexpensive, quick, go-to cold shoe this is a good piece. The lip adds to the sense of security. Locking in the 430exII is a bit tight - I feel like I have to force it a bit. With that in mind, I have no worries about it falling off. In a pinch this coldshoe is very handy.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I became aware of this item while reading a book on location lighting. I've never been too fond of the Nikon shoe attachments that come with the speed lights. I bought a couple of these and what a wonder they are. Solid connection to light stand heads and almost indestructible. I'm going to order about six more. They are much more secure then the included AS-19 or AS-21 stands that come with the Nikon flashes. I was able to connect the Pocket Wizard and the flash unit in a very solid mounting. Every photographer, amateur or pro needs some of these in his/her kit.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

This is a great accessory for OCF! It's quite small in size, which makes it easy to fit into your gearbag without taking up much space. The Frio is built with solid plasic material, which makes it quite durable. My only complaint is that it doesn't work well with the Canon 580EXII and 600EX-RT Speedlites which have the rubber weatherseal as part of their foot. The additional material keeps the rear clip from locking into place. Additionally, these Speedlites are TOUGH to fully lock (I wouldn't recommend it). However, I've used the Frio with the Speedlite lock set at 3/4 closed, and it feels very solid. Unfortunately, I'm not yet at ease knowing that I have a $400+ Speedlite attached, knowing that it's not locked into place.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I feel much better using this on a light stand and mounting my 580EX II on it. It's just so much safer in all areas. I can now put my thoughts into the shot without worry.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I use these to anchor my Canon 580EII speedlites to a lightstand. For the money, they're great. Easy to attach and rock solid. I have had a couple break on me, when the light stand tipped over in the wind. But that hasn't kept me from ordering more. Great value.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Works great.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I use this adapter to mount my Rode StereoVideoMic Pro (with coldshoe mount) to my camera tripod. Great set-up for interviews, live music music, and recording straight to a computer. Sturdy little adapter with great applications.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I use these all the time to attach my speedlights to lightstands. They have a metal screw mount and rigid plastic so I never worry about sturdiness. The only reason I am not giving them 5 stars is that I sometimes have a hard time pressing the release tab down when a larger device is used -- would be nice if you would pull the tab from below. Otherwise they are superb.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

It is handy, small. Easy to connect and disconnect

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I owned 2 of these when I had 430EXII's and they were awesome. Secure and sturdy.

Upgrading to the 600EX-RT's made me find major disappointments in these. the 600 slides onto the unit just fine bit is loose without locking down the lever on the flashgun. about 2/3rds of the way to full lock it gets very tight and almost won't lock.

Unlocking takes considerable force and even after I had unlocked the unit's lever the weather sealing gasket made the removal of the Frio from the 600 nearly impossible. I felt like i was going to break the 600.

I attempted cutting off the rear "tail" of the Frio and that allows the unit to slide on and off freely, but the pressure it takes to lock the unit into place makes this unusable. I feel, over time, that much force on the locking leaver of the 600 will cause it to break.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I've got a dozen cold shoes running around my camera bag. Invariably, they're made of either two or three pieces (usually a screw and the base, sometimes screw, base, and clamp) and invariably they're either broken or come apart in transit and become unusable.

The frio is made of one solid piece of plastic. Nothing to come apart, nothing to lose. While I was initially worried about the its durability, i haven't had any problems in that regard. It may seem trivial, but I also like that I can spot the blue color in my otherwise very monochromatic (black) grip bag.

My only grips is, as another commenter mentioned, the shoe doesn't fit quite as snugly as some are used to. That said if you lock your flash down properly, you shouldn't have a problem.

I'd definitely recommend this.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

This will hold my speed lites with out any wobble or fear of falling

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Works perfect with my nikon flashes, old and new. Stronger than it looks.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Solid costruction, secure mount for flash.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Holds all my (different) speedlights securely. No more worries about lights coming loose and crashing to the ground. Lightweight, appears durable (ask me again in a few years). Good enough for McNally, good enough for me!

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I never liked mounting my flashes (2XSB800 & Q-Flash Trio) on typical coldshoes. These Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapters screw down tightly and the flash locks in snugly and securely. Brilliant! Price is great too.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Used The Frio adapter with my Sb-900, looks gr8 but more importantly works gr8! Very affordable as well!

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I often use my Canon 550EX flashes mounted on light stands via the 1/4-20 thread in the bottom of the flash shoe. Although I've never had a problem the shoe thread is plastic so I've been concerned about the robustness of this method. These Frios with their brass thread insets definitely resolve that concern. And they fit very securely to the light stand. If this is a common setup you could just leave them attached.
Attaching the flash to the Frio is more difficult than the OEM shoe. The tab on the rear of the Frio is fairly stiff requiring you to engage the flash in the slide part of the Frio & then push down & forward at the same time to get the flash to slide in properly. Once you tighten the flash locking collar the flash & Fria become one. The upside of the tab is the flash won't come out of the Frio if you forget to tighten the flash locking collar or you have another hot shoe device that does not have a locking mechanism.
Small part easy pack but easy to lose. I read another review indicating you can hang things on it. It does have a molded-in cavity that easily accommodated a couple key rings I tried.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

Well designed, excellent function, easy to use, light-weight. Perfection!

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

I do alot of macro photography and place several backlight flashes around my subject. Connecting them "just takes a flash....." This thing is so simple I wish I had thought of it.

Comments about Frio Universal Coldshoe Tripod Adapter:

For a inexpensive, quick, go-to cold shoe this is a good piece. The lip adds to the sense of security. Locking in the 430exII is a bit tight - I feel like I have to force it a bit. With that in mind, I have no worries about it falling off. In a pinch this coldshoe is very handy.