Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Well, I have only the speedring mounts. The earlier versions came with both options, so you could swap out the speedring for a straight shaft. I think the soft silver makes you choose one or the other.

I'm not sure, so TS would have to confirm or deny, but if you have the silver, and it came with a straight shaft also, you might be able to use that with the soft silver if you wanted. So you could then order the speedring version, and have both options available to you.

For the white and soft silver, I think the on-axis precision of the speedring is likely not as critical/useful as with the silver. Anyway, I notice a fair amount of "droop" with my larger plms and the speedring, so I suspect they aren't precisely on axis anyway :-)

I'm using my plms primarily in a studio. Speedrings don't present much hassle. If I used them primarily on location, and primarily the soft silver, I might reconsider if ordering them again, and get the straight shaft version. Particularly so if I expected to use them "unfocused" a fair amount of the time.

But if TS confirms that the optional shafts work with the new soft silvers (e.g. take the speedring off, install the shaft, good to go), then you and I both have shafts from our silver plms that should work. I'll test it myself, but it will be a few days before I have time--lots of deadlines right now.

The speedring versions can be used with the included 7mm rod for traditional umbrella mounting. With the speedring version you have either option.

With the 8mm version the center rod is solid. No threaded hole on the end. And it's too large to fit the positioning shaft from the speedring version over it. You can't mount a speedring to the 8mm version.

Ah, cool. thx. So a speedring version can be used as an umbrella version with the thinner shaft, but a purchased 8mm version can only be an umbrella mount, period. Good to know.

Great information. Thanks for sharing. Ill have to check out the umbrella mount with the soft silver PLM. I seem to use my Einstein with my 64 inch umbrella. But I know my PLM would give a much nicer light and feel to the image.

Sometimes, it's a set up tear down issue when your shooting alone without an assistant. Some of these weddings have such tight timelines, before you know it the group is loading into the party bus and heading to the next destination....haha.