Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Hi, I was hoping you could give me some advice. I have a Cyber Commander that is 'wiggly' in my cameras' hotshoe.

The problem presented itself shortly after purchasing. I had sent it in last year for the same problem and it was alright for a couple of weeks, but it's loose again and worse than ever. Sometimes it doesn't fire and sometimes the lights start going crazy because the Cyber Commander isn't making a solid contact with the hotshoe.

I have four cameras (two of them have brand new hotshoes after servicing at Nikon) and I experience the 'wiggle' in all of them.

I've lived with the issue for a long time and it's just got me at my wits' end. I hate to sound dramatic, but I am seriously exhausted from suffering with misfire after misfire. Is there absolutely anything that can be done? It's a great product in theory, but it needs either a locking pin or some sort of screw on tightening mechanism. Can anything be fabricated or is there any sort of screw on adapter to keep it from being so wiggly? I would gladly pay for it, I just want this to work well for once :/

The Cyber Commander has a foot that is generalized in order to fit the variety of hotshoes on the market (they all differ, despite the ISO moniker). If we changed the foot to fit perfectly on one hotshoe, then we run the risk of it not fitting on another. We chose not to use a threaded locking mechanism, as those often stick, making removal difficult or impossible. Also, these types of mechanisms draw the contact away from the hotshoe, which can result in lost contact. A switch type mechanism like those found on modern flash units would add complexity and cost to the design. While there are some who have had trouble, we generally do not hear of wide spread problems.

If you are having problems, a new foot will not rectify this, as they are all identical. There are, however, a few things you can try.

1- We generally recommend a CST in the hotshoe for triggering. This leaves the CC in hand/pocket/lanyard for conveniently making adjustments and metering.

2- A small bit of gaffer tape on the leading or trailing edge of the CC foot (bottom surface). There is not a need for the entire bottom to be covered. (I have had to do this with OEM equipment before)

3-You can use a pass through adapter with a suitable locking mechanism, and secure the CC to it.