Better Beamer flash extender fitting guide

Find the right Better Beamer Flash Extender for your flash or strobe

To see if your flash is already in our database, try our FlashFinder™.

If your flash is not listed, you can easily measure it to see if one of our Flash Extender models is a good match.

You simply need to measure:

  • Height (thickness) of your flash head
  • Width of your flash head
  • Clearance on the side of the head

Then select the appropriate Better Beamer Flash Extender from the table below. Here's how ...

Step 1 - Measure flash head height

Measure the height (thickness) of your flash head, at the sides where the Flash Extender arms will clip on.

determine flash head height

How height affects fit

The Flash Extender attaches to your flash with two lightweight arms that fit onto the sides of your flash head. These arms have 1/4-inch (6 mm) tabs which wrap around the flash head and help secure the arms and point them in the same direction as the flash. The arms are held in place by our Velcro Quick Attach Strap.

For the best fit, choose a Flash Extender model with spacing between the tabs on the arms equal to or slightly greater than the height (thickness) of your flash head (measured near the edges of the head where the tabs will sit).

If you don't find an exact match, note that

  • If the tab spacing is slightly greater than the height of your flash head, you can attach shims to the tabs to fill the space.
  • If the tab spacing is too small, the arms won't attach properly, as shown here:

Step 2 - Measure flash head width

Measure the width of your flash head.

How width affects fit

If your flash head is too narrow, the arms will not be far enough apart to hold the Fresnel lens flat. You may be able to correct this with shims. If the head is too wide, the arms will be too far apart where the Fresnel lens attaches, and the lens can't be held in place.

Ideal flash head width also depends on whether your flash head has sides that are parallel, converge, or diverge:

  • Parallel sides: The ideal flash head width is 3 inches.
  • Sides that converge towards the front: In this case the Fresnel lens may be bowed, because the ends of the arms will be too close together. This can be corrected with shims attached to the arms near where they contact the front of the head, to spread them apart to the proper separation. This will also help prevent the Flash Extender from sliding off.
  • Sides that diverge towards the front: In this case shims can be attached at the rear of the arms, to force the front of the arms closer together, where the Fresnel lens attaches.

Our new Velcro Quick Attach Strap will easily accommodate a wide range of flash head circumferences.

Step 3 - Check for proper clearance

Ensure that there are no obstructions on the sides of your flash head that could interfere with the placement of the arms.

How clearance affects fit

For optimum performance, the arms should be mounted on the side of your flash so that the bend in the arm is even with the front lens of your flash. This ensures that the Fresnel magnifying lens is held the correct distance from the front of the flash.

Step 4 - Find a matching Better Beamer

Based on your measurements, choose a model from the table:

  FX-1/FX-1B FX-2 FX-3 FX-4 FX-5 FX-6
Height 1-7/16 to 1-9/16 in.
(36-40 mm)		 1-5/8 to 1-3/4 in.
(41-44 mm)		 1-3/8 to 1-1/2 in. (35-38 mm) 1-3/4 to 1-7/8 in. (44-48 mm)
Width 2-5/8 to 3-3/8 in.
(66-86 mm)
Required
clearance		 2-1/4 in.
(57 mm)		 1-3/4 in.
(44 mm)		 2-1/4 in.
(57 mm)		 1-3/4 in.
(44 mm)
Sidewall Straight Straight Curved Straight Curved Curved

FX-1 vs. FX-1B: These models are identical, except that the FX-1B includes an extra shim for fit adjustments.
FX-2 vs. FX-3: The FX-3 was designed for the new Canon 580EX, where the sides of the flash head are rounded. Choose this model over the FX-2 if your flash head has rounded sides.