Magic Bracket

The Magic Bracket has been designed for use with the Nikon Coolpix 990 or 995 digital camera, the Nikon AS-E900 flash shoe / sync cable and a Nikon brand or compatible speedlight.

The Magic Bracket can go from landscape to portrait orientation quickly, allows the flash to be placed up and over the camera in two different positions and offers full bounce, tilt and swivel flexibility even if the flash unit doesn't.

The compact bracket is crafted from casted aluminum and steel to give you a lightweight yet sturdy mounting bracket for even the biggest speedlight.  It has a black powder-coated finish to compliment your camera and give you year's of worry-free service. Shown above is the Magic Bracket Pro which includes the optional Magic Grip.

Here's the Magic Bracket without the Magic Grip. This makes for a highly compact and portable setup. This shows the other position for the flash over the camera.

A closeup of the base of the flash rod, to change the position of the flash over the camera you simply lift the rod up and turn it until the pin lines up with one of the other cutouts.

Here's the Magic Bracket and in the portrait orientation.

This is the Magic Bracket's swivel joint for the flash rod. You just press the swivel lock towards the camera and rotate the bracket to either portrait or landscape position.

The other tapped hole allows you to attach the optional Magic Shutter Release which is not yet in production.

Even non-bounce flash units can be tilted or swiveled. Tilting the flash downward as shown here can greatly improve the lighting for shooting macro closeups.

Here's a closeup view of the top swivel mount. It tilts +/- 45° and swivels 360° so you can bounce, tilt or point the flash in any direction desired.

The Magic Grip can be quickly attached or removed with this single screw. The grip has a 1/4-20 threaded hole on the top to accommodate another flash unit or accessory bracket. It has a tapped hole on the side to hold the flash sync port cover cap so you don't lose it.

The camera is attached via this large screw with a fold-down clip that eliminates the need for a screwdriver. The base clears the battery door of the Coolpix 990 or 995 so you can easily change batteries without removing it from the bracket. There is no blockage of the CompactFlash door so cards can be changed easily too.

There's a 1/4-20 threaded hole on the bottom which lets you mount the camera, bracket and flash on a tripod.

Steve's Conclusion

If you're looking for a compact yet highly flexible flash bracket for your Coolpix 9xx camera then look no further, the Magic Bracket is here. I still can't believe after all of these years that Nikon only offers their pathetic SK-E900 bracket, thankfully others have filled the void.

I found the mechanics of the Magic Bracket to be excellent, it is made very well and from quality materials. Initial setup can be a little difficult at first, especially securing the AS-E900 tightly, but it becomes second nature once you figure it out. If you're pondering whether to buy just the bracket or the bracket plus the grip -- do yourself a favor and get both. The grip really completes the bracket. It lets you firmly hold the camera and flash with your left hand and frees up your right hand to more comfortably press the shutter release.

The Magic Bracket with its tilt and swivel head lets even non-bounce type flash units function as bounce flashes, that's something that none of the other flash brackets we have reviewed can do. Getting the flash up and away from the lens is a great start but bounced lighting is an even better way to improve your flash pictures and completely eliminates red-eye problems.

I give the Magic Bracket my "two thumbs up" seal of approval. It does exactly what it claims to do and it's reasonably priced. What more can you ask for ?