Re: Always go for the light stand with the heaviest weight rating?
So... you plan to make large fornat still life photo's in a studio setting.
You have one Elinchrom Style rx1200 studio flash unit.
Sounds like you will not be making photo's in very stressful and/or dynamic situations, you will have time to take it easy. Basically, any light stand will do in such circumstances, even the cheapest. All the light stand needs to do is keep the flash unit in place.
I use pretty large and heavy flash units with very simple and cheap light stands without any problem in a studio setting.
Here's one that I found on a local (Dutch) website, for only €7,95 incl. VAT:
https://www.tradeshopping.nl/fotostu...80-200-cm.html
Of course, the build quality is crap, but for your intended use it may serve you well for years and when it breaks down, just buy a new one.
Re: Always go for the light stand with the heaviest weight rating?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tin Can
I also have 4 theatre lighting hot cans, with safety cables also focusable, $20 for the lot, not stolen
One of these days I will convert them to high power LED
I think several of us are holding on to old theatre lights hoping to convert some day. I have 6 or 7 stashed in the attic. Last time I looked (this year) you could buy 5K 50W LED COBs that run on line voltage (120 or 240V). I'm waiting for prices to come down a little, so maybe next week ;)
Re: Always go for the light stand with the heaviest weight rating?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Peter De Smidt
Yes, traditionally in the movie industry c-standards aren't use for lights. Why? Because the legs spread is smaller than with a traditional light stand. I worked in a big photo studio. (Housing sets were built inside the various studios.) C-stands were lined up along one wall in each of the bays. They nest very well standing up. To get to the light stands, you'd have to go to the equipment room. So, I expect that in that type of studio, c=stands were used more because they were quicker to grab, and they worked fine for most things. They were always sand bagged, the cables were wired appropriately and covered with mats or tapped to the floor.... There were two junior rolling boom stands in each of the big bays, and these were used whenever a light had to go up higher than about 10 feet. (One bay had a huge ceiling soft light system. This was used for photographing cars, motorcycles......
So I have 15 years experience working as an assistant at various big studios. I do prefer Matthews, but Kupo, American Grip, Avenger (i.e Manfrotto) and others makes some good products. Kupo grip arms with the faceted (no spin) ends are very nice.
Now for light stands....I really prefer ones that have regular, full-sized baby studs. Some of mine don't. You can buy brass adapters that go from 3/16 threads to a baby stud. I've mounted them on the stands with thread lock. I don't like air cushioning. I'd rather just have good fixtures.
When I had my own small studio, I used a Manfrotto rolling junior stand with an adapter to go from a Junior receiver to 3/8th. I mounted a ball head, and used it as a replacement for a studio stand when I used a dslr. It worked great.
My favorite 'kit' stands were old Lowel ones. They were steel. They had real baby studs. They packed compactly, and they were tough. We had Mathews c-stands but not kit stands. I'm sure they're fine.
How can you tell if it has a full-size baby stud?
Also, why do you not like air cushioned?
A new stand that I am considering is the Manfrotto 126BSU (https://www.manfrotto.com/global/hea...-stand-126bsu/. It's not Avenger, but seems to have some good reviews, and I can get it for 190 francs, which is significantly cheaper than the Avenger. No wheels though, although I'm not sure how important wheels are in large format photography, as I'm guessing you don't move the light very much...
Re: Always go for the light stand with the heaviest weight rating?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ron789
So... you plan to make large fornat still life photo's in a studio setting.
You have one Elinchrom Style rx1200 studio flash unit.
Sounds like you will not be making photo's in very stressful and/or dynamic situations, you will have time to take it easy. Basically, any light stand will do in such circumstances, even the cheapest. All the light stand needs to do is keep the flash unit in place.
I use pretty large and heavy flash units with very simple and cheap light stands without any problem in a studio setting.
Here's one that I found on a local (Dutch) website, for only €7,95 incl. VAT:
https://www.tradeshopping.nl/fotostu...80-200-cm.html
Of course, the build quality is crap, but for your intended use it may serve you well for years and when it breaks down, just buy a new one.
I think I would just be too worried that the strobe would fall if it did break. I only have a limited amount of money to get set up, and I don't think I would be able to get the strobe as cheap as I did again. Plus, I am going to try some portraits too, if I have enough power, and so want to be sure things are safe for any potential model.
Re: Always go for the light stand with the heaviest weight rating?
Baby stud: https://static.bhphoto.com/images/im...57_1340615.jpg
Air cushioned is slower. It's not a big deal, but if you're setting up a bunch of stands every day....
That's a Junior stand with a built in Baby stud. It should be fine. Manfrotto/Avenger are really the same thing.
Re: Always go for the light stand with the heaviest weight rating?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MilamBardo
I think I would just be too worried that the strobe would fall if it did break. I only have a limited amount of money to get set up, and I don't think I would be able to get the strobe as cheap as I did again. Plus, I am going to try some portraits too, if I have enough power, and so want to be sure things are safe for any potential model.
Don't worry, it won't break and fall. If the stand gets damaged, it will happen during storage, transport or you setting it up.... but once it stands, it stands. I've been using such stands for years, mainly for portraiture, without any problem.
Re: Always go for the light stand with the heaviest weight rating?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ron789
Don't worry, it won't break and fall. If the stand gets damaged, it will happen during storage, transport or you setting it up.... but once it stands, it stands. I've been using such stands for years, mainly for portraiture, without any problem.
Ah okay. That's good to know then.
Re: Always go for the light stand with the heaviest weight rating?
Here's my studio as used an hour ago
3 C stands, 3 PCP Einsteins, no sandbags, as I am very careful. I would use sand bags if the stands were set taller or others on set. I usually store the big umbrellas at the ceiling, face up to it, in a corner
One, bare bulb full power into the V-Card
Two, 50% 20 degree grid on scupture
Three, umbrella 100% for both subjects and bounce
Flash incident nose reading f16, shot at F16. Windup shutter cable
Ist shot ever with that camera, used one $8 FP10045C sheet, made 2 mistakes, but good enough for this. I am trying to not waste FP.
Notice the color changes from various LED left on during exposure
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8b7f0620_c.jpgHunting by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...15c91a19_c.jpgHunting 2 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...caa5d888_c.jpgaHunter FP10045C by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Always go for the light stand with the heaviest weight rating?
Black Avenger stands, not the C-stand, Just the 3-leg tripod style. Nice big knobs. Used them for years.
Attachment 215697
Attachment 215698
Re: Always go for the light stand with the heaviest weight rating?