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10/06/2009 10:33:02 AM · #1 |
I've been finding the cheapie tripods I bought from Woot are somewhat awkward as lightstands. With the leverage of an umbrella pulling on a tilted head, things don't stay put well. Basic lightstands seem pretty cheap, such as this one for $20 from a vendor on Amazon.
A simple device that does the job cheaply, or are there other things to be aware of when buying such an item? |
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10/06/2009 10:37:17 AM · #2 |
Steve, my theory is to buy the right thing the first time so you don't have to buy it again later. Imagine a year or so from now you decide to put a 4' softbox on your light instead of an umbrella. Softboxes can get heavy and tend to pull the lightstand forward far more than a brolly does. You need stands with a wide base and decent construction, not only to hold the weight, but also to resist toppling over when a 2 year old smashes into one.
I'm not saying you should buy very expensive lightstands. Just buy ones that are strong enough to hold the heaviest thing you may eventually put on them.
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10/06/2009 10:40:19 AM · #3 |
| Yeah, I would save your money so you only have to buy each thing once, instead of buying 3 shitty stands every 6 months. |
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10/06/2009 09:15:50 PM · #4 |
i have an alienbee lightstand and a lumopro lightstand. both get the job done just fine. the two remarks i would make are:
1) the alienbee is a bit sturdier and has a larger base (unnecessary for speedlights even with umbrellas)
2) the lumopro is speedlight suitable with most modifiers and probably mono suitable with small modifiers AND is a/c
the AB can be had for 40 bucks and the lumopro is 30 at MPEX.com
both stands support like 10 pounds or something. if you need something beefier maybe look at the manfrotto 5001b. too expensive for me at the moment and totally unnecessary if youre using speedlights. |
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10/06/2009 10:04:42 PM · #5 |
| Thanks for all the input. I have a good idea of what to look for now. |
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10/06/2009 10:11:21 PM · #6 |
hey steve - i just so happen to have brought a couple stands with me... i'll pm my phone number & you're welcome to check them out. also have a killer way to keep them upright ;)
in short, yes, quality does make a difference
call me about lunch tomorrow / thursday, k? |
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10/06/2009 10:46:54 PM · #7 |
| Traveling with lightstands? That is serious. |
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