Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site

New Feature: SMS Notification alert

New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist

FM Forums | General Gear-talk | Join Upload & Sell

2 end

Archive 2022 · Anyone using a standing desk?

eyal
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Anyone using a standing desk?

I've recently started to look at standing desks and have read lots of reviews of them but they seem centered mostly on work-from-home types.

I have yet to find any photographers showcasing their setups.

I currently run 2 externals and have a MacBook Pro in a stand that allows me to use it as a 3rd screen. They all sit on a DIY L-table.

I'm strongly considering buying a L-type frame from Uplift, Desk Haus, Apex or Fully with a butcher block table top which I thought of staining grey to be a nice neutral color for working on photos.

Appreciate any thoughts on this setup for photography work.

Aug 17, 2022 at 09:27 PM

Bacalhau
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Anyone using a standing desk?

...goes along with the open space (no cubicles) concept - works for a few selected environments and.... people.
Nothing beats a properly ergonomic setup - chair, table, monitor elevation ..imo, unless you will regret it just get up more often

Edited on Aug 18, 2022 at 07:21 AM · View previous versions

Aug 17, 2022 at 11:01 PM

EB-1
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Anyone using a standing desk?

Those adjustable desks are at one of my workplaces. At first many people were standing, but after a while that became a small minority and most were seated normally.
So my advice is make sure your new desk can be adjusted to a seated level if standing doesn't work out for you.

EBH

Aug 17, 2022 at 11:18 PM

jcolwell
Online
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Anyone using a standing desk?

I use a standing desk in my studio, mostly for macro and copy-stand types of shots. I probably use it even more often as a staging platform for whatever I'm about to shoot, in front of the main strobes and backgnds. I bought it as a frame/motor kit, and added a 3/4" MDF board for a top. Paint It Black (Rolling Stones). It's usually covered with black, sheet-foam material.

It came with flat, round plastic, height-adjustable feet. I chucked them away (well, they're in the workshop), drilled out their mounts, right up though the tops of the foot structure, and through-bolted a set of nice, soft, smooth 360 deg wheels. It's great. The studio floor is 2" hardwood boards, and so I have three hard plastic, floor covers (for desk chairs) arranged to cover the main shooting position and areas behind, where the standing table and other stuff lives. My tripod is also on wheels, as is a smaller utility table.

The first images, below, show the standing desk parked at the back, and a closeup of one of the modified foots. The third shows the table in a usual staging or shooting position (mid-height). Fourth shows more details of the covered table top, and the next is with the foam-sheet top removed. The desk controls are at the right (under). The white box gizmo in the centre (under), is the light supply for a pair of carbon fibre flex arms (each about 20" long) that can extend up, around, and down, to shine a little light on small things (i.e. macro lighting). The last two images show the table at its lowest and highest positions.

Edited on Aug 18, 2022 at 07:36 AM · View previous versions

Aug 18, 2022 at 07:02 AM

eyal
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Anyone using a standing desk?

Bacalhau wrote:
...goes along with the open space (no cubicles) concept - works for a few selected environments and.... people.
Nothing beats a properly ergonomic setup - chair, table, monitor elevation ..imo, unless you will regret it just get up more often

Yes and I'm mostly there with a proper chair and monitors at proper height. But sitting for hours has been wearing on me and just wandering around/outside wasn't enough.

A standing desk would help with that but it's hard to picture working on photos while standing
---------------------------------------------

EB-1 wrote:
Those adjustable desks are at one of my workplaces. At first many people were standing, but after a while that became a small minority and most were seated normally.
So my advice is make sure your new desk can be adjusted to a seated level if standing doesn't work out for you.

EBH

Agree in an office environment this was likely a fad but may make more sense at home.

Aug 18, 2022 at 07:36 AM

eyal
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Anyone using a standing desk?

Thanks and nice setup!

I was thinking more of using mine for working on photos; not taking them

Aug 18, 2022 at 07:37 AM

Bacalhau
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Anyone using a standing desk?

eyal wrote:
Yes and I'm mostly there with a proper chair and monitors at proper height. But sitting for hours has been wearing on me and just wandering around/outside wasn't enough.

A standing desk would help with that but it's hard to picture working on photos while standing
---------------------------------------------

Agree in an office environment this was likely a fad but may make more sense at home.

if it's hired/paid work, then it's sort of the job - sitting down for hours. Back when I was in the office, there were policies in place to encourage us to actually take short breaks every two hours and a 15 minutes every four.
unofficially of sorts, the department supervisor would come around and say "get up and go for a walk -mostly in the summer ofcourse.
Once in a while I have to work on tons of photos - just like over 4 thousand or more from my last vacation.
I break it down in segments and only spend an hour or two, go do something else, and then came back (sometimes)
But all that it's on my free time.
I can't picture (pun intended) working out of a standing desk at home - but far away to screencast to the big screen in front of my couch either

Aug 18, 2022 at 08:10 AM

mkuznicki
Online
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Anyone using a standing desk?

Just another datum ...

My wife (not a photographer) works at home and had spent a fair amount of time sitting at her "desk" (a bar height table). Three or four years ago, she wanted to give the standing desk concept a try, so she got a 36" wide variable-height converter (I forget the brand). She's about 5'6" and set the extension height to 9" (so the keyboard shelf was where she needed it) and used the adjustment on her monitor stand to position it accordingly. She hasn't used a chair since!

Side note: Maximum height on these converters vary quite a bit between brands, and one would have to have a pretty generous adjustment range for a tall person to comfortably use one on a 29" high desk. I suspect that many people who give up on standing desks do so simply because the height isn't where it needs to be.

Aug 18, 2022 at 08:22 AM

Bacalhau
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Anyone using a standing desk?

mmm55 wrote:
Just another datum ...

My wife (not a photographer) works at home and had spent a fair amount of time sitting at her "desk" (a bar height table). Three or four years ago, she wanted to give the standing desk concept a try, so she got a 36" wide variable-height converter (I forget the brand). She's about 5'6" and set the extension height to 9" (so the keyboard shelf was where she needed it) and used the adjustment on her monitor stand to position it accordingly. She hasn't used a chair since!

Side note: Maximum height on these converters vary quite...Show more →

my office table is a variable height, and indeed helps to adjust things a bit - still sitting

the keyboard tray is indeed a must - even with those monitor brackets - fully adjustable, I have the tray extension lower to allow me a 90 degree +/- elbow positioning and level wrists.
On occasion I need to use the desk, but the table has memory sets that I use to quick adjust too.

There are studies about the standing desks, and mostly from what I recall not that in praise - then again sitting all day is not a winning concept either.
I think the OP is suffering more of task overloading than environment setup - maybe looking into a more efficient workflow is the key to spend less time staring at the screen and make it somewhat less tedious.

Aug 18, 2022 at 09:02 AM

PhotosbyKR
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Anyone using a standing desk?

I have a DeskHaus standing desk. I work from home and while I don't always use it I really like having it for when I remember to/just want to stand up. It isn't a silver bullet but it does help for me. I still need to get a better chair.

I have a 2 leg version on a straight 6' long solid wood desk. I have 2 monitors (34" UW and a 27"), my laptop and my water cooled desktop on it. At sitting height it is just as stable as my static legs were and at standing height furious typing can get a bit of jiggle out of it and if you intentionally move it side to side there is sway but it stops itself pretty quickly. At a previous employer we all had L-shaped uplifts and the added 3rd leg made a huge different in stability. If you have the room and budget for a 3 leg go for that one. You can hardly get them to move around at standing height. IMO, more legs = more stability than any difference in brand. Usability, build quality and speed are basically the same between my Deskhaus and the uplift. I went Deskhaus since it is a small US team with incredible customer support.

Also I am 6' so my standing height is pretty up there.

Aug 18, 2022 at 09:42 AM

eyal
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Anyone using a standing desk?

PhotosbyKR wrote:
I have a DeskHaus standing desk. I work from home and while I don't always use it I really like having it for when I remember to/just want to stand up. It isn't a silver bullet but it does help for me. I still need to get a better chair.

I have a 2 leg version on a straight 6' long solid wood desk. I have 2 monitors (34" UW and a 27"), my laptop and my water cooled desktop on it. At sitting height it is just as stable as my static legs were and at standing height furious typing...Show more →

Awesome - exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

Aug 18, 2022 at 09:59 AM

jeffbuzz
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Anyone using a standing desk?

I use standing height workbenches but I use chairs which are high enough so I can sit at them. Look for "drafting" or "bar height" chairs. Standing 100% of the time does not work for me. I have used a few electric or hydraulic adjustable height desks and they all were all terrible in their own way. Mostly because they were not stable enough. Only the most ridiculously expensive ones are stable at standing height.

I have multiple standing height workbenches. All are probably rated at 1000+ lbs. All are rock solid. Zero wobble. The one I use mostly as a computer table is a 66" L x 20" D x 36" H Gladiator brand with fixed height legs. It has threaded feet which can adjust ~2" but I have them sitting on 3" high blocks designed for lifting beds. That gives me the 41" table surface height I like.

Lots of workbenches come with adjustable legs. They are "adjustable" in a very manual way. Usually with heavy bolts or pins that can be moved in 1" increment holes. So you can set a standing height appropriate for you and leave it there. Not really designed to be adjusted during use. This Seville brand 48 x 24" workbench is another beast I found.

Aug 18, 2022 at 11:00 AM

bjhurley
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Anyone using a standing desk?

I have two sit-stand desks in my office, one for my real job and one for the desk where I do photo editing, music editing and mixing, and video editing/color grading. They do help in terms of reducing fatigue and leg issues caused by sitting for long periods of time. Mine were made by ergonofis, a company in my city, but I used a Steelcase sit/stand workstation for years.

Before that I had good experiences with sitting on an exercise ball instead of a chair. It causes you to make many micro-adjustments with your legs during the day and results in less fatigue. I stopped using it because I rolled off the back of the ball a few times, once hitting my head on a bookshelf as I fell. You do have to remember not to lean back too far. Otherwise I think exercise balls are an excellent alternative to an ergonomic chair or a sit/stand workstation, and of course are much cheaper. I felt pretty energized by the end of the day and rarely experienced the fatigue I get from sitting in an ergonomic chair for hours at a stretch.

Aug 18, 2022 at 12:01 PM

wordfool
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Anyone using a standing desk?

I don't but wish I did and might well get one in the near future. As I get older my body is telling me just how bad long periods of sitting can be on the back, even in a good chair.

What I have right now is a decently ergonomic sitting desk -- adjustable, independent keyboard and mouse platforms, ergonomic chair (An Aeron) with footrest, properly adjusted (height, distance) monitor on a hydraulic arm, etc. I also try to make sure I get up and move around at least every 15 minutes, although when I'm deep in an editing tunnel that doesn't always happen!

Aug 18, 2022 at 10:53 PM

yberk
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Anyone using a standing desk?

Another option is autonomous.ai.
Adding monitor arms will allow you to align the monitors and will free up a lot of desk space.

Aug 18, 2022 at 11:57 PM

Arka
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Anyone using a standing desk?

I have one - a BDI. I have a Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 on a wall-mounted Ergotron arm that I can move up or down with it, though it isn't be best arm. I'll try to take a picture of it and post here.

Aug 19, 2022 at 12:16 AM

eyal
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Anyone using a standing desk?

Thanks all. Just waiting on quote on a table top and then will likely pull the trigger.

I'll make sure to post an update when it is all set up.

Aug 20, 2022 at 09:05 AM

teraflame
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Anyone using a standing desk?

I suggest looking at office liquidation/refurbishers on craigslist and get a commercial grade for cheap.

Aug 21, 2022 at 12:18 AM

eyal
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Anyone using a standing desk?

Thanks - always forget that Craigslist still exists. Feels like going back 20 years when I visit...

Nothing good there for standing desks.

Also, my annual calendar sales will cover the full cost of a new custom desk and, having researched everything excessively, I have it all figured out:

1. Desk Haus Apex 3-leg - very impressive frame from a US company. Great videos.
2. Top - TBD but likely reclaimed wood rather than the butcher block most get from the local big box store
3. Joy Seeker Under Desk Computer Mount - for the OWC RAID array
4. File Cabinets by Laura Davidson Furniture

Total without the top is $1,110

Aug 21, 2022 at 08:01 AM

Monika C
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Anyone using a standing desk?

I have an Uplift 6' desk, but after getting a Herman Miller Aeron stool, I no longer adjust the table height. I can stand & work or just shift over to the stool when I want to sit. Works great for me. I found the stool at SeatingMind.com (took several months to find it).

Aug 21, 2022 at 10:59 AM

1 2 end
FM Forums \| General Gear-talk \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 end

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.