can someone recommend a good boom arm and stand setup? I guess my budget is about $300 for this. I don't want to cheap out on this setup as I know it is quite important to make sure that it doesn't topple over or anything. if possible it'd be nice if i could bring the stand out for on location shoots.
i'd like to hang a studio strobe with a beauty dish or octa/softbox
The 4050CS is no joke. It's huge and heavy. Not portable. But will last you a lifetime, no doubt. Also, it's highly advisable to buy a counterweight for it. Lastly, i couldn't break it if i tried. Seriously. It's very hardcore.
THe C stand one is nice too but can't hold as much weight. If you want portability go with the second. My 4050CS will never, ever leave the studio.
I'd suggest either an Avenger / Manfrotto cine stand or the century stand you linked to. Just make sure that it's receptor fits to the D650 (all receptors) or D650 (1 1/8" male stud). When choosing booms it's better to err to the more sturdy side in my experience.
(I'd also consider to put castors to the stand. Easy moving and helps to prevent the boom from tipping over)
The D600 uses a baby pin, the D650 is a junior. And I think Peter means a rolling stand, they're infinitely more practical when you've got a 10lb counterweight, 5lb head on the other end, and 15-30lbs of sandbags on the bottom.
so you suggest d650 and an avenger stand? looking at the stands on BH i notice the attachment size is all 5/8" stud. is that what you are talking about?
Okay, before you go out and buy the Avenger A4050CS Junior Boom Stand, let me just tell you that I have the exact same thing (the older version that was called the A700, it's identical) and the above poster is right - it is no joke.
If you want to "buy right the first time" then maybe it's good, but just consider this:
It's big, and heavy, and I had to take it outside to bring out the boom arm from the center column because my ceilings are too low. And then bringing it back inside with the arm sticking out was tough, but carrying this thing by hand ANYWHERE is not very fun.
The stand is really designed to hold heavy hot lights for film-making. IMO, it's way overkill for a strobe and the largest softbox you can find on the planet, but it's so nice to just keep in the studio (once you have it set up and ready to go) to quickly attach a light for overhead, without having to setup a grip arm/grip head, boom arm, cinestand and/or century stand, and your lights will never fall on anyone.
A grip arm is designed to hold a million different things, from flags, scrims, pins, lights, gobos, etc. You'll see a million of them on a movie set holding scrims to diffuse or block light.
I personally like having the century stands and the arms because you can use them as booms and take them anywhere. The big ass boom stand on the other hand...
40 inches...hmm... would i need/want something longer to extend over a person? thats only about 3 feet and it doesn't seem very long for the stand to be out of the way. but i have never actually used one so i don't know where they are usually positioned.
could i buy a longer boom arm (d600/d650/manfrotto) and use it on the Avenger stand?
dchu wrote:
i think i would prefer the sliding counterweight of the d650 over the hook on the end for the d600 though.
opinions on anything? thanks!
You can attach the sliding counter weight on the D600. That's how I have mine setup using a 008CSU stand with an E200 junior to baby adapter pin. Very sturdy and I can take it with me anywhere.
dchu wrote:
i think i would prefer the sliding counterweight of the d650 over the hook on the end for the d600 though.
Realize that the D600 has a sliding counterweight by way of adjustable boom center.
It goes without saying that booms are extremely dangerous, but I am always dismayed at the improper and unsafe ways people use booms, such as:
Improper leg orientation (typically due to lack of attention).
Insufficient base ballast (generally because of laziness).
Unsafe lock/release methods (due to ignorance or inexperience).
Incorrect boom counterbalance (commonly a result of expediency or indifference)
Any of these deficiencies demonstrate a complete lack of concern for others and are unequivocally the quickest ways to get fired as an assistant.
abdul10000 wrote:
what do you mean by base ballast?
Sand bags, base weight, tie downs, rigging, etc.
Counterbancing, IS NOT the same as base ballast. Base ballast lowers stand COG (center of gravity) and increases overall stability of the system. Counterbalance should be used only as an offset to weight being supported, mainly because it raises COG and is not centered on the support axis. As counterbalance weight increases so should base ballast to minimize instability.
Using heavier counterweights in CLOSER to the stand axis in order to avoid using a wider stand or in an effort to decrease rear clearance and increase boom extension without sufficient base ballast is not best practice.
The stand is plenty heavy enough to support a strobe head and any size light modifier. The boom is 9 feet long and comes in 3 pieces so you can use 1 or 2 sections if you need to. At 9 feet you can hang a BD right out in front of your subject and keep the stand well out of the way of reflectors and other light sources. It comes with a counter weight and wheels. I have owned two of these for 22 years and have never had issues with them supporting any light combo I stick on them. They do make a 9 foot adjustable head version but I prefer the 9 foot 3 section boom for portability.
Carmen Miranda wrote:
It goes without saying that booms are extremely dangerous, but I am always dismayed at the improper and unsafe ways people use booms, such as:
Improper leg orientation (typically due to lack of attention).
Insufficient base ballast (generally because of laziness).
Unsafe lock/release methods (due to ignorance or inexperience).
Incorrect boom counterbalance (commonly a result of expediency or indifference)
Any of these deficiencies demonstrate a complete lack of concern for others and are unequivocally the quickest ways to get fired as an assistant.
Safety first.
Good luck.
Carmen, are there any resources online or in print where proper boom hygiene is explained well?
And I think Peter means a rolling stand, they're infinitely more practical when you've got a 10lb counterweight, 5lb head on the other end, and 15-30lbs of sandbags on the bottom.