Inexpensive Flash Stand Recommendation?

manaheim · Sep 28, 2008

I'm looking for something fairly basic. Nothing crappy, of course... but I'm hoping I don't need a gold plated rod of glory to hold up a couple SB-600s.

Recommendations appreciated.

*Chris waits for Jerry to pipe in...*

Village Idiot · Sep 29, 2008

Just look on B&H or mpex. You can get compact stands for $20-$30. Lumopro, impact, etc...

andrew99 · Sep 29, 2008

Don't forget you'll need something to connect the flash to the stand.. an umbrella swivel is probably the most useful, I think they are around $15.

Johnboy2978 · Sep 29, 2008

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...anfrotto_026_026_Swivel_Umbrella_Adapter.html

I use this attached to a light weight alien bee stand when I'm using my off camera flash instead of an alien bee for lighting. I guess the size and weight would dictate how study a light stand you would need to use.

Big Mike · Sep 29, 2008

If you don't need an umbrella, you could use this adapter to put a flash onto any light stand.
http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/EP4462158.htm

There are also small flash stands, like a base with a cold shoe. I know that Canon 580 & 430 units come with one, also the Cactus radio triggers now come with one as well. Check it out in the photos HERE. I'm not sure if you can buy them separately from there...but somewhere I'm sure.

ksmattfish · Sep 29, 2008

Maybe check Ebay for used stands? Shipping might make it not such a deal. I got my favorite stand at a garage sale for $3. It's old school looking compared to the fancier stands I bought later, but it's light and compact, and I end up using it the most if I'm wandering around with one light.

manaheim · Sep 29, 2008

Hm, I was actually assuming I would be using the flash bracket/stand things that come with the Nikon flashes... they have screw mounts on the bottom. Is this a poor assumption on my part?

JerryPH · Sep 29, 2008

manaheim said:
*Chris waits for Jerry to pipe in...*

Adorama is where I got my 10-footers for the same price that B&H has their 8-footers at... plus shipping was free. This was a couple months ago, though. The only thing is that they are about 6-8 inches longer when carrying them folded up vs the 6 or 8 foot stands, but that's nothing that I cannot easily handle.

HERE you go, Chris.

JerryPH · Sep 29, 2008

manaheim said:
Hm, I was actually assuming I would be using the flash bracket/stand things that come with the Nikon flashes... they have screw mounts on the bottom. Is this a poor assumption on my part?

You could easily do that if all you plan to do is use CLS. However if you are going to use the SB-600 flash (no sync connector) and some kind of wireless solution, then you need a small hotshoe adapter from flashzebra.com and if you are going cactus V2s receivers (becuase they are a little wobbly), its a good move to get them off your stand on top and hanging to the side... more stable and places the flash closer to the center of the umbrella as it is lower.

Are you considering umbrellas? $16 at Adorama too.

manaheim · Sep 29, 2008

@#$)(@#, can't anything in this hobby/profession be simple? :lol:

I had considered also getting some umbrellas, yes... I don't need one that has an adapter for the hotshoe mount, though, do I? I assumed those clamped onto whatever stand I had.

Will the hotshoe adapters still allow me to use an external sync such as a pocketwizard or whatever?

Also... on the master/commander thing for Nikons... whats the deal with that, anyway? Is it a line of sight from the camera to the flash kind of thing? It's not RF, right? Wouldn't an umbrella potentially block the signal (I'm assuming it's IR)

I should probably just go look this up, so feel free to smack me with an RTFM if you like.

JerryPH · Sep 30, 2008

manaheim said:
@#$)(@#, can't anything in this hobby/profession be simple?

But it *is* simple, once you've seen it... lol

manaheim said:
I had considered also getting some umbrellas, yes... I don't need one that has an adapter for the hotshoe mount, though, do I? I assumed those clamped onto whatever stand I had.

What flash is going on top? SB-800, no, it has a sync connector. SB-600? No choice, you need one, because it has no sync connector. This is only if you are going remote triggering device. With CLS you need nothing except the flash on your camera (D80 and up).

manaheim said:
Will the hotshoe adapters still allow me to use an external sync such as a pocketwizard or whatever?

Yes. Matter of fact, the adapters I use have 2 sync sockets.

To further complicate matters (lol), you do know that you need a swivel bracket, yes?

manaheim said:
Also... on the master/commander thing for Nikons... whats the deal with that, anyway? Is it a line of sight from the camera to the flash kind of thing? It's not RF, right? Wouldn't an umbrella potentially block the signal (I'm assuming it's IR)

IR, and the range is good for ~30 feet. Yes it will go through an umbrella if needed but that reduces range a touch. A good trick is to point the IR window of the SB-600/800 flash in the general direction of where you will be standing.

manaheim said:
I should probably just go look this up, so feel free to smack me with an RTFM if you like.

We'll let it go... but just this once, and only cause you're a nice guy. :lol:

JHF Photography · Sep 30, 2008

manaheim said:
@#$)(@#, can't anything in this hobby/profession be simple?

LMAO! I find the problem to less the complexity aspect, more the financial drain. I wish they'd just start GIVING away flashes and lenses......

manaheim · Sep 30, 2008

heheh, this price is climbing rapidly... I should really just buy an alienbees setup... eeeeexcept I need this to be crazy portable and relatively stealthy... I don't see any studio lighting setup being either of those two things.

JerryPH · Sep 30, 2008

Photographers are more visual, I think... lol.

To simplyfy:

I'll assume that people who are interested know what a light stand is.

1 - Umbrella. Already touched on in this thread and elsewhere here very recently. If there are any questions, ask away.

2 - Swivel bracket. This holds the flash and umbrella. Permits them to swivel, rotate and change angle to match needs. Usually comes as a separate piece. They come in metal and plastic. Metal lasts forever, and is solid. Plastic is cheaper and unless you start using your lightstands for self-defense, last the life of the amateur's needs.

3 - bolt with 3/8ths screw...Needed to screw hotshoe adapter with sync connectors to the swivel bracket (which comes with a couple of these already). Another one is needed to hold the swivel bracket to the light stand

4 - Hotshoe sync connector adapter. Needed only if your flash doesn't have a sync port (needed for the SB-600... NOT needed if you use the SB-800 or any other flash with a sync socket).

5 - sync cable. Connects flash (or adapter) to your receiver or camera's sync port.

6 - Flash. Err... I have no idea what this does. (I'm kidding!!)

7 - Transmitter. Slides into hotshoe of camera, receives signal from camera that shutter has been pressed, sends the signal wirelessly to receiver (see item #8).

8 - Receiver. Receives signal from transmitter (see item #7) and passes signal through the sync cable to the adapter, into the flash telling it to trigger.

If you are going to use CLS... you will still need:

A lightstand and items #1, #2 and #6.

It can't get any easier! :lol: