Boom suggestion

[JBPhotog]

Pro gear that has been tested is a good bet when hanging lights over people. Another good idea is a safety tether(movie industry standard), many are available or parts can be had at most build it shops.

 

[Derrel]

I have two of the Manfrotto boom stands that JBphotographer links to above. I bought the first one in 1986 and it is in good shape and then bought a second one used in the early 2000's that had been used hard.

there is much to recommend this model of roller base stand, and of the boom arm, and the pretty heavy 15.5 pound steel counterweight that it uses. On several occasions on location I have used this boom stand to hold backgrounds,and it is nice to have a really heavy-duty boom arm that you are confident in. As I recall I paid $269 for the original one in 1986 about $150 for the used one in 2000 or so.

One thing to consider is the length of the boom arm. Many people only want two or 3 feet of extension ...well if you want 6 feet, with this one you have a three-section arm which can be lengthened or shortened as needed. Many were the times I used it with only one section, as a rolling light stand with a 3 x 4' soft box and flash attached. there is much to be said for a boom stand that rolls, since it is very much more difficult for it to be tipped over accidentally.

how much you want to spend, and what you expect to be able to do with the device will play about equal parts in your decision

 

[Derrel]

I have a much smaller and lighter duty stand and boom arm and boom arm holder, but I have only used it two or three times, preferring instead my familiarity with the Manfrotto heavy duty boom stand, which is what it used to be marketed as. I believe today they called the base the 085, and the boom arm and boom Holder are sold individually or as part of a full set.

for me the stout nature of this boom arm is what really makes it worth the money, and the fact that it uses a heavy duty 15.5 pound counter-weight is indicative of the type of loads that it can support without causing the stand to become tippy. You can of course add sandbags or other weight to the stand, but this thing is not very prone to tipping even with a fairly heavy flash head and modifier attached.as was mentioned above place one of the stand legs underneath the boom arm.

I am myself pretty fond of roller base stands, since I think that actually moving the light and previewing The lighting effect is part of studio photography. Actually moving and actually looking at what the light does is easier with a roller base stand. With a conventional stand there is a great temptation to just set up the light and go… With a roller base stand you tend to move the stand through an arc, And I feel that it is really worth the extra time to move the light to check out possible positionings instead of just plopping the light down,and going forward without having checked out different potential light positions. Sometimes just a few degrees of movement one way or the other makes a huge difference in the results achieved. For several years I used the boom base and one boom arm section as the main stand for my main light,which for several years was a 3 x 4' Chimera soft box. Later, I worked at a studio where we used roller base stands for our main light and our fill light. I cannot emphasize enough that _actually moving_ the lights and previewing and the effect is extremely important.

 

[adamhiram]

I am going to rescind my implied recommendation.

I appreciate the heads up. That seems to be the issue with longer booms.

I think that's more the issue with compact/telescoping booms. In all fairness, it works perfectly for my purposes as long as I don't extend each section more than half way, which still gives me 36". If I extend it at an angle instead of horizontally, I can get almost full extension without much flexing, but that makes it a little more of a challenge to adjust the soft box position and keep the arm out of the frame.

I also have to work with the limitation that the shelf I use to store my light stands is 37" tall, so I don't have room to store anything that doesn't collapse to that size or smaller. Even then, the heavier duty Impact boom or the Manfrotto boom @JBPhotog recommended only hold a few more lbs (6.8) at the expense of portability, although they might be your best bet with your AB lights.

I will also add that I've used the bigger Manfrotto boom stand @JBPhotog mentioned when I was in NeilVN's studio, and it's amazing, albeit big, expensive, and probably not what you're looking for.

 

[Derrel]

The fact that you want to hold 10 pounds on the boom arm eliminates from consideration many lighter-duty offerings. You have to consider the amount of extension needed, and the weight. If all you wish to hold are flags and light-duty things like reflector cards,then almost anything will work. There is something to be said for the heavy C stand and boom arm popularized by Matthews for holding things like flags and reflectors and diffusion material, but when you are putting $300 to $600 or more in lighting gear above people, you want to be extremely careful.

Your comment "won't break the bank"… What does that mean? How much was your new truck?

 

[Braineack]

here's my Flashpoint boom in action. that 36" isn't even a tickle. It can hold that 3x4' softbox with the boom nearly horizontal pretty well. That's how I took my avatar image, I was extending it directly above the lens. It also helps I'm using the 8' extension cable for my strobe, so heavy bits are hanging over the top to help keep it planted.

That Impact stand holding in the 3x4 in the picture is about to buckle and implode. That modifier has damaged my strobes in the past where the tilt-adjusting clamp starts to slip if I try to hold it at a tilt -- that would be a big worry of mine.

At 10lbs, we really should start thinking triangulation.

 

[smoke665]

when you are putting $300 to $600 or more and lighting here above people, you want to be extremely careful.

True that! Add to that being able to adjust the light without a battle, and having it hold in place are considerations. Being able to reach out and over a set is another. If I were doing it professionally I'd already have the geared model JB suggested above. Frankly it might still be an option. I have more then enough arms to hold reflectors, flags, etc.

My bank is pretty much what I can slip in on the UPS truck without DW seeing it , but I also try to be realistic on spending, weighing the use to the cost.

 

[JBPhotog]

The geared boom is a pain for location work, the 3 piece model is just as sturdy and breaks down very quickly via an Allen key and tension fittings.

FWIW, anytime one is suspending a light over a subject it is always best to use standard grip techniques, in other words, never hang a light off the spigot. Mount it so the spigot is perpendicular to the ground and use the light heads pivot to point it downward. This way if the thumb screw on the head comes loose the light and modifier can't simply slide off of the spigot. And if lawyers aren't your favourite people, use a safety tether, light to boom.

 

[smoke665]

Mount it so the spigot is perpendicular to the ground and use the light heads pivot to point it downward.

Did you by chance mean horizontal????

 

[JBPhotog]

Mount it so the spigot is perpendicular to the ground and use the light heads pivot to point it downward.

Did you by chance mean horizontal????

Nope. This is the 'proper' way to rig an overhead light. Even if the thumb screws were loose the head won't fall, gravity holds it onto the spigot. I have seen many photogs hanging the light from the spigot, should any of the thumb screws be loose the light could fall(however the tether would save it).

"IF" you have to mount it parallel to the ground, make sure your spigot has a detent that the thumb screw sinks into when tightened. That helps it from spinning on the spigot and can keep it attached should the thumb screw be loose. I prefer the perpendicular option for reasons mentioned.

 

[Derrel]

in the case of the Manfrotto boom arm that JB and I both have, the spigot can be placed into the end of the boom arm in two different orientations. First is the traditional "on the end" positioning of the spigot, and it also offers a "sideways" option , as is shown in JB's photo above. One thing to consider is the size and weight of some of today's larger monolight flashes: back in the 1980s a typical flash head would weigh in at 2.5 to 3.5 pounds, With the powerpack weighing in at up to 28 pounds in the case of big Speedotron power supplies, and typically around 14 or 15 pounds in the case of many medium sized power packs. Today however the flash generation and power storage circuitry has been incorporated into what is known as the monolight flash, and powerful monolights often weigh in at six or seven or eight pounds without modifier added. smaller and lower powered mono light flashes often weigh four pounds or so, Or perhaps five pounds.

in my opinion if you wish to boom up to 10 pounds, you have moved away from the medium duty and right into the heavy duty boom stand and arm category.

 

[JBPhotog]

For comparison, here is are the two versions of the Manfrotto booms, I own 2 of the 085(one 085B) model and one of the 024. Both are 3-section booms that pack very nicely for location work. The newer version of the 024 is now a 024B with the "B" indicating black anodized finish.

The specifications are as follows:
Art: 085B;
- diameter of the boom arm 35mm
- load capacity 6kg at maximum extension

Art: 024B;
- diameter of the boom arm 25mm
- load capacity 3kg at maximum extension

 

[Nwcid]

I have 2 of these, 13' Rotatable Boom Light Stand Kit

Like many things, there are trade offs. They are pretty light and very easy to set up. The controls are smooth and work well. They are relatively inexpensive.

They are listed as being rated for 10lbs (balanced). I am running AD600's (6.6lb) and a 48" soft box (2.8lb) and you really need to make sure it is balanced well. Also if you have it very high making sure the base is well weighted is a must. They are much more forgiving with AD200's with 24" boxes or other small modifiers.

These are nice when you have to take them somewhere for a "quick" shoot and do not have a lot of help to pack gear.