Help me find this...

[inTempus]

I can't for the life of me find a light poll that would be held by an assistant. It would have a handle on one end, be adjustable in length and have the proper mounting fixture on the opposite end of the handle to attach a light like an alien bee.

Why can't I find this when searching B&H's site or Amazon.com? My search fu is wrecked tonight. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Threesia]

Sorry, I searched and couldn't find anything hand held. I found lots of boom stands but that's it. Hopefully someone else knows where to find it.

 

[Big Mike]

I know a few photographers who use what they call 'light sticks'. I think they are basically just a monopod with a flash unit (not a studio light), a radio receiver and a battery pack. You should be able to mount just about anything to the top of a monopod, but there really isn't a handle on the other end.

Essentially, you could use just about any 'pole'...and just find the right adapters to get you to the stud you need for mounting your light.

 

[SpeedTrap]

Everyone I know who does this just has a boom and then takes it off the stand to use it.

 

[JerryPH]

I use a lightstand all the time and prefer it over a monopod. You cannot plop down a monopod in the middle of a street or a park, walk away and shoot a few, come back, pick it up and move on. Since I do not tighten down the legs, as I lift the lightstand, the legs fold-up and it becomes something that I can easily hand held with one hand and shoot with the other. The legs give me a secure way to hold or twist the lightstand when needed too.

Now, it is a little harder to do this with 13 foot stands, but easy if you are using one of those little black Manfrotto lightstands that David Hobby uses and talks about on the strobist DVDs.

This is one of the few times that $30 is all you need to spend. Anything more and you are getting into bigger/heavier lightstands.

 

[Dwig]

...
Why can't I find this when searching B&H's site or Amazon.com?...

Probably because there is very very very little use to a truely specialized version that would only be useable in the manner you describe.

I know that there are microphone booms designed to be handheld that have some remote control of the mike end. The remote movement of the mike is the reason for their existance separate from some more universal pole/boom. One of these could be adapted (simple fitting adapter to convert the mike holder's threads to some photographic standard fitting). You'd have to search a specialized cine orientated supplier.

Most photographers probably rely on adapting some more multifunction accessory as others have mentioned. Monopods and some of the smaller booms made for light stands are probably the most common.