Want to buy a boom stand, once

After a recent purchase from Cheetah - I'm happy with the build quality I received - and the service is second to none.

I want to get a boom stand and I'd like to make the purchase once. I will likely use the boom stand with Speedlights and my QBox 24 or other smaller modifiers.

I see Manfrotto also sells a similar convertible stand for $180ish dollars, and The Avenger boom runs over double the Cheetah Boom @ $265ish.

Can anyone comment on the quality and functionality of the Cheetah Boom vs the Manfrotto?

I see the Avenger is rated at a much heavier duty than the other two, and I don't really see where I would need to mount 33# boomed.

Thoughts? Other suggestions?

I will say, I am biased toward Cheetah due to Edward's service. I sent an E-Mail asking questions, and about 5 minutes later my phone rang - it was Edward personally answering my questions via phone... As a consumer, this personal attention means a lot to me.

I haven't used the Cheetah equipment so cannot comment there, but I do use the Avenger D600 boom which is definitely a piece of equipment that will last a lifetime. It is $121 for just the boom arm and this can be mounted to any normal stand. This is heavier than you need for speedlights, but you did mention wanting to buy something "once".

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …0_D600_Mini_Boo​m_3_8.html

It's always a good idea to use some sort of weight on the legs for stability and safety when you're using a boom.

I've got the cheetah century boom/light stand combo. it's heavy (like 21lbs) but very sturdy.


hmmm...looks like Edward no longer carries that stand. looks like the new one specifies it supports small speedlites and cheetah qboxes.

the one I have, I was able to use it as a boom with a Mettle 600AD 600WS strobe and 60" octa from Fotodiox. both are rather on the heavy side.

since I've switched to speedlites, I haven't used the boom in ages. I guess it's time I look into getting rid of it and getting something smaller lol.

I bought a Manfrotto 085 maybe 33 years ago - never needed to buy anything else. Is that long enough for you? The useful bit I find is the way the arm can be split into 3 parts and used small; great for confined spaces. On the odd occasion I use a monobloc these days, the boom arm will easily support that and my 16lb counterweight and gives me loads of reach over a subject. Most of the time I just use one section with a speedlight (as below), sometimes not even counterweighted just sandbagged depending on the modifier. Good piece of kit!
(PS YES, I did smooth out the diffuser before use - this was just to show someone else the set-up)