Boom arm help!

I am looking for some ideas on what boom arm to purchase. I have several light stands I am content with at this time but I would like to add just a boom. I would like to keep the cost value in the range of 50-150 dollars. The main purpose of use is to add a bare speedlite or a speedlite & softbox (24 or 30 inch) combo for outdoor use around the house, park etc.. I have read several reviews and each product does have its pros and cons but I'm just not sure which one to consider. If there is a stand & arm combo you may feel is worth the purchase I would be open to look at those and increase my cost range to say $300.00 max.

By bare flash do you mean speedlite?

gonzogolf wrote in post #16688983
By bare flash do you mean speedlite?

Yes, a speedlite....sorry I should have been more specific in my post.

Koz21 wrote in post #16688989
Yes, a speedlite....sorry I should have been more specific in my post.

No thats cool. You can get by with a much lighter setup with less weight out there. Its amazing how much counterweight you need to hold up an alien bee and softbox versus a hotshoe flash. If you only need a little bit of boom I have used one of these. http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …and_Reflector_H​older.html
It works as a regular stand but you can raise the top section up and get a 3ft or so boom.

I have actually been looking for exactly the same thing.

I have found this one which looks interesting since I don't need anything super high end. It can be a really tall stand or boom setup. Only a couple reviews but looks positive.

http://www.amazon.com …eywords=cowboys​tudio+boom

The other one I saw that looked interesting was this one mainly because it has a nice compact solid weight on it.

http://www.amazon.com …/B002IIZETY/ref​=pd_cp_p_2

The other option I thought about is just getting the arm, grip, sandbag combo to add to my existing stand. But there seems to be some question if it will fit the smaller stands they make.

http://www.amazon.com …/B003PFKIEK/ref​=pd_cp_p_1


I will be curious to see what others recommend.

If you already have a solid light stand, you can add mini boom. I have a Kupo Baby Boom and it is a very solid boom that is highly versatile. It is right in the middle of your budget and will work well if you ever want to move up to bigger strobes and modifiers. It may be hard to use outside unless you have a helper.

http://www.amazon.com …sr=1-2&keywords=kupo+boom

Another reliable option would be to use the extension arm that usually comes with a century stand kit. If you already have a grip head, this would be make a good cheap boom for speedlights. Extension arms are around $30-40, but you might as well pick up the c-stand too if you don't have one already (just kidding). I can put an Einstein and beauty dish on it without any problems if I don't use it fully extended.

http://www.amazon.com …1&keywords=aven​gers+stand

Not a fan of the Cowboy Studio one. I bought one and it's too large and unwieldly at times. The main complain, though, is that the quick release mechanism is not tight enough, so the arm slides in/out.

Are the Avenger series too much to use as a portable stand & boom combo for what I need, are they more studio based? I would reconsider upping my ante and getting something better but is it overkill for my needs?

Keep in mind that using a softbox on a stand is often a bit iffy in the wind outside. Adding a boom stand ratchets that up even more, so you may find it more cumbersome than rewarding for many shots. But if you are going to use a boom outdoors make sure you weight the holy heck out of it and use a stand with a wide footprint.

gonzogolf wrote in post #16689476
Keep in mind that using a softbox on a stand is often a bit iffy in the wind outside. Adding a boom stand ratchets that up even more, so you may find it more cumbersome than rewarding for many shots. But if you are going to use a boom outdoors make sure you weight the holy heck out of it and use a stand with a wide footprint.

With keeping your suggestion in mind it looks like I will have to acquire a SB5000 super personal equipment transport system that Stan Berger suggests.

toolman21 wrote in post #16689245
I have actually been looking for exactly the same thing.

I have found this one which looks interesting since I don't need anything super high end. It can be a really tall stand or boom setup. Only a couple reviews but looks positive.

http://www.amazon.com …/B002IIZETY/ref​=pd_cp_p_2

The other one I saw that looked interesting was this one mainly because it has a nice compact solid weight on it.

http://www.amazon.com …/B002IIZETY/ref​=pd_cp_p_2

The other option I thought about is just getting the arm, grip, sandbag combo to add to my existing stand. But there seems to be some question if it will fit the smaller stands they make.

http://www.amazon.com …/B003PFKIEK/ref​=pd_cp_p_1


I will be curious to see what others recommend.

I would avoid those if I were you. I've been that route already. The plastic knuckle tends to fail, and the spigot is just clamped into the end of the tube, it can very easily fall out.

Alveric wrote in post #16689424
Not a fan of the Cowboy Studio one. I bought one and it's too large and unwieldly at times. The main complain, though, is that the quick release mechanism is not tight enough, so the arm slides in/out.

Scatterbrained wrote in post #16689521
I would avoid those if I were you. I've been that route already. The plastic knuckle tends to fail, and the spigot is just clamped into the end of the tube, it can very easily fall out.

I figured that might be the case which is why I haven't ordered and still looking. Does the interfit one have the same issue?

Koz21 wrote in post #16689470
Are the Avenger series too much to use as a portable stand & boom combo for what I need, are they more studio based? I would reconsider upping my ante and getting something better but is it overkill for my needs?

The Avenger is a bit heavy and will require a solid stand. Something like an Avenger or Kupo 40" C-stand or one of their full sized light stands. The cheaper "heavy duty" light stands like the PCB, Revelli, Manfrotto, etc, will struggle with the weight of the boom arm. You really need a stand with a solid spigot as well, not one that is riveted in place, to use the Avenger arm. For a folding light stand that can adequately support the Avenger arm you'd be looking at spending $200+. You'd have a rock solid set-up, but it'd be serious overkill for a speedlight.

toolman21 wrote in post #16689566
I figured that might be the case which is why I haven't ordered and still looking. Does the interfit one have the same issue?

I've not used any Interfit products personally, but looking at the images they appear to have the same spigot set up as the PCB lightstands; i.e., a brass spigot riveted into a hollow aluminum tube. This should be perfectly adequate for just about anything I could think of doing with a speedlight. I wouldn't use that set-up for a monolight though, but that's just me.

Scatterbrained wrote in post #16689521
I would avoid those if I were you. I've been that route already. The plastic knuckle tends to fail, and the spigot is just clamped into the end of the tube, it can very easily fall out.

Ouch, better to stop mounting the monolight on that. This thing does feel like a total waste of money now.