Avenger D600B Boom, light stand recommendations?

Hey all,

I recently picked up an Avenger D600B boom to use in conjunction with my PCB (light gear) 13" "heavy" duty light stand.

Seems like at moderate lengths, it can hold the boom... but if I go higher or further out with the boom I can start seeing some deformation in the light stand itself where the boom attaches.. It holds and balances fine, but I don't want to risk it.

The steel boom itself is SUPER sturdy. I am questioning the strength of the aluminum light stand.

I am looking for some recommendations for a portable yet strong light stand. Would like to keep it under $200 if possible.

Thanks!

One problem I have with a boom like the D600 is the single point to hang a counterweight. You'd have to adjust the weight hung there to get the boom truly balanced. Having the boom balanced is really important to keep side loading off the stand that is supporting the boom. Unless you have the ability to remove all of the off-center loading, you really need a much stronger stand than a simple aluminum light stand.

Of course, when you add the lighting load AND a counterweight, you may exceed the load-handling capacity of the typical aluminum light stand even if all the load is vertical above the centerline of the stand.

I have a boom that uses clamp-on counterweight(s) and have a very strong steel stand to support the boom system. I wouldn't go any other way.

e r y k wrote in post #17989812
Hey all,

I recently picked up an Avenger D600B boom to use in conjunction with my PCB (light gear) 13" "heavy" duty light stand.

Seems like at moderate lengths, it can hold the boom... but if I go higher or further out with the boom I can start seeing some deformation in the light stand itself where the boom attaches.. It holds and balances fine, but I don't want to risk it.

The steel boom itself is SUPER sturdy. I am questioning the strength of the aluminum light stand.

I am looking for some recommendations for a portable yet strong light stand. Would like to keep it under $200 if possible.

Thanks!

Check out the 40" Kupo C-Stand with turtle base. They have a removable base whose legs are open and close with the lift of a lock ring. The Avenger boom are was really made to be used with a proper steel stand.

SkipD wrote in post #17989825
One problem I have with a boom like the D600 is the single point to hang a counterweight. You'd have to adjust the weight hung there to get the boom truly balanced. Having the boom balanced is really important to keep side loading off the stand that is supporting the boom. Unless you have the ability to remove all of the off-center loading, you really need a much stronger stand than a simple aluminum light stand.

Of course, when you add the lighting load AND a counterweight, you may exceed the load-handling capacity of the typical aluminum light stand even if all the load is vertical above the centerline of the stand.

I have a boom that uses clamp-on counterweight(s) and have a very strong steel stand to support the boom system. I wouldn't go any other way.

I just hang my sandbag from it's strap, if I need to move it in I slide it up the pole and use a clamp to hold it in place. Not too hard.

Otherwise, yeah, it's way too much for a PCB stand, or any of those aluminum light stands out there.

e r y k wrote in post #17989812
Hey all,

I recently picked up an Avenger D600B boom to use in conjunction with my PCB (light gear) 13" "heavy" duty light stand.

Seems like at moderate lengths, it can hold the boom... but if I go higher or further out with the boom I can start seeing some deformation in the light stand itself where the boom attaches.. It holds and balances fine, but I don't want to risk it.

The steel boom itself is SUPER sturdy. I am questioning the strength of the aluminum light stand.

I am looking for some recommendations for a portable yet strong light stand. Would like to keep it under $200 if possible.

Thanks!

That boom like the Kupo Steel Baby Boom has a lockable sliding sleeve on the mount - so it's very easy to balance.

The reputable stand manufacturers only put a full Baby Pin at the top of those stands that they consider strong enough for a 2.5 in Grip-head and this weight of boom. I would look at Matthews & Kupo, both Steel and Aluminium - though check the spec load rating for the latter carefully.

My choice, which works really well for the Rovelight/Jinbei HD600, was for the very similar Kupo Steel Baby boom - on - an aluminium MSE B387490 (Light/Heavy Triple Riser Kit Stand (12.4')). The latter is genuinely strong enough. And I added Reuben Krabbe's levelling leg mod. I also added demountable wheels - I lose them when outside - ensure you go for the type with the twist resisting shoes.
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …ight_Heavy_Blac​k_Kit.html

Beyond a bare Speedlite, I have little faith in baby pins to support boomed payloads. Avenger's larger D650 uses junior fittings, which means a solid steel shaft 1⅛" thick. The stand will have a receiver over 4" deep (I rarely need to tighten the retaining screw). Include all-steel construction, wheels and safety cable for a complete booming facility. I also feel that clamped counterweights are desirable for safety reasons: if sandbags or other hanging objects come loose then the consequences could be fatal.

. . so, nobody should ever put a boomed Strobe on a C stand?

Reputable stand manufacturers are very conservative about their specified load ratings - they have to be, for legal reasons. Junior kit was designed for second gen, but still heavy, continuous lighting for the film industry. There's a reason that the diameter of a baby pin Grip-head is limited to 2.5 inches. The OP was looking for " .. portable .. ", which I took to include location suitable.

OceanRipple* wrote in post #17990189
. . so, nobody should ever put a boomed Strobe on a C stand?

Never, ever, a boom. Even a bare strobe is verboten if you go by the book. As you well know, a C-stand is for modifiers only, the footprint and loading limit being too limited. Of course, we all bend the rules—but hopefully not our stands! I admit to placing strobes on grip arms: with pack-n-head gear and big stands, the risk is pretty remote. IMO, portable boom is an oxymoron. A steel stand safely rated for booming is heavy.

Here endeth the lesson.

I put the Avenger on this Matthews stand:

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …aby_Jr_Steel_Wh​eeled.html

RicoTudor wrote in post #17990236
Never, ever, a boom. Even a bare strobe is verboten if you go by the book. As you well know, a C-stand is for modifiers only, the footprint and loading limit being too limited. Of course, we all bend the rules—but hopefully not our stands! I admit to placing strobes on grip arms: with pack-n-head gear and big stands, the risk is pretty remote. IMO, portable boom is an oxymoron. A steel stand safely rated for booming is heavy.

Here endeth the lesson.

Personally, I run an Avengers boom arm on Kupo C stands all the time. No issues. The C stands are solid steel and plenty strong enough by far. A properly balanced boom has never presented an issue for me on a C stand. As far as "bending" a C stand, good luck with that. The only issue with a C stand is the shorter legs which don't provide as much counter leverage, making a windy day a serious factor.

Scatterbrained wrote in post #17992661
Personally, I run an Avengers boom arm on Kupo C stands ...

The (well-regarded) Avenger D600 baby boom at half-utilization weighs 22 lb: 7 (payload) + 7 (c/w) + 8 (boom). The Kupo C-stand is rated for 22 lbs. I don't believe in testing manufacturer limits where booms are concerned so, for a safer footprint and to gain maximum boom utility, a suitable stand from Kupo might be the High Baby Stand with 55-lb loading and weighing just 2 lbs more than their C-stand. It's steel, of course. If I used Kupo and could survive without wheels, I would prefer the heftier Kupo Master Cine stand for the 88-lb loading (it does weigh more).

The Kupo stand looks good. I am concerned with portability with some of the recommended wheeled units though.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Wheels; IMO they are great on level smooth surfaces - thin carpet can be fine, but everywhere else they are a liability. My 3 wheeled stands all have de-mountable wheels - braked, naturally. Square section legs are no problem. Round section legs are best with wheel shoes that resist rotation - the shim inserts should have a tooth to fit a hole in the leg - even if you have to drill the latter yourself. (You then may wish to use rubber ferrules to seal up the holes . . ) The other wrinkle I've learned is that if a leg with a locked wheel at its end is soundly kicked, that can loosen the nut securing the swivel! Matthews likes to place its wheels well inboard of the leg end - that results in better standing when stored/collapsed. But, it significantly reduces the footprint diameter.

Ebay specials on the Left - Manfrotto 75mm wheel set on the Right:

e r y k wrote in post #17992824
I am concerned with portability with some of the recommended wheeled units though.

Don't be concerned, they're not portable.
But seriously, I would only convey boom support into the field using a hand truck, or roadies. A nontrivial load flying safely overhead dictates a certain weight on the ground. Laws of physics are annoying that way.

Steel booms and stands are workhorses no doubt, but there are safe way's to boom on location without hauling tons of steel.

Manfrotto's 085BSL can easily handle up 6kg and will fit a alu stand like the 1004BAC just fine.

I use the combo above (only two sections of the boom) a lot on location to boom octa's and softboxes.