Which light stands do you use with a portable kit?

I'm getting some hardware and light stands together for my portable lighting kit and I'd like to get some input from those that have a portable kit, have experience using it on location and have experienced all the pitfalls and problems of shooting on location.

I currently use Impact 8.5 foot air cushioned light stands in the studio. I like them and they work quite well and can hold and support just about anything I mount or hang from them. They also work nicely on location but when collapsed are still about 42 inches long. They also don't have the 'lazy leg' for working on uneven surfaces.

I also have a Norman 7.5 foot stand that is a lighter weight stand and it also works very well, with wider diameter risers and better construction than many of the 6-8 foot lightweight stands I've seen. This stand will also very comfortably hold strobes and flashes mounted directly on top but when a medium to large softbox is mounted to a strobe or a reflector is mounted and hangs off to one side, the strength and stability of the stand is compromised.

I should mention that I use sand bags on the legs or braces of the stands so the issue is not that the stand will tip, but rather that the risers will bow from the off center weight.

I've looked at some Bogen and other stands that have a lazy leg and many that compact down to ~30-32 inches but I don't have first hand experience with them and have no way to judge strength or stability when something like a 52" round reflector is held by a reflector holder mounted to the stand.

Can I get some input and find out what other people are using for location shooting? Which stands are considered to be the strongest and best for portable use that are not super heavy or made of steel?

Also, does anyone know if there is anyone manufacturing something like the older Red Wing Quickstand?

Thanks.

Anyone?

I have a couple NRG light stands. They were relatively cheap, are pretty light at just under 4lbs and shorten to about 34" but aren't air cushioned. I've had a 6x4' softbox on an Alienbee atop them indoors so they'll hold some weight...don't know if I'd use that same setup outside though, at least not without sandbagging it. They aren't manufactured like a $1000 tripod so they're not going to be smooth as silk in operation. If you're anal about the mechanics of a light stand, they aren't gonna be for you.

I shoot entirely on location - weddings. I just got these stands for my portable kit, I haven't used them yet, but i've played about at home and they seem good. My 13' stands with the AlienBees are just too intrusive at most weddings, so i'm going for these 6" stands and Sunpak 383s.

I have a few from Giottos... The 8' is very sturdy and affordable with a wide leg spread...

http://www.adorama.com​/GT8.html

The 7'4" model folds up to be much smaller, it is a bit lighter, and feels only a bit less sturdy (much smaller footprint when used)

http://www.adorama.com​/GT7.html

Thanks guys. I could get by with what I have or some of the suggestions made for most things but the biggest factor is whether the stand is rigid enough so as not to bow when a reflector holder and a 52" round reflector is suspended and hanging off to one side.

As I said in the original post, this is not about the strength of the stand with a flash or strobe mounted directly to the top stud, and not really an issue of having a flash firing into a large softbox or octabox. That doesn't seem to be a problem because the weight is still close to the center of gravity.

Anyone using stands with the lazy leg? If so, which ones?

TheHoff wrote in post #5521595
I have a few from Giottos... The 8' is very sturdy and affordable with a wide leg spread...

http://www.adorama.com​/GT8.html

The 7'4" model folds up to be much smaller, it is a bit lighter, and feels only a bit less sturdy (much smaller footprint when used)

http://www.adorama.com​/GT7.html

That 8 foot Giottos looks nice. Have you used reflectors hanging off to the side with that stand? It's got a huge footprint, which is great. Does it have the lazy leg for uneven terrain?

These aren't exactly "portable" per se, but they sure as heck can take a beating and will support just about anything you throw at it. I've used them at school with great success, they can handle a speedotron head with a long softbox mounted on a boom arm with no problems. Sand bags aren't even needed - the longer leg acts as a counter balance for whatever heavy weight that's on the "long end" of the boom.

The legs fold together for transport, and all in all, the whole thing is about 32-36 inches folded down.

Built like a tank too.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …urtle_Base_Cent​ury_C.html

Yup, that is the stand I use with reflectors (a large Lastolite 5 x 7 as the biggest) and it holds it steady, no problem. It does not have a lazy leg and I've not used them to compare... those seem to start at twice the price, plus some.

Zansho wrote in post #5522016
These aren't exactly "portable" per se, but they sure as heck can take a beating and will support just about anything you throw at it. I've used them at school with great success, they can handle a speedotron head with a long softbox mounted on a boom arm with no problems. Sand bags aren't even needed - the longer leg acts as a counter balance for whatever heavy weight that's on the "long end" of the boom.

The legs fold together for transport, and all in all, the whole thing is about 32-36 inches folded down.

Built like a tank too.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …urtle_Base_Cent​ury_C.html

I did look at Century stands but I'm not sure I need something quite so robust. They look amazing but are made of steel, so stability increases, as does weight and price.

According to the specs is only folds down to 4.4 feet. That's significant. I'm trying to keep the compacted size at or below my current heavy duty stands that fold down to 42 inches.

I haven't ruled out Century stands but it may be more than I need at this time.

TheHoff wrote in post #5522028
Yup, that is the stand I use with reflectors (a large Lastolite 5 x 7 as the biggest) and it holds it steady, no problem. It does not have a lazy leg and I've not used them to compare... those seem to start at twice the price, plus some.

Thanks man. That gives me a reference to at least compare other stands. I'm going to take a look at the Giottos line to see if there is one with a lazy leg that doesn't cost too much.

When outdoors I use those same Impact 9.5 heavy duty stands because they have such a wide footprint and I need the stability. Even so, I still need to weigh them down with bags/sandbags if there's a breeze. Yes they're not compact at all, they protrude from my carrying bag when folded, and I've always found that inconvenient, but worked around it because stability was more important. I'm young enough to pretend I'm a pack horse without much suffering later.

Indoors I will use those same Impact stands plus the LS3050 I bought with my alienbees strobe; it's stable enough for hot shoe flashes, but I would use the Impact stands for my alienbees strobe now.

I wouldn't trust those Impact 6' stands for on-location use unless I'm putting a hot shoe flash on it with no modifiers, and sticking it in a corner no one will come near. With an umbrella on, it will tip over if you break wind against it, and the shaft bends with almost no weight when extended.

None of the photographers I worked for were doing on-location shoots, but my general understanding of light stands is to look for high maximum load capacity and a large footprint, and whatever you get will work fine, as long as you can carry it.

BHphoto has those specs on most products, so I always go there for referencing before purchase.

TMR Design wrote in post #5522082
Thanks man. That gives me a reference to at least compare other stands. I'm going to take a look at the Giottos line to see if there is one with a lazy leg that doesn't cost too much.

BTW, if you need a new case, the 8' Giotto fits perfectly in a Domke 40" tripod bag (+ a brolly, bracket, another stand, etc)

Thanks form. I love the Impact stands and was just looking to trim some of the compacted length down. It's not crucial at all but was just trying to see if I could get something to fit the bill with the lazy leg, which is something I don't have and have already had instances of wanting or needing it. At this time I don't actually need to buy anything to do what I'm doing or what I want to do. It's more a case of doing the research to find options and perhaps some upgrades if they make sense.

I never go out without a duffel bag that holds 6 reasonably heavy sandbags. If these is little to no breeze I can stabilize a stand with 1 or 2 bags. If there is a real breeze or light wind I put 3 bags on each stand with even distribution of weight at the center of gravity.

Anyway, this is my portable kit in one of its configurations. Like I said, no real complaints and nothing that doesn't work for me. Just looking to make slight adjustments.

This configuration includes:

- Wesco Hand Truck (amazing truck, lightweight, foldable and compact, huge rubber wheels, very stable)
- Duffel bag (6 sandbags in main compartment, brackets, cables, odds and ends in the side and front pockets)
- Impact 9.5 foot heavy duty air cushioned light stand
- Norman 7.5 foot medium duty air cushioned light stand
- Photoflex LiteDisc holder
- Manfrotto Tripod
- Photoflex Q39 24 x 32 softbox
- Photoflex Q39 36 x 48 softbox
- Westcott 42" umbrellas (2)
- Photoflex 52" White/Silver round reflector
- Photoflex 32" White/Soft Gold round reflector
- Photoflex transpac lightstand, boom bag (NOT SHOWN)
- Lowepro Micro Trekker backpack (2 camera bodies, 4 lenses, 2 flashes, light meter, 2 pocket wizards, gray card, spare batteries, assorted doo dads)

With the Wesco cart I could double up on the amount of gear and not have any problems whatsoever. I definitely recommend it as an alternative to so many of those poorly constructed cases with wheels. This thing is durable, built like a tank and will easily move over irregular surfaces, puddles, gravel, etc.

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Slightly off topic, but I have those 9.5ft Imapct cushioned stands and they rock!

I own 7 Impact stands 5 which are cushioned. The 8ft ones seem okay, but they are a little fussy to open and close. (Their 13 ft combo stand/boom is lousy though.)

On a side note, my photo teacher swears by his "PIC" stands for stability...

-Mario