All you EL Octa users (the BIG one)...

... what do you use to hang your El Octa off of? Which stand? I'm considering the possibility of adding this to my arsenal, but want to make sure that I have the right stand to do it.

C Stand or Bogen 3371.

Hey again Rudi. In studio, I use Manfrotto Avenger A700's for my key lights, including when I use the Octa - they aint cheap and they're even less cheap once you add the castors/wheels you'll need to be able to move their 33lb bulk around, but they're by far the most solid stand/boom combo I've used.

The Octa needs to be on a boom if you want to use it effectively (i.e. tilt it downwards or use it close in without it blocking your shot) and the above stand does it without tilting, bowing or collapsing like the kit stands will. The fixings are all metal and use bolts as opposed to plastic joints that are riveted on, the tubes are steel instead of aluminium, it weighs 6 times more than an RX head whereas the kit stands weigh about the same as a basic head, and it has a huge max footprint.

You may not want to spring for that exact stand/boom but you will want to use something of comparable weight-rating and quality if you want to use big modifiers like the Octa safely and easily.

My suggestion is to look into matthews stands made for cinema gear. C stands work great but they have to be sandbagged or they'll tip. I prefer the matthews beefy baby stands for the 74 inch octa because the tripod legs are longer and won't tip over. I've also tried some bogen and calumet heavy stands but they got funky when putting the octa up high. The Mattews is the only stand that seems solid all of the time (from my experience)

Rudi wrote in post #6218516
... what do you use to hang your El Octa off of? Which stand? I'm considering the possibility of adding this to my arsenal, but want to make sure that I have the right stand to do it.

Rudi, if you haven't already done so, have a look at Chris Burfoot's video on the Octa, part I on youtube. His first topic of discussion is the stand. His recommendation is the Elinchrom Sliding Arm Stand, EL 30151. I believe this is actually the Manfrotto 231CS stand (http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_Chrome_Steel_C​olumn.html).

Dave F.

Not really surprising that he'd recommend an Elinchrom rebrand in a promotional video.

That stand doesn't solve the problem of the Octa itself blocking your shot btw.

Both C stands and kit stands are basically inappropriate for the El Octa. Neither kit stands nor C stands have a wide enough footprint to really be stable and the aluminum tubes on a kit stand simply weren't designed to take that kind of leverage.

At a bare minimum you should be looking at a cine stand like the Manfrotto 3371 (I'm selling one actually) and ideally, an Avenger junior stand like the A510 is what that should really be mounted on.

The A700 is a nice stand but essentially a steel kit stand. The A510 is only $10 more and comes with casters, so it winds up being significantly cheaper. It also has a MUCH wider footprint and lower center of gravity due to the design. The advantage to the A700 is that it comes with a built in boom swivel. Important if you decide to go with the bigger Avenger booms, but I've got Manfrotto booms (Super and Mega) which also have their own swivels, so it's a moot point. Your needs may vary.

I agree with the previous comment about using the octa on a boom to be extremely beneficial, but to actually see any benefit from having the Octa on a boom, it's got to be flying at least 8'-9' high and the stand 3-4 feet to the side. Otherwise, you can't really get underneath it or have the stand out of your shot. The only booms that can handle the octa at that height and extension are quite expensive - either the Redwing or the Manfrotto Megaboom. The largest Avenger boom is also a good option, but I forget the model.

Could you probably get away with using a lighter stand? Absolutely. Will your clientele disappear and your house get taken away when the Octa falls on a client's head because of an insufficient stand? Also absolutely.

No matter what stand you choose, make sure to sandbag the hell out of it (two 25# bags is a safe bet, one on each leg is best). When I shoot with my 7' octa outside, I have an assistant on the stand at all times if there's the slightest hint of a breeze.

Hermes wrote in post #6220787
That stand doesn't solve the problem of the Octa itself blocking your shot btw.

You'll have to explain what you mean by that, Hermes. Are you suggesting the Octa needs to be flown on a boom?

Frank Doorhof seems to be using the Elinchrom Polystand with his Octa.

Dave F.

Jonathan H wrote in post #6221006
Both C stands and kit stands are basically inappropriate for the El Octa. Neither kit stands nor C stands have a wide enough footprint to really be stable and the aluminum tubes on a kit stand simply weren't designed to take that kind of leverage.

At a bare minimum you should be looking at a cine stand like the Manfrotto 3371 (I'm selling one actually) and ideally, an Avenger junior stand like the A510 is what that should really be mounted on.

The A700 is a nice stand but essentially a steel kit stand. The A510 is only $10 more and comes with casters, so it winds up being significantly cheaper. It also has a MUCH wider footprint and lower center of gravity due to the design. The advantage to the A700 is that it comes with a built in boom swivel. Important if you decide to go with the bigger Avenger booms, but I've got Manfrotto booms (Super and Mega) which also have their own swivels, so it's a moot point. Your needs may vary.

I agree with the previous comment about using the octa on a boom to be extremely beneficial, but to actually see any benefit from having the Octa on a boom, it's got to be flying at least 8'-9' high and the stand 3-4 feet to the side. Otherwise, you can't really get underneath it or have the stand out of your shot. The only booms that can handle the octa at that height and extension are quite expensive - either the Redwing or the Manfrotto Megaboom. The largest Avenger boom is also a good option, but I forget the model.

Could you probably get away with using a lighter stand? Absolutely. Will your clientele disappear and your house get taken away when the Octa falls on a client's head because of an insufficient stand? Also absolutely.

No matter what stand you choose, make sure to sandbag the hell out of it (two 25# bags is a safe bet, one on each leg is best). When I shoot with my 7' octa outside, I have an assistant on the stand at all times if there's the slightest hint of a breeze.

As far as I'm aware, the A700 and A510 have pretty much the same maximum footprint (the A700's is in fact marginally greater). Are you perhaps thinking of a different stand or is there something I'm not getting?

tetrode wrote in post #6221065
You'll have to explain what you mean by that, Hermes. Are you suggesting the Octa needs to be flown on a boom?

Frank Doorhof seems to be using the Elinchrom Polystand with his Octa.

Dave F.

Basically, if not used with a boom, either the Octa itself or the stand it's on will block your shot if you try to do anything even mildly creative with it. Some photographers (myself included), use it only as a speciality beauty light for headshots and so this isn't a huge problem, but if you intend to use the Octa as a general tool for a wide range of work, you'll need to be able to position it precisely in order to prevent its size becoming a hindrance.

Hermes wrote in post #6221136
Basically, if not used with a boom, either the Octa itself or the stand it's on will block your shot if you try to do anything even mildly creative with it. Some photographers (myself included), use it only as a speciality beauty light for headshots and so this isn't a huge problem, but if you intend to use the Octa as a general tool for a wide range of work, you'll need to be able to position it precisely in order to prevent its size becoming a hindrance.

Makes sense. Thank you!

Dave F.

Hermes wrote in post #6221106
As far as I'm aware, the A700 and A510 have pretty much the same maximum footprint (the A700's is in fact marginally greater). Are you perhaps thinking of a different stand or is there something I'm not getting?

My mistake, had the 700 confused with another stand. The 510 does have a lower center of gravity though and includes casters.

Jonathan H wrote in post #6221006
At a bare minimum you should be looking at a cine stand like the Manfrotto 3371 (I'm selling one actually) and ideally, an Avenger junior stand like the A510 is what that should really be mounted on.

I agree with you. I've got the octa and use the 3371 as my backup stand. IT works great at minimum level but gets funky when raising the octa high. The best stand is the matthews beefy baby...from my experience. IT's nice and heavy at the base and over-built in the old fashioned 1950s type style.

The double rise version
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …ood_Beefy_Baby_​Stand.html

Jonathan H wrote in post #6221469
My mistake, had the 700 confused with another stand. The 510 does have a lower center of gravity though and includes casters.

I've found that the central boom attachment of the A700 gives it an effectively lower centre of gravity when used with the boom, which is the main reason I chose them over the 510s. I agree that having to buy the castors separately is a nuisance but apart from that one additional expense, you get a very adjustable and solid combo that will handle just about any lighting scenario when properly counterweighted - certainly not a steel kit stand.

Jonathan H wrote in post #6221006
At a bare minimum you should be looking at a cine stand like the Manfrotto 3371 (I'm selling one actually) and ideally, an Avenger junior stand like the A510 is what that should really be mounted on.

Can you get wheels for the Manfrotto stand? Nothing listed under accessories on the B&H site...

If I could get wheels for it, I think I would buy one of each (it's good to have at least two heavy-duty light stands in the studio, and the Manfrotto looks like it would travel better).

PM sent re your 3371...