Recommendations for outdoor light stands

[Marco Cinnirella]

Looking for budget-conscious recommendations for lightweight lightstands to take on location that have a decent height to them, but are not uber heavy or bulky to transport and not so cheap and nasty that they fall apart. Thanks !

 

[KE_DP]

Outdoor and lightweight doesn't make any sense due to elements and potential of people running into them. C stands with sandbags makes more sense and they are very heavy.

That said you can try lighter light stands...any brand - most generics are OK. I wouldn't go without sand bags unless you have someone holding them.

 

[Timothy S Broadley]

As KE said, lightweight and outdoors are not synonymous! Sand bags and an assistant are usually best! A little scouting to check location and prevailing wind conditions is also a good idea. Sometimes a small shift in the location can minimize the wind.

That said... Phottix makes some carbon fiber light stands that could help with weight but they are not cheap. The other solution is a boom arm which allows the addition of a weight to the end of the arm (plus sandbags). The arm can also help to get better angles for subject light. I also use an extension head which allows the mono light body to located near the feet to lower the overall weight. The real issue can be the modifier which if there is wind can be a problem. In that case, sandbags, extension head and or an assistant will be helpful to at least contain the problem.

I’ll add from experience that cheap light stands tend to be more problematic. I get that C stands work best but they are heavy. Get a reasonably robust light stand with a boom arm and go from there. I use Phottix stands but there are others. I believe Flashpoint from Adorama has some reasonably priced stands that are fairly robust and you might want to check that out.

hope that helps

Tim

 

[Timothy S Broadley]

Marco

check this site out

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strobist.blogspot.com

There is a lot of very useful info there on all things lighting

Tim

 

[tugwilson]

Have a look at these https://www.essentialphoto.co.uk/product/the-spike-stake-light-stand-24/

 

[ScratchDisk]

Hi, Irrespective of whether you go with (heavily sand-bagged):

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/matth...MIsZThxaCq4QIVqr_tCh3d8QJTEAQYASABEgKEp_D_BwE

(with a footprint diameter of 128cm & Wt of c 6Kg i.e. much more stable than a C-stand), or not, you will need an assistant. Either to carry that or to hold up a lighter weight stand.

Booms add complication - if you just need the stand to be 11 in off to one side (to get the lens under the modifier), you can simply hang the light/mod from a '9 in Kupo Viser' clamp (overall length 16 in) - but don't use a super flimsy stand.

 

[p0ppyman]

Looking for budget-conscious recommendations for lightweight lightstands to take on location that have a decent height to them, but are not uber heavy or bulky to transport and not so cheap and nasty that they fall apart. Thanks !

My light stands are two people each with a small modifier and either a eVOLV 200 or Flashpoint Zoom Li-on lights at the end of a monopod.

Sometimes around the San Francisco Bay area it's best to work without actual stands because setting up and placing down apparatus on the ground brings the attention of authorities. Also the afternoon winds play havoc with larger modifiers.

It costs me a couple of lunches or dinners but having a few extra people with you besides the model makes it a great social event too! The rift-raft are less likely to mess with you as well.

 

[Timothy S Broadley]

I agree the evolv 200 can be very useful as a “handheld” unit. I bought the dual head setup and one person can hold that if you need power + Bowen’s mount. I also acquired the round head plus the modifier kit and, in initial trials, that has worked well particularly for some fill.

Tim

 

[goactive]

The problem with larger stand is if you are shooting outdoors and are shooting any groups of kids sitting down on the ground many larger stands will not go very low for this.

We shoot everything for the most part on the beach in the wind and we use a small stand 7 foot max hight that will go lower as we do a lot of on the ground shots even babies on the ground and we can push the legs into the sand as needed to keep it up from falling over.

Right now I have newer stands I do not like as they fold up to easy even when locked in tight if i push on the legs as i am used to doing into the sand it just starts folding up on me. The old one I tossed out after breaking it so do not know the brand name.