Which of these two boom poles?

B

bmwergs

Member
I've decided to bite the bullet and buy a cheaper (though they still seem crazy expensive) boom pole. I've narrowed it down to either...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart&A=details&Q=&sku=231439&is=REG

OR

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart&A=details&Q=&sku=20830&is=REG

The first one has two extra feet of length, weighs a tiny bit less, and is eight bucks cheaper... I'm guessing Gitzo is known as a better brand though? I just wanted to ask before I buy because $140 is a lot for me and I'm not great at judging the differences between two sticks of aluminum.
 
bmwergs said:
Ahhh that's 50 dollars more expensive though... and shorter than both of the others.
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You get what you pay for. For occasional use the cheaper models might be okay but look beyond price. A pole must be quiet and not flex with motion so moving it doesn't make it creak and introduce any noise into the system. It must be rigid so you can accurately aim the mic. It also must have a cable arrangement so that the cable doesn't slap against or inside the pole and make noise. And it must be LIGHTWEIGHT - every ounce you can save is one less backpain pill you'll need to take at the end of the shooting day - remember someone is going to be holding it at arms length over their heads for anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes at a time and doing that even with a soda straw can get to be damned uncomfortable. For me it's worth a couple of hundred bucks to get the lightest weight pole possible and reduce the number of searing bolts of pain in the rotator cuffs. The Gitzo weighs 860 grams, that over a pound and a half! Compare to an 8 foot Loon carbon fibre pole at 474 grams, 16.7 ounces. That's a signifigant difference. Of course the Loon is $565 compared to the Gitzo at $139 and a similar K-Tek boom would be about the same price but at the end of the day when the pain in your shoulder joints is blowing your eyeballs out of their sockets and you find you need to reshoot the whole thing because you just heard the cable slap in the dailies, you'll happily pay twice or three times that difference to be able to work with a quiet and featherweight pole.
 
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you can get a 12' gitzo carbon fiber pole for under $300 and they make shorter carbon fiber poles for less. I love my 12' gitzo and you will too! Extra reach is always good.

Don't get an aluminum pole, it transfers vibration like crazy....it defeats the purpose when your boom pole ruins your sound.
 
saneproductions said:
Don't get an aluminum pole, it transfers vibration like crazy....it defeats the purpose when your boom pole ruins your sound.
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ahhhhhhhhhhh! so I really aren't THAT bad of an op! :)
I am upgrading and I stopped by location sound and played with a K-Tek 12' CF and I can TOTALY see what you are saying... it felt different and not just the weight, now I know what it is!

Thanks Sane!!
 
wait, so you can add a section to it? say buy a 5 and make it a 6? I jope I am not just misunderstanding you! :crossing fingers:

did
not know they even existed, thanks yet again Oleg. They look great and prices are good.
 
It looks like you lose a little weight and gain some length over K-Tek for just $15

Loon: 13'5" 1.24lbs internal coiled -----> $660
K-Tek: 12'6" 1.70lbs internal coiled -----> $645

Now what I also have to keep in mind is that K-Tek is close to me (San Diego) and they said they will accept my pole which I had a bit less than a year as a trade it! I guess that if I have to sell it I'll get even less $ for it..?
But it is almost a foot more and close to 1/2 a lbs less..!

You can't add a section to the Loons can you?

What do you think Oleg?
 
Half a pound is a LARGE significant number! Obviously K-tek is going to be a better option because they are right in your neighborhood. Any adjustments, custom made items, and special order is right at your convenience. The Loon poles feel very soft and unique in its own way. I favor their design of the bottom exit/right angle plug. Yes, they can also add additional sections for you later. Either way, both companies are A+ rating under my list.
 
to be completely honest, i have a ktek and love it, but i hate the internal coil. It gets loose inside and bumps into the pole making little clanky noises that gets picked up by the mic.. quite annoying.
 
Alan, yes, you are right about having K-Tek here... I can send it in and get it back in 3 days at most... but you just corroborated something that really has me basically sold for Loon.. they add sections! can you do it yourself? like get the kit? cause now that I think about it K-Tek would very likely do the same...

Also, when you say soft... you mean the surface as in good soft right?

PaPa said:
to be completely honest, i have a ktek and love it, but i hate the internal coil. It gets loose inside and bumps into the pole making little clanky noises that gets picked up by the mic.. quite annoying.
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That is one of the problems I have, but I guess you just get better at that... I also have a harder time preventing noise from rubbing my hand on the aluminum.
 
Aluminum vs. Aluminum
I favor the aluminum material on the Rode boompole over K-tek's Aluminum. It's smoother to touch, less gritty, and same weight (Rode 3M vs. KE110, w/o CC). The diameter is much bigger on the Rode than the K-tek. Both are stiff and can be internally coiled. The Gitzo's are also light. I favor the collars on the Gitzo's the most.

Carbon Fiber vs. Carbon Fiber
Ambient poles have a really good collar design for easy gripping, easy turning. Noise trasmitted from pole to microphone is minimal. K-tek poles are by far one of the best pole designs out there. The collars are my favorite. Everything from bottom to top is smooth, body is soft, and side cable exit well thought out. Loon poles remind me of Ambient poles. The collars feel about the same as Ambient collars, body is soft and smooth, basemate/right angle exit is my favorite. After adding the basemate, right angle connector, suspension and mic, this thing gets the heavist. PSC boompoles are the least I've worked with, however, one time I tried adjusting the collars in a really fast paced environment, it crapped out on me and jammed, jammed, jammed. An alternative though. VDB boompoles are unique. I hated the older styles, sections of the poles would randomly collapse even when the collars were righty tighty! Their bodies were somewhat smooth, but feels very delicate. The newer revisions reminded me of a painter's pole because the resemblance of the collars were similar. The new collars are tight and firm, but large in terms of height. There's also the Gitzo CF. Very light indeed, collars of about the same design as the aluminum ones. Body and section diameters are one of the smallest of all. The price/foot value weighs alot, at about HALF the price compared to most boompoles at similar lengths.

My pick of the crop:
1.) K-tek/Loon, value-wise would be Gitzo
2.) Ambient/VDB
3.) PSC/Rode
 
Interesting... I was just telling someone interested in my K-Tek that I had never heard of the Rode poles, just a little while ago.

I agree with the K-Tek CF collars feeling just perfect.

Where can I find the Gitzos? I can't find their prices
 
the collars on loon are better .
the internal cable make less noise on full open movements
the boom has less belly under heavy load when it completely extended , much more like ambient .
the 6 section could be add later , dont really know what the price for , but you ca make by your self .
but if you have internal cabling , you will need replace it to new length.
about the base mate for penta , it cost 45 usd , if you dont use internal cable , you can skip on it and just buy rubber boot for chears or tables legs which can sit inside holl to make small rubber bumper , cost a 1 or 2 @ , thats what i do for my clients and my self
best
ut i still use manfred suspentins and zeppelines :-)
 
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hummm... I see... sounds good Oleg, I think I am sold on Loon 5 section to later make it 6 section and internally cabled. can you do that?
 
yes
check with loon audio ( Clay) about costs
and yes you can do it by your self
also , the wing is good only for these who work with wierless transmitters or 6 section noneed on 5 for normal work
best
oleg
 
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