Are the Arri 3-light kits a good value as a starter kit? If not, what to start with?

Its probably out of your budget, but I really prefer c-stands with grip arms kits. They are so much more sturdy, adaptable, professional, and safe.
 
MikeFunktastic said:
David, another question... what is the industry standard for attaching lights to the light stands? Similar to how most shoulder gears use 15mm rods... what are the most common standards for light stands called? I see a lot of very sturdy, industrial-grade light stands on eBay, but I don't know if they can be adapted to attach fresnels / kinos / LEDs etc..
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Just like I recommend a well rounded light kit, I also recommend a well rounded stand selection. My favorites are probably something along the lines of the Matthews Beefy Baby stand. They can hold a fairly heavy load, and if taken care of will last a lifetime. It's also good to have C-Stands in your kit. They can hold lights when sandbagged, and are invaluable for holding light modifiers like flags, scrims and silks. I also recommend owning some lighter medium duty stands as well, because some locations just don't accommodate larger heavy stands so you will need a smaller footprint to fit the location. It's also nice to have at least one very short stand or baby plate in your kit. If you are going to use larger lights, 2K juniors and up, or flying larger overheads, you might want to consider getting a few junior or combo stands. I'm a wee bit frugal, so I always try to purchase high quality used gear to save money when I can. Medium duty stands can be purchased new, but beefy baby and C-stands can be purchased at substantial savings used.

All the Best!

Dave
 
steve4505 said:
Its probably out of your budget, but I really prefer c-stands with grip arms kits. They are so much more sturdy, adaptable, professional, and safe.
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They're within my budget as long as I hunt around for some nice used deals. And yes I absolutely would love to get at least two c-stands in my kit. The main issue for me right now is storage. Since I'm living in an apartment... space is at a huge premium lol.

David W. Jones said:
Just like I recommend a well rounded light kit, I also recommend a well rounded stand selection. My favorites are probably something along the lines of the Matthews Beefy Baby stand. They can hold a fairly heavy load, and if taken care of will last a lifetime. It's also good to have C-Stands in your kit. They can hold lights when sandbagged, and are invaluable for holding light modifiers like flags, scrims and silks. I also recommend owning some lighter medium duty stands as well, because some locations just don't accommodate larger heavy stands so you will need a smaller footprint to fit the location. It's also nice to have at least one very short stand or baby plate in your kit. If you are going to use larger lights, 2K juniors and up, or flying larger overheads, you might want to consider getting a few junior or combo stands. I'm a wee bit frugal, so I always try to purchase high quality used gear to save money when I can. Medium duty stands can be purchased new, but beefy baby and C-stands can be purchased at substantial savings used.

All the Best!

Dave
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Thanks Dave. I'll look for those Beefy Babies. How are Colortran compact stands, by the way? I snagged one off of eBay for around $55 shipped. Not sure how they are but for the price I figured it was worth giving them a shot. Can't be any worse than the Arri kit stands, can they? :P
 
Was it the one with the hinged legs that fold out to give you a wider base? They don't have a standard 5/8" mount, it's something smaller.
 
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