Boompole

spa_edwards

spa_edwards

Active member
Hey guys,

Im looking for a boompole and just wondered what you guys are using at the moment and what would you reccomend and why? Im probably looking about the $200 mark to spend and wondered if there are any models kinda screw down. Also, what is the average length for the boompole 2m? 3m? I dont know why there are so many out there to choose from. The mic I have got is a neumann k80i (if this matters at all i dont know).


All your comments would be hugely appreciated as I dont have a clue about sound equipment. You guys helped me to hoose a shotgun mic which I was extremely appreciative for.

Many thanks and happy shooting
Steve Edwards
 
choose at least 3m carbon fiber for ducumentary , at least 5 m for fiction
check the loonaudio.com penta booms
these are the best made in usa
 
dont come even close for working fullopen without get waves and cracks and close the boom without noise on the fly ,
sorry not in the same leag
 
oleg said:
dont come even close for working fullopen without get waves and cracks and close the boom without noise on the fly ,
sorry not in the same leag
Click to expand...

Probably true Oleg, but they are more than twice as much as the gitzo and this person was talking about $200 ish. I have had my 12' CF gitzo for 2 years now and use it all the time with no trouble. I am doing all doc style work and it ends up on a cradle most of the time though.
 
after 6 weeks on stupid sitcom without Fishers , with 2 complete open booms( 4-6 meter ) -with 2 neumann 82 , i found that except ambient nothing comes close -not even k-tek .
 
one cheap solution would be to use a painters pole that you could extend to any length you wish. This would need a shock mount but there is one currently in the DIY section that is a shock mount the will screw straight on to a painters pole.
 
I probably get ass kicked but I have to ask:

What is the difference between a $10 painter pole and a $$$ carbon poole.

I have a blimp with shockmopunt at my aluminum painters pole and never had any noise or other problems.
I just can´t see what extra benefit a expensive boom could give me . I mean is it realy worth to shell out several 1000% more for a boom?

Frank
 
The one major event I did use a painters pole for it worked flawlessly and the same pole could do a 8 foot boom and a 25 foot boom in a matter of seconds. I honestly don't see a big reason (besides a slight weight difference) for using a carbon fiber boom pole instead of a painters pole.
 
I really do like this whole "indie" discussion here. Personally, I have a K-Tek with their blimp system. In reality, it's the suspension system and the softies/smoothies that make the real difference. I agree. Unless weight is of concern, go with whatever's cheapest.... the dang painters pole!
 
I didn't really even know what a painter's pole was until today. On the topic of indie rigs, I've been multipurposing some of my still photography equipment -- an aluminum monopod. You can sort of see it in the photo below. It gets a bit heavy at times, but I'm hoping to get a vdb carbon pole, so I don't have to deal with cables taped to the pole. From a sound perspective, you're totally right -- the magic is in the suspension system.

- Andy

2672238481_6fc526efdf_b.jpg


l
 
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ACtually after a few years of the painter's pole route, I tried a "real" boom pole. There are other differences besides weight (which is a big deal after a few hours). A real boom pole usually has tighter joints, so there is less rattle, they collapse smaller, which can be very convenient, and internal cabling can be a great thing if you have to adjust the size of the pole often.

Don't get me wrong, my painter's pole has served me well, and for many of us, prioritizing our purchases means we make what we can so we can afford to buy what we can't. Now that I am well outfitted with good cameras, tripods, lights, a great edit suite, grip gear and a basic audio kit, I am looking for a couple of good boom poles.
 
Postmaster said:
I probably get ass kicked but I have to ask:

What is the difference between a $10 painter pole and a $$$ carbon poole.

I have a blimp with shockmopunt at my aluminum painters pole and never had any noise or other problems.
I just can´t see what extra benefit a expensive boom could give me . I mean is it realy worth to shell out several 1000% more for a boom?

Frank
Click to expand...

weight , sliding during the shot without noise ,
much better joints and locking system which hold the boom not start shake .

by the way , i never sow single painter pole on any gig ( even between the film students) . may it be because we dont know about it existence or since we usually get paid for our work? :-)
by the way make a search on this forum you will find much cheaper solution - tree branch .
 
O.K. I looked up the weight of a 11.8 Loon Penta Boom - it´s about a pound (502g).

My 12" painter stick is 620g, so the difference is not worth the price.

Sliding during shot.
Hmmm ... never run in a situation that would call for that, but I agree.

Joints/locking system
My Painters pole has a twist lock mechaninsm - no shake at all.

Collapse much smaller: also agreed

Cable: It took me 30 minutes to get a spirale cable into the PP.

"never saw single painter pole on any gig/we usually get paid for our work"

Ah, here we go. The gospel of :
1. It has to be expensive
2. The more expensive the better
3. If you show up with expensive gear nobody can complain about your work, because you use expensive gear - what automaticly makes you a pro.
4. Cheap can´t work just because it is not expensive.
5. If something goes wrong the client will blame it on cheap gear (not that you messed it up).


Everything you paint flat black looks professionell to your client.
(A friend had a flat black Tupperware box as a mattebox and the client so impressed that he starts a talk about that "modern design" matetbox.)

I don´t have to impress anybody on the set with my gear, but with my work.

A big portion of "expensive" gear is not quality but better profit, marketing and stickers that show everybody that you are a pro cause you have THAT brand gear.
(We all know a company that charges $12 for a 1/2" hex screw - got to be better for that price... , yeah right)

I agree that some stuff is better build than other.
I agree that - to save you some extra work and trouble - you have to spend a certain amount of money on your gear.
I agree that nothing is more expensive than broken gear on the set.

But I say, if it works for you and you get it for a much better price it works.

Frank





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my dear , you can do what ever you like , its not about the price its about what do you do for your living :-)
let say , if you was my booman and was coming with paineter boom to my set , you was flying home in 1 minut .
much expensive gear is not aguranty for anything , if you wa read my posts in the past you maight find something differnt .
cheap can work , it has it limitation , not becouse it cheap but becouse you try to adapt something that cant give you 100 % unswer for waht you do .
if you dont know how to slide the boom during the shot , i dont blame you , you are not a pro :-)
 
I really thought of going the painters pole route a while back & just spraying it "flat black". Your right Postmaster, flat black looks great on certain materials & has a pretty good pro look to it.

I decided against the painters pole and went with a cheap 10' Rode boom pole with ability to run XLR through the centre of the pole. Not the best option out there but it suited my needs & I was concerned with the impressions that my clients would have.

Yes I know the whole debate about how "your work should speak for itself" and I believe in that philosophy. However, most, if not all of my clients have no real concept of what is involved regarding video production. They are however very perceptive and whether consciously, or subconsciously, they will intuitively know when something "looks" cheap.

As I charge "what the market will bare", I cannot afford to ever have a client question in his mind whether or not I am using cheap equipment.

Appearance is everything. Yes my work is good, but so is the next guys.

If I showed up with a painters pole, a Radio Shack 5" B&W TV as my production monitor(you know, the ones we take up to that remote cottage), and a Samsung 1chip Dv cam, I know what a client will think. He may never voice it, but I'd bet money he thought it looked cheap.

My point is this:
This is a very competitive business, and I'm in it. Whether I like it or not, I have to spend money to make money and that involves having the right equipment suited for the task. I've looked at DIY cranes, stabilizers & lights. Not going to happen. I Buy industry standard equipment because thats what the guy in the office down the street is doing & he's just a phone call away from the guy I'm shooting for now, period.

As far as adjusting a boom pole in the middle of recording is concerned, I personally have never done that nor find the need to. Backing up, moving forward or raising your pole higher or lower suits me just fine.

And for the record, an amature can get professional results from a painters pole.:)

Steve
 
Postmaster said:
Ah, here we go. The gospel of :
1. It has to be expensive
2. The more expensive the better
3. If you show up with expensive gear nobody can complain about your work, because you use expensive gear - what automaticly makes you a pro.
4. Cheap can´t work just because it is not expensive.
5. If something goes wrong the client will blame it on cheap gear (not that you messed it up).
Click to expand...

I don't know of any competent working professional that subscribes to that list.

There are, however many working professionals that believe making a good impression (including the appearance of having professional gear) is important. More importantly, there often is a difference in the RESULTS when you use professionally designed and manufactured gear. Is it always necessary to get comparable results in every situation? No. But if you are asking the question, or making the comment that you can get by without, you will always find some professionals who have the opinion that buying pro gear is, in the long run, the best decision for professional results.

And for the record, I build a lot of my own gear, including a boom pole, fluorescent lights, dolly, car mounts, etc. so I am anything buy anti-DIY, even though this is how I make my living.
 
Postmaster said:
4. Cheap can´t work just because it is not expensive.
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There is some truth to this, but this attitude is generally only found among folks who are inexperienced and unfamiliar with the broad range of equipment available. Among seasoned pros, you'll find that tools are evaluated based on their performance more than their price tags and marketting materials.

Painter's poles aren't found in most self-respecting pro's kits because they are not an effective tool compared to an aluminum or carbon-fibre boom pole. Pop an MKH816 in a Rycote onto the end of your painter's pole and see how well it works fully extended. If it doesn't fracture, it sure will flex.

Postmaster said:
5. If something goes wrong the client will blame it on cheap gear (not that you messed it up).
Click to expand...
If I show up on set with a Home Depot special and things go wrong, the client won't blame it on cheap equipment. He or she will blame me, and I alone. The painter's pole would merely be another example of my poor judgement.
 
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