Light Stand Stems & Screw Tips - Confused

S

sladen

Active member
I have been doing research on light stands and could use a guide as to which light stands I should use for particular lights. It appears that light stands with a 5/8" stem are the industry standard. However, some light stands come with screw tips and some do not.

Can someone fill me in as to what type of light stand stem I should use? Should light stands with 3/8" stems be avoided altogether?
 
The 5/8" spud is a standard "baby" spud for lighter weight fixtures that have a "baby" receiver.

The stands with the 1/4-20 threaded tip (or 3/8") are meant for photography use and are generally lighter weight than you should be using unless you're using very lightweight fixtures.

I'd go for stands with the standard 5/8" spud.
 
Chris Santucci said:
The 5/8" spud is a standard "baby" spud for lighter weight fixtures that have a "baby" receiver.

The stands with the 1/4-20 threaded tip (or 3/8") are meant for photography use and are generally lighter weight than you should be using unless you're using very lightweight fixtures.

I'd go for stands with the standard 5/8" spud.
Click to expand...
What do they screw onto those tips? I've always wondered.
 
As Chris said, the screw-tip 1/4-20 stands aren't cinematography standards, and that additional screw tip at the top is annoying. I've used some in a pinch to turn a light stand into a monitor stand, and we once used one as a tripod for a GH1 on the set of "Shady, Texas" -- but in general, the screw tip just gets in the way of seating a light fixture properly.
 
I bought several really nice Manfrotto stands with 3/8 and 1/4 tips; these stands generally have baby-sized tips; just cut the threaded posts off with an angle grinder (or a hacksaw) and they're fine for anything up to, say, a 650 fresnel, great for holding foamcore, you can even stick a grip head and bar on them for flagging. You can get very sturdy stands like this for much less than a c-stand, and often in a crowded lighting setup, the tripod-style legs can mix in with the c-legs. They're also lighter and easier to pack than c-stands - don't overlook 'em if you can get a good price on sturdy ones.

Another thing about the 5/8 "baby" spud size... you'll ocassionally find a light that is just too tight on these (or light spuds that won't fit on the standard c-stand arm). Get a handful of mole adapters for those situations - $10, lightweight & strong and very very handy to have around.
 
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