Lighter Weight C-Stand Alternative

Kenn Christenson

Kenn Christenson

Well-known member
I'm looking to lighten the load I have to carry to my shoots. Anyone know of a sturdy, lightweight alternative to the C-Stand? I'm looking for something to use for flagging and hanging silks.

Thanks.
 
You could always go with lighter weight stands with grip heads and arms attached.
I do that often when I'm shooting solo.

Of course if you need to extend the arm too much then you're looking at needing a sandbag, which would kind of defeat the purpose.

Works fine for flags or reflectors - not really for hanging silks.
 
I always carry around 2 Avenger A630B (10ft) stands, each with a grip head and 40" arm. They're life savers. That said, I usually roll with at least 2 10-15lb sandbags at all times. When you can't bring a sandbag along, they're still very sturdy (certainly enough for 18x24s). For bigger flags and silks, depending on how you're rigging them, you may need a bag, although in certain situations, simply positioning a leg parallel to the arm will add some stability.

Good luck.

~~Dave
 
http://www.amazon.com/Petrol-PWSB-2-Counterweight-liters-Gallons/dp/B000GHH07I

The above save a lot of weight and water is available in most places...
As for C-stand replacement, this is really sth that´s almost impossible, I always carry some plastic home depot clamps with me, for attaching silks, fabrik backgrounds and alike to whatever is available.
Indoors you can avoid a lot of weight, but outside flagging and sandbags go hand in hand, because of wind issues or safety for being in public places.
 
Kenn Christenson said:
I'm looking to lighten the load I have to carry to my shoots. Anyone know of a sturdy, lightweight alternative to the C-Stand? I'm looking for something to use for flagging and hanging silks.

Thanks.
Click to expand...


Avenger C-Stands are a bit lighter than Matthews C-Stands. They probably use a lighter gauge tubing. Also, yes, you CAN put an arm and griphead on a kit stand. I do it all the time. You just have to flip the received on the griphead upside down if the pin on the stand isn't long enough to reach to the locking bolt.

.
 
You might check out manfrotto autopoles and see if they'll work for your needs. I am using a pair of them when I don't have space for a light stand or tripod (small camera, locked down), etc. You need to keep the weight down and be sane about where you jam them. They are a little long but very light.
 
Outdoors, on the ground, depending on how much non-image space you may have around a given stand and "property rights" considerations, you may be able to use tent stakes and strong nylon cord to tie down your stands in 2-3 directions.
 
Interesting that you bring this up. I was interviewing the guys at Matthews last week for an article I am working on and I brought up the very same question, "why doesn't anyone make a smaller, lighter, more portable C-stand for travel shoots?". Their reply was that the tooling and finishing for aluminum would actually make travel C-stands cost more than regular C-stands, which are already pricey enough.

When I travel to NYC to shoot interviews, I bring Arri kit stands and a 20" C-stand arm and gobo head. It is enough extension for a hair light/kicker but if you need to put anything bigger than a 150 on it, it will possibly tip over.

I have also used my Ogio backpack at the base as a kind of sandbag to protect the talent in case it tips. Personally, my dream would be a 3/4 scale aluminum C-stand with detachable turtle base. If they could get the weight down under 8lbs and it was smaller and could be fit into normal checked baggage, I would pay $250.00 for those with a gobo head and arm.

Dan
 
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