Shotgun Boom Poles

PaPa

PaPa

Major Contributor
Christmas is coming and my parents are bugging me about what to get me, so decided it would be nice to get an actual shockmount boom pole instead of using my vocal mic stands downstairs ( everytime the boom operator rubs their fingers on the stand the vibrations go into the mic and make a humming noise )

so looking for a reasonably inexpensive, retractable shockmount boom pole.

anything? anyone? anywhere?

cheers!
-PaPa
 
If you go Gitzo then it's the G7680c... If you want a pole with an internal coiled cable then it's K-Tek KE-110cc.

K-Tek makes incredibly nice poles and they're one of the most common poles you'll see in professional use. The KE-110cc is an economy version of their high-end poles... but it's still a generous design at the price. I have the graphite version of that same pole and the only difference is the graphite. As for the collars they look, feel, and work great. The pole has almost zero sag at full extention... and the luxury of an internal coiled cable is hard to do without once you experience it. Cable management by re-wrapping the pole becomes a non-issue and you can adjust length on the fly. Trust me it's nice. The people who say they don't like an internal coil cable need to live with one for a day. I've heard people say that you can hear the cable slapping inside the pole... I've never experienced this... and if you're moving enough to get that then I'd be surprised if your sound track isn't ruined with handling noise anyway.

Okay I also have the Gitzo that I mentioned. The reason I like this pole is for it's extra length over the K-Tek. The K-Tek is 9' and the Gitzo is 12.5'. The Gitzo also looks really nice and feels good in your hands. It does not have internal cabling but you can run a straight cable through it via a hole in the bottom bumper and an exit port at the end of the pole. No chance of running a coiled cable though... so you'll still have to manage the cable as you change lengths. I don't know if I'll ever run a cable through my Gitzo or not. I figure if you still have to manage the cable then why make it part of the pole? The positives of the Gitzo are (as already stated) the length and the appearance (the carbon fiber looks really nice). Length is a big issue. It's better to have length you don't need then need length you don't have.

Aside from those two points in favor of the Gitzo that's it. The K-Tek collars work very precisely and the overall pole is very well constructed. If I were to knock a couple things about the Gitzo it would be that the last two pole sections will sag a LOT unless you back them into the pole several inches. That's why I say that this pole is at the most a 12.5' pole. Really you should think of it as a 12.25' pole. Also the first and second collars (closest collars to your hands) don't lock down really effectively unless you torque 'em pretty tight. I think the slick carbon fiber may be impeding the locking/grabbing mechanism. It still locks down and you can turn it tight to get everything solid, but it doesn't take as much force to unify the sections of the K-Tek.

Still... it's these two poles that make the top of my value boom list. You can't go wrong with either one, but you must make the decision of how much length you need. Once you decide on that I think the choice is easy. It comes down to luxury or length at this price point.
 
The other thing you need is a shockmount. This will help with the isolation from handling noise on the boom. K-tek has some great shock mounts (at DV Expo they announced a new, low priced mount - I got one free with the boom I bought from Coffey at the show...sweet deal). It really depends on what you're going to do (as in interiors or exteriors) as to what type of mount + windscreen you need. If you're looking to be "serious" you will probably want two - an interior and an exterior (for the exterior, you need wind noise reduction, such as a blimp and windsock).

(Hey Matt, I picked up a new K-tek 6' boom to go with my 9 footer...I figure for close up stuff why put the extra weight on the boom op's shoulders. And, the price was right - $135 + a free shock mount with the k-tek gaskets (which go for $19 at B&H for replacements) so it was a great deal. Also got to meet Manfred from K-Tek - he was in their booth at the show...what a nice guy).
 
There is no brand associated with it. The shockmount looks like it is designed for omni mics (studio) and there are no grips for your hand.

I would not buy that.

If money is that much of a concern I have a painters pole I can sell you.
 
i have a gitzo and i love it.

i used it all day the other day and i loved the light weight. i was so glad it wasn't an aluminum pole when the day was done!

matthew
 
Hey let me throw a big wrench in the works. I use a boom stand at least as much as I use a boom pole. If you do a lot of active stuff then you need the pole, but if you do interviews and corporate stuff... especially as a one-man band (and I think that's pretty common)... then check these out. This is a Manfrotto 3398B and I have two of them. Before you buy a small/ordinary lightstand be sure to get at least one of these. This thing will boom close to 8' on it's own! That's with NO pole... this picture doesn't do the stand justice. (That telescoping section dissappears down into the stand with all the other sections when you swing it back to verticle... and everything locks in place just like it does in an normal stand... SUPER nice... I love mine.)

152015.jpg


I've also got a set of 8' stackers... but the two of these I have are starting to look really used... because they are.

But anyway... just to get back to the pole thread. Even on a tight budget I think it's nuts to get anything but a real pole... like a Gitzo or economy K-Tek. You won't get a reply from one person who went from a painter's pole or some odd boom-wanna-be-pole... to a real pole... and then went back. For $200 you get so much function out of one... it's more then just a stick for your mic. If it's just you and a couple buddies having fun with the camera then that will get you by, but the first time you're in a situation where other people are counting on you... and their time is important... and especially if people are getting PAID. You will be SO glad that you got a real pole.

Have you ever shot pool in a room that was too small for the table? As I said before... it's the MINIMUM length, the maximum length, and everything in between... then it's the weight and stiffness... and finally it's the look and feel. $200 is cheap to cover all those bases.
 
B&H less than 200 you can have a coiled boompole..Ktek is the brand i got.
works awesome for the price...otherwise you're going to spend more like 400+
 
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