Using 'overhead' stands instead of 'combo' stands for lights?

Grug

Grug

Veteran
Hi Guys,

I recently went through a bit of a debacle with a set of Matthews Triple-Riser combo stands I bought - basically they're much bigger packed down, than is stated online, so they wouldn't fit in my ute. This forced me to get rid of them (at a rather frustrating loss), and now I need replacements.

The maximum closed length I can fit into the ute is 1.45m/4.75', which rules out every triple-riser combo in existence except for the Kupo 'Master High Cine Stands'. Which I've never seen with my own eyes (they're not a common brand down here in Australia) but I've seen some Kupo gear and it's been very nice.

Double-riser combos don't go high enough, so they're out of contention too. However I've stumbled across the Avenger "A3042CS Medium Overhead Stand"

And it seems a good match for the specs I want - goes up to 4.2m high, supports up to 40kg, Avenger's terrific build-quality, and it packs down to just 135cm in length.

I'm sure it'll be great for supporting my 12x12 overheads, but I'm wondering if there are any gotchas I should look out for when it comes to using the 'overhead' stands to support lights? Is the way the legs are more horizontal than a conventional combo stand likely to make them less stable or capable of supporting a heavier item above them? What's the catch?

My biggest lights at the moment are a 1.2k HMI PAR and Arrilite 2000s, so there's nothing too big they'd have to support. The biggest units these stands would likely be used for are an Arri M18 or a 5K Fresnel.

Any help would be much appreciated - as it's damn near impossible to find info on overhead stands online.

Cheers,

Mark
 
I'm confused. Just about every Avenger light stand meets your space requirements. Including the A0045, which has a closed length of 1.35m, a max height of 4.5m, max load of 10 kg. All the other current Avenger light stands are smaller.

For specs, look at the B&H Photo website. It's all there.
 
I'm looking for solid steel combo stands (or alternatives), not baby stands - they're not strong enough.
 
The older Matthews 3 riser reflector stands fold down to 58", just a tiny bit over your maximum. Maybe you could get by with those? I believe that the Avenger 3 riser stands are roughly the same, whereas the American Grip and newer Matthews stands have much longer legs. Or maybe you could get some 2 riser stands and get a 2k riser that you can throw on one of them for those instances where you need that extra bit of height.

Stands like that Avenger one you posted are meant to take wheels and are very rarely used outdoors. If it's not windy you can get away with them and I've seen that happen every once in a while, but you can't count on that. If you don't put the wheels on them the sandbags will hit the ground and not do their job, and if you put wheels on them like you're supposed to, they'll take up a lot more space when folded up, and the wheels will add length to the legs as well.

I don't want to be the guy who says you shouldn't be transporting gear in your personal vehicle since there was a time when I had to do that, I know how frustrating it can be. But honestly if clients aren't even willing to pay for a van, I don't think it's unreasonable to refuse to bring a 3 riser stand. If someone wants something but can't provide the means to get it, it goes in the category of "not my problem."
 
Do you need a junior receiver on it? If not, you may be in need of a plain old junior stand. Hi rollers are pretty big.

I mean, do you need specifically for the overheads? or just for lights?
 
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Look into candle sticks. They can be placed into a combo and increase length by 4 feet to six feet. If you can't find any I can sell a couple.
 
Thanks guys, I was able to check out one of the overhead stands in person and it turns out the grip head is permanently affixed, not just mounted in a juniour receiver as I'd thought, so they can't pack down small enough anyway.

Moseph said:
I don't want to be the guy who says you shouldn't be transporting gear in your personal vehicle since there was a time when I had to do that, I know how frustrating it can be. But honestly if clients aren't even willing to pay for a van, I don't think it's unreasonable to refuse to bring a 3 riser stand. If someone wants something but can't provide the means to get it, it goes in the category of "not my problem."
Click to expand...

The ute is my 'work' vehicle, and is set up with shelving to make transporting the gear manageable. It's packed to the brim when I throw everything in, so precisely sized gear is really important for making it work (I have a number of reasons for not wanting a van/small truck). So this is just my needs, not a client thing.

forbyfiev said:
Do you need a junior receiver on it? If not, you may be in need of a plain old junior stand. Hi rollers are pretty big.

I mean, do you need specifically for the overheads? or just for lights?
Click to expand...

I need it for both overheads and lights, a junior receiver is necessary.

Paul Hudson said:
Look into candle sticks. They can be placed into a combo and increase length by 4 feet to six feet. If you can't find any I can sell a couple.
Click to expand...

Do you have any photos of these candle sticks you could share Paul? It's hard to find anything like them down here. I like the concept, though I wonder for the crews I'm usually working with, whether the simplicity of an all-in-one stand keeps things safer. The Kupo combo is the only brand that collapses small enough for my needs, so I wonder whether I just suck it up and go that route? (It's just concerning when you've never seen the gear in person).

The only Kupo combo I have seen is a baby combo, but it seemed extremely well built (notably better than my Matthews stands) so maybe I don't need to worry.
 
A candlestick is just a piece of 1 1/4" black pipe with a junior receiver attached to the end for rigging large lights on lifts. What you would want is a 2k riser.

I would also give Norms Grip and Modern Studio Equipment a call, they make good stands but they don't list any specs on their websites. Paladin might also have something, I don't see them too often on set but they're around, good quality.
 
you can also use a 20" C stand riser from a turtle base stand, if you don't have a candlestick. If you can get away with a baby pin.
 
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