C-STANDS: WHAT TO LOOK FOR (Flashpoint vs. Impact)
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- Опубліковано 28 тра 2019
- Adorama (Flashpoint, foam padded): adorama.rfvk.net/4BDzG
B&H (Impact, longer lasting): geni.us/LvAOVl3 [B&H]
C stands are more than just a heavy duty light stand.. but are they worth $120-$150? B&H and Adorama both have their own brand of C-stands, B&H is Impact and Adorama is Flashpoint. I like them both, but I own only one Impact and two of Flashpoints because of the threaded grip arms and additional baby pins that come with the Flashpoints. - Фільми й анімація
I'm not watching your videos any more, didn't need a C-Stand, but I want one now..lol.. Love your work Tommy
I want like 6 more. Lmao
Great comparison. I was coincidentally looking at both of them and your video helps in highlighting each one's benefit.
went with flashpoint; i do mainly indoor work and some light outdoor work in good weather; with the few comforts it has and the threaded ends; it was the better option for me. Thanks for the content!
Just a side comment.
The Impact C-stand is basically a rebranded Kupo.
The Flashpoint is pretty similar to the Neewer C-stand.
As a replacement light/photo stand I like the Flashpoint more. Lighter, has threads as mention on the extension arm and is cheaper.
As a C-stand, I like the Kupo/Impact more. Feels more solid, LOVE the turtle base with easy-lock ring and the gobo are stronger.
Love your channel.
Came for RGB lights and stayed for the other content.
Subscribed
Thanks Conrad!!
THANKS
I like the impact ones and if you join the EDU program as a student or Teacher you can get a discount. Like that C-Stand is $130 you save like $24. Get some good deals as a student or Teacher. Nice video comparison!
It's been over 18 months since you released this video - wondering what your thoughts are on these two c-stands now? Any thoughts on how they compare to Kupo or Matthews stands? Thanks!
I use Flashpoint c stand riser columns with their runway base and just love them. Top notch for the money
Great review
That extra baby pin would come in handy, but having the integrated 3/8-20 thread is perfect for adding a tripod head for camera top-down shot, without the use of a 30.00 attachment.
C-stands get the crap beat out of them on set and still last forever. A typical Matthews C-stand costs 220.00 and can take most on-set abuse. I'm a little concerned the quality of the metal with these cheaper stands. Are they made from low-quality steel from recycled appliances? I assume, you will have to take care of them and not subject them to the same abuses. Those threaded grips in the gobo head are very important; you'd be surprised what people put in those grip heads, anything, literally anything. You're right about that foam grip; I was thinking it'd be handy to grab a stand in the hot, summertime sun without gloves, but home depot pipe insulation will work just as good. The air cushion seems like a nice safety feature. It does take some skill to safely lower a very heavy light without it crashing down. The fixed grip head is fixed so you can add a sand bag or python when cantilevering a light. On the Matthews C-stands, you can remove the head with an allen tool. This may be possible with the Impact brand, but obviously takes extra time to do so.
I prefer the black C-stands, as you can mount a light, visible in the frame, and easily hide it in post; instead of having to wrap the stand with duvetyne.
My conclusion, let the dogs decide.
Great video sir , made up my mind flash point for my creations music and film - well done review!!
Glad I could help!
That Impact light stand looks much better and is a dead ringer for the Kupo stand...has to be the same thing. Kupo has that big T handle for their grip h ads as well as the rolling unlock method for the turtle base. I have a few of the Flashpoints and they are OK, but as soon as I got them I went straight to Matthews on my next purchase.
I have a c stand that is like the impact and I notice it’s to big to mount my Godox vl150 on the boom arm. Any solutions?
I really want some c stands because I dont want to buy replacements for cheaper stands
Can one like this be used to hold a dslr camera?
Good video man, thanks!
No problem!
I came back to let you know, I save my Penni's since this Video to buy one of these stands and the Flashpoint is on sale for $99.95. time to finally buy! And I also came back to use your link hopefully it helps your channel.
Thanks! You’re going to love it.
I just bought one today as well for 99! And I used your link as well. Hopefully you can make a commission for the reference. God Bless.
Great job with this review. I have the Flashpoint. Is there a set of wheels you would recommend for the Flashpoint, or would you not recommend them? Thanks.
I'm in the U.K. and have the 300cm C-stand. It seems to combine the best features of these two. I has the dark blue sponge grip like the Flashpoint, but the grip heads have the ridges inside like the B&H plus the bigger handles. I had to buy the baby pin separately though. I bought a used Manfrotto Magic Finger too (it works well.) Search Daniel Norton magic finger to see what it is.
For the Impact one, how would you go about mounting lights? Since it doesn’t have the screw threads.
Do you just get a single Bobby pin from somewhere?
Appreciate the vid! Thanks!
Most ppl purchase a separate baby pin or spigot for it for around $10
What the!? Finally, a Lightning Channel that reviews Light Stands.. like you absolutely need a Stand to mount any Light, They go Hand in hand. Now I have a better idea in which direction to go in.. Adorama light stand and Possibly the Godox SL60 or the Aputure 120d. I like doing short films, want 1 affordable versatile light.. SL60 best budget but it's power cord. Aputure comes with the V-mount it's nice to have the battery in case I need outdoor lighting.. am I correct with the light options. Or does the SL60 have V-mount battery option also?
SL60w has no v mount options. Def go with the aputure if you’re going outside. And thanks for watching :)
Huh?! Impact is B&H's in-house brand?????
My Flashpoint stand has one grip head handle stripped out after light use, and the arm won't take some of my grip heads because of how the ends are assembled and having poor manufacturing tolerances. My Impact grip heads and stand are all going strong. The arms in the Impact have a glavanized like texture to them, whereas the Flashpoint's feel like a tinfoil tube in my opinion. My generic stand is better than my Flashpoint I think. If I have to replace the Flashpoint or generic, it will be with Impact. It comes with two knuckles, btw. Same as the Flashpoint. Maybe that has changed.
Also don't buy Avenger c-stands. They have a dangerous component that most ppl will never consider. I keep meaning to make a video about it
LittleFjords What is this dangerous component you speak of?
scott bilby the conventional wisdom of using C-stands is to always position the weight of whatever you are mounting so that if the arm droops from the weight, it will actually tighten the knuckle to prevent further drooping. (By way of righty tighty on the screws of the stand knuckles). It's a kind of safety catch so if something wasn't fully tightened, it will tighten itself to prevent an accident.
Avenger undermines this convention by putting a bearing between the tightening handle and the friction pads that lock the knuckle. So if you have a heavy weight armed out on the stand, it SHOULD lock itself if it droops, but the bearing lets it rotate without increasing friction. A pretty dumb design that could easily lead to an accident, and a lawsuit when you're talent has a piece of equipment fall on their head.
My understanding is that the bearing is meant to make it easier if a knuckle is OVER tightened. And C-stands are after all meant to hold light weight lighting modifiers like flags. But students and, now with relatively light weight LED'S, many others are mounting lighting fixtures to C-stands which in this case can lead to injury. I think other better made stands are the way to go
@@LittleFjords Thanks for your thoughts on this. Could you please suggest a trustable C-stand brand in Europe?
Nuno Oliveira - I love Kupo and avengers stands (personally never had a problem but definitely will take the above onboard) but also if you can pick up some of the older Arri roller Stands on eBay, they are stupidly solid. But heavy as hell.
The fact that you can't move the knuckle is so annoying. I work in a small production space and it complicates things so much..
I need to figure out how to stop rust from spreading on my flashpoint. I took it to a beach shoot.
it's a good thing C-stands are fairly cheap! I've not dealt with rust yet.. if you find anything, let me know.
@@TommyCallaway lol I'm currently in Jamaica and it cost about US$200 - US$300 to bring it here.
Brake Fluid removes rust from tools that are left outside and get wet. You may want to try to use it on your stand but first start with a small area to see how it looks. Hope this helps.
Use silicon spray to help protect against rust... wipe it on before you store it. Also, get some white grease to lube up those threads on the bolts.
Hey Tommy, can you just attach a Godox light to the boom arm or do you need an adapter?
Both stands can hold your Godox light, but if you get the flashpoint, both sides of the extra gobo arm and baby pin will also act as "light stand heads".. it would work better for you if that's all you're looking for. Don't forget to also grab yourself a sand bag! :)
@@TommyCallaway How about using dumbbells instead of sandbags?
@@thehumanityoflife6460you cant position dumbbells over the leg. Sandbags are cheaper and made for rhe purpose.
My boy Tommy Callaway
CURRENTLY how is the Flashpoint is holding up?
Holding up fine. The foam is a bit messed up, as expected tho
Just got 2 with bags and wheels for 189 off eBay.
Can you provide the link? Are they any good? I need to buy two but I have no idea which brand to buy. It's for a home studio with limited space.
Impact looks a lot like the Kupo
The padded grip is a gimmic. Not being a curmudgeon as I have all of these stands. the grip on the flashpoint goes after about a month of daily use in the field.
TRUTH BE TOLD the TOP TWO (IMHO) aren't even in this video. And one is SUBSTANTIALLY cheaper than these two as well. (Def not talking Matthews either :-))
As far as these two:
Flashpoint better overall build (But shitty knuckles that loosen on large loads).
Flashpoint makes better production sized light stands than C-Stands (Mambo Combo, Rollers, ETC.)
Impact far better quality for STEEL C-Stand. The black ones are half the weight and nowhere near the build quality.
Impact "Rocky Mountain Leg" is about twice as sturdy as the Turtle base as well. Feels like it weighs 50% more.
That's my feedback from using these on a daily basis as backup stands.
Thank you! Great feedback. Love it when pros who use the stuff daily chime in.
Which better Cheaper C stand? Don't tell me it's the Neewer from Amazon?
What are your top 2? I definitely prefer Matthews and American to either of these (I've found them gimmicky and they seem to fall apart way too quick for c-stands).
I would strongly advise against both Flashpoint and Impact C stands. If one absolutely cannot pay more than $152 plus tax per stand then get an Impact but the Flashpoint ones are just garbage. It feels cheap in the hands, the knuckles don’t spin smoothly, and worst of all they just don’t clamp down that hard. Impact are better but they still have some significant design flaws compared to Matthews/American. They’re about 3 pounds heavier, the knuckles have a spring that ends up just getting mangled, their handles are unnecessarily large, and they don’t bite as quickly and consistently. I know gear isn’t cheap, but it’s 100% worth it to invest in quality C stands. Good ones will last you decades.
Dude, why be cagey about it? Just say the names of the damn brands you prefer. Other people asked you and it's been a year since you made this comment.
From someone that's worked G&e, please don't buy the flashpoint crapstand. Small photostudios are littered with those useless things.
Impact is at least modeled after some pro stands. One thing he didn't mention is the handles. Makes a huge difference if you have something heavy mounted that tightens the grip heads, much easier to unscrew.
If you can find a deal on a Matthews or far better on American Grip, you'll have something that'll last many years
LittleFjords 100% yes avoid both of these crap stands! American, Norms, or Matthews are the only brands to consider if you want complete reliability and longevity!
I purchased Kupo and Impact brand c-stands, and they feel very similar to MSE.
Nicolas Yang I happen to have 2 kup combo stands, and they're pretty decent. Impact is made with much poorer quality metals tho, I wouldn't trust it.
I hate C-stands with springs. They are the worst. Impacts are way more durable and their turtle base lock is way better than the spring loaded bases. Plus they hold more weight. I don't want to have to worry about my C-stands while working on different jobs with different gear and weights. I 100% trust the Impact's Gobo arms. On Set, I don't want to have to worry about gobo's slipping or being able to hold a heavier light. Safety is key on set especially if your setting up quickly and moving stuff around. Trust your gear, I trust the impacts.
"A C-Stand just a glorified light stand" Now you're reaching sir. Light stands can't grip anything...LITERALLY! Things grip it. We can start there.
Also people DO use C-Stands for lights. But just because we can doesn't mean we are supposed to. A proper heavy duty light stand is always preferred over a C-Stand.
This goes back to the days of filmmaking as Gaffers who control the lights don't really use C-Stands. Always a Jr. Pin Combo (with a "buttplug" adapter if need be) That's more the grip dept.
For instance the Impact doesn't have 1/4-20 on ends of arm because not supposed to put lights on end of grip arm. That's what a baby pin is for. (Kudos to Flashpoint for the pin).
You could do a full day workshop on the many uses of a grip knuckle alone. Let alone a turtle base. :-)
I never said that... I said "they're more than a light stand" - and then gave several examples of why they're better. We're in agreement. :)
@@TommyCallaway YEAH MAING TOTAL agreement (with a little tongue and cheek). I wouldn't be here if you didn't make great content sir. Unfortunately intent and tone don't fair well on internet. Was to be more an addendum as I have to look at these two things daily. So a touch PTSD as well. :-)
*hint....the best INDOOR ones IMHO begin with a lowercase e-* best outdoor begin with a K____ ;-) The former FAR CHEAPER as well for a full stand kit.
Also (Can't believe i'm saying this but) NEEWER makes the best overhead rollers believe it or not (if you can find them). They weigh a small motorcycle.
@@devPunks you never gave any brand name above that begins "with a lowercase e-." So, I did numerous Google searches and also searched B&H and Adorama extensively and no such brand that starts with "e-" seems to exist. If you're talking about Studio Essentials that's sure not "e-." I agree with the other poster who called you out, get over your bad self! If you're gonna make a rec make it and quit your cat and mouse BS because it just makes you look like the typical BS troll that you seem to despise!
@@Iloverat SIR You have egg on your face. Just this past couple weeks we have been having a nice dialogue about the brand with the "e-" Also gave links to where they used to be and a detailed YMMV. So will you keep that same energy? Because you are now sounding like the people YOU claim to hate. There are Amazon links etc in the description below this comment. Check the next thread homie. No need to appologize. Just read! I'm not as pretentious as you think. I just know what I know and know what I don't know. I didn't want to hijack Tommy's post with a brand he didn't discuss. But since it was asked for I showed the photos and details. That awkward moment when the boomerang returns home. "E" for "E-ffort" tho.
These are junk, if you want a real C-Stand go to Matthews.