Lighting stands are something that we are all very familiar with and we know that they can vary greatly in price and quality.
Recently I decided to update some of my lighting stands. I’ve had my old light stands for about 6 years and they were not only starting to show their age but as I’ve invested more heavily in lighting equipment (and indeed in heavier lighting equipment) I bought some new heavy duty stands from Pixapro which are much stronger, bulkier and could hold a lot more weight than my old Konig light stands.
So what are the benefits of having heavier stands over lighter ones?
Size and Weight
The first and most obvious difference between the two stands is their size. The Konig when fully extended reaches 190cm, which was never quite enough for me when I had a standing interview. The Pixapro stand, by comparison, can extend to 300cm and I have no fear of getting it to that height with a light on. Even without sandbags!
The spigot on the Konig is a fixed 1/4 spigot whereas the Pixapro has a removable spigot that can be placed in 3 different options. It is as solid as a rock!
The weight capacity of each stand is greatly different. The Konig can hold a maximum of 3KG whereas the Pixapro can hold up to 7KG. That’s over twice the weight!
This means it can easily hold the weight of the Aputure 300D with the lightdome.
Build Quality
Both stands are made of an aluminium allow but the diameter of the stand legs is vastly different. This gives the Pixapro stand the support it needs to hold these larger lights.
Another feature of the Pixapro lights is that they have an air cushion. This means that if the locking mechanism isn’t fully engaged and it starts to slip under the weight of the light, it won’t come crashing down. Instead, it will gradually lower the light until you are able to tighten it again. So handy if you haven’t noticed until it’s too late!
The Konig stand doesn’t have this and it makes me nervous that I existed without it for so long!
Price
Now you might be thinking that the Pixapro stand is getting close to the cost of a C stand, but in fact, the Heavy Duty stand is just £40 whereas the Konig is about £15.
Conclusion
For peace of mind investing in more expensive equipment, including light stands, is something that I should have done long before I did. While investing in lights and more lighting equipment, I didn’t invest in grip equipment until now. I’ve essentially been playing Russian roulette with my lights and I should never have been.
Now I’ve got 4 heavy duty stands and 1 floor stand that can all easily take the weight of my lights and don’t wobble furiously when I’m adjusting them. I can also add a boom pole to a boom buddy so that I can boom overhead without holding a boom pole for hours on end or have to rely on a microphone stand that really wasn’t up to the job.
I’m really happy with the purchase of these stands and I have no regrets.
The Konig stands are still useful to me as reflector holders so they haven’t been thrown out, not completely.
Pixapro Heavy Duty Stand: https://www.essentialphoto.co.uk/product/pixapro-300cm-air-cushioned-light-stand-with-14-and-38-spigot/