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What kind of super clamps do you use for on location shooting?

haring

Member
1. What kind of super clumps do you use for on location shooting? I was looking into the Manfrotto one. Any other alternative?

2. Also, which compact light stand do you use? I want something which last longer and small in size.

Thanks!
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Dustbak

Member
Re: What kind of super clumps do you use for on location shooting?

I use the Manfrotto 035 solely. I have tried 3rd party ones but eventually these all broke (literally). Get some bolts too instead of paying prime to buy a 'double superclamp' you better attach 2 035's into a double if you need it.

I use the clamps often together with auto-poles (in studio most often).

As for a compact light stand I use the Manfrotto 5001B Nano (not sure whether this is the old name or the new one). These fold really small, light but are fairly sturdy too and reach up to 2m which is often high enough. If I need bigger I revert to the 004's (still pretty light but much larger). There are many knock off's that look like the Manfrotto's but none of them I found is as sturdy (or lasts as long). Elinchrom have some now, these bend more easily and they stey bend! I did like the bag though, it fits 3 to 4 of these little buggers.

.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Re: What kind of super clumps do you use for on location shooting?

I do a ton of location work outdoors and indoors ... and have gone through the expensive "learning curve" over the years.

For lighter duty location work, where I am alone without an assistant, I carry everything in a Light Caddy

http://www.thelightcaddy.com/

I don't think the stands I use in this Caddy are made anymore. They are air cushioned 11' max stands that are compact with a narrow leg knuckle that allows me to easily slide them into the Light Caddy's 4 dividers. I have two 7' parabolics and other smaller umbrellas in this kit. The side pockets hold the radio senders, sync cords, and all of the power cords for my Quadra kit. I just leave the Quadra heads on the stands with lens wraps around them and bungie everything so it doesn't rattle during transport. So I sling the Quadra battery over my shoulder and roll the Caddy.

As far as anything else, like other stands and clamps, I always look to see if Matthews makes it first. I learned that the hard way.

I use Matthews Super Mafer Clamps and Double Super Mafer Clamps. I have some Manfrottos also which came with a few of my first Magic Arms ... if you get any Magic Arms, for God's sake do not get the ones with the locking arm, get the version with the big screw-down grip.

In addition I especially like the Manfrotto 038 Double Super clamp for use on the auto poles in studio ... and their 123 Pivoting boom arm clamp for holding gobos and flags. If you want to use double clamps for just holding a larger foamcore sheet, or a Scrim Jim between two stands so you can angle or suspend the flat overhead, the less expensive Interfit, ones with flat surface insets are more than adequate.

For a compact stand I like the Matthews Medium Duty Black Maxi ... 39" closed and 9.5 max height. 9.5' allows use of shoot through translucent umbrellas that have to be angled downward ... but 11' is even better for this type of modifier application.

It's important to get strong stands if you intend using Super Clamps on them ... cheap ones are easily crushed when you crank down the clamp. The stands that usually come with lighting kits are about worthless, good for throwing your coat over and not much else ... LOL!

-Marc
 

haring

Member
Re: What kind of super clumps do you use for on location shooting?

I do a ton of location work outdoors and indoors ... and have gone through the expensive "learning curve" over the years.

For lighter duty location work, where I am alone without an assistant, I carry everything in a Light Caddy

http://www.thelightcaddy.com/

I don't think the stands I use in this Caddy are made anymore. They are air cushioned 11' max stands that are compact with a narrow leg knuckle that allows me to easily slide them into the Light Caddy's 4 dividers. I have two 7' parabolics and other smaller umbrellas in this kit. The side pockets hold the radio senders, sync cords, and all of the power cords for my Quadra kit. I just leave the Quadra heads on the stands with lens wraps around them and bungie everything so it doesn't rattle during transport. So I sling the Quadra battery over my shoulder and roll the Caddy.

As far as anything else, like other stands and clamps, I always look to see if Matthews makes it first. I learned that the hard way.

I use Matthews Super Mafer Clamps and Double Super Mafer Clamps. I have some Manfrottos also which came with a few of my first Magic Arms ... if you get any Magic Arms, for God's sake do not get the ones with the locking arm, get the version with the big screw-down grip.

In addition I especially like the Manfrotto 038 Double Super clamp for use on the auto poles in studio ... and their 123 Pivoting boom arm clamp for holding gobos and flags. If you want to use double clamps for just holding a larger foamcore sheet, or a Scrim Jim between two stands so you can angle or suspend the flat overhead, the less expensive Interfit, ones with flat surface insets are more than adequate.

For a compact stand I like the Matthews Medium Duty Black Maxi ... 39" closed and 9.5 max height. 9.5' allows use of shoot through translucent umbrellas that have to be angled downward ... but 11' is even better for this type of modifier application.

It's important to get strong stands if you intend using Super Clamps on them ... cheap ones are easily crushed when you crank down the clamp. The stands that usually come with lighting kits are about worthless, good for throwing your coat over and not much else ... LOL!

-Marc
Thanks a lot!!! I ordered a Manfrotto 038.
 

Kirk Candlish

New member
The Bogen/Manfrotto Super Clamp is a knock off of the Matthews Super Mafer Clamp.

And clearly the guy who designed the light caddy is a golfer.
 
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