CowboyStudio Photography Video Studio Premium Pro Boom Set W501 with Light

CowboyStudio Photography Video Studio Premium Pro Boom Set W501 with Light Stand, Boom & Weight Bag

Product Details

Item Weight: 8.6 pounds
Shipping Weight: 20 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
ASIN: B001SVJUPG
Item model number: W501boom

By : CowboyStudio
Price : $89.95

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
This CowboyStudio Premium Pro Boom Set with Light Stand and Boom is easy to assemble and would be a great addition to your studio. The W501 boom stand is very useful when positioning your lights more directly above your subject. Twin to our counter weight boom, the 501 boom instead utilizes the more traditional sandbag technology for extra control.
The black anodized aluminum finish gives this boom a professional look without the expensive price. The quick release locks makes adjusting the height of the stand and the length of the boom arm simple and quick.
Specifications:

Sandbag has 2 9”x10” zipper pouches, attached by carabineer clip (Disclaimer: not for climbing)
1 year manufacturer warranty

Light Stand:

Height is adjustable from 2'8"-6'8"
Footprint is 3’2"
48" long and 9” wide (at widest point) when closed
5/8" stem
1/4" screw tip on stem
Spring cushioned
Folds up quickly and easily

Boom Arm:

Length is adjustable from 3'11"-7'
5/8" stem

Directions:

Open the legs to form a tripod and fasten it in place to make sure it doesn’t move.
Then you are going to want to attach the light to the stand and make sure it is secure and applied correctly.
Attach the boom to the top of the stand and make sure it is secure to avoid any damage.
Your boom and light stand are ready to use.

The 501 boomstand is our most durable and versatile boomstand, useful in positioning your lights more directly above your subject. The sandbag allows you to easily control the counterweight and better stabilize your lighting setup. The black finish is durable and professional. Height is adjustable from 2ft 8in to 6ft 8in; Boom arm extends up to 7ft; Maximum capacity is 19.9 lbs; Footprint is 3ft 2in; Quick release locks makes adjusting the height of the stand and the length of the boom arm simple and quick; Finish is black anodized aluminum; 5/8" stems.

Technical Details

One (1) high Quality light stand
One (1) telescoping boom arm
One (1) sandbag

Customer Reviews

I have to say, this stand is quite a value for the price. It's BIG, the components are chunky and seem to be of decent quality, and I'm not afraid to put relatively heavy lighting gear on it. I'm not using monoblocs or heavy AC powered studio light or anything, just multiple flash strobes and modifiers - softboxes, brollies, etc, but I have no fears about putting a good bit of weight on this stand.
The main tube is faux-air-cushioned (meaning, it appears to have a simple spring in the main vertical tube to dampen the shock of the weighted boom arm dropping after you loosen the tilt head). The spring scrapes a bit on the inside of the tube, making a slight noise but otherwise working quite effectively. Personally, I'm not complaining - they could've left that out entirely at this price point, but it's a welcome addition.
There is an aluminum screw-in O-ring at the short end of the boom for an (included) weight bag, and there is a cheap little carabiner included in the package. This is great, because you can stick a camera bag, reflector kit, etc on that ring to act as a counterweight, or use the included bag, or whatever else you feel like. Pretty convenient.
The boom arm has one telescoping extension that goes out pretty darn far. The end of the telescoping extension has a metal stud locked in place with a clip-tensioner that feels quite secure. Once you have the end weighted down there is a small amount of flex in the arm, but that's to be expected. The diameter and weight of all the tubing is actually quite impressive, especially at this price point.
The tripod legs extend quite far out and are surprisingly stable, though if you have any significant weight on the (extended) boom you are at risk of tipping. Just make sure to keep one leg pointed toward the end of the boom arm, and utilize a counterweight. If you do that, this stand isn't going anywhere.
My favorite feature has to be the extra stud included at the top of the central vertical tube. This allows you to attach another accessory (flash, umbrella stand, lightbox, etc) at the central post of the lightstand while having a second modifer/light setup at the end of the boom arm. This is perfect for clamshell lighting setups, etc.
I've also found that a heavy duty spring clamp (or two) works great on the boom arm to hold a large reflector.
The knobs and clip tensioners seem to be sturdy and of good quality. The tilt head is probably the weakest point. It's plastic and has chunky grooved teeth that interlock to hold the boom at the desired angle. You have to loosen the adjustment lever pretty far out to be able to slip the teeth apart and adjust the tilt. Swiveling action is somewhat stiff as well. That said, it feels secure and I'm not too concerned.
It's a pretty versatile setup, all things considered. If you're on a budget (starving student, hobbyist with pro ambitions, etc), this is the perfect multi-purpose lightstand. Use this one at home or in a relatively static environment (it's bulky to carry around, though it folds up quite well and doesn't weigh too much), and get a mini lightstand for portability (LumoPro LP604 is ideal). If you're a pro photog whose livelihood depends on the best equipment, well, you should have known better than to look at this product in the first place. But it's a fine, well-made lightstand that I have no problem recommending for medium-duty use.

I wasn't looking for Bogen quality in a 60.00 boom stand, but after 7 months of ownership the mechanism for adjusting the attachment and angle of the boom failed due to a stripped bolt. After I contacted the company they quickly sent me a whole new mechanism, albeit a used one (indicated from the worn threads and marks) it too had already begun suffering from inadequate machining, as the threads on one end of the bolt were already showing damage, indicating that failure is imminent. Added to this, the arm for the boom has lost its ability to hold lightweight equipment due to the inadequacy of the locks.
Even if the parts were adequately machined, and the bolt enlarged to deal with the strain of operation, the mechanism is rudimentary at best. Even when working properly, don't expect easy or fluid movements. Lastly, note that the height of operation includes the boom extended. Meaning that the center support has one height adjustment to roughly 6.5 ft. It is not a sufficient height for a horizontal extension of the boom for lighting over an individual, say as a hair-light.
As of now, I use the boom arm (separated from stand) as a "round-the-studio" piece that comes in handy here and there. And I put casters on the stand and use it to roll around an extra large studio light/umbrella.

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CowboyStudio Photography Video Studio Premium Pro Boom Set W501 with Light