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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

accessories for c-stands?

Brandon Fraley

Brandon Fraley

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Ok, I bought a couple stands, but now i need some accessories. At the very least I need a couple baby adapters for lights (one for each stand), and I'd like a bead board holder (did I hear this referred to as a platypus?).

So what else should I look to maybe get, and where is the best place online to order them?

THANKS! :)
 
You may want grip heads and arms.
And other names for a platypus is quaker clamp, onkie-bonk, duckbill.
 
The pins on c-stands and the end of boom arms are baby "pins." No need for adapters.

Consider modernstudio.com for all your grip (except c-stands.)
filmtools.com reps many Modern Studio and Matthews items and much more.

http://www.filmtools.com/quclms42.html

Also look at MSEGrip.com and AmericanGrip.com.

The best place for answers to your grip questions is the Grip forum at cinematography.com.

M
 
Thanks guys.

I see that if I take the grip head off that there is a baby plug (is 5/8 the standard?) but I want to mount lights to the grip head at the end of the extension arm (nothing too heavy). Can someone help me find what piece I'm looking for? The grip head has 2 sizes of holes in it.

Thanks


EDIT: Is this what I'm looking for? http://www.filmtools.com/babypin38.html
 
Grip arms for lights - no

Grip arms for lights - no

You DO NOT want to attach a light to the end of a grip arm. They are not built for that. They are designed for supporting lighting control such as small flags, silks and scrims.

Two choices to get you started:
For a very lightweight light (like a Pepper 100) very close to the C-Stand, you can attach a 40" gobo arm with what Matthews calls a "magic finger" to the grip head. But this has limited uses.
Look at their catalog # 388211

What you really should consider is a mini boom (Cat # 427802) or baby boom (Cat # 427801) and a sandbag or two. This is the best way to place a small light over the scene or placing a hair light behind an interview subject. Much more capability than the gobo arm.

Of these, I have found the mini boom the most useful - ended up owning several. The Matthews numbers provided are for reference only - other manufacturers have similiar products.
 
thanks Brian. How is the magic finger better than baby pin in a grip head? They seem almost identical.
 
Baby pin vs. magic finger

Baby pin vs. magic finger

The gobo arm with magic finger is far easier to do minor adjustments to. Loosen one point and you can swivel the finger in many directions. Then tighten and you are ready to go - very quick adjustments.

On the other hand, if you loosen the baby pin in a grip head, you rotate in one direction. Then the second grip head to change another axis.

Don't get me wrong - I use both - actually have a number of pins for grip heads - have found them invaluable for many purposes.

In the long run, you might also consider acquiring a Cardellini clamp with a baby pin - a small tool that allows you to clamp a light to many objects.
 
Please don't take offense to this, but these are some very basic rigging and mounting questions. You would benefit greatly from a book or DVD that instructed you in the many uses of such tools. Abel sells some of these but so do many other places. I suggest you look into these options as there is a vast world of gripping and rigging equipment out there. Done improperly it could be expensive and even unsafe.
 
Brandon,

I'm with Matthew. I worked in Grip/Electric for quite a few years and the quickest solution is just turn the arm around. If money is no object then by all means buy all the little do-dads you want. But you don't "have to" do it.

Also make sure no matter what you put on the C-Stand, remember to "put your best foot forward" (Big leg facing the subject so as not to fall that direction) and PLEASE sand bag on the base.
 
You can flip the arm for small lights, certainly nothing bigger than a baby (1K). But please note that the arm is just a straight tube of metal, not a proper stud. A proper mount has an indent for the tie down screw of the light, which prevents it from slipping off the peg. If gravity is on your side then you can get away with it, but if you are underslinging or otherwise fighting gravity with the mount then that indent is important. Light yokes do not clamp onto their mounts, they simply shove a bolt end into the pin to hold in place. They cannot clamp because of the expansion/contraction of metal with temperature change (lights get very hot yet are often positioned or stored in the cold).
 
Mitch Gross said:
Please don't take offense to this, but these are some very basic rigging and mounting questions. You would benefit greatly from a book or DVD that instructed you in the many uses of such tools.
Click to expand...

Mitch, if you sell a video that goes over this stuff, please let know. I'd be very interested.
 
I just looked and didn't see anything in stock. But I would suggest you check out the Focal Press website for lots of options.
 
That's a good one. Look at me driving people to Filmtools!
 
Mitch Gross said:
That's a good one. Look at me driving people to Filmtools!
Click to expand...

It takes a big man to do that Mitch.

BTW the staff at the LA store was a great help in getting most of my support gear. We had some problems but they took care of it all. Thanks!
 
Another good book is The Set Lighting Technician's Handbook by Box (I think Henry Box), aka the Box Book.
 
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