That's Not a Light Stand. This is a Light Stand.

UPDATE: As usual, alternate suggestions for humongous light stands coming in via the comments. Check 'em out if you are so inclined.
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Do you ever find yourself in need of more height and stability than your, say, 5-section compact speedlight stand can offer?

Do you sometimes need area-flooding back/separation lighting?

Are you strong enough to carry something around that is ominously described as "man portable?"

Then you, my friend, may be interested in a Luksa HI-VIEW 40-foot light stand.

Full extension pic (no jokes, please) and video link, inside.
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Make Mine a Tallboy, Please

After reading about the truck-mounted, 70-foot tall remote camera mast that Luksa makes, I clicked around in the site a little to find the "normal" light stands. They call them tripods, but they are designed just like light stands.

Only way bigger.

Here are some of the specs. The two models hit 30 and 40 feet tall, respectively. The 30-foot stand collapses to 6 feet.

There are two 40-foot models -- a normal one that collapses to 8.5 feet, and a "compact" version that closes down to 6.5 feet.

These bad boys extend with a winch (or 12v motor) so all of the sections extend at an equal rate, for maximum stability. And they will hold a 30- or 35-lb payload, respectively.

Price? Oh, yeah, that.

The bad news is that they will set you back $9,200.00 or $9,450.00, respectively.


Wait -- come back!


They are working on an upcoming lighter duty model that will go up to 48 feet, which will go in the $2,000.00 range. It is planned to have a 10-pound capability, which would make is perfect for a studio-sized head.

You may laugh, but just think what you could do with a 48-foot (as in 5-fricken'-story) light stand, as far as flooding a large scene with back/top light. Seriously, you could create a whole look with a stand like this.

Why just light a basketball court when you could light a night high school football game? Two AB1600's with sport reflectors feathered up back in the opposite corners would do it. (But only in Texas...)

I'm probably gonna be sticking to my Bogen/Manfrotto super compacts for the time being. But I figure this post has now gone on long enough to where Chase Jarvis is probably on Luksa.com ordering his right now. Especially after he sees this video.

As I always say, it is better to have a friend with a pool than to have a pool...


(Via the PW Blog)