PBL Pro Heavy Duty 10ft Light Stand, Air Cushioned for Photo or Video PhotographicLighting

So here was my dilemma... I use my Canon 60D to film my son's basketball games continuous video using Magic Lantern. I set it on my 6' tripod on the bleachers or in some corner to capture the entire court... hence my problem... people walk by or worse yet STAND in front of the camera constantly. I needed a tripod that is higher than most, able to get ABOVE people standing around...Boy I wish I'da bought this thing years ago! this thing goes up, up and up... holding my camera up to 10 ft in the air! It's VERY sturdy... I typically use the largest and strongest sleeve to get it plenty over people's heads. If I need to go higher, I'll extend the next highest sleeve... and the best part it doesn't take a huge footprint as other "camera tripods", so I can tuck it out of the way while filming.I bought the Bescor MP101 Video Motorized Pan Head w/ remote control... put it on top of this stand... put the camera on top of that... and with the fully articulated screen on my 60D pointed to me on the floor, I can adjust the pan and tilt of the camera from 6ft, while the camera sits on it's perch 8-10 ft high! It's plenty strong enough to hold the Bescor AND 60D with absolutely no fear of falling. (I use a common 18-135mm lens, so nothing too long and out of balance, all the weight is straight down the stand)The base is adjustable in two positions, so I can get the EXACT perfect footprint for weight distribution and where it will be located. I can adjust for more stability or smaller footprint for the perfect place on the floor. I can set this back in a corner to get the entire gym, and get the angles just right and then leave it. No matter who walks in front, I have a perfect view of the entire game! I have seen it get bumped once or twice and it shows only very minor movement, and once got bumped pretty good with a very small sway that stopped within a couple back and forths... Very sturdy! Normally though, it is out of the way enough no one touches it either purposely or by accident.The Bescor weighs about 3 lbs... and camera about 3 lbs... and the stand supports up to 15lbs, so I feel very comfortable with this setup.The air cushion is AWESOME. Someone actually complained in a review about the air cushion making it hard to close quickly... then get one WITHOUT air cusion! Geez-Louise. The purpose it so gently lower the unit... that IS the purpose! and it works great! I can simply loosen the screw and it gently lowers the unit without any intervention on my part. Yes, it takes a few seconds, don't force it, that defeats the way it was designed. I love this feature on this low cost stand!Time will tell how well this holds up, but I see no reason it doesn't last as long as my other "regular" tripods. I don't fasten the plastic too tight... just tight enough... and store it with respect... I mean... it's $37... it's not a Manfrotto... and I'm using it for something it's not entirely designed for... but it is working perfectly for what I need and the design is perfect for me.Though this is not a tripod that will take the place of my regular ones for daily shooting... it accomplishes a perfect goal of mine... for weekend use... a lightweight... strong... tripod... getting my camera OVER the heads of fans for clear video... but inconspicuous enough to not be in anyone's way... perfect.

Really good stands for the money. I don't know why anyone would pay more for a stand! It is lightweight, incredibly stable, very tall, and well made. I will definitely buy it again.Just to warn you, however, the stand cannot fold 'flat bottomed' like some manfrotto mini stands, but this hasn't proven to be a problem.Also, this stand is NOT travel size, it will not fit in a backpack, carry-on, or full size checked bag unfortunately. I have figured a great work around by attaching my flash bracket to my manfrotto monopod and this works great! You'll just need an assistant on a shoot ;)Great piece of kit!

I normally use c-stands, but for mobility I sometimes need something lighter. I have about a half-dozen of these and they have been nothing but perfection. For the price, they are unbelievable in quality. I've taken them from the studio to the park to the beach undisclosed dangerous alleyways, even cross country on several plane trips where they were jostled around under the plane on several stops, and have NEVER had a problem with them. No idea where the negative reviews are coming from but they are not from professionals.

All of my locking collars have fallen off in the span of 5 weddings. This has not happened on ANY other stand but this brand. I can't even find a way to replace the collars, so this stand is useless.

I was hoping for a heavy duty stand. This thing is bigger than the other stand I have but it's made cheaply. The and mount is held in by little screws and the clamps are some kind of plastic. I will keep it because I don't want to hassle with returning it and the lights I will use it on don't weigh too much. There is no way I would trust this thing with an expensive strobe.

I absolutely love this stand... it's not tradiontially heavy like a metal stand, however it IS very sturdy. And can take a lot of weight. I use it for my dolly slider, and regular slider...and some HMI and heavier lights. Personally I will never buy another light stand other than this one unless I'm gonna get metal at which one point I personally stick with 'Impact' and get the 'turtle lock' systems.

I got this to use for my daughter's travel volleyball games with a GoPro. It works great! Love the high angle i can get with the extra 4 ft compared to a normal tripod. People can walk in the front of the camera and because it is so high my video is not obstructed at all. So far it is holding up great with no issues.If you are looking to use this with a GoPro be sure to get a proper adapter so that you can mount the GoPro on the light stand properly.

Look, they may not be top of the line, but they do the job. They were as reliable for our entire shoot and I have no complaints. Wait.. you really need to use Loctite on the top screws. For some reason they all loosen quickly. Just get a screwdriver, take 'em out, put on some Loctite and screw them back in.