Manfrotto 420CSU - Convertible Boom Stand with Sand Bag - 13.4' (4m)

Comments about Manfrotto 420CSU - Convertible Boom Stand with Sand Bag - 13.4' (4m):

I'm basically very happy with this stand. It's sturdy and has good extension. I have an AB800 and with that on one end and a 15 pound counter weight on the other it can go out to full extension without getting bendy or anything. It is a bit heavy, so it's not something I think would try and take on location, but for studio work it has been great.
Beware though, this stand is NOT air cushioned, as I found out the hard way, while moving the stand around a bit the top tier for some reason suddenly came crashing down and I came a couple inches away from getting a 15 pound weight to the head.

Comments about Manfrotto 420CSU - Convertible Boom Stand with Sand Bag - 13.4' (4m):

This is a double-duty product-it can serve both as a stand and as a stand with a boom, which makes it a great value. It is especially great to carry on location, as you only have one thing to carry or lose, instead of a stand, boom clamp, boom arm, etc.

It is stronger than it appears in the picture, and the boom arm can hold quite a load-I use my Speedotron brown line M11 heads with a snoot or reflector without worry. I have also used a small softbox on the M11 without a problem.

If you are planing on using it as a boom, I would consider adding a second weight to the stand, down low, for safety reasons. The sandbag (which comes empty, BTW) is meant to counteract the weight on the boom arm. I would also recommend adding the caster/wheel kit if your intended use is as a hairlight, as they need more frequent repositioning than do lights on stands alone in my experience, and the setup can become quite heavy to lift or slide around.