The 8.5' Avenger Wind Up Stand 26 with Braked Wheels is a heavy duty, chrome-plated steel stand with braking wheels and a single cranking, locking riser. It has both 5/8" male and 1 1/8" female mounts and can support almost 100 lb. It also has a leveling leg for uneven terrain.
| Stand Type | |
| Maximum Working Height | |
| Minimum Working Height | |
| Load Capacity | |
| Stand/Column Top Mount | |
| Wheels | |
| Air Cushioned | |
| Leveling Leg | |
| Weight |
| Stand Type | |
| Maximum Working Height | |
| Minimum Working Height | |
| Load Capacity | |
| Closed Length |
| Stand/Column Top Mount |
| Accepts Second Riser | |
| Wheels | |
| Air Cushioned | |
| Detachable Base | |
| Leveling Leg | |
| Reverse Legs | |
| Interlocking Design |
| Column Diameter | |
| Number of Sections | |
| Footprint Diameter | |
| Leg Shape | |
| Finish | |
| Material | |
| Weight |
| Package Weight | |
| Box Dimensions (LxWxH) |
I wanted one shorter wind-up for weight and simplicity, as boom-arms can give me the extra height when needed. This really fit the bill and saved some money. It is very stable, and it makes lifting a 40-50 lb. setup very easy. The cables are not visible, meaning they are in the lower column, and this may explain why the cranking mechanism is not as smooth as on other models where the cables are visible in the upper column. I like everything about this stand except for the lack of winding smoothness. It inspires confidence, and it just feels safe, as loads don't seem to come down with increasing momentum. It is easy to roll and make fine positioning adjustments with its wheels. Note that a few fasteners needed tightening upon arrival. I also have a Matthews The Panel, and that is incredibly smooth, plus it goes to 11 feet; however, I have more confidence in the Avenger's stability because of its base design. Also, with the Matthews model, I have to be super careful about allowing loads to come down too fast--momentum builds and the handle wants to go faster and faster, even spinning freely if unchecked. Now I'm waiting for a third wind-up, a 12 foot model, and I'm going again with Avenger because of the stability and sense of safety. Hopefully its wind-up action will be a little smoother.
This is the kind of stand that takes the work out of light adjustments when you have a huge beauty dish and moonlight on a boom counterweighted and it's to heavy to lift and lower, pick up and move like I do 25 times a shoot. It gets so tiring and I hurt my shoulder so this stand has made moving and adjusting my heavy key light!