My Tripods and Light Stands


I currently own three tripods and a ton of light stands. My primary tripod/head combination is a Manfrotto 055XPROB with a Manfrotto 488RC4 ball head. It’s sturdy and it’s been my workhorse for years. For transportation I use a Manfrotto unpadded ballistic bag.

For sporting events (and also for hand holding lights on location shoots) I use a Manfrotto 680B monopod. I’ll use the monopod by itself or I’ll place a 488RC4 ball head on it for a little more control (at the expense of weight).

I’m using two travel tripods that are small, light, and very portable. The first is a small Obin table-top tripod that is good for quickly setting up my camera on a table or any available surface. I use it a lot when I’m shooting HDR shots and a full-sized tripod just won’t work. My second travel tripod is a 3POD P5CRH that I bought from Adorama. The P5CRH is incredibly small and light but it’s surprisingly sturdy. I fully understand that I have a tradeoff when I use such a small and lightweight tripod and I’ve used it with considerable success (especially when I use a cable release). It’s small enough to travel in almost any of my  camera bags and light enough to just be hung from a shoulder strap. I’ve also had a lot of success using it as a makeshift light stand in a pinch.

I’m using several light stands, boom arms and reflector holders from Photoflex, Impact (from B&H Photo) and my newest additions are from LumoPro. I have super small light stands (for illuminating backgrounds), 6′ stands, 8′ air-cushioned stands, and 13′ stands. My boom arms are from Impact and LumoPro. And to keep my stands where I placed them I use 5lb, 15lb and 20lb sand bags and 5lb counter weights.

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