Help with Neweer lighting stand

[cymruchris]

Hi all. Please let me know if I’m doing something wrong here - I bought a fairly basic neweer lighting stand on amazon - and no matter how tight I make the clamp marked in red - the whole boom section still slides on the axis marked In yellow without very much pressure - it seems like it just won’t lock - am I being a fool? Please let me know if I’m doing something wrong!

 

[Sky]

I trust you're using a counterweight? It shouldn't need to be extra tight.

Don't expect too much though - I tried some Neewer stuff, but for just a few pounds more there is better 'cheap' kit out there.

 

[Garry Edwards]

It may just be junk, products sold under the Neweer brand are in fact all just re-brands. Some products are fairly decent, others aren't.

But, it's obvious from your second photo that you've set it up (very) wrongly. The photo doesn't show the counterbalance weight but it's clear that it needs to be in the correct position and isn't. The correct position is the point at which the boom is balanced, even with that clamp loose. The clamp should just hold the whole thing in place. When it's out of balance the clamp won't be able to secure it in place - which is just as well as the whole thing will be out of balance and very likely to tip over - so it looks, in this case, that a poorly manufactured product is actually a safety feature in disguise

Hope this helps.

 

[Phil V]

The clamp is just to hold it in place - if it's not balanced properly you've no chance.

If it is balanced properly - you barely need to clamp it.

 

[Sky]

But, it's obvious from your second photo that you've set it up (very) wrongly.

Doh! How did I miss that?

Well spotted Garry.

 

[simonbarker]

As the others have said you need to properly counter balance it but even so it should still be able to lock reasonably tightly, on a Manfrotto pivot clamp it's just a thick washer against the metal (the yellow bit in your photo) but with your pivot clamp it looks like it's underneath that plastic bit so I can't tell what's gripping what.

 

[Faldrax]

I've got the same boom as you by the look of it - but mine came with a counterweight bag (which I've filled with a few kg's of pebbles, as I had half a bag of them left over from some work in the garden ).

Balance wise, it is fine with a DE-300 and 120cm octabox on the business end - as others have mentioned the clamp is there to stop it moving if knocked, rather than to hold the weight of the head, etc.

I wouldn't recommend one for professional use, but for what I want - something to use occasionally, which will do the job safely if a little care is used in setting up, it seems fine.