Great video, Tom. Glad you touched on many of the safety points when using the stand, but a couple notes. The highest leg should be the load-bearing leg - meaning it should be directly under the extended Gobo Arm with sandbag. Glad you touched on the points of the highest leg with the sandbag lofted above the ground - that's super important. A couple other safety items when using a C-Stand would be to use a tether to the camera and to the arm - just in case the camera gets loose and falls, it will have something to keep it from fully dropping (and potentially injuring someone). Also, it's good practice to keep the arm as vertical as possible when extending to keep the open end from poking someone - and to that, it's also good practice to grab a used tennis ball, cut a slit in it and pop that on the open end of the arm, so in case someone does come in contact with it, it will reduce the potential for injury and, hopefully, be another point of warning. Of course, these are paramount on a busy set with varying lighting conditions, stands everywhere and hundreds of people on set, but all good practices in a home studio.
You're totally right about the big leg going forward. I love the idea of tethering the cmaera- I do that with my lights a lot and it definitely gives extra peace of mind.
Yes! Learning by teaching your YT audience… Great points, I'm using a C-stand for my talking mic , like a boom arm making it end up just a bit above my head and outside the frame. I also have an ”almost” C-stand with a detractable middle pin that can then be angled like the stick and hold my lights or mics or whatever. Great solutions..
Recently I read a tip for using small grit in the sandbags rather then sand. I doesn’t leak so quick or gets in the zipper and it is easier to clean up. You got to fill the bags up ahead, on location the available source is usually the go to if you dont want to drag the weight around.
That's an awesome tip. I've been buying pre-filled bags from B&H to avoid the hassle, and they've been really good. Prior to that I would put river rocks or bricks in them, but that's a bit more of a hassle.
I don't do a lot of overhead shots, but have that exact setup (with C-stand and sandbags). Depending on the weight on the arm (the camera), you can also hang a counterweight (e.g. extra sandbag) on the opposite side of the arm for additional stability.
I have that same glide gear but with the extension to make it wider. its great for unboxings or anything where overhead is ALL I need because like you said the bars get in the way on 2nd camera if using one.
Thanks for this Tom, I've been putting this off for some time but recently started looking at my options so this has been very helpful. I'm most likely going to go the C-Stand route as I can use it for other things. Currently using a camera desk mount on a ball head, jerry rigged on a photography stand. It does the job but pretty ghetto hahaha!
I've definitely found that having an easy to setup solution is super important. There were so many times where I wanted a top down shot, but honestly was just too lazy to rig something up. This has totally fixed that for me!
I’ve considered so many c-stand options for overhead shot. My goal is to keep the camera high enough so it’s out of from. Which usually means it comes from the side. I tend to do live-streaming so live cutting would be a bit cleaner. Have you come up with an improved solution that you like in 2024? C-stands seem to have the arm length that is favorable if we have large / wide desks. Towards the the end of your video it seemed as though you were planning to place stand in front of you? Did you ever end up going with that ? , if so did it block off your shot? I’ve been considering the manfrotto 131TC desk clamp because it has the crank and measurements of heigh displayed on the bar. But I like being able to roll away my c-stand. thanks again for this great video!
Great video Tom c stands are very useful but takes up to much space especially if your space is limited. I prefer mounting my stand and overhead rigs to the ceiling
The standard that introduced threaded ends to camera rigging is the bane of my existence. Having to constantly worry about the way you set things up or they might come un threaded.
It will be great if I used the C-mount for my reviewing videos, I'll have to look up for some alternative cheapo ones. 😊 And I only use a tripod facing down on the table for my overhead setup. 😑\
I used the down-facing tripod for a long time too, but the problem I had was that even though the shot looked good, the tripod was in my way and I was constantly bending around it in awkward positions. It's really nice to have totally free range of motion without hitting a camera or support!
Hi Tom, my overhead beam doesn't have a thread system to attach a ball head, how might you suggest I attach a camera and lens to the overhead beam. It does have the normal light stand male connector but just not the threads. Thank you
4:42 that is the incorrect way to use a C-stand and can be dangerous. The safest way to set up a C-Stand is to have the taller leg pointing in the same direction as the arm.
@@tombuck not only that, the alignment is wrong, the tallest leg must go like, parallel to the arm, and you're pointing the oposite direction. IK the sole weight of the stand most of the time is fine for a regular camera but considering the size of your audience and reach you got, I would sugest a way to firmply/widely clarify this misinformation
Thx for the tips, issue am getting with zve10 is irrespective of me choosing manual vs auto shoot settings it keeps showing grainy / blurry every few secons not sure why it happens any tips ?
It could be either the focus mode that's currently selected or the lens. Some lenses "focus hunt" more than others, in which case using manual focus is usually best. For autofocus, you can adjust how "sticky" or responsive it is in the settings. The ZV-E10 also has Product Showcase Mode, which is worth trying both on and off to see if that helps.
@@tombuck ya it defo keeps hunting , wonder how your videos don’t show that as u move your hands n all while filming , my regular camera is not too bad it’s the overhead one which is constantly doing it , have tried both manual and auto , changed app to 3.5 and iso to 100 but still same
Quite painful - you can see the camera bouncing around and not chained with a safe and the long leg out not in. If I where working with clients and thier stuff on the table Id certain move towards -two stands to make a goal, you can have scaff across clamped with 'baby bens' - I add an L bracket so the camera is diret below the goal bar, then have the head pointing down and use the bowl/ball to level it. And add a safety chain. THen you can level, raise lower and move l-r with no pain.
sandbags is another discussoin.. yep 4mm gravel or costly shot wont leave trails of sand across the clients posh office floor. Posh office floor?? put down rugs or tennis ball your stands.
Great video, Tom. Glad you touched on many of the safety points when using the stand, but a couple notes. The highest leg should be the load-bearing leg - meaning it should be directly under the extended Gobo Arm with sandbag. Glad you touched on the points of the highest leg with the sandbag lofted above the ground - that's super important. A couple other safety items when using a C-Stand would be to use a tether to the camera and to the arm - just in case the camera gets loose and falls, it will have something to keep it from fully dropping (and potentially injuring someone). Also, it's good practice to keep the arm as vertical as possible when extending to keep the open end from poking someone - and to that, it's also good practice to grab a used tennis ball, cut a slit in it and pop that on the open end of the arm, so in case someone does come in contact with it, it will reduce the potential for injury and, hopefully, be another point of warning. Of course, these are paramount on a busy set with varying lighting conditions, stands everywhere and hundreds of people on set, but all good practices in a home studio.
You're totally right about the big leg going forward. I love the idea of tethering the cmaera- I do that with my lights a lot and it definitely gives extra peace of mind.
I'm a week away from filming a ton of overhead stuff. Thanks for reassuring me that my plan is a solid solution.
I'm glad it was easy to c and understand
Wow, I was just about to start shopping for an overhead setup so this video came out at the perfect time! Very helpful. Thanks!
Using a lav, and it sounds pretty good!
Trying to get it figured out!
Hi Tom, thanks, useful newbie tip about not having clamps undoing.
Definitely an important one! C stands are awesome, but it's definitely a safety-first situation.
I‘ve been using this set up for about 2 months and it’s great. Super flexible and works. Can definitely recommend.
It's pretty wild how versatile a c stand can be!
This video was way too entertaining for what I was searching for!😆🤙🏿thx!
Hey thanks! That’s awesome to hear.
C and under Stand was gold
Sharing the joys of C Stands! Wonderful! Thanks for breaking down your setup and showing how and why you use them! Cheers!
They’re definitely awesome, thanks Aubrey!
YES! Been looking to add overhead shots to my content. Thank you!
There are a bunch of ways to do it, but I've found this to be the easiest for me.
Yes! Learning by teaching your YT audience… Great points, I'm using a C-stand for my talking mic , like a boom arm making it end up just a bit above my head and outside the frame. I also have an ”almost” C-stand with a detractable middle pin that can then be angled like the stick and hold my lights or mics or whatever. Great solutions..
I REALLY love the stability of c stands. They're not the smallest or most compact, but man, they're strong!
Holy cow.. did you make this video just for me? 😂 I asked a question on an older video about camera for this very thing! Tom you are amazing!
My super surveillance team is working very well. 👍
I really tried not to laugh at the high sea/c joke but dang it Tom you got me 🤣🤣🤣
As always, great video Tom and excellent outro music 👍
Thanks Daniel! 🙏
Recently I read a tip for using small grit in the sandbags rather then sand. I doesn’t leak so quick or gets in the zipper and it is easier to clean up. You got to fill the bags up ahead, on location the available source is usually the go to if you dont want to drag the weight around.
That's an awesome tip. I've been buying pre-filled bags from B&H to avoid the hassle, and they've been really good. Prior to that I would put river rocks or bricks in them, but that's a bit more of a hassle.
Happy New Year btw!
Happy new year!
I stand firmly with using C-stands for overhead shots ☺️
I'm honored to c you standing with us.
I don't do a lot of overhead shots, but have that exact setup (with C-stand and sandbags). Depending on the weight on the arm (the camera), you can also hang a counterweight (e.g. extra sandbag) on the opposite side of the arm for additional stability.
I'm definitely a fan of having more counterweights than needed, just to be safe.
@@tombuck hey Tom will the C stand work with a Canon Rebel Sl2? Do I need a spigot? totally new to this. pls help
excellent info
Thanks, Tom! Super helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
I hate your dad jokes. but i also love your dad jokes😂
Good stuff Tom, This is how I do it also ✅
:: Version 2 of the 24-105 has a lock feature.
I have that same glide gear but with the extension to make it wider. its great for unboxings or anything where overhead is ALL I need because like you said the bars get in the way on 2nd camera if using one.
Oh I didn't even realize there was an extension, that's awesome. It's a really nice and simple rig overall.
@@tombuck yea, its been out maybe a year or so? it extends the whole rig out to about 4ish feet.
Another awesome video! Thanks Tom! Happy New Year. We will C- you later.😜
Happy New Year Joey! Glad to C you here 👍
Liked for the great video, subscribed for the Aquabats.
Tom, you’re the bomb.
.com?
Thanks for this Tom, I've been putting this off for some time but recently started looking at my options so this has been very helpful. I'm most likely going to go the C-Stand route as I can use it for other things. Currently using a camera desk mount on a ball head, jerry rigged on a photography stand. It does the job but pretty ghetto hahaha!
I've definitely found that having an easy to setup solution is super important. There were so many times where I wanted a top down shot, but honestly was just too lazy to rig something up. This has totally fixed that for me!
I've never seen this emoji, but I like it.
I really do not care what other people have said about you. I actually think you are funny. hehehe!
Darn right.
(Thank you)
Awesome video set up. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Have a great day. 😊852 likes
Than you! Hope it was helpful!
I’ve considered so many c-stand options for overhead shot. My goal is to keep the camera high enough so it’s out of from. Which usually means it comes from the side. I tend to do live-streaming so live cutting would be a bit cleaner. Have you come up with an improved solution that you like in 2024? C-stands seem to have the arm length that is favorable if we have large / wide desks. Towards the the end of your video it seemed as though you were planning to place stand in front of you? Did you ever end up going with that ? , if so did it block off your shot? I’ve been considering the manfrotto 131TC desk clamp because it has the crank and measurements of heigh displayed on the bar. But I like being able to roll away my c-stand. thanks again for this great video!
Great video Tom c stands are very useful but takes up to much space especially if your space is limited. I prefer mounting my stand and overhead rigs to the ceiling
A ceiling mount would be a brilliant idea! I’ve got a ceiling fan which makes it kinda tough but otherwise I’d love to try that.
@@tombuck Yes sir thank you some GREAT ideas love the videos as well
Bro, I love your Dad Jokes lol.. Great video Tom
Haha, thank you!
The standard that introduced threaded ends to camera rigging is the bane of my existence. Having to constantly worry about the way you set things up or they might come un threaded.
I love anything that has locater pins to help keep things secure.
Do you have link to the black mount the camera goes on that attaches to the end of the stand ?
Awww Yeah!!!
I really was hoping you to make a video. Thank you 🤗
I'm really glad to hear that, I hope it was helpful!
@@tombuck undoubtedly 💯
Nice video Tom. Could you tag the jobs tripod head?
Tall leg same direction as the boom
Camera is a pirate 😂😂😂😂😂
It will be great if I used the C-mount for my reviewing videos, I'll have to look up for some alternative cheapo ones. 😊
And I only use a tripod facing down on the table for my overhead setup. 😑\
I used the down-facing tripod for a long time too, but the problem I had was that even though the shot looked good, the tripod was in my way and I was constantly bending around it in awkward positions. It's really nice to have totally free range of motion without hitting a camera or support!
Tom what ball head mount did you use? Also, do you recommend it or another one?
I just use the one from my Job Gorillapod, but any ball head will work. Sometimes I'll take the one off of my travel tripod and use that instead.
@@tombuck Thanks for the reply.
Do you have a link for the ball joint?
It's the Joby one, which I really like: geni.us/ba6uR
Amazing desktop mat.. where did you find it?😅
The brand is "GDBT" on Amazon. I'm not sure if they have this specific pattern anymore though
@@tombuck I appreciate your answer, greetings from Colombia!!
Oh the puns 😅
Just use the ulanzi gear tree, you can mount both cameras
I've seen that, it looks awesome!
Dang I’m pretty early
link to the ball mount?
Hi Tom, my overhead beam doesn't have a thread system to attach a ball head, how might you suggest I attach a camera and lens to the overhead beam. It does have the normal light stand male connector but just not the threads. Thank you
I've used adapters like this that work pretty well: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1646302-REG/camvate_c2704_light_stand_mount_with.html
Amazing, thank you @@tombuck
where are the mounts to use?
thanks for the vid ... what is called the one you holding your hands 5:42
It's a "grip head" - most c stands come with at least one, and sometimes two.
Have you already found Atem foot pedals to change the camera discreetly during transmission?
I’ve been using the Elgato one since it came out, but I didn’t know there were any for the ATEM specifically? That would be amazing.
How long is the grip arm in your video? The link for a c stand has a grip arm of 40” which doesn’t seem like its as long as the one you used
Mine IS the 40" one. I think a wide angle lens might make it look longer than it is.
4:42 that is the incorrect way to use a C-stand and can be dangerous. The safest way to set up a C-Stand is to have the taller leg pointing in the same direction as the arm.
This is true- I made a mistake there when adding the counterweight.
@@tombuck I C, well I am glad we can now underSTAND.
@@tombuck not only that, the alignment is wrong, the tallest leg must go like, parallel to the arm, and you're pointing the oposite direction. IK the sole weight of the stand most of the time is fine for a regular camera but considering the size of your audience and reach you got, I would sugest a way to firmply/widely clarify this misinformation
May I ask where did you get the ball mount from?
It’s from my old Joby GorillaPod. It’s a good one, but there’s nothing super special about it. Sometimes I’ll use ball mounts from travel tripods too.
Do you use a long wire for the camera or a wireless solution when it’s on the stand?
I’ve done both, by typically I’ll just use a long hdmi cable.
Thx for the tips, issue am getting with zve10 is irrespective of me choosing manual vs auto shoot settings it keeps showing grainy / blurry every few secons not sure why it happens any tips ?
It could be either the focus mode that's currently selected or the lens. Some lenses "focus hunt" more than others, in which case using manual focus is usually best. For autofocus, you can adjust how "sticky" or responsive it is in the settings.
The ZV-E10 also has Product Showcase Mode, which is worth trying both on and off to see if that helps.
@@tombuck ya it defo keeps hunting , wonder how your videos don’t show that as u move your hands n all while filming , my regular camera is not too bad it’s the overhead one which is constantly doing it , have tried both manual and auto , changed app to 3.5 and iso to 100 but still same
@@tombuck thx for the response
Quite painful - you can see the camera bouncing around and not chained with a safe and the long leg out not in. If I where working with clients and thier stuff on the table Id certain move towards -two stands to make a goal, you can have scaff across clamped with 'baby bens' - I add an L bracket so the camera is diret below the goal bar, then have the head pointing down and use the bowl/ball to level it. And add a safety chain. THen you can level, raise lower and move l-r with no pain.
sandbags is another discussoin.. yep 4mm gravel or costly shot wont leave trails of sand across the clients posh office floor. Posh office floor?? put down rugs or tennis ball your stands.
If you have the stand directly infront of you…. If it tips over, it will hit you in the face. Something to think about.
Gotta protect the money maker for sure.
just run pipes across your ceiling then you have thousands of options, and not in your way. it's already a studio, you wont see them.