Tony’s Home Brew Studio.

Maximizing your studio space with column stanchions and super clamps.

The Studio Set Up from Anthony Zeh on Vimeo.

Many people have little studios in a bedroom, as I do. The problem I kept having was lack of space. My room is 12x11, more like 10x9 when you figure your tripods and light stands can’t get in close to a wall. Not very big for a studio, but doable. I really wanted more space, but knocking down walls was not an option. So I set out to look at the problems and how to solve them. The biggest problem was tripods and light stands can only get in about a foot from the wall and 2 feet in from a corner. If I could get lighting equipment and cameras up to the wall, I could gain back about 2 feet in useful space. Also I hate tripping over the legs of tripods and light stands which is a problem in a small space.  These were the problems I set out to solve.

Studio room filled with light stands and tripods

I have only 8’ ceilings so I decided to find a way to work with that. I figured I could hang something, but the mobility of equipment would become an issue. Then I thought of something I had seen as a contractor, which were supports for creating barriers for remodeling. They were expandable stands that went from floor to ceiling.   With this I could add a Super Clamp and I could solve both of my issues. I could get my lights close to the walls and even in the corners. And no more legs to trip over. This allowed more options and lots of possibilities.

Studio space with support stanchions and super clamps

For a small cost I added about 46 square ft of usable space to my studio in a room that is about 136 sq ft. That’s tremendous. Depending on how many you use, just one stand set up will run you about $50. I got 6 for my space to offer the most versatility. Most people could work with just 3.  I bought these less inexpensive Super clamps for $20 ea. The Monfrotto ones are very nice, but at about $35 each, I opted for the $20 version. They are still solid units. The safety catch on them are not that great, but I have not had any issues. 

For the Stands I used the ones below from Haul-Master. I wouldn't hang anymore than about 15 Lbs of equipment on these, but they are stable. They will extend up to 114" or 9.5 ft. Best deal for the Support Bar. Depending on your strobe or lighting heads you may have to get longer studs for you Super Clamps or use a Umbrella holder to make the room for your light head.  If you use these Haul master Supports, do not put too much pressure. You may damage your ceiling or break the handle on the support. Just make in nice and snug between the floor and the ceiling. No need to push up your ceiling. The ratings on the supports are mixed, but My feeling are they are stable for the use of light stands, just don't put your strength into tightening as you can break something.

For my crossbar I have a monfortto I bought years ago but for a decent inexpensive one I found a 10' one similar to what I use, see below. For my white vinyl seemless I bought the following and and used Gaffers tape to attach it to a ABS 2"tube from Home depot. It is not attached to the cardboard tube it comes on and the tube is not great for support.



Camera Setup is a cross arm with a lap top stand. Any ball head or pan head with a 3/8" screw will fit. **Note: I did have to modify one of the Super Clamps to make this work.
 I drilled out the center hole on the clamp with a 5/16" drill bit and tapped the hole with a 3/8" tap. These can be bought at Home Depot for about $10.

$2 fix to secure your Wireless receivers to your monolights.

Securing your Wireless receivers to your Monolights. I found this a quick easy fix for keeping dangling wireless units around my Monolights. I picked up several feet of ¼ / 20 all thread at home depot for $2. I cut the all thread to 6” pieces and threaded onto my wireless receivers. I have images which show them attached to a Pocket wizard and also a Cactus 5 transceiver. I then slid the all thread with the receivers attached into the umbrella holder on my Alien Bee units. This keeps them up, secure and clean looking. This won’t work if you are using umbrellas, but in most cases I am running softboxes or beauty dishes.  So for my needs it’s a great and easy fix.

Pocket wizard with 6" 20 / 1/4" all thread

Pocket Wizard with all thread secured in umbrella holder

Cactus V5 Receiver with 6" 20 / 1/4" all thread

Cactus V5 Receiver with all thread secured in umbrella holder

  

Vagabond Mini Lithium - A great little power pack.

Vagabond Mini with Alien Bee 1600 Recycle Test


Ever think about taking your studio strobes on the go? The Vagabond Mini Lithium power pack by Paul C Buff is a great way to go. This unit packs a punch of power at only about 3lbs. I received this unit before I got my Alien Bee 1600 strobes, so my first test was with a couple of Adorama 620 Flashpoint II units. The unit responded well. When I got my Alien Bee 1600 I did a more controlled test. (see video for A/C vs. Vagabond Mini Power Supply.) 

The average recycle time is about double that of direct AC power, but for a 3lb portable power supply, I think it’s a great choice. The old standard Vagabond was about 18 Lbs. That is a 15 lbs weight saving. And though it only has two outlets, you can power up to three units with a power strip. I saw were on was testing with four units, but I think 3 would be the max I would push on this unit.


 What you see on the front of the unit is a Power switch flanked by two 120 V Outlets. There is a battery indicator with three lights indicating ¼, ½ and ¾ + power. The unit also has a 5v USB power supply for cell phones and such, but will not charge an iPad. The unit has a 30A flat fuse which replacements could be picked up at your local auto parts store. 


It also has a clamp on the bottom of the unit to attach it to a light stand. The clamp will not hold the unit where ever you clamp it. It will slide down to the next stop on your light stand. I usually attach my unit to the lowest section and allow it to rest where the three legs come together on the light stand.


These units are well-built and made in the USA. The Batteries come from China and are exchangeable for extended use. The Vagabond Mini Unit runs about $240, Extra Battery is 
about $ 90, and a carrying case is about $15.

Video of Vagabond Mini Power pack in Buff Bag with spare battery.

Video of recycle comparison of Vagabond Mini Lithium power pack vs. A/C power. Great little unit for portability.

DIY Adapter for Adorama Flashpoint II light Modifiers to Alien Bees

OK, this is a simple modification to attach Flashpoint II light modifiers to a Alien Bee. You may ask why? Well my first studio strobes were Flash point 620 units, as I hadn't discovered Alien bees. The flashpoint did me well, but I had one unit burn out. They are a little bulky which I did a lot of location shoots an they were kind of a pain to lug around. So I decided to upgrade to Alien Bee 1600, which are 1/2 the size and twice as powerful. Though I can get speed rings to use my softboxes, I still had a beauty dish and snoot which I couldn't use. So I thought I would go and seek out a DIY solution to connect the two. I was lucky to find just the right fix. See the Video to view the Adapter.

What was needed.
1 NDS 4" adapter (Found in the irrigation isle at Home Depot) $2.50
1/4" hard board or MDF $2.50

Tools
Utility Knife
5" Hole Saw
3 1/2" Hole Saw
Glue to connect wood ring to 4" adapter