Tag: review

Flashpoint C stand review, are they better than Avenger?

Posted on by epicshit_5q7pnb

Get yours here: Flashpoint 10″ C stand

Whether you are just starting out in photography or you have been shooting for ages, a C stand is something every photographer should have in their studio arsenal. The C stand, or century stand has been around since the golden age of filmmaking. The hallmark of the C stand is their sturdy three footed base and their weight. The C stand is considered an industry standard for lighting support and there is no shortage of accessories available for them. This is likely one of the most versatile stands available, but are they worth the weight and trouble?

An Alternative

When you mention a C stand to anyone who is intimately familiar with studio lighting the brand Avenger will undoubtedly come up. The Avenger name is synonymous with C stands and was unchallenged until recently.  Avenger C stands retail for around 200 dollars, but competition has arrived in the form of the Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand. Products with the Flashpoint name are made and sold by Adorama, a well-known camera store with a large online presence. Adorama also releases their own version of many Godox studio flashes under the Flashpoint name. You can search here on Epic Shit for reviews we have done featuring Flashpoint strobes and equipment. I consider the Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand a good alternative to the higher priced Avenger stands and the Flashpoint version comes in at about half the price, 99 dollars.

Comparison

In my years in the photography industry, I have worked in many studios and came to trust the quality and sturdy nature of the Avenger C stands, so when Adorama introduced the Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand I was a bit skeptical that a stand half the price of the beloved Avenger stands could compete. My strobes are not cheap and putting trust into a stand to keep my gear from crashing and burning on the floor is something I don’t take lightly. I ordered a Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand and hoped for the best. The stand arrived quickly from Adorama and my first impression upon opening the box was that this stand is as heavy as the Avenger counterpart and seemed like it would support a small child without breaking a sweat. The Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand weighs as much as an Avenger stand and came standard with many of the grip pieces that need to be purchased separately when investing in an Avenger stand.  The Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand I ordered form Amazon (link above) came with the standard turtle base, and some very useful other goodies. The kit included a 40-inch grip arm, two GOBO heads (the heads that allow you to move the arm around or attach accessories to “go between” your light source and your subject) and even a baby pin. The baby pin is a piece of metal which inserts into the GOBO head and allows you to attach any strobe with a standard base. With this kit, if your strobe will fit on a regular light stand, it will fit on this C stand.

Compatibility

The most common question I get when I tell a fellow photographer about the Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand is “will it work with my [insert strobe brand here]”? Part of the accessory kit that comes with the Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand includes the Baby pin, which slides into the grip heads and will allow you to attach any standard strobe. I commonly use mine with a Godox S-type bracket and AD200 strobe as well as my Profoto D2, B1 and B10. I know that this stand will work with any standard Elinchrom or Paul C Buff strobe series as well. As long as the strobe will fit on a regular light stand, it will work perfectly well with the Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand – except it will be a lot more sturdy.

Using the C Stand

If you have used other straight light stands, you may have noticed that once you get your strobe, and maybe a softbox or octabox on there they can feel a bit “tippy” or unstable. We are all using sandbags on the base of our light stands right? I mean, safety first right? We would not want our lights to fall on our clients. The C stand does not remove the necessity of sandbags for stability, but when you have a whole strobe and modifier rig on one it feels so much more stable than a standard straight light stand. The first thing you will notice about the C stands is that they are HEAVY, especially compared to a regular light stand. If you will use them in your home studio mostly, I recommend investing in the caster set which allows you to easily roll your whole rig all over effortlessly. I use my Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand at home in my studio and on the road. Due to the weight, I never bring it with me on planes but if I am shooting local, I always throw it in the back of the car.  You will be surprised how sturdy the C stand is compared to other light supports. Every photographer I recommend them to never looks back and always ends up getting at least two. Even if you are using the Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand as a straight light stand and taking off the grip arm, it will still be significantly more stable than a standard light support.

Tight!

The biggest difference between a standard light stand and a C stand is that the C stand likes to be tightened, I mean really tightened. I can’t tell you how many times I have been able to get my strobe in just the right position by just cranking down on the grip handle. If you don’t have a lot of hand strength this might be a tough item for you to operate, just like if you don’t feel comfortable lifting a heavier-than-it-looks stand with a strobe and modifier attached. Therefore, I suggest practicing with the stand before you take it on a shoot or shoot a client in your home studio.

Negatives

We have fully established that C stands in general are heavy, so that isn’t really a negative, it is more of a point that should be reinforced. The only negatives I have for the Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand is that it is only available (as of this writing) in chrome. Many like the look of the black versions of C stands and the Flashpoint model is not available in other colors. The newer Avenger stands also come with an updated design for the turtle base, where one or more of the legs can be lifted to set the stand up on an uneven surface. This (for me) would only be a big benefit for shooting outdoors in rocky terrain or on stairs. These issues are certainly not a deal breaker by any means, but hey – I had to find something to ding them on, right? This stand works as well as any Avenger stand I have used so other than color this is as close as you can get to a perfect but cheaper than an Avenger option.

Do you need one?

The short answer is yes. The cost of the Flashpoint 10′ C (Century) Light Stand is very reasonable given how much you will probably use it. I have turned so many photographers on to C stands, and always love to hear from people who have been converted to the way of the C stand, please drop me a message and let me know about your experience! I would love to hear from you.

If you have a product you would like us to review, drop us a message on Twitter or on our contact form here on the website. Have a great day!

Twitter: @EpicShit9

 

Beats headphones & headsets – Powerbeats3 Review

Posted on by epicshit_5q7pnb

Get yours here: Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones

A few months ago, my generation 1 Powerbeats finally died, when I was not using them, I kept them in their travel case and they served me well for years. I wanted to stay with Powerbeats so I upgraded to the Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones, I was happy because the new beats added the cool new Apple W1 Headphone Chip, which makes pairing as easy as turning on your beats next to a compatible device like an iPhone or iPad. I was excited about the reported 12 hours of listening time, and that this generation would be sweat resistant. Did they live up to my expectations? Read on…

Price

Beats are high definition Earphones and have a premium price attached just like all Apple products. (beats electronics are now owned by Apple in case you were unaware.) there are other earphones available for much cheaper but frankly, the sound quality of the beats outshines most budget earphones. I recently found the Powerbeats3 wireless earphones on sale at Amazon for $79.99. This lower price reflects the release of the newest version of Powerbeats which are in the 149-dollar range. The biggest difference between these and the newest version is an additional three hours of battery life. This wasn’t a big deal because of a cool new feature in the Powerbeats3 (more on this in a moment).

Pairing

I tested the Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones with my iPhone X and iPad Pro, and found the pairing seamless. Both of my devices have the chips inside that talk with the new W1 chip in the Powerbeats3 and after switching on the Earphones they were immediately displayed on my iPhone. I clicked connect and they displayed the remaining battery and I was off to the races. My understanding is that the new Class 1 Bluetooth in the Powerbeats3 make pairing easier and more stable, and this was certainly my experience. To pair with another device, all you need to do is hold down the power button for a few seconds and they will be displayed on the screen of the nearest device. This made switching from my iPhone to my iPad quick and easy. I liked that you are no longer required to go into the settings and choose “forget this device” then repair each time. Being able to switch between devices easily is worth the upgrade price for me alone.

I ran with the iPhone in my pocket, sitting across the room and sitting in my backpack across the room and never lost connection or experienced static. In my previous generation earphones, I could not run with my iPhone in a backpack – I would always lose connection. Whether it is the new Bluetooth chip or the W1 chip, I have found that it all works better than previous generations hands down.

Performance

Beats headphones have a very specific sound, they are heavier on midrange and bass and if you like this sound profile you will not be disappointed with these earphones. I have been using these earphones for a few months now and have found them to sound great (like my old beats did) and have all the same features as my old beloved generation 1 earphones. These get loud and have plenty of bass. Be sure to follow the fit guide included so you choose the proper size ear tips. The better the fit in your ear canal, the better the bass response will be.  The included three ear tips will fit almost any size ear canal.

I was also impressed with the sound of the upgraded microphone when using the phone (I had a couple people use the earphones and talk to me on it so I could hear how it sounded). The addition of the new W1 chip also works perfectly with “hey siri”. When running on the treadmill you can say “hey siri” and then “read messages” after the beep to have your phone read your text messages while you run uninterrupted. On previous generations of the beats you had to hold the middle button on the control segment of the earphones to activate siri.

Battery Life

This is where the Powerbeats3 shine. It was always tough waiting for my first-generation earphones to charge, but with the new Fast Fuel technology, these earphones get an hour of use with just five minutes of charge time. I can’t tell you how many times I have forgotten to charge my earphones when I was headed to the gym! With the new Powerbeats3 I can charge my earphones on the way to the gym with a Powerbank (like you use to charge a phone). If I plug them in on the way to the gym, I always have more than enough juice to last my whole two-hour workout. This is such a convenient feature.

With the 12-hour battery life, I can easily get five two-hour workouts in on one full charge. I have found in my testing that they don’t lose a lot of power while they are in standby mode between uses. How would I rate the Powergbeats 3 battery life? Excellent.    

Negatives

If you are an audiophile, you probably won’t like the sound of these earphones, but this goes along with all beats. I personally like the sound of these earphones as well as the studio line of headphones. The only other negative I have is the carry case. The case that comes included with present generation beats is made of silicone and is not as sturdy as the cloth zippered ones that came with previous generations of the earphones. Not a big deal, and certainly not a deal breaker for me. I think the positives of these earphones way outweigh the mediocre carry case. I’m not going to include the price as a negative because if you are getting into these earphones you are already aware of the price.

Conclusion

Would I buy them again? Without hesitation. Would I recommend these to my best friend? Yes. I have been using the Powerbeats3 wireless earphones for a few months now and I love them. When my older generation earphones died, I tried a few other budget earphones but ended up running back to the beats brand like a moth to a flame.

Get yours here: Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones