microphone boom stand

[pop]

Anyone tried to modify a microphone boom stand to fit an umbrella and flash.
I like the basic idea of this as the boom gives adjustable height and reach, plus the stands have a heavy base for stability.

[KerryG]

I have found that my mic stand is just not up to the task compared with a good light stand and boom arm. The mic stand has a much smaller (about 1/3 as much) footprint as my good light stands making it much more unstable especially when extended and then trying to hold any weight at all. Since you can get a really good light stand on eBay for about $20, and a really good boom arm for about $40 and you end up with a far better setup than a mic stand, I don't see it as being worth the effort. Maybe you have different mic stands than I do, so I can only speak from my own experience.

[pop]

Thank you Kerry, your " so I can only speak from my own experience" is just what I am looking for. I will have a look on our local eBay. Shipping from US would be prohibitive.

[richardpcrowe]

A light boom will have a counterbalancing weight to prevent the unbrella and light from flopping over onto your subject. This would be embarrasing if using strobes but, downright dangerous with hot lights.

See this shot. The red contraption is the counterbalance weight.

Usually, I will have the single leg of the triangle pointed toward the light source for mor stability. In this case, it was more stable this way, since I would have needed to extend the boom all the way out to get the light over my subject.

By the way, I use the white stuffed animal to adjust my lights before I shoot my white dogs.