Reflector stand
 

Can anyone point me to a cheap reflector stand that is under 29" when folded up?

need to put it in my luggage.

You want a real reflector stand, one of those things for a collapsible reflector disk with clips to hold each side? If you don't need something like that, one of the Lowel Uni stands and a spring clamp (or two) would do the trick. They're quite compact.

~~Dave

Look at musician stores. They have a bunch of different stands that might work. Drum stand, keyboard, mic, etc. I have five mic stands that I am using as makeshift C stands.

Saw one today actually - let me take a look at reflector arms and discs at the photo store - see if I can find some way to hook it to a mic stand. I like the collapsible discs because, well, because they collapse.

I bought a couple of the 5 in 1 reflector kits from B&H and the came with a stand that's really neat the way it collapses into a single length, arm and all, but it does NOT collapse to 29" - more like 40".

If you get past that, it's a very nice kit. $115 with the reflectors, including black (negative fill) and the core is a very useful 42" diameter diffuser. I use it for holding black foamcore cutters, more than anything else.

The stand alone is $80. It's a Impact brand, which is B&H's own, I believe.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...arch&Q=*&bhs=t

I got reflector holders that are not from a sponsor. They have reasonable quality for the price, but I think there is a design flaw that may have been remedied in the Impact holder. The ones I have use two ball joints that clamp between plates that have two sockets. This makes it very easy to use since moving the arm in all axis requires the use of only one knob. The problem is that it takes a lot of pressure to hold a metal ball completely still in a socket. The handle/knob of one has already broken. The good news for me is that it was easy to replace with a sturdier type from the hardware store.

The Impact model you link to uses what looks more like a regular grip head holding a 5/8" rod that supports the reflector clamps. Since it seems to use standard light stands, maybe this 22" model (42" is huge and may be too large in wind) will fit more easily:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...#goto_itemInfo

If I am correct about the construction, you can probably cut a 5/8" rod down just enough to fit in 29" luggage and still hold the 22" reflector. Perhaps Jack can clarify how that holder is made.

Marcus, I don't think Brian was concerned about the size of the reflector, since he asked only about a stand, and the stand in your link is the same as the one in my link. The 42" reflectors fold down into a neat little 14" diameter zipper bag, and would store easily in a suitcase, so the 22' reflectors must be miniscule when folded.

Brian seems to be concerned about the collapsed length of the stand and arm not exceeding 29". If I could remember how to post photos here, I could annotate them with some dimensions, and provide closeups of the joints at the head, and at the clips. In any event, I don't think that the stand and grip arm are separable.

"Brian seems to be concerned about the collapsed length of the stand and arm not exceeding 29"."

That's why I suggested looking at the 22" models since it would only need an arm a few inches longer than the width of the reflector. Since portability is so important, perhaps a small/medium reflector with a standard telescoping reflector holder and a short light stand is the best idea. There are light stands from about 2-15 feet tall so I'm sure there are lots that pack under 29". The telescoping reflector holders must include some for smaller reflectors that will fit in luggage.

For compactness you could try a magic arm and some spring clamps
http://www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/site/manfrotto/pid/2726
http://www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/site/...ivid=53&idx=60
Screw or clamp the magic arm onto an ordinary lightstand and use the spring clamp to hold the reflector (OK it's not as rigid as a proper reflector stand but should do the job for quick temporary setups)

I have yet to find a reflector holder that works, particularly outdoor. I ended up making my own. Although there's a patent pending if you are handy with tools you can build one.

http://www.nino-g.com/flexdisc.htm

I like that idea, Nino. I thought of a way it could be made more compact for storage. It would even take slightly less material. I really like the idea of using the quick-adjust ball head. PM me and I'll tell you what I think could be an improvement to your design.