I have used a lot of C-stands on sets in the past but never owned one myself. But B&H Photo Video offered to send me one for review and I had the chance to use it on a several projects.
Impact Master Century Stand
What is a C-Stand?
The C-Stand (also known as century stand) is probably the most valuable tool to a film grip next to there tape and black wrap. Not only is it a heavy duty light stand, but it also includes an arm and grip head. If you really want to learn more about the history of this tool check out Wikipedia’s entry on it.
The C-Stand consists of 4 parts.
- Legs
- Stand
- Arm
- Grip Head
C-Stand Uses
There are almost endless uses for these stands but here are a few of the main ones.
- Light stand – Mount lights to the stand or the arm of the C-stand.
- Holding scrims, reflectors, bounce cards or flags.
- Mounting backdrops.
- Tripod for overhead shots.
- Mic Stand.
Here is a setup using only a C-stand and a reflector:
If you need more control you can easily get 3 mounting points with clamps like in the image below:
The build quality on this stand is incredible. Its build like a tank. The knobs stay tight. I really can’t say anything bad about it. I will definitely be purchasing another one.
Impact Master Century Stand
