Customer Reviews

Bogen 3373 - 5 Section Light Stand with Retractable Legs (Black)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this stand at the recommendation of strobist.com and I was not disappointed. It seems much taller than I expected. It gives me a nice high light source and when folded it straps to the bottom of my camera bag. It is only about 3" wider than my bag so I carry it everywhere. I can set it up in minutes and it gets the job done.

My only gripe might be that is seems flimsy or prone to tip if not weighted down. That should be expected by a stand that collapses to this size though.

This is exactly what I wanted, something very light and portable but capable of getting very tall. People who complain about stability clearly don't understand what they are buying -- if you want something heavier and don't want to sand bag, either buy something else or change the laws of physics. You're buying portability here. Paired really well with the Westcott 45" umbrella, which is similarly ideal for my needs.

My decision to purchase this stand was based on the unanimous great reviews from the strobist blog. I have used it primarily for indoor shoots at home and have found it extremely reliable and sturdy. Somehow, it did not fare well outdoors (falling down a couple of times, thankfully no casualties..) with the Vivitar 285 and the 43" westcott umbrella on top of it. You may have to buy some sandbags to weight it outdoors. The stands extends very smoothly and feel very professionally made even though it is light.
I would totally recommend it for the beginner strobist. Actually, I am going to go in for my second one as I write this review.

Sturdy, Portable. Start with this and you will never look at another stand unless you got bigger lights than off camera flash.

Fit the bill, good price.

His favorite thing about it as a light stand was that it was highly portable.

Perfect for that, I was jealous.

This lightweight stand has worked well for on location use. However, I have to carry weights with me to stablize so it doesn't blow away or get knocked over easily. I bought cheap 5lb ankle weights to wrap around the base.

This item was posted on line as a 3373 with only 5 left in stock leading one to believe that it was a close out of the Bogen 3373. It wasn't. They substituted two Manfrotto units. In place of the 3373's.
If i had to do it over again I would go to B&H and order the Smith Victor UK2 umbrella kit SKU SMUK2.
Lower price, two better stands, two umbrellas, two umbrella/camera clamps and a carrying case included for less then the Manfrotto stands alone. Umbrellas have a removable black backing,
You will need a order a cold shoe and I would recommend a stroboframe clamp/shoe. They are beveled at the bottom so they will not short out the pins on the bottom of the flash. Watch out for shipping charges if you order the clamps on Amazon.