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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: su6oxone on June 02, 2009, 12:36:14 AM

Title: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: su6oxone on June 02, 2009, 12:36:14 AM
I was thinking about getting one of these lighting umbrellas from B&H for outdoors use, but not sure if these are strictly for lighting use (e.g. are they even waterproof?) or if they could be useful for outdoors taping.  Any one have one of these types of umbrellas?  Looks like the shaft is 5/8" thick?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart_accessories&A=details&Q=&sku=423636&is=REG (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart_accessories&A=details&Q=&sku=423636&is=REG)

(http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images345x345/423636.jpg)

Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: deedee on June 02, 2009, 12:41:55 AM
have you seen this thread?
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,120482.0.html
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: sanaka on June 02, 2009, 12:59:14 AM
Yup, check that thread. Those are the way to go. Markertek sells something similar (http://www.markertek.com/Video-Equipment/Camera-Gear-Accessories/Camera-Rain-Covers/PROBRELLA.xhtml), but it's not as nice and costs more.

Peace
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: su6oxone on June 02, 2009, 01:56:39 AM
have you seen this thread?
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,120482.0.html

Thanks for the link gents but I have seen the thread but just not too thrilled about the rainbow colors or having a thread at the end (prefer to have a 5/8" shaft to stick into my umbrella bracket).  Also would like to have it by Friday.  Think I'll try this one out and return it if it's terrible or incompatible. 
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: F.O.Bean on June 02, 2009, 03:23:15 AM
Personally, I would get an average 'ole umbrella, and a Windtech clamp, and you'd be SET ;) Most every umbrella shaft will fit inside of the Windtech clamp hole where the normal Windtech stud goes. You can just simply tighten the umbrella to your stand and be setup when it starts to rain LONG BEFORE rain hits your mics ;) I used to use a HUGE umbrella that had wind vents in it to reduce the stand swaying back and forth(and I still do use it at festivals like All Good, where I'm not blocking anyones view, and when there are alot of otehr tapers nearby that can EASILY fit under my MONSTER umbrella, otherwise, I just use the small one I have just for the mics on my stand). The BIG/HUGE umbrella I have is useful for festies where everyone is CRAMMED TOGETHER, and instead of EVERY STAND having an umbrella and everyones umbrellas are almost hitting each other, I bust out my HUGE ONE, and can fit at least 2 stands worth of mics under my ONE umbrella with the wind vents, as long as the stands are close enough together. That way I can justify using such a HUGEASS umbrella ;) But last year, I bought a smaller Nautica umbrella at Walmart or Target or somewhere like that, that DOESN'T have wind vents tho :( But anyway, I just keep the umbrella in my Windtech clamp on days I think its going to rain, and keep it CLOSED on my stand until it rains, then I simply open the umbrella and Im SET, since it was already on my stand, just closed ;)

Unless you want to get a HUGE umbrella like I used to use w/ wind vents, then Id just get your regular ole umbrella from Walmart/Target/etc, and use a Windtech clamp to secure it to your stand ;) BAM! DONE DEAL ;) I'll snap some pics one day soon if you'd like to physically see what I'm talking about bro ;) 8)

I'm SURE some of yinz remember my HUGEASS umbrella with the wind vents at the 2006/2007 All Good/moedown festivals ;) I ALWAYS get my balls busted for using such a HUGEASS UMBRELLA, that is until the folks near me need to actually use it :P ;D 8)
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: su6oxone on June 02, 2009, 11:29:17 AM
Thanks Bean, good to know a regular umbrella shaft will fit in a windtech c-clamp.  How hard is it to rip off the handle though of an umbrella?  I ordered the lighting umbrella yesterday night though so I guess we'll see how it is/works.  :P
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: EarlyMorningRain on June 02, 2009, 03:13:08 PM
How hard is it to rip off the handle though of an umbrella? 

if you have a hacksaw, this shouldn't be tough to do at all.....
(or a saber-saw for that matter)
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: leehookem on June 02, 2009, 10:21:04 PM
a lot of umbrellas have ends that unscrew.
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: su6oxone on June 03, 2009, 02:03:22 PM
a lot of umbrellas have ends that unscrew.

Don't have any sort of saws, but I think I'll try this out.  Thanks!
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: taperwheeler on June 03, 2009, 06:48:52 PM
Children's size umbrellas work great.  Call me ghetto, but I've just duct taped the hell out of the handle and shaft to my mic stand in the past. Gonna invest in a clamp one of these days...
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: F.O.Bean on June 03, 2009, 08:25:29 PM
Children's size umbrellas work great.  Call me ghetto, but I've just duct taped the hell out of the handle and shaft to my mic stand in the past. Gonna invest in a clamp one of these days...

Well, I did that for YEARS, but w/ a smaller umbrella ie NOT a golf umbrella, works fine w/ a clamp, IMO! A bigger umbrella like the one I have w/ wind vents, still needs duct taped to the stand. Clamping is just a bit easier and less shitty to do after the show.

Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: Javier Cinakowski on June 03, 2009, 08:30:40 PM
The "drizzle stick" is fantastic.  It is extreamly small  (The area inside the umbrella is 12"Tall X 20" Wide)

http://www.golfsmith.com/ppage.php?stynum=DS9825&lcode=CI&cm_mmc=Shopping+Engines-_-GoogleBase-_-xx-_-xx&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=DS9825-BLK/GRY---&tcode=fr_home (http://www.golfsmith.com/ppage.php?stynum=DS9825&lcode=CI&cm_mmc=Shopping+Engines-_-GoogleBase-_-xx-_-xx&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=DS9825-BLK/GRY---&tcode=fr_home)

or flex

http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/products/246878/Drizzle_Stik/Flex_Umbrella?&lcode=cross_sales&cm_re=ps_cs_-top-_-top&cm_mmc=crosssell-_-ps-_-0-_-1&PHPSESSID=5b35bbd9a4d22beed8b254804d23694c (http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/products/246878/Drizzle_Stik/Flex_Umbrella?&lcode=cross_sales&cm_re=ps_cs_-top-_-top&cm_mmc=crosssell-_-ps-_-0-_-1&PHPSESSID=5b35bbd9a4d22beed8b254804d23694c)

(http://www.golfsmith.com/images/246878.jpg)
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: datbrad on June 04, 2009, 12:27:23 PM
I found that the navy blue stroller umbrellas work great, and several of the Team Richmond tapers are using them. They are designed to clamp to a stroller handle, so the clamp coincidently fits a mic stand perfectly. They are small like a totes, so they are just the right size, they have a goose neck, so they can be adjusted to rain that is hitting from an angle, and best of all, they have a quick release so you can clamp the base just below your mic bar, and then you simply reach up and snap the umbrella on if needed.

Best solution I have seen, and way better than back in the day when we used to lash totes to our stands with duct tape. Wish these were made back in the '80s, they would have really been nice to have for all those rainy Dead shows we suffered through.
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: yug du nord on June 04, 2009, 02:10:02 PM
I threw this together the night before Fenway...  and it worked out well enough.  I have one of these umbrella clamps:  http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/298709-REG/Impact_3117_Umbrella_Bracket.html

Then went to my local store and got a standard collapsible umbrella...  and with a hack saw, cut off the handle.  You can pick up a hack saw at any hardware store or even a big box store for a few bucks.  You'll need a standard clamp and spigot too...  to attach the umbrella clamp to.

Once you have the supplies, it just takes a few minutes to put together.
Title: Re: Light stand umbrellas?
Post by: zman on June 04, 2009, 03:32:47 PM
I go to Dollar Tree and pay the huge sum of $1.00 for the fold up umbrellas. i am on my 3rd one over the past few years. I had one destroyed at Levon Helm set in Columbus last year. Totally twisted in the lightning, thunder, and rain storm. What an experience. I did not feel bad losing a $1.00 investment.