Manfrotto has constructed a superb fame over greater than 50 years, catering to skilled and fanatic photographers and filmmakers. It’s a reputation I’ve come to belief for stabilizers, helps and lighting equipment, with merchandise being designed and inbuilt Italy, with innovation, aptitude and a spotlight to element.
The Manfrotto 420B Combi-Increase Stand typifies the corporate’s prowess, combining intelligent design, high-grade supplies, and glorious craftsmanship. The result’s an uncommonly versatile mild stand that offers actually steady assist even at super-tall working heights, with the added attraction that it converts to a increase in double-quick time.
The pivot clamp proven right here with warning label permits simple switching between vertical and increase operation. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Manfrotto 420B Combi-Increase Stand: Specs
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Max top
390cm / 12.8′
Min top
130cm / 4.3′
Load capability
9kg / 19.84lb (2kg / 4.4lb increase)
Weight
3kg / 6.6lb
Prime mount
5/8″ receiver, 1/4″ & 3/8″ screw
Manfrotto 420B Combi-Increase Stand: Worth
There’s no getting away from the truth that the Manfrotto 420B Combi-Increase Stand is dear to purchase, promoting for $277/£312 on the time of writing. Nonetheless, whenever you want one thing that works as a extremely tall mild stand and equally properly as a increase, you can entrust with costly studio flash heads or LED panels with out worrying about it toppling over and destroying your equipment, it’s properly definitely worth the outlay.
Manfrotto 420B Combi-Increase Stand: Design & Dealing with
Generally I want a daily vertical mild stand. Generally I would want to make use of a increase in order that I can angle a lamp or different accent into the scene from one aspect or the opposite. That may add as much as a number of stands, booms and different paraphernalia. It may be a little bit of a chore in my residence studio and much more of a ache if I’m capturing on location, forcing me into packing and carrying an ever increasing assortment of equipment.
The Manfrotto 420B Combi-Increase Stand eases the load, because it’s designed to be a ‘mixture’ mild stand and increase that gives real two-in-one performance.
The legs lengthen to a large radius, making the stand steady proper as much as its most working top. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
In vertical mode, as a daily mild stand, the 420B already presents extra versatility than most opponents. Whereas many mild stands solely lengthen to a most working top of round 215cm / 7’, this one’s a lot taller.
At full vertical extension, it reaches a towering top of 390cm / 12.8′, getting on for double the peak of many mild stands. That may be an actual bonus if I have to shoot tall topics with my key mild at a downward angle for natural-looking lighting.
The joints are securely mounted with rivets. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Then there’s the burden difficulty. For heavy studio flash heads and LED panels, many mild stands can really feel a bit flimsy and wobbly. The 420B has a most payload ranking of 9kg / 19.84lb. Once more, that’s about double the capability of many mild stands available on the market.
The 4 column/increase sections are very sturdy with vast diameters of 35/30/25/20mm. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
As I’ve talked about, whereas the stand works rather well in its common configuration, the primary attraction is that it’s greater than a one-trick pony. With a easy flick of its security catch lever, the highest part of the column converts from an upright pole to a increase arm. And due to a cleverly designed and carried out clamp, it’s equally fast and simple to decide on just about any quantity of extension and the angle at which the increase is ready.
The highest of the stand has twin mount choices for vertical and horizontal attachment of the receiver. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Naturally, when you begin extending the increase, the burden of your flash head or LED panel strikes considerably off-axis. This brings a transparent and current hazard that the stand will topple over.
To guarantee that doesn’t occur, the stand is equipped full with a ‘sandbag’, and an enormous yellow warning sticker on its pivot mechanism that claims ‘WARNING: Use counterbalance for increase use’. Manfrotto calls it a sandbag however, in truth, it’s an empty bag with two hook-and-loop sealed pockets and a sturdy metallic clip for straightforward attachment to the rear finish of the increase arm.
I actually like the best way that I can use one or each pockets with numerous weights in order that I can match the quantity of counterbalance to the perfect necessities for any quantity of extension and pivoting angle that I’m utilizing, in addition to for various weights of studio flash head or LED panel.
A security catch is integrated for switching between vertical and increase orientation, the latter proven right here. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
The reversible brass spigot incorporates ¼” and three/8” screw threads in addition to appearing as a regular 5/8” lighting receiver. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Manfrotto 420B Combi-Increase Stand: Efficiency
The Manfrotto 420B Combi-Increase Stand is not any light-weight, weighing in at 3kg / 6.6lb, and that’s earlier than you add any counterbalance weight. It has 4 telescopic sections with beneficiant diameters of 35/30/25/20mm, the highest part doubling up for increase obligation in addition to enabling the utmost vertical top of 390cm / 12.8′.
I discovered it fast and simple to regulate the peak in addition to to modify to increase configuration, the latter having a most extension of 191cm / 6.2’. Suffice it to say that with such a protracted increase size on provide, the counterbalance weight is a particular requirement, not an non-obligatory additional.
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
The diameter of the spreader legs is equally heavy-duty, at 22mm, with a leg size of 69cm / 27″. This offers a very good attain of as much as 53cm / 21″, measured from some extent on the bottom beneath the middle column to the foot of any of the three legs.
The general impact, taking the leg and column dimensions and effectiveness of the clamps into consideration, is that the stand is especially steady even at its most upright top, and really reliable in increase mode with a counterbalance weight hooked up.
Nonetheless, as I’d totally count on, the utmost payload ranking drops from 9kg / 19.84lb in upright configuration to a a lot decreased 2kg / 4.4lb in increase mode.
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Including a counter-balance weight utilizing the equipped ‘sandbag’ is crucial when utilizing the stand in increase mode. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Manfrotto 420B Combi-Increase Stand: Verdict
I discover mild stands invaluable for studio and placement setups with flash heads and LED panels, and there are occasions after I additionally want a increase. I like that the Manfrotto 420B Combi-Increase Stand is genuinely a two-in-one answer, giving me the flexibility and suppleness I would like, but from only one little bit of equipment. The intelligent design is rather well carried out, and the stand is strongly constructed and impeccably completed. Certain, it’s costly to purchase however I really feel it’s properly definitely worth the cash.
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Options
It has all of the options you want for a extremely tall mild stand and a helpful increase, multi function package deal.
★★★★★
Design
The design makes it fast and simple to arrange and to use all changes.
★★★★★
Efficiency
The stand presents very strong assist, even at its towering most top and in increase mode.
★★★★★
Worth
It’s an expensive choice however moderately priced for such a flexible stand.
★★★★☆
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Do you have to purchase the Manfrotto 420B Combi-Increase Stand?
✅ Purchase this…
You want a stand that offers strong assist at actually tall working heights, proper as much as 390cm / 12.8′.
You need the pliability of with the ability to use a assist as both a vertical mild stand or as a increase.
🚫 Do not buy this…
You don’t want such a tall stand, which exceeds the ceiling top of most home environments.
You’re not considering utilizing the stand as a increase, wherein case a daily vertical mild stand will suffice.
