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Teach me about sandbags
So after i have had a couple of lights fall over outdoors due to wind i am going to buy some sandbags to help weigh them down. I did not realize there are so many options. What weight sandbags do you use? How many do you use per light? What do you fill your sandbags with? (so far i have heard rice and gravel) And finally, is there anything else i should be aware of as a first time sandbag purchaser? Sep 20 14 05:27 pm Link Sonn wrote: I use empty bags that are capable of 20lbs and use whatever is on hand, usually rocks. I carry 6 in my backpack since they're light and small when empty. typically only need one or two. Sep 20 14 05:29 pm Link In the studio, I have an inventory of about 20 sandbags ranging from 5 pounds to 30 pounds. In the field, I will carry what is convenient. Depending on where I am going, I will sometimes take my pre-filled bags. Normally the heaviest I will carry is 15 pounds. Anything heavier is just too awkward. When weight is an issue, like Jay, I carry empty ones and fill them with whatever is around. I can normally find sand, dirt or rocks to put in them. I bring along plastic freezer bags which I fill and then put into the sandbags. It is cleaner and easier to dispose of. Sep 20 14 05:37 pm Link -JAY- wrote: There are some designed to hold water as well. Sep 20 14 05:56 pm Link Sand bags can be filled with sand or lead shot. The lead is a lot heavier and takes up less room. There are also travel bags that are empty and some use water bags. They travel empty and fill them up on location. But for their size they don't give a lot of weight. Sand has a tendency to eventually leak out. Buy good quality bags. They last longer. Consider the stands you're now using. You may want to buy heavy stands with a wide stance for your outdoors work. Enough wind will blow over anything. You can also stake and use guy wires. If you've ever watched a film crew setup outside, they use very heavy duty stands. They have a boat load of weight on them and the stands' legs may spread out 4' to 6'. I was on a motion picture shoot where they had a 20by. That's a 20 food by 20 foot piece of material. It was used as a reflector. Things like that need to rigged by professional grips. If you haven't messed with C-stands they are heavier and easier to secure than standard still photography light stands that are designed for studio use, not outdoor use. There are a few different manufacturers of motion picture lighting gear but Mathews lead the way. Since then others have done a very good job.. Check out this link for better stand options.... www.msegrip.com Sep 20 14 06:00 pm Link These are what I use. They are cheap and you can't kill them. They have double-zippers so that you won't have the insides leak and there is a metal bar going down the center to keep it sturdy: http://www.amazon.com/PBL-HEAVYDUTY-SAD … y+sandbags I used to have one set full and one set empty for when I'd go on location somewhere and didn't have the easy ability to carry lots of heavy sandbags so I'd fill them when I got there. It also took me a long time to find a filling that I liked also. Now I use small bags of washers. I went down to a local hardware wholesale store where construction companies buy their screws and nails and such. It's a LOT cheaper than lowes or Home Depot...a small fraction of the price actually. So I bought thousands and thousands of washers...about 1/2" diameter. They come 200 to a bag and the bags are pretty sturdy so it's real easy to load an unload the sandbags if you need to plus the weights are easy to work with. Sep 20 14 06:26 pm Link All good tips here. But also consider the stand. I have a Matthews Light/Heavy Duty Double Riser, second one on this list: http://www.msegrip.com/matthews-revenger-stands.html the center column unlocks and slides down, giving you four points of contact. Same goes for all Matthews Hollywood stands. With c - stands remember weight goes over the tall leg, a quick video to explain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf2ci-c1sSA , I put the weight over a leg on any stand I use. But to answer your question I use links of chain. 25lbs bags, heavy to carry, yes, but I don't worry about lights falling down. I use a boom arm with a ranger head. No leaking sand. Rice was a new one, not sure if it will go bad after sitting in water. I have the galvanized chain to prevent rusting, spray them with WD40 after I take them out the water. Travis Sep 20 14 06:55 pm Link I've just put weight plates, like gym weights, in my sandbags, 2.5, 5, 10 lbs. Never leak, easy to change over. But dang near anything can be used as a weight if you're not worried about people judging your gear. I'd rather have a dual purpose item than carry around sand, like cheap cloth grocery bags with water/pop bottles. The bottles can be empty til you need them. For my tripod, I have a carabiner on a cord, and hang a handmade cloth bag on it. I can keep stuff handy and out of the way, nothing hanging on my neck or getting my back sweaty, and it stabilizes the tripod nicely. Sep 20 14 08:28 pm Link Steel shot -- as used in sandblasting/shotblasting is heavy/dense and readily available at tool supply places. Sep 20 14 09:25 pm Link I had several 10 lbs ankle weights for exercising. I needed weights for my stands and thought why not. So I put one on each leg on the stands and works great. No mess, nice Velcro, looks good. Sep 20 14 09:58 pm Link If I'm mobile I've been known to use water bags / bottles although I find my camera bag and rucksack to be the best options. Sep 20 14 11:41 pm Link For sandbags that are meant to go back indoors I use playing sand (children's play sand). I am a bit funny about bringing crap and insects inside the house. Sep 21 14 03:34 am Link Ironically, I didn't like the idea of using sand seeing that I thought maybe it would leak out here and there. So I went to Home Depot and first bought plastic sandbags as liners for my actual canvas sand bags. I filled the plastic sandbags with small pebbles instead of sand just so I would worry about any leakage since the pebbles were a little bigger, yet still formable. Then tied the plastic bag in a knot THEN put that in my canvas sandbag. They have never leaked in the 7-8 years I have had them. Mine are about 15-20 pounds, That's more than enough for most uses. If you do use peoples, it's best to let them dry out first since some come a little wet sometimes. Sep 21 14 05:34 am Link I use ankle weights, 10lbs seems sufficient but I'm shooting with Speedlites on Manfrotto 3372 stands which is a very lightweight set-up. The ankle weight wraps very neatly around the center pole and velcro's on. It's whatever works for You. Sep 21 14 05:37 am Link Sandbags will only provide minimal help outdoors. You really need assistants to hold the stands, or you need to guy wire and stake the stands from high up on the stand. Sep 21 14 06:05 am Link +1 for the convenience of ankle weights. Separate compartments so that you can vary the weight from 2 to 10 lbs. Plus you can combine more than one if more weight is needed. No issues with sand, easy to transport and, as mentioned, the velcro straps make it very easy to attach to the center pole. Under $20 at Walmart. Sep 21 14 10:05 am Link Sonn wrote: I bring along 4 pillow cases. Easy. Fill them with whatever is on hand. For very windy days I bring along tent spikes and string. Sep 21 14 10:28 am Link The also come in voice activated and self propelled models, we call those Marines  Sep 21 14 10:36 am Link I got a couple. One I had to fill and has bright yellow and black stripes to make you aware it is stilling there. I filled it with pebbles out of a sack from the garden shop. Maybe 16 pounds overall. It has a double zipper per side-bag so it doesn't leak. The other I bought out of Samy's in LA. Maybe 25 pounds (pre-filled by them) and it's their own brand. Has a molded carry handle too which is nice. Looks better than the above too. I'd guess both were about $25 or so. I also have a 86" Buff PLM that I re-rodded with some 0.262" diameter drill rod out of Graingers.com as the Buff 7mm one was aluminum and bends too easily. It extends by maybe 1/4" out of the tip of the PLM (A thin nylon doughnut collar and a steel axle collar with a setscrew at the end.) so I can attach a 1/8" nylon rope to some tent stakes around the nylon piece. Sep 21 14 10:37 am Link I use two bags minimum for each background stand. For large butterflies I'll use double super heavy bags like 35lbs, and have one or two at the edge of the legs. For lights with a regular light, probably just one 25lbs bag. However, I don't use many regular lights, I use really really large stands for my Mola Setti mounted on a RedWing/Cambo Boom, and that's like 2 sandbags to counter balance the boom, two on the legs, and two on each corner to hold it in place. I also have a large 220cm umbrella and use two sandbags on the stand itself, one for counter balance, and two to hold it in place from the wind. When I've got the c-stands setup with v-flats or large pieces of foam core held in place by the grip arm, I'll end up using two to three bags to keep it in place from the wind. Impact bags are my cheap go to right now, they used to be like $13 bucks, but they're $18.99+, I fill them with play sand from Home Depot for $3.99 a 50lbs bag. That said, I do prefer professional prefilled bags when working on real sets since they're more durable and sewn shut, these types of bags will typically last 20 years even with abuse. You can never have too many sandbags on location. Sep 21 14 10:51 am Link Try these off of ebay. I fill them with lead weights or even lead bullets that I haven't gotten around to loading yet. http://www.ebay.com/itm/5KG-11Lbs-Capac … 43cf7f77e1 Sep 21 14 11:44 am Link Caitin Bre wrote: That's a great idea - thanks so much! I'm glad I clicked on this thread - that seems like of the many 'little things' that end up making your life so much easier. Sep 21 14 07:35 pm Link Sonn wrote: The only things you need to know about sandbags. Sep 21 14 07:51 pm Link Any store sells rice, then feed the animals with it after if it's a field shoot and you're packing them up empty. Animals need to eat too. Sep 21 14 08:06 pm Link . Wind Speed _________________ = How much weight you need in your sand (or whatever) bag Umbrella Size + Hight It's not rocket science people  It does help to use a C Stand tho. Sep 21 14 08:19 pm Link I use my camera bag on one....battery pack on the other it's heavy enough to hold it down. Use the gear you bring with you instead of adding to it.....Or use the model's bag, they all have one. LOL Sep 21 14 08:28 pm Link Some tech vid recommended 1 10lbs bag for every riser you raise. Sep 22 14 07:24 am Link Yeah, I agree with a low-tech approach: I've seen people use gallon jugs filled with water with bungee cords, or sturdy nylon bags filled with whatever is available (e.g. rocks or sands). Check at a camping supply store for ideas. The problem with purchased sandbags is that they are always full, and they are always heavy, which makes lugging them about to locations difficult. Sep 22 14 07:41 am Link +1 to what Stanley said. 10lb is a good size for boom counter balance 20lb size is a good size for C-stand 35-40 lb and up are a pain to schlepp, but useful for flying large scrims and overheads. Usually put 3-6 bags (100-200 lbs) on each high roller. Really windy day? Anchoring with ground stakes and ropes or ratchet straps works better. Or use "meat bags" (assistants). Rule of thumb: If it has a light on it, it gets a sandbag. Breeze catching modifiers like umbrellas should get a second bag. Going up? Add another bag. I have no problem with homemade weights. It's just ballast, guys. Any mass will do, really. I am not sure anybody mentioned this yet, but if you have a pack and head system, you can use a J-hook to hang your power pack on a stand. Put that 40 pound Speedotron pack to good use! Sep 22 14 08:14 am Link I'll add that my stands I use on location have casters so I can easily move them around. What I found with some sandbags is that some may hang lower and will actually act as a brake on the floor as they hang down and rest on the floor too. With the other one, where the sandbag doesn't hit the floor, I can still move the stand on the rollers without lifting it. However, wind can still move it around even though it is weighted. It blew off an open porch with no railing once and fell 10 feet into the dirt. Sep 22 14 08:31 am Link Michael Zahra wrote: Rice can be very bad for birds. I swells up and can kill them. Sep 22 14 08:50 am Link A bag came with my boom arm and I picked up some bags of rice from Walmart. I add and remove as needed. If you're on the SUPER BUDGET plan I would put the bags of rice (don't open them unless you're hungry) in tote bags and lay them over a foot or hang it or tie it via the handles. Sep 22 14 09:41 am Link Stephen Fletcher wrote: myth. Sep 22 14 04:14 pm Link On location, the 18 lb Vagabond II serves double duty as the power supply and as a lightstand weight Sep 22 14 07:45 pm Link I fell in love with http://www.sandbagstore.com/ and the tube style sandbags for my main weights and the butterfly bags for my boom counterweights. Admittedly, I live in Hawaii and most of my locations shoots are on the beach so filling a sand bag is fairly easy. My personal experience with sandbags is to add one more than you think you need. Oh yeah . . . and be careful if the lightstand is where the waves can get it because then it might not matter how many sandbags you have once the sand is sucked out from under one side of your lightstand . . . sigh . . . that Profoto D1 light was so young . . . :-( Which is also my entry into the "Most expensive photo shoot ever!" competition should we ever have such a competition! Tony Sep 23 14 12:12 am Link Sonn wrote: 15-25 pounds if filled with sand. Sonn wrote: Two per stand in studio. Since the weight is generally in “front” of the stand, I just weight the two back legs of the stand. Outdoors, since the wind can come from any direction, you might want to use three – one for each leg of the stand. Sonn wrote: Sandbox sand from Lowe’s. Home Depot probably has the same thing. While you’re at it, try to find a grain scoop. It makes transferring sand from the bag to the sandbag much faster and cleaner. Sonn wrote: If you’re shooting on a beach, you can find sand on the beach – and dump it before you leave. Reduces the weight of the equipment you have to carry to and from the shoot. Sep 23 14 12:41 am Link Rebus Imagery wrote: Sep 23 14 08:01 pm Link I shoot outdoor with strobes all the time nowadays. Sometime, it's impossible to use sandbags in some locations, exp. in a tight-deep running creek or 45 degree rocky hills etc. So, your best bet is asking for the help of (willing) asssistant(s). When shooting on location, I usually have too much other gear to carry around already, so (most of the time) I do not bring sandbags with me. I just use whatever heavy enough that could hold my light steady. Most of the time, they works. Other times, they don't. I had a couple strobes drown in the creek or dropped onto the rock etc. Shit happens, you know ... Having said that, sandbags is def. a must have (so your assistant can do other stuff then just hold your lights). You'll want to go with a small but heavy (not big & light) version of sandbags. I've found out that BOA from Matthews are the best for lightstands. Those saddle types are mostly work better if you have C-stands. Sep 23 14 10:15 pm Link I use heavy stands with a wide spread. Kind of like what Ansel Adams said about cameras: the best one is "the biggest one I can carry." IMO if you're buying fill small pebbles or gravel is best, or lead shot if you want to pay the price. Sand can leak and be messy; rice is not that heavy. Outdoors you can use whatever you can find - it's a good idea to bring something like Ziplock or freezer bags to make it easier to get you sandbags empty and clean. In the studio I use ankle or wrist weights. Almost all of mine came from garage sales or thrift stores - same places I shop for props and costumes. Sep 24 14 02:12 pm Link |
