Boompole Aluminiun vs Carbon Fiber

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I'm always nervous about no-name brands. Just be sure that there is a warrantee and a return policy that doesn't cost you. Personally I always spend the few extra $$$ buying a name brand from a reputable dealer.

B&H has a 15' carbon-fiber by K&M for $150. I know $50 is a 50% increase in price, but the peace of mind knowing I'm getting a name brand and that B&H will take care of problems with a minimum of hassle is worth it IMHO.
 
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Haha, unfortunately para nuestros amigos latinos, getting anything shipped to Argentina online is a pain in the ass!

In terms of going for this no-name brand, I can actually help out as it looks like the same pole that I used when I first started out with my HV20 a few years back.

First point: Carbon is always going to be lighter and better than the aluminium... it may not seem like much of a difference, but try holding a pole for half a day and you'll appreciate even a slight decrease in weight!

Second point: These are cheap... not as cheap as the DIY version, but pretty darn cheap. Don't expect the finish to stay sharp longer than a couple of days as every tap seems to take off a bit of paint.

However, as a basic boom mic they're decent. You can add some channel onto the bottom of it with some 3M hooks for cable management and the small profile that it has for folding up is great.
If you really want to, it can also double as a monopod in a tight spot.

I agree wholeheartedly with Alcove that it's always necessary to spend more to get more, but it sounds like you're after an entry level piece of gear and I think this will nicely do the job for you.

If you really really really wanna go absolutely dirt cheap no-frills boom pole, you can pick up a telescoping mop from any hardware store, strip the handles off and tap a 3/8" (or 1/4", whichever size your mic mount takes) thread into the top. Benefit of this is that it's an easy 5 minute job, it costs next to nothing to do and you can get a good feel for the weight before you do anything with it.

I did that for a while and it worked very well with a few coatings of matte black...
 
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josh-ozirigpro said:
Haha, unfortunately para nuestros amigos latinos, getting anything shipped to Argentina online is a pain in the ass!

In terms of going for this no-name brand, I can actually help out as it looks like the same pole that I used when I first started out with my HV20 a few years back.

First point: Carbon is always going to be lighter and better than the aluminium... it may not seem like much of a difference, but try holding a pole for half a day and you'll appreciate even a slight decrease in weight!

Second point: These are cheap... not as cheap as the DIY version, but pretty darn cheap. Don't expect the finish to stay sharp longer than a couple of days as every tap seems to take off a bit of paint.

However, as a basic boom mic they're decent. You can add some channel onto the bottom of it with some 3M hooks for cable management and the small profile that it has for folding up is great.
If you really want to, it can also double as a monopod in a tight spot.

I agree wholeheartedly with Alcove that it's always necessary to spend more to get more, but it sounds like you're after an entry level piece of gear and I think this will nicely do the job for you.

If you really really really wanna go absolutely dirt cheap no-frills boom pole, you can pick up a telescoping mop from any hardware store, strip the handles off and tap a 3/8" (or 1/4", whichever size your mic mount takes) thread into the top. Benefit of this is that it's an easy 5 minute job, it costs next to nothing to do and you can get a good feel for the weight before you do anything with it.

I did that for a while and it worked very well with a few coatings of matte black...
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thanks dude!, still thinking about what to do. Btw, the seller told me that the weight is like 950 gr, its a lot for a carbon fiber boom pole :S
 
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Alcove Audio said:
Too much give - remember a real fishing pole is made to bend. Try a painters pole or a light bulb changing pole.
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Yup, definitely don't go for a fishing pole!

I agree that the weight of that boom pole is too much - but remember that it's also a 3m pole.. Do you really need such a large one? Could you get away with a 2 metre one? That might cut off some of the weight.

When you jump to a professional kit you'd invest in a mount to help manage the weight, so at the moment there's not much you can do for stability except try and get the sweet spot whilst trying to balance the base on the ground... I think Alcove is gonna stab me when he hears me say that :lol:
 
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josh-ozirigpro said:
Do you really need such a large one? Could you get away with a 2 metre one?
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You don't use it that often, but it's really nice to have the extra three+ feet when you need it.

josh-ozirigpro said:
When you jump to a professional kit you'd invest in a mount to help manage the weight, so at the moment there's not much you can do for stability except try and get the sweet spot whilst trying to balance the base on the ground... I think Alcove is gonna stab me when he hears me say that :lol:
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When I was doing production sound I did a regular upper body workout. I also had a ten foot steel pole that weighed about 25 pounds; I would hold it over my head for a total of about 30 minutes every day I wasn't working. Even the heaviest boom-pole was a feather after that.

Being a boom-op is a very demanding job. It takes upper body strength, delicate control and a sixth sense for avoiding objects you may trip over. It also takes tremendous skill to keep the mic pointed where it is needed without being able to "see" where you're pointing it. Imaging putting your camera on the end of a 12 foot pole and and having to keep it aimed at the mouths of the actors while not having a viewfinder or monitor; that's what a boom-op has to do every day.

As I repeat over and over and over, the tools (equipment) are important, bit the skills are even more important.
 
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