3 Legged Thing Luna review

Pros

• Very light
• Very quick to set up and pack away
• Standard spigot attachment for regular studio lights
• Plus dual-size screw thread for lights, mics and lightweight cameras

Cons

• Long-ish folded length
• Not cheap

Photographers who own any kind of studio lighting gear have probably got a lighting stand or two already. These are pretty simple stands with three short legs at the base and an extending column to mount the light on. This is just what the 3 Legged Thing Luna does – but with a few extra twists.

More to the point, it caters for a brand new market of mobile videographers, vloggers and creators who don’t have studio kit or light stands but still face the same problem – where do you put your light when you’re busy filming and presenting? You need it about head hight, right? And setting up a second tripod just for the light is not only overkill, it’s a trip hazard.

So if this is your line of work, how have you managed so far? (Please don’t say you leave the light on the camera.) The Luna stand is such a handy gadget for any kind of video work that it could easily become an essential item of kit for filming.

Features and design

But let’s not call it a light stand. It does have the regular steel spigot mounting point for studio lights, but it also has an attachment screw with a sprung sleeve to fit both 3/8″ and 1/4″ threads. This means you can not only attach today’s portable LED panels which use threads not spigot clamps, microphones and even lightweight cameras, like an action cam or a 360 camera.

You can also remove the center column to use it as a boom arm. In case you were wondering why anyone would need carbon fibre stand rather than old-school aluminium, you very quickly appreciate the lighter weight when you’re using it like this. Mounting a mic on a boom arm is a great way to get better audio when it’s not practical to fit people with mics, or the action is moving around a set.

The center column has four sections and extends to an impressive 2m in height. You might not need to place a light that high, but it’s a great viewpoint for a 360 camera or any high-angle filming with a GoPro or similar small and lightweight camera for establishing shots, say, or cutaways.

Usability and performance

If you’ve ever used a regular lighting stand, the Luna’s operation will be obvious straight away. In storage, the legs fold up around the center column, and to set it up for use you simply pull the legs outwards and downwards – it’s the same as unfolding a travel tripod.

The legs don’t have fixed angles. Instead, you just spread them at the angle you want and use a locking collar at the bottom of the column to fix them securely – on a traditional light stand, you might use a knurled locking knob at the side, but that’s the only difference.

You extend and lock the center column sections using twist locks – the same as you get on regular 3 Legged Thing tripods – and to remove the column to use it as a boom arm, you just unscrew a large nut in the base. It’s all incredibly simple, quick and straightforward.

The only tiny, tiny comment I would make is that the Luna has a folded length of 56cm, so although it’s extremely light, it’s too long to fit in a backpack and would have to be strapped to the outside. That’s not a problem, unless you’re already carrying a tripod.

Verdict

The 3 Legged Thing Luna costs £129 in the UK, with US pricing to be confirmed. That sounds a lot for a light stand, but don’t forget it’s also a camera stand, mic stand and boom arm. The fact is that if you do any kind of location filming or vlogging and you take a light, a mic or a second camera for B-roll, it could quickly prove so useful that you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. 3 Legged Thing does have a knack of producing smart-looking, well-made and effective camera supports and accessories that cost more than some but make you feel they’re worth it – and with the Luna it’s done it again.