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Rock Bar wants to replace all your wide and bulky sandbags with a slick long sleeve

by 11 Comments

There are several types of sandbags and definitely plenty of reasons to use them with your C stands and tripods. The Rock Bar is a new product that helps you weigh down your tripods and stands. It’s sleek, sturdy and has removable weights, and it aims to replace all your wide and bulky sandbags.

The Rock Bar was designed as an alternative to other weighting methods to help stabilize and weight down tripods, light stands, and boom arms. It features a sturdy case, and weights made from 100% recycled steel. It weighs 7 pounds (3.2 kg) when fully loaded, but you can remove the weights and adjust the weight to your liking.

Besides from adjustable weight, this “sandbag” is slim and compact, unlike most sandbags. You can securely attach it to any part of your tripod, light stand or boom arm using wrap-around and removable attachment straps. The advantage is obvious when compared to hanging weight bags, because the Rock Bar won’t sway in windy conditions.

If you’d like to order the Rock Bar, you can do it via the company’s website, and the price is $45. How do you like this concept? Would you find it useful?

Related posts:

Sandbags 101 – types of sandbags and how to use them properly

  • Good idea and probably useful. It is a bit expensive as you could used an sport sock (old or new) and a couple of Velcro straps for a lot less.

    • Mark Connelly

      Do you have pictures of one. Would be interesting to see. I would think it could be too flimsy and unstable?

  • PVC pipe filled with sand or concrete would do the same.

  • As a counter weight on a boom-stand as shown in the preview pic, it might have some value. But for a C-stand base, or the base of any stand really, conventional sandbags are fine. The main issue I see if the lack of flexibility with the weight inside – one must use the weights sold with the system. I like being able to empty a sandbag, carry it to location empty, fill it with sand/gravel there and empty it again when finished.

    • Mark Connelly

      Actually the weight is removable. But I have used it as is with the weight because you just use it when you need it and no worries.

  • The cost of this vs what’s already in use?
    Sometimes there’s no such thing as a “better mousetrap “ you’re just making a more expensive contraption.

    If they can set a price somewhere between a sack of kitty litter and used barbells they might find a market…
    A barbell weight some heavy duty webstrap or rope and a clamp adds up to $3-5 because we already have clamps…

  • Albin

    Whether this mounted on a high center post or just one on a single tripod leg is actually more stable in wind than a centered hanging weight (what I’ve improvised now and then) would be a matter of experience – can’t say. For better portability, would be interesting to see a water fill (or three) that would be feather light unless / until wanted – again not so hard to DIY.

    • Mark Connelly

      Agree, it would be more stable in many situations such as windy conditions. I used one doing macro work where a hanging weight would have gotten in the way.

  • Marko

    I have a thermos that is housed in a fabric pouch very similar to this. It’s a bit wider but also has a zipper closure. I will put my bean bags in it (two ziploc bags with dry beans) and I have the same thing. I also have many velcro straps to hold it in place.

    The thing is, this thermos cost me around $20 (I believe it was Zellers in Canada). Why things for photographers are always two or three times their value. This is peanuts to make and construct (in China no doubt) and has zero development investment.

    Or better yet, take a lunch bag like this:https://tinyurl.com/y6azpyct, fill it up with drinks and food that you should have when on location, and use it as a boom weight.

    • Mark Connelly

      Hanging a lunch bag is not as stable and safe. So based on my experience has some drawbacks. Depends on your needs. How much does your setup weigh?

  • 🎵”So your stuff it won’t fall ooo-ver, *dun dun* buy the rockbar, buy the rockbar!” 🎵

    Yeah it was dumb, but I don’t care 😀

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