Today, we are taking a look at the largest member of the iFootage round base stands, the A400, comparing it to its smaller A300 and A200 brothers, and seeing if bigger is always better.
Introduction: iFootage and the Round Base Concept
We have looked at several innovative products by iFootage in the past, including the Seastars Q1 quick-release system, the Spider Crab Vehicle Mount, and our favorite, the Spider Crab arms, which we keep getting back to time and time again.
Today, we are looking at a product that addresses one of the most common “small studio” problems: the footprint of light stands. The iFootage A400 is the largest member of the company’s round-base family, designed to provide the height and potentially the most robust stand with the footprint of a large base monopod.
Left to right – the bases of the A200, A300, and A400
Design and Build
The A400 is essentially a heavy-duty, 3-section aluminum column attached to a flat circular base.
- The Base: The standout feature is the 40cm (15.7″) diameter round base. Unlike a tripod or a C-stand with legs that protrude and create trip hazards, the A400 base sits completely flat on the floor. It weighs about 5kg on its own, providing a low center of gravity that makes the stand sturdy.
- The Column: The aluminum sections use a twist-lock system. Unlike the smaller A200/A300, which uses a lever lock system. It is more secure, but you can’t see at a glance if it’s fully locked. The thicker 38mm diameter column of the A400 vs the thinner 24mm of the smaller versions also means that you can’t place a weight on the base, which is what we have been doing with both the A200 and A300 units, making them more stable.
- Mounting: At the top, you’ll find a fixed 3/8” male thread, and the kit also includes a universal 1/4″-20 and 3/8″-16 female that serves as a baby pin, unlike the smaller versions that include a male ¼” 20 and retractable 3/8” male combo with no baby pin adapter that you will need to purchase separately.
- Cable Management: A nice feature you find on the A400 that is missing from its smaller brothers is a small hook that you can use to secure things like power bricks with hooks (we kind of hate this solution, but it’s still better than nothing).
Small to large – A200, A300 and A400 stands
Comparison: A400 vs. A300 vs. A200
We have all three versions in our studio, and choosing the right one depends on your payload and height requirements, as you can see from the table:
In Use: How We Use Them
Our new studio isn’t small, but with so much gear, floor space is at a premium. Traditional rolling stands are great for heavy booms, but their legs always seem to get in the way and can’t always get as close as we like to tables.
While we use the smaller A200 for mics and the A300 for low and mid height light setups, the A400 allows us to go much higher and work with larger lights, although the A300 with a heavy weight can carry more or less the same payloads if you don’t need the extra height.
We used both the A300 and A400 alongside our regular stands on a recent portrait shoot as well as some commercial product work, and they were both very useful.
The A400 hook
Conclusion
The iFootage A400 isn’t necessarily a replacement for a traditional light stand, especially if you plan on using a boom arm, but for vertical support in a crowded studio, it can work very well. Our only complaint is that we have no easy way of adding a weight to the base of the stand, as we did with the A200 and A300.
Pros:
- Minimal footprint; eliminates trip hazards.
- Extremely sturdy 5kg weighted base.
- Good build quality.
- Includes light stand adapter and cable hook.
Cons:
- Heavier than most light stands and less portable.
- Twist locks can be slower than flip-locks for some users (and you never know if they are fully locked).
- Only for the studio, not outdoors.
- Can’t easily accept extra weight.
All three round base stands
Pricing
Here are the prices for the different iFootage round base stands:
- iFootage A400 (Large): Approx. $119 – $129
- iFootage A300 (Medium): Approx. $85 – $95
- iFootage A200 (Small/Tabletop): Approx. $65 – $75
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Iddo Genuth 
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