Cheetah Stand C8 w/Auto-Collapse Legs - 8'Ft Max Height, 3.6lbs - Aluminum Photo Studio Tripod Stand for Video, Portrait and Photography Lighting

I have been using the CheetahStand C8 for 4 months now and it is the best money I have ever spent on any stand, hands down. It is extremely light, but very well made. Holds my heavier strobes with no problem and is perfect for shooting families and seniors on location due to its auto fold up and fold down feature. I shoot a lot of seniors in the city and this is so much better to move and carry around because it eliminates trying to walk with the stand feet constantly in the way. I also shoot a lot of athletes and one of the main reasons I chose this one over a cheaper competitor was due to the coating on the bottom. I saw lots of complaints about the feet pads falling off the competitor. Shooting on gym floors I needed something that would not scratch the floors up and this is beyond perfect. I cannot recommend this stand enough and actually came back here today to purchase another one of these stands.

I am a wedding photographer and I do a good amount of weddings/engagement shoots throughout the year. I bought this October of last year 2024. After a year, the screws for adjusting the levels ⬆️⬇️have worn out. Plus the stand is not sturdy. I also use a Godox Ad200, which mostly works fine on the stand, but I’m always worried it might tip over. Honestly, it’s not worth the price I paid.

If you're a wedding photographer who uses off-camera lighting, this will be your new best friend. Once you've experienced automatically collapsing legs you'll want to sell all of your other c-stands. Wanna buy mine? LOL Cheetah stands are amazing. I own both the 8 foot and the 12 foot, and they both have their roles. On big weddings where I'll be photographing a large group for formals, I bring the 12 footer because it can handle my 7" Parabolic shoot-through umbrella. The 7' parabolic would tip-over the 8 footer, even if weighted down with shot / sand bags. On the other hand, the 8 footer is significantly lighter and more portable and much easier to drag around a huge casino or big hotel. I love them both and will get more soon.

I really LOVE this stand. It is great for working inside. In a situation where you have many people around your shooting area, it is great to have the legs drop down so you can fit through tight spaces without having to bend down, loosen a turn screw and drop the legs then set the stand back up again when you reach your new location. It also reduces the chance of accidentally bumping into things or people around you. With this stand, you simply pick it up, the legs drop straight down, you move it to where you want it and just place it down. The legs deploy automatically and you are ready to shoot! Saves loads of time! They are a little 'pricey' but, they make up for it in the time you save and the shots you will be able to get since you are not messing around with the legs. The legs also have rounded plastic tips to help keep them from scratching floors. They do have a drawback. The legs have a little difficulty deploying in grassy or gravel areas. I have found that you need to place it down and wiggle it from side to side a little to get the legs to deploy. Make sure whatever you have attached to the stand is secure!

It is a pretty simple design modification to make these so easily portable after setup. Good solid feel even when all extensions are out. The base is too narrow for outdoor windy conditions or for attaching a boom for say a hair light but that's why they have the C12 with it's 42" footprint. Will definitely be buying more of these. I have a couple heavy duty stands with sand bags that I use for dance floor shots but these Cheetah stands are great for moving the lighting around a room.

I'm not going to be using this in the future. While it generally works, on uneven surfaces it does not work like you expect. The legs are hard to get to work without the proper surface. Its also lighter and less sturdy than my other cheap stands, makes it very susceptible to tipping over with a light wind.

I purchased these in February 2019 and they are still may favorites! The automatic collapsing is wonderful during weddings when I need to quickly move my light stands amidst crowds of guests and wedding party. Used in over 75 weddings and various other shoots over the past 2 years and still holding strong. I highly suggest these for any photographer that needs a quick and easy lighting setup that can move as fast as you do.

The legs of the stand opens and closed quickly and easily as does the vertical portion of the stand. However, the legs are just not wide enough to make me feel comfortable with a medium sized stobe and softbox. It just does not seem sturdy enough for me.