Budget Boom Pole
by: Bill Pryor

What costs $46.49, extends to 103" and will work fine but embarrass you around your peers if your peers spend too much time reading the boards?

A Markertek "Cost Effective" mic boom, also called a "fishpole" in the business.

If 50 bucks is too much for you, you can get a 79" model for $32.99, and for $19.99 a 55" pole.

The big disadvantage: They're aluminum instead of the more acceptable black. However, for the price, if I get a reflection, I'll stick on a piece of black gaffer tape over it, or try spray painting it with flat black enamel.

I needed a cheap fishpole to clamp on a C-stand for shooting interviews. Anything with adjustable length I could screw a shock mount onto the end. I saw no need to spend $140 or more for a better mic boom, especially when it's just going to be attached to a C-stand. I figured I'd gamble the 50 bucks. For my purposes, the even cheaper 79" pole would have sufficed, but I got the longer one just in case somebody ever needs to hand-hold it.

It's okay. Not a piece of professional gear, but it works acceptably well for the purpose I need. Notice the curious slot down the tubes. They don't turn like a more expensive model. I think this is because the lock-downs aren't all that good. You have to give them a better squeeze than the Gitzo but, with the slot, they work fine. If you whip the pole around and sort of snap it, you can feel some movement within the tubes. Although even the fastest move you'd ever need to do with a mic on a fishpole is never going to cause this to happen, a professional soundman would sneer at this cheapie device.

It'll work, it'll do the job. It's well worth the money, in my opinion. And here's the good part: It's very lightweight. Significantly lighter than the Gitzo aluminum fishpole. If you're a soundman or need a good fishpole for day-to-day shooting instead of just occasional work, the $180 Gitzo is significantly better. But for my immediate purposes, for film schools, or people who need to be frugal, this one isn't bad. You get a workable product for not a lot more than you'd pay for a paint pole and hardware to make your own.

The Markertek house brand fishpole comes with a 5/8" male threaded end, so I had to take the 5/8" to 1/4" adapter off the ancient Shure shockmount. You can see the indentation that runs along the pole extensions to keep them from twisting. It works.

Here's the whole pole. The black grips are foam. The pole collapses to about 31" and extends to about 8-1/2 feet, or 103". The silver aluminum is unfortunate, but you get what you pay for. I can mask any bounce with black tape, or try some spray paint.

For $50.00 you don't sweat a little spray paint.

Bill Pryor is a video and photography pro and the moderator of our camera forum at DVFreelancer.