How Much Weight Do Boom Operators Hold? Sound Speeds!

It's often been guessed at but never before quantified exactly how much weight a boom operator holds over his or her head. In this video I investigate just that... how much weight does a boom operator hold?

I start by measuring a very light combination of microphone, shockmount and wind protection - a DPA 4017B microphone in a Cinela Osix shockmount and wearing the softie included with a Rode NTG5. For this test I'm using a Camry Luggage weighing tool with a tare feature which allows me to zero out the empty weight of the device before placing a boom in the loop to be weighed. For the last tests the long shotgun microphone is a Rode NTG8 inside a Rycote Windjammer and a HWC.

Links to products used in this video:
DPA 4017B: https://geni.us/4017B
Cinela Osix shockmount: http://www.cinela.fr/catalog.php
Windscreen from the Rode NTG5 kit: https://geni.us/RodeNTG5
Deity HD-TX Transmitter/Recorder: https://geni.us/DeityHD-TX
Rode NTG8 Long Shotgun Microphone: https://geni.us/RodeNTG8
Rycote WS11 Zeppelin Kit: https://geni.us/RycoteWS11
Rycote Hi-Wind Cover: https://mymic.rycote.com/products/win...
Camry Luggage weighing tool: https://geni.us/CamryScale
ShowMaven C-Stands: https://geni.us/CStand

The microphone, shockmount and windscreen weight 5 ounces together!

Results for 2 feet between hand and the pole extended 13 feet to the microphone:
Base - 10.8 lbs downwards (base)
External wrapped Canare cable with Neutrik EMC-F connector - 12.3 lbs
Retest base - 10.6 (2% difference)
HD-TX - 13.5 lbs
Small Zepp - 13.5 lbs
Long Zepp - 17.1 lbs
HWC/Cat - 27.2 lbs
Full stick with everything - 42.7 lbs

I also measured the up/down force on the rear/front hands...
2 feet between hands, boom extended 9 feet:
Front (holding up the pole) = 6.4 lbs, Back (pulling down on the pole) = 3.4 lbs
3 feet between hands, boom extended 9 feet:
Front (holding up the pole) = 5.6 lbs, Back (pulling down on the pole) = 2.3 lbs
2 feet between hands, boom extended 14 feet:
Front (holding up the pole) = 10.6 lbs, Back (pulling down on the pole) = 7.5 lbs
3 feet between hands, boom extended 14 feet:
Front (holding up the pole) = 8.8 lbs, Back (pulling down on the pole) = 4.6 lbs

For this test I used an Ambient QSM, QS and QS inside a QP-120 extension.

To watch my 3BO Boom Operator Training Series:
   • Building Better Boom Ops  

Gear Commonly Used In My Videos:
Panasonic Lumix FZ-80: http://geni.us/SoundSpeedsLumixFZ80
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7: http://geni.us/SoundSpeedsLumixDMCG7
Aputure Amaran AL-MX LED Video Light: https://geni.us/AputureLight
Tascam DR-40: http://geni.us/TascamDR40
Sound Devices MixPre-6: https://geni.us/SoundDevicesMP6

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links and if you purchase something using one of these links, you'll pay the same price that you'd find on Amazon if you looked it up yourself but Amazon will pay me a small referral fee for sending you there to make a purchase.

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