3 Legged Thing Luna Review
Summary Verdict
Light stands rarely generate much excitement, but the 3 Legged Thing Luna deserves some interest because of its thoughtful design, light weight and versatility. It combines portability with strength, and its removable centre column means it's more than a one-trick pony.
Score: 4.5/5
For
Light and compact
Versatile – it functions as a boom arm too
Carbon fibre construction
Against
Pricier than some standard stands
Sways in a breeze
Reverse-leg design
Read our Review of the 3 Legged Thing Camera Desk Mount System
The 3 Legged Thing Luna has three chunky locks, the lowest one locks the legs in position.
What is the 3 Legged Thing Luna?
The Luna is 3 Legged Thing’s take on the humble light stand, but it comes with a couple of features that we've seen on some of the company's other products to add versatility. The Bedfordshire, UK-based team set out to build a stand that benefits from their years of tripod design and build expertise. The result is a lightweight, carbon fibre light stand that’s just as happy holding a light as it is serving as a boom arm for a mic or small camera.
3 Legged Thing Luna Price and Availability
3 Legged Thing Luna is priced at £129.99 / US$149.99 and is available immediately.
The 3 Legged Thing Luna’s legs fold back over the centre column for storage or transport.
Key Features
One of the 3 Legged Thing Luna’s key qualities is its construction. Instead of the usual aluminium, its legs and column are made from 100% carbon fibre, paired with aerospace-grade magnesium alloy components. This keeps the weight down to just 944g without compromising significantly on rigidity or strength.
When folded, the Luna measures just 56cm, making it very portable, but it's destined for hold luggage rather than carry-on. However, it extends up to 2 metres in height, which is a decent reach for many lighting setups. In addition, the central column, which weighs 319g, can be removed and used as a boom arm to hold a microphone, a small light or even an action camera should it be required.
Helpfully, 3 Legged Thing has given the top spigot mount a spring-loaded thread adapter. This allows the Luna to support everything from traditional lights and microphones to smartphones, action cams and 360° cameras. Meanwhile, the rubber feet can be taken off to reveal metal spikes, which is handy when you need a bit more grip outdoors or on uneven terrain.
3 Legged Thing supplies the Luna with a simple drawstring bag that helps keep it clean and allows you to carry the stand hanging from your shoulder.
The column extension locks are chunky and have good grips
Build and Handling
Thanks to its carbon fibre construction and the four chunky locks, the 3 Legged Thing Luna has a high-quality feel. It also looks a lot smarter than the average lightweight light stand. Meanwhile, the magnesium alloy fixtures are robust.
The twist locks are a nice touch on a stand that's likely to travel, they it that little bit easier to slip into a bag. They also have good grips and are easy to tighten and loosen.
The detachable column is a bonus. It's removed by loosening the lowest lock and unscrewing the plate in the column’s base so it can be pulled through the leg and support arm joints.
The dual spring-loaded thread adapter on the top of the spigot means that the Luna can be used to support a wide range of accessories and devices.
Performance
In real-world use, the Luna performs well, however, it's important to remember it's a lightweight stand and care should be taken when using it outside in a breeze. Indoors, it holds a range of loads well. It wobbles if it's knocked, but it doesn't seem like it's about to topple over.
3 Legged Thing has used an inverted leg design that's familiar from its tripods. This means that the three legs fold back over the centre column for storage. This is a neat solution, however, no matter how tight I fasten the leg lock, it’s still possible to continue to splay the legs by pressing down on the centre column. In practice, this doesn't make a huge amount of difference to the stability of the stand; it's just a little disconcerting if you are used to using light stands with a standard leg design.
The column of the stand transforms quickly and easily into a boom arm and there's only slight flexing when it's used at full length with a mic that weighs over 900g. If you plan on using the boom arm frequently for supporting a mic, it would be good to pair it with some of 3 Legged Things' excellent Reusable Cable Ties to keep the cables tidy against the pole.
The dual spring-loaded thread adapter at the top of the column/boom is particularly handy if you switch between different setups frequently. The regular light stand spigot is fine for many lights, but the 1/4-inch-20 and 3/8-inch-16 threads allow a wide variety of other accessories to be mounted quickly instead.
The leg support struts and and brace are made from aerospace-grade magnesium alloy.
Verdict
3 Legged Thing has a habit of putting clever, stylish twists on traditional kit and the Luna light stand is no exception. While it costs a bit more than some other stands, it also has more to offer than most with its carbon fibre construction, chunky yet compact locks, removable rubber fee that cover spikes and the option of transforming into a boom arm. The Luna's light weight makes a good option for travel, but I recommend using it with a weight on the leg support struts during an outdoor shoot if it's likely to be breezy.
