In 1992 the papers brought the news to you. At that time our UBS studio stand was fancy and new. It’s actually still a fancy stand.

A good studio stand is a once-in-a-lifetime investment. It will outlast many cameras, requires virtually no maintenance and when retiring you may pass it on to the next generation. When the UBS was introduced the average commercial studio was equiped with – at least – a 4×5″ view camera and a medium format system. For practical reasons those cameras simply remained attached to the stand’s cross arm, one at each end. To balance this weight, the column contained a hefty piece of counter weight. This guaranteed a smooth and effortless up and down movement.

The UBS is in the same weight and height category as the well-known UST studio stand. Available in three sizes (7, 9 or 12 feet) and to be completed with the cross arm and base of your choice.The UST really is an iconic Cambo product; to us it’s what the model 240 is to Volvo.

A UST is an indestructable piece of studio gear. After decades of use, the brake may become less effective. First thing to try, is readjusting it. If that doesn’t solve the issue, it’s probably time to change the brake fork. We’ve published a short video showing how to. The required part can be ordered at your Cambo partner.

The distinction of the UBS over the UST is the rotation of the cross arm around the column. This has a separate mechanism and brake. In other words: If you only want to change the height, the rotation won’t change. And repositioning the cross arm – smoothly on ball bearings – won’t change the height. If you’ve been working meticulously at your set, this feature makes life easier.

As mentioned, the UBS has a big chunk of counter weight inside its column. Nowadays many photographers use (much) lighter cameras than common in the 1990’s. Let’s also not forget e-commerce studios, where the Mirrorless is the camera of choice. A UBS or UST stand can still render good services in those environments, but basically it is unnecessary hefty.

Still it can’t be overestimated what a good studio stand can do to the efficiency of an e-commerce studio. That’s where our column stands with the M designation come in. To begin with the Mono stands. For those who are looking for the UBS’s amenities in a lighter package, we’d like to suggest our MBX and MBU stands. The latter comes with a cross arm on ball bearings and a new base with central locking pedal and large wheels to make it easier to manoeuvre.