Continuous lighting recommendation

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Archive 2009 · Continuous lighting recommendation

CUclimber
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p.1 #1 · Continuous lighting recommendation

Does anyone have any good recommendations for a simple continuous lighting kit for a smallish studio setup? I just did a video shoot last night for a local shoe company and the cheap-o 2-light Interfit EZ-Fit kit just barely sufficed. We had a large tabletop setup (full-width background, but the subjects were just shoes) and we knew right away that 2 more lights with at least twice as much power are going to be needed for the next shoot.

It looks like there are a ton of kits in the $2,000 range from Arri, Altman, and other brands.

If a kit isn't the way to go, what are some good heads to look at? Tungsten is ok, and right now we're doing relatively simple shots on white background paper-- 4 lights would be nice. Does anyone have any experience with these Chimera heads?

Thanks!

Nov 17, 2009 at 07:31 PM

Carmen Miranda
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p.1 #2 · Continuous lighting recommendation

CU,

Arri and Altman are excellent brands, but I suggest you check out Lowel first for a number of reasons. First, they make a full range affordable but well built professional continuous lighting solutions and location kits are their hallmark. But mainly because they have a decent educational site that might help you narrow your selection first.
Since continuous lighting covers such a vast array of types and applications, it's hard if not impossible to make generalizations or an appropriate recommendation here. Brand should probably the least of your concerns at this point.
I have also found DV Creators to be a excellent resource for small studio video lighting and audio solutions, especially thier blog and forum. I believe they were the ones that originally developed the ubiquitous DV Creators KIt.

Good luck.

Nov 17, 2009 at 08:26 PM

David Fleming
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p.1 #3 · Continuous lighting recommendation

As tungsten goes (especially fresnels) the Arri's are great and can be found everywhere. If you are buying new I think you might get a deal in kit form on some accessories like scrims and barn doors which add up when you purchase separately. If you shop around online you can find a deal on used Arri's and they should be worth what you paid for them years from now. If you are planning on using softboxes that Chimera head looks interesting. Their modifiers are top notch. Mole's are also plentiful in used markets and they work great, but they look like antiques if that makes any difference to you or your clients. Used Kino Diva's are nice also (and dimmable) if you need a primarily soft source. You can lamp them either daylight or tungsten depending what what else you need to match. They are also cooler and more efficient when may make a difference in some locations with power and environment.

Nov 17, 2009 at 08:31 PM

PeterBerressem
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p.1 #4 · Continuous lighting recommendation

+1 on Kino Flo, i.e. fluorescent instead of tungsten. Much less temperature problems in relation to the Lumen output than dealing with quartz sources. Plus they make for 'natural' light banks due to the shape of the tubes

Nov 17, 2009 at 09:03 PM

Future Man
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p.1 #5 · Continuous lighting recommendation

I was just looking at the Elinchrom Ranger Quadra lights. According to a little promotional video I just watched, the LED modeling lamps on the Quadra heads can be used for lighting during video work.

Is this an actual viable use? Or are Elinchrom just trying to add some "value" to their lights that really isn't there? They say they are daylight balanced, but I couldn't imagine them actually being powerful enough. Sure, they won't overpower the sun, but could they potentially be used indoors in situations that need an extra punch of light?

I'm considering the Quadras specifically for photo work, but the LED lights actually being useful for video could be a huge plus.

any thoughts?

Nov 17, 2009 at 09:38 PM

Carmen Miranda
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p.1 #6 · Continuous lighting recommendation

Future Man wrote:
I was just looking at the Elinchrom Ranger Quadra lights. According to a little promotional video I just watched, the LED modeling lamps on the Quadra heads can be used for lighting during video work.

Is this an actual viable use? Or are Elinchrom just trying to add some "value" to their lights that really isn't there? They say they are daylight balanced, but I couldn't imagine them actually being powerful enough. Sure, they won't overpower the sun, but could they potentially be used indoors in situations that need an extra punch of light?

I'm considering the Quadras specifically for photo work, but the LED lights actually being useful for video could be a huge plus.

any thoughts?

Sure, it's possible. But IMO, it's not that practical. The output is pretty amazing for such a small LED, the temp is balanced and consistent, plus it can even stay on for long periods of time. But it is also a very small light source (hard), it won't take diffussion and more importantly it is not adjustable.
I consider it a bonus feature, not ideally suited for the purpose.

Good luck.

Nov 17, 2009 at 09:46 PM

jefferies1
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p.1 #7 · Continuous lighting recommendation

Take a look at these:
http://www.photoflex.com/Photoflex_Products/Constellation3/index.html
Buy the 200Watt CFL if the fit (check diameter)=600 Watt output each
http://www.1000bulbs.com
or buy a $10.00 reflector from Home depot plus the CFL and make a home made light modifier.

Nov 17, 2009 at 10:57 PM

rgold1963
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p.1 #8 · Continuous lighting recommendation

I just picked up a few items from : http://www.coollights.biz/index.php

My first impressions are very good. The fluorescent fixtures are much brighter than I thought they would be and the price is much less than Kino Flo. They make a 6 bank light that you can run 2/4/6 to adjust intensity. I have not heard anything good about the dimming fixtures from anyone so I did not spend the extra $ for them. There seems to be a lot of color shift when fluorescent bulbs are dimmed.
Working around the flo's instead of the tungsten lights is really nice. No worries about burning anything!
I also picked up a couple of LED's from them but have not had time to test them out yet other than to make sure they work. They are REALLY bright but a much harder light than the flo's.

Nov 18, 2009 at 02:10 AM

E-Vener
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p.1 #9 · Continuous lighting recommendation

Future Man wrote:
I was just looking at the Elinchrom Ranger Quadra lights. According to a little promotional video I just watched, the LED modeling lamps on the Quadra heads can be used for lighting during video work.

Is this an actual viable use? Barely if at all, they are after all only the equivalent of 40 watts of tungsten and the color balance isn't great.

look at Lowel lights: http://www.lowel.com/. They've been a standard of the lightweight film and video production industry for decades. Still great design.

Kinoflos and Rolalights are great but expensive.

Nov 18, 2009 at 02:33 AM


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