$3K Light Kit to Travel

[Heartfelt]

I did a thread a month or two ago and it helped me do a lot of research. I continually had to raise my budget. i thought, after some planning, that i may rent lights on the road but as it turns out, i am going to Toledo for my first corporate job and there is no rental house in the area. i would have to drive to Detroit or rent locally here and fly the kit to Toledo.

For about a week's worth of rental, finding a flyable case and paying for extra bags, i might have paid for 1/3 - 1/2 the cost of a kit. So i decided to suggest the purchase and to not skimp.

At this price range, i thought about the Kino Diva set but it kills the budget quick and leaves nothing for auxiliary lighting (background/kicker). I also thought about flos from another vendor but no one has an integrated kit like kino flo that is ready to travel and that brings be to LEDs.

Here is what I am thinking after some training:
Ikan 1000
Ikan 500
Litepanels Sola ENG for rim (LED Fresnel)
Litepanels Sola4 (LED Fresnel) for background/cookie
Ikan 312 for kicker and auxillary lighting

It took a while to arrive here but I'm fairly sold on the kit barring an oversight or brilliant suggestion.

Anything brilliant to change my mind?
Rob

[David W. Jones]

Something to think about... Rather than flying with a light kit, you can likely ship your light kit via UPS or FedEx for less than the Arline's baggage charges, and have it arrive when you do.

[Heartfelt]

Something to think about... Rather than flying with a light kit, you can likely ship your light kit via UPS or FedEx for less than the Arline's baggage charges, and have it arrive when you do.

Brilliant and I will do exactly that. We plan in advance and the hotel will be secured in time.

[wgzn]

id seriously consider a traditioal tungsten hotlight, like a lowel pro 250 in as the kicker. ill tell you from experience that the ikan 312 - though a very useful general light, simply does not have the punch to be an effective kicker. in theory, the solas might, but ive never used them. but i know for a fact that at about 1/8 the price of a sola. a lowel pro 250. being focusable and dimmable - WILL.

[Heartfelt]

ok, Thanks.

The example I gleaned from used both a rim and a kicker. The Sola ENG was the rim/hair light and he had a Light panels Luma ENG as the kicker. His whole kit was Lit Panel, actually but those 1x1's are pricey. I did hear, BTW, that they may have a budget line coming out soon with the 1x1 type lights.

[ggrantly]

Something to think about... Rather than flying with a light kit, you can likely ship your light kit via UPS or FedEx for less than the Arline's baggage charges, and have it arrive when you do.

+2

[C Lehmann]

An additional MAJOR pro about shipping equipment vs. taking it on an airplane is INSURANCE. If your $3000 light kit disappears or is damaged beyond repair during air travel, you may get from nothing to a maximum payout (often $1000) for your loss, depending on the airline. I recently flew on an airline that doesn't cover ANY electronic items from theft/damage. If you ship you can insure the whole lot for its actual value.

[TheDingo]

I am very unimpressed with the light output from the Lite Panel gear ( both the Lite Panel 1x1 and the Sola light ), and would look at the Flolight 1x1 LED which is half the price and 3x the light output. I would also go for Lowel Pro lights as kickers ( cheap, compact, flexible ), with a couple of Lowel Tota-lights as compact high-power fill lights to use when necessary.

[Heartfelt]

Thanks All!

[Bern Caughey]

I love Divas, but never fly them, or any fluorescents. The tubes are just too fragile.

And the Diva "Gaffer" kit is overweight on most airlines.