Britek Review...and also need advise on a case

[Avenger007]

My Britek lights came in. I was originally going to use lowel stuff for my "budget/mobile" kit but I wasn't impressed with their price or style as seen by my other recent threads.

I ordered from rostronics.com and the lights came on time and service was good. Everything was packaged well and the lights are fully operational thus far with no problems. Ill add a production review once I start using them extensively this weekend and more in the field. Meanwhile heres my initial impression:

Pros
-Body is decently constructed. Made of relatively sturdy black plastic. Much better quality than I expected.
-Has nice glass protecting the open face instead of a wire scrim.
-Includes barndoor with clips for gels on all of them (not just 1k like arri does)
-Barndoors are not as rugged but still solid metal and work well
-Includes opening for umbrella on the light
-Includes safety cable on 650 and 1k, unlike any of the arri lights.
-All focus
-All models accept scrims (at least 2)
-Includes bulbs
-Gives off relatively good quality light versus fresnel or other open faces.
-PRICE
-5/8" pin hole on yoke for use in regular sized c-stands or k-stands.
-Also has addition 5/8" pin hole for mounting sideways (for underslinging or tight spots)

Cons
-Not as durable as arri/mole (but thats expected)
-Can't focus near what an arri can (the range is small but these aren't fresnel lights so they can only do so much.)
-Focus knobs arent as smooth but still function reasonably. Ill have to see how well they stand up to repeated use.
-The G-200 (200watt) model has too broad of a beam. It can't focus like an arri 150 so it'll be more difficult to work with for highlights/hair/backlighting. This is their smallest spot light and it needs to be smaller. I'll be replacing the 200watt bulb with a 150 but it'll still need some sort of lens for focusing better.
-Rostronics was good on the service side but if you deal with britek directly you'll find yourself wasting time. Their customer service hardly speaks english. They do actually pickup their phones and return your calls though, which is at least a step in the right direction.

Overall, I am very impressed. Frankly, I'm surprised so many people give these lights such a bad image. Maybe my opinion will change if they start to fail. Regardless, you can practically purchase Britek's entire line of lights with barndoors for the price of one arri 650 or 1k (with barndoor and bulb). So I find their shortcomings excusable in almost every category. I put togethor an equivalent to a softbank IV kit (which retails for $2700 from Arri) for under $800. Thats with 2 softboxes, 5 lights, 4 stands, a case, barndoors, bulbs, and scrims. Now I honestly can't argue with that. Will I stop using my arri stuff? No. But for a film maker on a budget, I can't possibly see why they can't make these work.

Now I just need advice on a cheap case.

[Capt Quirk]

I don't think it really matters what other folks think- ultimately, you are the one who has to live with your choice. Everybody says to buy Lowel if you can't afford Arri. I had Lowel, and it was tinkertoy junk. Everybody says buy Bogen tripods if you can't afford Miller or Vinten or Satchler. I spent a few hundred on a Bogen setup, and would have been as well off buying from Walmart for under $100.

What is my point? I forget... but good luck with your new lights!

[fleaguit]

Good luck with the lights . . . but i'm sorry to say, you'll probably find that time will wear them down. ANd time moves a bit quicker when dealing with britek.

I bought a kit from them over the summer, 2 650 floods, 1 650 focusable, 300w spot, 1k spot and 2k spot. As of today, 4 months later, only the 1k, one of the 650 floods, and the 300w are working. Besides bulbs and fuses blowing every other minute, one of the 650 floods and the 650 spot have both just decided to stop working (likely the fault of shoddy wiring.) The 2k blew it's fuse the second I got it, and after 4 months of searching I still cannot find a 20 amp, 250 v fuse that fits this light.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have bought a DVX instead of my HVX, and an ass load of arri's or moles. Those lights will last you for years, while the camera will be outdated within 3 years. I cannot tell people enough to stay away from Britek. Did you know they're assembled by disabled people? Don't believe me? Here, check this out:

http://www.teamamericatech.com/ (That's a link directly off the Britek site)

[morten]

Did you know they're assembled by disabled people? Don't believe me? Here, check this out:

http://www.teamamericatech.com/ (That's a link directly off the Britek site)

oh boy... that statement reeks of prejudice buddy. I find it incredibly offensive that you imply that the lights are bad because they are assembled by disabled people. that's just not the case. if they are crappy it's because of the design, not who puts them together.

That said my britek kit is arriving in a couple of days so we'll see if the claims of crappy products are justified or just bad luck. and trust me, I'm the kind of guy that makes a big fuss if stuff I buy doesn't work so if the lights are as bad as you'll say both Britek and Rostronics will get a massive headache.

mor10

[KHendrix2]

I work every day, at two different television stations, with lights from Lowell, Arri, Mole Richardson, Desisti, Altman, Strand, etc. I have never worked with any light that needed a fuse! What is the deal with Briteks and their fuses?

[Avenger007]

I've heard a fair share of complaints. like I said ill have to wait and see. regardless theres plenty of people on here that have worked with britek for years, like jarred or barry. I didn't make the post to start a debate.

back to my original question...where can I find a cheap case? I'm at lowes right now looking for those "foot locker" cases but they don't seem to know what I'm talking about. any suggestions?

[Aaron Little]

Did you know they're assembled by disabled people? Don't believe me? Here, check this out:

http://www.teamamericatech.com/ (That's a link directly off the Britek site)

That alone makes me want to look at spending my money with them.

[taubkin]

I work every day, at two different television stations, with lights from Lowell, Arri, Mole Richardson, Desisti, Altman, Strand, etc. I have never worked with any light that needed a fuse! What is the deal with Briteks and their fuses?

This is the quote of the week.

Cheers!

[jrak]

I purchased a pair of Britek lights from Rostronics a little over a year ago (the 300 watt lights along with a pair of softboxes). At the time, most of the reviews were positive and most were complimentary of the service. There does, however, appear to be a growing number of negative reviews, primarily related to a few of their models.

Having used the lights for more than a year, I thought I would share my experiences with them. The only problem I had with one of the lights was a faulty weld on the metal piece that fastens the softbox to the light. Rostronics responding very promptly and exchanged the light with another. Other than that, the lights have worked well and I have not blown any fuses. The lights have been used primarily for interviews and I'm fairly careful with my equipment. I also own a set of Lowels and have used other lights included Arris.

Clearly there are better lights and it is best to buy the best lighting equipment you can afford. At the time of my purchase, I was "testing" some new career waters and the lights met my budget and needs. As I gain more experience, I pick up new (and better) equipment. I prefer the Lowel Pro Light to the Britek, but the Britek softboxes have proven to be quite handy in a variety of circumstances. If I continue to expand my business, I'll probably expand my light kit. But I don't have any regrets about purchasing the Briteks. They helped me get started.

[fleaguit]

oh boy... that statement reeks of prejudice buddy. I find it incredibly offensive that you imply that the lights are bad because they are assembled by disabled people. that's just not the case. if they are crappy it's because of the design, not who puts them together.

That said my britek kit is arriving in a couple of days so we'll see if the claims of crappy products are justified or just bad luck. and trust me, I'm the kind of guy that makes a big fuss if stuff I buy doesn't work so if the lights are as bad as you'll say both Britek and Rostronics will get a massive headache.

mor10

Trust me, if I wanted to say something offensive, I would have gone well beyond pointing out that they are assembled by disabled people. These lights are not shoddy by design, the casing is quite sturdy. It's all in the assembly, the wiring, etc. Solder joints are constantly coming loose in these lights, just this week I had two britek's go down on me.

And you know what I find offensive? People who get their panties in a bunch because I point out the short comings of a piece of equipment, and the possibility that it MIGHT be related to the person who built it. Tom Rost is doing what might possibly be a noble thing by giving employment opportunities to disadvantaged individuals. He may also be exploiting the handicapped to get his labor. I have not been to their factory, so I do not know which it is. However, I do know from first hand experience that Britek has serious issues when it comes to quality control.

Britek is a mixed bag. Tom does right by everyone, and they have their reputation for good customer service, and affordable prices. However, the bleed that spills out of all of these lights, alone, makes them not worth it to me. My next purchase is going to be an arri kit.

If you're looking for a low cost alternative to britek, pick up a couple of lowell tota's, and a lowell pro light, you'd be surprised how well these work.

[Avenger007]

I appreciate the input but ive heard it before. The thread is more of an informed pros/con list for people interested in the lights. I couldn't find half this info on these lights so I was skeptical, thus I wanted to share the wealth. For example, I didnt know they can fit scrims. I also didn't know if the plastic was worth it on the heads.

I had the spare money to throw at them so I did. Ive tinkered with lowel stuff from other sets and for the price of their totas/pros I got more lights from britek. Basically I'm willing to put up with some short comings when it saves me hundreds of dollars. I remember the first softbank I purchased set me back $2800. Thats over 3x what I paid for this setup. In other words, I could purchase another used DVX with those kind of savings...or a mic...or a kino...catch my drift.

Now, so far my only problem has been with the stands. I received them yesterday and one was missing its little tension plate that goes inside the pole. I called britek, they overnighted the whole top assembly free of charge and Ive already got it installed here next to me. So far, they have met all of my requests/demands.

I did some research on cases and it seems those "foot locker" cases can be found at walmart. Theyre $27 and they lock, have wheels, and hold 23 gallons. Dimensions are 31x17x12h and its made by "contico"
Ill see if its any good

[morten]

I remember working with a guy who used a golf club flight case to carry his stands (both lighting and mic stands)

you could also look into used band/touring equipment. they usually have nice cases that can stand a brutal beating.

mor10

[jrak]

I have one of the Contico footlockers and used it to transport a small light kit for about a year. You won't find anything better for the price. It's the maximum size allowable on an airline (without addtional charges) and it's very light. I've shipped it via FedEx several times and it survived each trip. It has wheels, but it is difficult to transport when fully loaded because of the awkward placement of the built in handle. I've thought about buying a trunk handle and attaching it near the built-in handle, but have not gotten around to it. You'll need to add some padding. I used an inexpensive sleeping bag mat that I cut to size and glued to the interior.

I also have the Tamrac 683 which is heavily padded, has better wheels, and a better handle. But that set me back $329.