good light kit?

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xstimux

Member
I want to purchase a good light kit for my hvx200 ... something I can carry pretty mobile like. I was thinking of a 3 light kit from arri. these are the specs:

Arri Softbank D1 Tungsten 3 Light Kit - consists of: 1 Fresnel 150, 1 Fresnel 300, 1 Fresnel 650 Lights, Barndoors, Scrims, Filter Frames, Scissor Clamp, 16x22" Softbox, Light Stands, Bulbs, Compact Case - 1100 Total Watts (120V AC)

think this will do? or overkill ?

I just want to light good interview set-ups pretty much. soft key and some edge light ..

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
 
I'd look into the rifa light kit from lowell (it'd be like carrying three umbrellas, super portable). in my experience, Arri's are good for lighting scenery/backgrounds, but not great for lighting people. The rifa lights light people up real nice like.


Jeremy
 
I went with the Softbank I kit and everybody loves it. It has 1 Fresnel 300, 2 Fresnel 650s and an open face 1k with a softbox.
 
Jeremy Garchow said:
I'd look into the rifa light kit from lowell (it'd be like carrying three umbrellas, super portable). in my experience, Arri's are good for lighting scenery/backgrounds, but not great for lighting people. The rifa lights light people up real nice like.

Jeremy
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I don't really see how that could be. :0
 
I'm sold on daylight flourescents. They run cool, balance with outdoor light, etc... The Kinos are great and Lowel has a couple that are a real bargain --- the Scandle and the Caselite (which is ultra portable). You'd probably still need something you could focus and control a bit more, but the DFs are terrific for big, broad, soft, light.
 
I've used Lowell lights for years and I've always been happy with them. It's not that other systems aren't better, I just haven't been exposed to them. I have to admit that the umbrellas really are handy for making beautiful soft light. Honestly the thing I struggle with is finding back lights that I really like, that offer a certain amount of focus.
 
that arri kit seems like a nice solution. I like smaller lights and that kit has a good balance. A lot of the cheap kits do seem to be two 1ks or something like that. For most purposes a 650 is a good key and nice fill as well.. with a softbox, etc. Also good to get a compact case. The big plastic Arri case stinks as it takes up a lot of space and is heavy and just plain bulky.

I was looking into the lowell kits for portability. They used to make a backpack kit that was sweet. I have a couple of 2' kinos that are awesome too, but pricey.

The other thing to consider is light control.... Being able to get a couple of small skrims and flags and a cookie is always good. That's where I think you can make something look sweet. Also don't forget the blackwrap!


Maybe Jared or Barry could do a review or shoot-out. I know I want a small compact kit that I can take without killing myself doing it....

Also a kit for around a grand is preferred...
 
SilverWolf said:
What is everyones opinion on the stands for the lowells ?
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As big a fan as I am, I have to admit that the stands that came with my Lowel Scandle and Caselite are barely useable. They'll do, and I've never had either light fall, but when I can, I put them on C-stands. Admittedly, this makes them "less portable," but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
 
I have worked quite a bit with an Arri Softbank IV kit. The Arri kits are a great all around "core" kits. You can add flourescents or others over time for specific purposes. The only problem is that they are bulky and heavy for 1 person. If you are new to lighting in general or Arri in particular check out the training materials by Bill Holshevinkoff. He wrote a guide to using Arri's and it's only $5.00 from his website.
http://www.poweroflighting.com/
His training DVD's are great as well, a real pro.
 
SilverWolf said:
What is everyones opinion on the stands for the lowells ?
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They're very, very light. While people might think this makes them "cheap" or not durable, I've never had one fail on me, so take that for what it's worth.
 
I was on walter graffs website and took a look at his light kit and it looks like he has some good stuff going
 
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I have the Arri D4 and love it use it all the time. If I was going to buy a new one. I would get the D5 I think it is. It comes with the same things as the D4 but you also get a 1k and that is worth the extra money. As for lowel lights. I know people like them and they have a good price point. I see them used all the time. But I think they are such a PS light. The way they are built and operate is just crap. I know allot of poeple that will not use those lights if their depended on it. Now the Arri is more expensive and for people that say it is just for the name are wrong. these lights are built so whell. I would try and get the D5
 
xstimux said:
I want to purchase a good light kit for my hvx200 ... something I can carry pretty mobile like. I was thinking of a 3 light kit from arri. these are the specs:

Arri Softbank D1 Tungsten 3 Light Kit - consists of: 1 Fresnel 150, 1 Fresnel 300, 1 Fresnel 650 Lights, Barndoors, Scrims, Filter Frames, Scissor Clamp, 16x22" Softbox, Light Stands, Bulbs, Compact Case - 1100 Total Watts (120V AC)

think this will do? or overkill ?

I just want to light good interview set-ups pretty much. soft key and some edge light ..

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...


You really should consider a kinoflo or equivalent to add to your list. Firstly they take next to no time to set-up compared to a softbox and they are very cool running compared to your Fresnels or open faced units. My kit has 2x arri 150 Fresnels, 2x 300 fresnels, 1x 650 fresnel, 1x 1K Fresnel, 1x set of Dedo lights and a Kino Flo PhotoFlo 4' 4 Bank (which I will be changing shortly to a mole biax 8). As for cases I have a Peli 1750 for all my stands (C+ stands with Turtle bases and arri lightweight stands) and I have a Peli 1660 that takes all my lights and other bits and bobs (gel roles, black wrap, grip gear, scrims, reflectors etc etc etc)
 
darwinandpaine said:
As big a fan as I am, I have to admit that the stands that came with my Lowel Scandle and Caselite are barely useable. They'll do, and I've never had either light fall, but when I can, I put them on C-stands. Admittedly, this makes them "less portable," but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Click to expand...

Sandbag your light stands.
 
I could not be happier with my ARRI Softbank IV kit. I added two dimmers, and a gel roll with lots of diffusion (OPAL & 216) I bought a 2nd kit off Ebay that has 2-300's and 2 -650's, then added an additional speed ring for a 650, and a larger, additional soft box. Anybody that says they are not good for lighting people, doesn't know how to light. If he was mearly told this information, he was sorely missinformed.
 
Arri's are nice, but it doesn't make much sense to put a fresnel in a soft box. Your shooting throught the lens and the bag- a lot of light loss. For a softbox unit, I much prefer an open face light like a Omni Pro or Tota. Cheaper, lighter and more punch than a 650 fresnel. A 1k for DV interviews is like duck hunting with a stinger missle. Overkill.

Kinos are very nice, but unwieldly if you are by yourself with no P.A. or grip. Oh yeah- uber expensive and not the smallest package either. Overall, you are going to get the most versatile, compact and lightest kit if you build your own up, using several manufacturers and customizing it. Have you ever tried to lift an Arri case? That's enough reason right there not to buy the Arri package ;-).

Lowell stands suck. The newer versions are better, they just suck less.

It's nice to have a mix of fresnels and open face units. My kit is a combination of LTM Peppers (100 & 300), and Lowell Omnis, Tota, and Pro lights and Chimera. Substitute Arris for the LTM's if you like. For travel and going light, I use light weight Bogen stands and then I have a C stand, grip arms and some heavy duties with lazy legs in a separate bag.

I find mixing and matching to offer the greatest mix of light weight, versatility and price. The Mathews Road Rags kit is the cat's pajamas- highly reccommended.

my two cents.
 
arri kit

arri kit

The Arri IV kit, comes with a speed ring and softbox for the 1k, which is an open face light.. Yeah, their heavy.. I think mine, with some extra mafors and cardellinis is over 88 lbs....Thank god it has wheels... !
 
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