For all newbies - cheap way to begin your lighting kit

puredrifting

puredrifting

Major Contributor
Hi all:

I was at a lighting store the other day and stumbled upon a lighting kit that I never even knew existed.

I have been reading posts here and elsewhere on the web from newbies for years, always asking how to build a lighting kit cheap. Now I am not talking the Home Depot $200.00 worklight package here. As we all know, worklights, while they out out plenty of harsh, uncontrollable light, are not really practical for professional video work, especially with newbies that don't even understand how to light or control light. This kit, sold by Chimera, is a practical, easy to use way to obtain really professional results, even from newbies that know little about lighting. It's not a complete kit to do a shoot, but it is a great key light kit for around $500.00 that will be useful as a shooter makes his way through knowing nothing about lighting all of the way to becoming an accomplished DP. That is extremely rare, as most of us can attest, few of us are still using the same lights that we used when we were just starting out because most of us bought the wrong kinds of lights for professional use, worklights or cheap open faced tungsten Smith-Victor or Lowel lights. (not to say that these lights are useful by pros, they obviously are with the correct lighting controls but most newbies just either point an open face light at a subject or bounce it off of an umbrella or ceiling, yielding not=so-pro results)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...304&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
This kit consists of a 500 watt open faced tungsten bulb, a speedring, small Chimera (24x32") softbox, stand, 40 degree eggcrate and a nice case to carry it all in. This kit with the addition of a small 150 and or 300 watt fresnel, makes up a very nice, usable, professional level light kit that is perfect for interviews, small narrative scenes, etc.

I have years of experience in lighting and I wish that a kit like this had been available when I began in this business, this is a great way to begin and a great way to build a truly professional lighting kit for around that $1,000.00 sweet spot that so many newbies look for. I don't work for Chimera or B&H, but I do own four Chimera lightbanks and four different light kits. A kit like this ensures that newbies who don't know what will work with what can end up with a matched level, professional lighting tool for a reasonable price. Bravo Chimera for making it so easy!

Enjoy!

Dan
 
Good info to know. I recently purchased a JTL lighting kit at under $500. Can be seen here. Works great so far and cant complain with that price.
 
I still don't understand what is so great about that Chimera Kit. I'm new to lighting and have been reading some books on lighting and watching some videos on lighting. I'm planning to film some shorts. Would this lighting kit be appropriate? I think I'll be needing a Key, Fill, and Kicker. I think this kit only comes with 1 stand and 1 light?

Any advice will be appreciated. I'm looking to spend $800 and under for a kit. Or maybe even $1000 and under.

Also, revzombie, the link you provided didn't load up for me. I'm not sure if it's a broken link.
 
drameddie,
I think you need to re-read Puredrifting's post. The Chimera kit is not presented as a complete kit and Dan specifically says that. He's recommending it as the key light to which you can add additional pieces to make a complete kit. If I understand correctly, the point is that the Chimera kit, when compared to what a lot of people buy when starting out, is a versatile key light that one will not quickly outgrow.
-Dan
 
Exactly.

Also, Chimera makes some very nice stuff. Buy this and you will have that soft box for years. Just change out the speed ring when you get new or different lights.
 
Thanks for clearing everything up for me. It was helpful. Since this package is great for a key light. What kind of Fill light and Backlight kit is good for a newbie?
 
drameddie said:
What kind of Fill light and Backlight kit is good for a newbie?
Click to expand...

The Chimera isn't much of a key, it's too soft and directionless (because of the softbox w/egg crate or grid cloth that one typically employs with it). It makes a great fill though. I always enjoy using it. A Chimera would really compliment a small Arri kit.
 
are the above suggested light kits interchangeable for still photography too? I'd like to kill 2 birds with one stone if possible
 
Rasquachemedia said:
are the above suggested light kits interchangeable for still photography too?
Click to expand...

Of course. There are lighting products made and marketed specifically to both still photography and film/video, but it comes down to technique in the end.
 
Hi Drameddie:

To answer your question, what's so great about this kit is that it is all there, all of the choosing of correct, compatible components has been done for you. Typically people who are inexperienced with lighting buy the wrong components or just don't know what to buy. This is a kit that if purchased is guaranteed to be an effective keylight setup with no other components needed.

Most newbies don't know what an eggcrate does, or would not purchase the correct case, etc. Personally, for my portable kit, for shooting interviews or small single and doubles, I would use this kit as the key source, an Arri 150 fresnel as a kicker and a flexfill as a fill source. If the flexfill is not practical in a wider scene, I would use something like an Arri 300 or 650 fresnel with some diffusion as a fill source. It all depends on what you are trying to do. To hit your budget, I would trade out the Arri 150 (about $250.00) for the Lowel ProLight (not sure exactly, but I think about half the price of the Arri) and I would then buy a white/gold 48" Flexfill (about $50.00). A couple used C-stands would be good too. But then you need flags, sandbags, grip clips, cinefoil, etc. It grows and grows, I have a 3 ton package and I just keep buying grip and lighting stuff, it's never enough.

I built a scene yesterday basically out of nothing. Grabbed chairs, couches, chairs, lamps, end tables, curtains, etc to create a "living room" in an empty studio . By the time I would done, I had 14 lights, 12 C-stands, 18 sandbags, six flags, a cucoloris, 12 stingers, etc. It's never enough, I could have used more of everything. Just depends on what you are doing and how ambitious you are. But the kit we are talking about here will get you going for interviews and small narrative scenes until you can afford to supplement your kit.

HappyGobo - The Chimera isn't much of key? It's what about 95% of all DPs here in LA use as a key for small shoots. Of course on bigger shoots, bigger soft sources with 4x4s, bigger lights and lots of flags but for a newbie without much gear or budget, it's the best, easiest way to obtain a nice soft keysource with some control from the 40 degree eggcrate. Makes a good fill source or backlight too for that matter. I guess if you are looking to light a noir with hard sources, it's not great but for 98% of situations, a small chimera with 500 to 1,000 watts through it is a great key source.

Enjoy,

Dan
 
Hey, just took a crash course in 3 point lighting 10 min. ago and felt incouraged to finally come take a look here in "Lighting". Just like I said, i don't know jack about the subject but I wanted to clear my head before I bought this stuff... so the question is:
Would this chimera kit, a 300w fresnel and a flexfill constitute a 3 point light kit?
I'm sure somewhere in all that lingo you already stated this, but i'm sorry man, i'm a lost noob :). Thanks for any info you could give me.
 
PureDrifting said:
HappyGobo - The Chimera isn't much of key? It's what about 95% of all DPs here in LA use as a key for small shoots. Of course on bigger shoots, bigger soft sources with 4x4s, bigger lights and lots of flags but for a newbie without much gear or budget, it's the best, easiest way to obtain a nice soft keysource with some control from the 40 degree eggcrate. Makes a good fill source or backlight too for that matter. I guess if you are looking to light a noir with hard sources, it's not great but for 98% of situations, a small chimera with 500 to 1,000 watts through it is a great key source.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I just sat here staring at my screen with that comment. :shocked: I didnt even know where to begin responding to that statement. You said what I was too dumbfounded to type.

-GageFX
 
Hi Glimmer:

Well, sort of. There isn't really a three point lighting kit, three point lighting is more of a technique than gear. If your question is, "can I do 3 point lighting with the mentioned gear?", then the answer is yes, of course.

The point of my original post was to let newbies know that by purchasing the Chimera kit and an additional light or two, they would then have the proper tools to use for small interviews and setups. Just realize that when you get into the real world of lighting for film and television, you don't always want or need a textbook three point lighting setup. Don't get lulled into thinking once you nail down three point lighting, you are set. Lighting is a craft and it is important to learn how to light so that you can help to set the stage for the story to unfold.

Good luck,

Dan
 
Key light is whatever light makes the shadows, meaning it's the strongest light that shoots roughly the same direction than the cam is facing (take or add, 90 deg...). NO matter if it's a chimera or a fresnel, or a car headlight or the sun, or the moon. It's the first light to setup and adjust. It can be soft, it can be hard, it can be yellow, it can be blue, it can be off, like in a in a sillouette. As Dan said, you can have a soft key and a hard fill, if your key is several stops over the fill, and is dictating where the shadows are being placed.

Dan, Great find. Posts like this are the stuff that is going to make me poor...
 
Dan, thank you for your help. I'm gonna study up some more about lighting so I can make an educated decision on what to buy.
Now, i did get the part about it being an art form, and that as you grow in your craft you'll grow in gear depending on your ambition. But what does say a person like me who is starting out as a "one man band" and dosen't wish to wear too many hats do? I mean I like the idea of lighting, but i'm also realistic about the possibility that someone else who is more involved with that side of filmmaking will be doing that job later on. My question is, you recommended this kit for noobs as far as keylight, do you have a full kit that you could recommend so I can "nail" 3 point lighting for starters and work off of that depending on my interest? I'd rather get your advice than try to do it myself.
$2500 is my limit.
Thank you Dan for the help thats already been given, and any help that may come.

Jim
PS: I cant help but think that even though I tried wording this right I still came off as a dumbass :)
 
-Glimmer-

My absolute favorite light of the moment is the 250w Lowel Pro Light with a 16x16 Wescott Mini Apollo Softbox on it.

Light power really is dependant on where you are going to be shooting and For most indoor shoots (average home size rooms - 15x15, 20x20) a couple or few 250w lights is going to be alot of light.

The Lowel Pro is "focusable" with a lens on the front, but not at good as a real fresne. It also has optional 4way barn doors. The 16x16 softbox creates a nice sized soft light source that is easy to control and feather. A 500w with softbox would be a great addition, and the Chimera looks nice, but at twice the price of the Lowel setup I just dont see it being worth it.

It's been mentioned everywhere, but mostly because it's true - get yourself some ChinaBalls. I got some large (36"+)($$) from FilmTools as well as 500w fixtures ($6) and then got a grip of various sized balls ($3-10) from CostPlus World Market. No matter what pro lights you get, get the balls - you will definitely use them.

I also grabbed a few sets of linkable Fluor lights from BigLots. $15 for 3 12" Fluors that you can plug in one, link another, or more up to ??? on one cord. Good for hidden atmoshpere lights.

$2500 is a good budget for a beginning lighting. Spent wisely you can do a lot. And while I believe in buying high quality pro equipment over other stuff (shop lights) I think some good middle of the road lights will serve you better. (Lowels are no Arri, but those Chimeras aren't either.)

At some point, a high dollar Arri or better purchase will make sense. At this point, get yourself a decent kit ("pro", china ball, and practical atmosphere combined, you can walk away with 10-20 lights for that budget - and they will last you years) that you can actually have some lighting options with and rent a single big guy if you need it.

Just my advice.

-GageFX
 
Good Advice GageFX...

I'd just like to slightly disagree: "(Lowels are no Arri, but those Chimeras aren't either.)"

Chimera is the Arri of softboxes. Money spent on a chimera is money spent on a piece of gear that will last you for life. 2 times the money of a lowell dowsn't seem like a lot of dough, IMHO, because first of all it can output 4 times the light (with a 1000W bulb - absolutely supported), and second of all, if all else fais, you still have a chimera softbox, to couple with any other light you might have with the use of the propper speedring...

Cheers!
 
here is my dumb question for today. You can put a 1k bulb in this light, why do they reference it as a 500? Can you put any size bulb in it? Is it the same for other lights such as the lowell 250 mentioned above can handle a 500w or 1k?
 
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