Which Arri Light and Softbank/Softbox to buy?

NC17z

NC17z

Well-known member
Hi everyone,
Can someone lead me in the right direction in regards to a recommended Softbank or Softbox? I have thought about purchasing an Arri 1K Fresnel and purchasing the additional speedring and softbank however, I have heard/read that it is pretty much a waste of a good Fresnel in order to go that route. I've seen some interesting Softbanks/Softboxes on eBay and considered it... has anyone had any good luck with these types of purchases for soft lighting?
Thanks in advance for any advice...
 
Without "going shopping for you on Ebay" The 1k fresnel into a softbox is not the best use of either piece of equipment... The open face Arri 1k would be a better choice, as the "Face of the softbox" will have a more even spread of light accross it's surface. The fresnel, will have a hotter, circle of light at it's center, because of the lens of the fixture.
Chimera is a very good brand, and some of the NO-NAME brands though workable, do not seem to have the longevity or durability of the Chimeras...
There all a couple of other brands as well ,that stand out from the crowd.
Go with a name brand for long lasting, correct color, and strength...
 
Thanks for the input filmat11, I realy appreciate it. I'll keep an eye out for an open face 1K Arri... I have 3 600w Arrilite's do you think 600 watts is enough punch for a softbox/softbank?
 
600w is perfect. I use a 1K redhead with a 600w bulb in a small chimera and it works great.
 
Yeah, I second BCheong's comment.. It's should be enough for most interview type shoots. However, If you have to gel your light with CTB to match daylight, even a 1/2 stop-3/4 stop more punch from the 1K is nice to have IMHO..
 
Very true with the CTB. I normally switch to a 4ft 4bank Kino at that point if I have to go daylight - though i prefer the look of Chimeras most of the time on people.

Make sure if you are gelling that you cut your gel with ample size to fit the face of the Chimera.
 
Tell me, Does a 4Ft Kino Flo Bank produced soft or hard light? I've read all over the net that people swear buy those things. I've thought of picking one up.
 
It's definitely soft light using flourescent tubes. It's a different quality of light though compared to Chimera's though both are soft. The Kino's are almost a little clinical looking and sometimes don't feel right to me though they're super handy in other situations. The Chimera has a certain organic kind of quality - probably the difference between flourescents and incandescent.

In some cases the Chimera is better and sometimes the Kino is better and sometimes it doesn't really matter - all of this is also based on how you like to light.
 
Oh and there's also a big difference in price - a redhead, speedring and small chimera is probably half the cost of 1 4ft 4bank.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys... I picked up an Arri 1K today on ebay for $275.00. I'm psyched to have it in my arsenal of lights. I'm on the hunt for barndoors, shims and a speedring... Chimera's aren't cheap... and I don't know if I'm going to have the Patience waiting for one to show up on eBay used. I may have to buy new... unless someone knows of a decent knock-off softbox/softbank? Anyone...?
 
I use Photoflex soft banks and they're pretty good quality. Either the SilverDome or the MovieDome banks will hold up to the heat of a 1K.
 
If you attend this year's American Film Market you'll be able to see my new light, The Lumen, which is:

- as bright as a 2.5 Kilowatt light but only draws 550 watts
- has 75% less waste heat, maintaining an internal temperature of 90 degrees and an external temperature that is only warm to the touch
- is a fresnel, softbox and open face light all-in-one
- has a unique tongue-and-groove exterior that allows you to snap the lights together into bigger instruments.

www.prodigiproducts.com
 
It appears they just want to tease at this point and also perhaps pay to get in their event there. Otherwise, he would have already posted...
 
We don't (and can't and wouldn't) charge someone to enter our booth at the American Film Market.

Anyone who pays to attend the AFM will be able to see our booth and lights for free. We've also offered to do a free demo for the Los Angeles dvxuser group while we're at the AFM. We'll happily meet in Santa Monica, show you our light and extend our AFM discount to anyone who comes to the demo.
 
We'll begin taking orders for The Lumen around October 15th.

We'll be holding demonstrations of the light at the American Film Market in Santa Monica (we're sponsors of this year's event) and ABQ Studios in Albuquerque.

Also, you can see the effectiveness of the light by watching Saturday Night Special in any of the film festivals it is playing in...last week Saturday Night Special played in Albuquerque and Calgary, this week the movie will be shown in Farmington, New Mexico and in 3 weeks it will be playing in Sandpoint, Idaho as part of this year's Lakedance Film Festival.
 
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Your description has me quite curious, and yes it makes me want to know more. Are these similiar to the roll up lights that attach together to make a "light wall" ? Can you share an aprox cost of each unit, and if you offer them in "Kits".. say a 2-4-even 6 light kit? Do your lights come with a case ? How do you mount them onto a stand ?
You openned the door !!!! What's inside ?
 
filmat11 said:
Your description has me quite curious, and yes it makes me want to know more. Are these similiar to the roll up lights that attach together to make a "light wall" ? Can you share an aprox cost of each unit, and if you offer them in "Kits".. say a 2-4-even 6 light kit? Do your lights come with a case ? How do you mount them onto a stand ?
You openned the door !!!! What's inside ?
Click to expand...

I'm very curious as well... You've definitely got my attention.

Side Bar; Justin, Did you receive the Sony Extended Battery and Charger I sent last week?
 
filmat11 said:
Your description has me quite curious, and yes it makes me want to know more. Are these similiar to the roll up lights that attach together to make a "light wall" ? Can you share an aprox cost of each unit, and if you offer them in "Kits".. say a 2-4-even 6 light kit? Do your lights come with a case ? How do you mount them onto a stand ?
You openned the door !!!! What's inside ?
Click to expand...

The first 6 will roll off our assembly line on October 1st. We'll be posting images of them then...and we'll begin taking preorders!

To answer some of your questions:

1.) You can build a light wall out of our cases, but they don't "roll up". These are anodized aluminum cases with a unique slide-and-lock system that allows users to put them together like legos.
2.) If there is a demand for a kit, we'll offer it...however, it is important to think of these lights differently than the existing standard. These are modular lights. If you want a bigger light you build it out of smaller ones. There are two types of lights we'll be selling: The Lumen and The Lumen Mini. The Lumen can be anything from a 100 watt equivalent to a 4 Kilowatt light, depending upon what bulbs you buy (However, we've tested it up to a 2.5 Kilowatt equivalent and using bulbs beyond that capacity will raise the internal temperature...that may be a non-issue to you, but we believe maintaining a low internal temperature and maximizing the 10,000 hour bulb life is critical. A higher internal temperature will shorten bulb life.) The Lumen Mini is a 100 watt to 800 watt equivalent.
3.) The lights are their own case. They're box-shaped, the arms remove with ease and they can be stacked vertically and attached to each other for easy transport. They'll take up a max of 16"x16" of floor space and can be stacked as high as you feel comfortable stacking them.
4.) They mount onto a stand like any standard Mole Richardson product.
5.) We're closing in on our final price. Our goal is to have a prosumer price (even though the product is better than the state of the art). Our goal is to have a price point somewhere between a Britek and a Mole Richardson product.
 
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