$1k lighting budget: Enough to make an impact?

R

rwcpv

Member
I already know that lighting is by far the best "bang for your buck" investment you can make. I have approximately $1,000 to spend on lighting equipment that would mostly be needed for outdoor use versus the sun. I am more interested in having variety and the ability to modify the lights.

DIY and unprofessional appearance is not acceptable, which I understand limits my choices, but I need to present an image to my cilents, and I don't need some nerve racky producer making a big deal out of nothing.

This is why I ask if it's enough to make an impact.

Anyhow, here's what I currently shoot with:

5d Mark II
7d

Zeiss 21mm 2.8
Zeiss 28mm 2.0
Zeiss 35mm 2.0
Zeiss 50mm 1.4
Zeiss 85mm 1.4

Support rig/jib/slider/etc
2x softboxes that are excellent, but limited to indoor use


I am looking for lights that can be used outdoors for music videos. They don't need to have a large throw area as they'd mostly be used for medium and close up style shots.

I would also like to invest in smaller scale lights so that I can light details in environments and help create depth in indoor shots.

So, will $1k be enough? What do you think I should get?
 
You can get plenty of outdoor lighting equipment for $1000, because you're talking about reflectors, silks, overheads, nets, foamcore, etc., things designed for using the sun as your light source.

If you're referring to actual lights which can make a dent in daylight, then $1K isn't going to do much for you at all. I just did a quick search on eBay for "1.2K HMI" and there's nothing for less than $1400. There was one 575w for $900, but that's not going to give you much at all during the day.
 
David, that kind of thing would be perfectly acceptable for me. Like I said, my only real concern is keeping up with the image I present to clients. I have several outdoor projects coming up that no matter what, I have to find a lighting solution for. I can get set with the rest of the indoor lighting I need for around $500 I think.

Assuming a $500 budget for the things that you suggested, what would you recommend? I don't have much experience in lighting outdoors, as I generally avoid it like the plague.

How about Arri fresnel 650's? I'm new to the HMI market entirely, so I'm not sure what is comparable. I know that the fresnels are around $375 for the light alone, so you've gotta chip in extra for scrim/stand etc.
 
There are number of problems with using the 650s for this.

They don't throw out as much light as even a 575w HMI, so they're peanuts in daylight. And they're tungsten -- the light they will put out will look very, very orange in daylight, and if you gel them to match daylight, you lose about 75% of their light output -- and you wouldn't have it it spare. Then, if you want to soften it (by bounce or silk or softbox), you lose even more.

Your primary light source outdoors is the sun. If you want actual lights for outdoors in daytime, you're running into many thousands of dollars. You could rent, but that's not going to be cheap, either.
 
Thank you very much for the info, David. I had a feeling that it was going to cost way over budget, but it never hurts to ask.

Patryk: That looks like an excellent list for me to start off with. Does anybody else have anything to add? I will post links to my projects that I have completed to the User Films section in a few moments and edit this post with a link if you're interested in seeing what I've done.
 
Okay, so you're in luck, because as it turns out, God is a pretty sweet gaffer and gives amazing, beautiful light for you to use during the day. Most of the time. So, assuming you're not expecting $200 million Iron Man-like images, you'll be able to get a really professional look with just a few add-ons that people have suggested above (reflectors, some type of diffuser, etc.)

As for lighting indoors... $1k will definitely make a dent in terms of professional lighting... but it probably won't get you all the way there. If you know exactly what you need you might just be able to get it... but $500 is going to make it pretty much impossible with professional lights. If you can sink all or most of the $1k I would recommend looking into used tungsten fresnels, you can get two or three really solid lights for that money (and buying used usually means you'd get many of the accessories you'd need, sans stands).
Your other option is to sink it into less professional items but work it like a pro. You CAN get great images with a few china lanterns, maybe a few lowel lights (which I love) and still be within your $500 range. Most of the time, if you know what you're doing, you'll be able to pull off an indoor scene with just that. Problem here isn't SO much the quality (you'll be able to get great images, but you'll still be limited if you're going for a particular look), but more that this option isn't very versatile. This equipment won't last as long as the professional instruments, so after a while you're going to be buying again.

And finally, if you're really averse to buying lights for indoor use (maybe you won't get enough use out of them, maybe you don't think you can get what you need with $500), then use all those bounce boards you bought for your outdoor stuff, find a place with really big windows and just let the sunlight do all the work. This can also result in some really great images, but you're pretty much at the mercy of whatever the sun's doing.


Sooo what it comes down to is what's most important for your shoot. You don't need a ton of money for beautiful images. You might need a ton of money for images that are beautiful in exactly the way you want them to be. Ya dig?
 
Here's a question I have, when do you use those huge silks (6x6, 12x12, etc) and light grids? Also, what's the difference between a silk and a light grid?
 
Marketed in the UK as Kingspan

Silver insulation board

This is the cheapest way of getting fill in the sun

Personally I would use your $1k to start building a decent light kit, bit by bit,

S
 
morgan_moore said:
Marketed in the UK as Kingspan

Silver insulation board

This is the cheapest way of getting fill in the sun

Personally I would use your $1k to start building a decent light kit, bit by bit,

S
Click to expand...

For me the 'shiny' reflectors sometimes gives a 'faked' quality. A white bounce board, foamcore, or similar, gives a softer look, and seems more natural.

The Wife use to do family portraits at the beach, and depending on the time of year, the sun, about 15 degrees off the horizon in the morning, allowed the 'sand' to bounce the light into a covered gazebo and gave a very nice soft light. The usual time for such a portrait was about 1-2 hours, and with kids that's about it anyway...

Not particularly practical for a 'moving picture'... but the idea is find spaces which allow for the luminous quality of light from the sun to help out.
 
I agree that you'd likely be best silking, bouncing and etc... but why are you looking to buy? If you have a project coming up and you need a big light, rent. Rent, rent, rent.

Unless you have a generator, Arri 1.8'k can do something outside. Maybe get two or three of them, and you can likely get a strong (lightly diffused) key light through opal or something.
 
j1clark@ucsd.edu said:
For me the 'shiny' reflectors sometimes gives a 'faked' quality. A white bounce board, foamcore, or similar, gives a softer look, and seems more natural.
Click to expand...

My kingspan has normal white polystyrene taped on one side so it is actually silver/white

Silver = cloudy day
White = sunny day

IMO :)

S
 
gonzo_entertainment said:
Silks turn a sunny day into a cloudy day. They diffuse and cut the light from the sun.
Click to expand...

But I guess the question is, when do I want to do this and when don't I want to do this? I know a lot of it is what suits the scene, but what generally looks better? Just plain sunlight beating down on people, or should it be diffused always?
 
If you're shooting tight enough LEDs are a cheap solution for outdoor lighting, but wide you'll need reflectors on a budget. If you're going to invest in an HMI, a 1200W PAR is the bare minimum I'd settle for. But I usually rent when I need the higher end stuff.
 
tommygdawg said:
But I guess the question is, when do I want to do this and when don't I want to do this? I know a lot of it is what suits the scene, but what generally looks better? Just plain sunlight beating down on people, or should it be diffused always?
Click to expand...

It depends. I tend to do it when the sunlight is too harsh on the talent's face or when it's creating an unworkable DR situation where part of the frame is sun and part is shade and I can't expose the talent correctly without losing the shadows. That's not universal though, there are times you'd want that hard light.
 
I appreciate all of the responses, guys. I was sort of jumping the gun, like I said, I didnt' expect that $1k would do much for me to use my own light outdoors, I just figured it was worth a shot asking.

I don't have any specific projects coming up outdoor except a few that will require a more soft and atmospheric uniformity. I'm sure that if I can get some holders and silk/foamcore that I'll be able to achieve these looks. The wider shots will be timed for more friendly times with the sun, and then I can diffuse and bounce the close ups and things.
 
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