Best combination of 2 X lights kit for most uses - doco,music videos, interviews,blog

A

analogs

Well-known member
From your experience, what COB light combination in a kit would you choose for your lighting kit, that would cover most work and why - documentary, short film, interviews, music videos, blogs, etc?

Choice is only 60 watts to 300 watts COB lights?
If these were the choices for each set:
A
- 2 X 60-100 watts
or
- 1 X 200-300 watts

B
- 1 X 200w and 1 X 60-100w
or
- 2 X 60-100w

Thank you.
 
Hi Liam,

There is no 2 X 300 watts, too expensive? Any other choice, 1 from each set A and set B?
 
One powerful light goes a long way. Two powerful lights and you can do prettier lit interviews and cover larger areas. Each additional light brings more but I would start with one good light and go from there.

I have seven lights but most often only use two.
 
J.Brown said:
One powerful light goes a long way. Two powerful lights and you can do prettier lit interviews and cover larger areas. Each additional light brings more but I would start with one good light and go from there.

I have seven lights but most often only use two.
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Hi J.Brown, I have started with 1 X 100 watt light, so would I be better off getting another 100 watt or go for a 200 watt? They will both be different brands as my budget is limited on my next buy.

Thanks.
 
If you don’t have the money for LEDs, don’t buy them. You can get great deals on used tungsten and fluorescent lighting these days. Use those cost saving to equip yourself with a kit that will actually get things done. Because 200-300w of LED power is not enough for most things.
 
I still don’t buy the method of choosing LED lights strictly on their power rating alone. Kind of like when people a few years ago were rating them based on just how many LED’s/diodes a fixture had. Use photometrics(and hopefully the manufacturer hasn’t fudged them).
 
+1 on getting one good light to start for shooting in the field. But maybe 2 lights for studio indoors is maybe necessary. horses for courses.
 
James0b57 said:
+1 on getting one good light to start for shooting in the field. But maybe 2 lights for studio indoors is maybe necessary. horses for courses.
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It's just so hard to lock it into DO THIS, because there are just so many variables. I've done interviews outside with zero artificial lighting, sit-downs for features with just one or two lights and live shots with seven to 10+. And all of them looked good. But each situation was unique and required different approaches based on what I wanted to accomplish, the environment, the end use, time/set-up restrictions, etc. I have a very versatile "basic" lighting kit that I've developed recently that is comprised of two Gemini 1x1 panels with a big soft box and a literal briefcase of eight small RGBW battery powered LED's(Astera AX3's). I can do A LOT with just that. But I'm also normally carrying in my truck at least one 800 watt HMI, two Astra's, four Hive C's, two Intellytech 2x2's, and probably two Boxer's(as back ups for the HMI).

With today's more naturalistic backgrounds for interviews, it kind of makes lighting a lot easier, because a lot of times you're working with the natural environment instead of having to completely create and/or control it. You just really need to have the firepower to be able to work with windows, when necessary. And something that is much cheaper than lights is ND. Depending on the size of the windows and how wide the shot is, you can do a lot more gelling the windows and not have to kill the subject/talent with just a ton of light in their face.
 
Two is one, one is none. Never rely on only one of any essential tool.

On some very cheap jobs, I've been able to do an amazing amount with just 2-3 2' Quasar Crossfades.

For various reasons, I still haven't bought in to the whole COB fad (especially the daylight-only versions). Might reconsider with the Intellytech X-100, because it seems to actually act like a reasonably-sized bi-color fresnel-ish fixture (finally), but I'm hesitant to add any more gear until work picks up full steam.
 
mcbob said:
Two is one, one is none. Never rely on only one of any essential tool.

On some very cheap jobs, I've been able to do an amazing amount with just 2-3 2' Quasar Crossfades.

For various reasons, I still haven't bought in to the whole COB fad (especially the daylight-only versions). Might reconsider with the Intellytech X-100, because it seems to actually act like a reasonably-sized bi-color fresnel-ish fixture (finally), but I'm hesitant to add any more gear until work picks up full steam.
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I've never thought of COB as a fad - do you really think it'll go away?
 
Thank you everyone for their replies!

As a solo shooter, what would be people's recommendations based on their experiences on the field? Having a limited budget, I already have a 120 watt COB light, what would be ideal as a general purpose kit of 2 lights for documentaries, interviews, music videos, short films, blogs, photography, etc.

I already have three led panels of 100 led, 300 led and 600 led.

All my equipment are more on the affordable end of lights, but I have to work within my means :)
 
rob norton said:
I've never thought of COB as a fad - do you really think it'll go away?
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maybe "fad" isn't the right word... but tools are in constant flux these days. "Trend" might be the correct one. Remember when Kino-Flos were considered nearly a must have?

I'm the dinosaur still braising talent with a Lowel kit from time to time, so don't mind me :D
 
analogs said:
Thank you everyone for their replies!

As a solo shooter, what would be people's recommendations based on their experiences on the field? Having a limited budget, I already have a 120 watt COB light, what would be ideal as a general purpose kit of 2 lights for documentaries, interviews, music videos, short films, blogs, photography, etc.

I already have three led panels of 100 led, 300 led and 600 led.

All my equipment are more on the affordable end of lights, but I have to work within my means :)
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Those scenarios are too broad to give an answer. For example interviews vs. short films are often at opposite ends of the spectrum for lighting requirements. If you prefer COB, sell the panels and get the best COB light you can afford.
 
mcbob said:
maybe "fad" isn't the right word... but tools are in constant flux these days. "Trend" might be the correct one. Remember when Kino-Flos were considered nearly a must have?

I'm the dinosaur still braising talent with a Lowel kit from time to time, so don't mind me :D
Click to expand...

Well you may be right in that as tech advances, single K lights might be a thing of the past. But at the current higher end of the COB space, it won't even be funny how many 600ds aputure is going to sell. So who knows, that may increase the lifespan of the COB as they continue to invest in products that have sold well.

Hah yeah, I held off on kinos (read: didn't have $$$) but they were the go to for a really long time and are still great lights.

I've used lowel lights but never bought any. For tungsten I've got 2x dedo 150, 2x arri 650, 2x arri 750, 2x arri 2000, 2x ETC source 4, 1x ETC source 4 jr. I'd love to make it 4 of everything and add Arri T1s and T2s and be done with it. As lights in shot and for backgrounds they're still nearly a requirement (music video, commercial, narrative).

It'd also be cool to have those mole 9 and 12 light arrangements. Check out how good they look - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auzfTPp4moA&list=PLw2B57WExfq_eDsPdHyU-FX6hJaFS1ckg&index=35. You can see the full display at around 00:48. I know it's not a direct comparison but give me these lights over a triangle of Astera titans anyday. If I see one more rapper standing in a "cube" of titan tubes... I'm sure the mole lights were done to death back in the day as well but still. OK that's the end of my tungsten love letter.
 
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I'm not sure I'd call either a "fad" or "trend", even though they may be/have been very popular. They are/were top tools with regards to the tech of the time.

Tubes in the shot is a fad or trend, but actually lighting with them can be useful.

Rob... I'm a dyed-in-the-wool tungsten guy, too. But I'm trying to remember the last time I actually used any of my tungsten fixtures. And I've got three plus Pelican's full of it in storage.
 
Run&Gun said:
I'm not sure I'd call either a "fad" or "trend", even though they may be/have been very popular. They are/were top tools with regards to the tech of the time.

Tubes in the shot is a fad or trend, but actually lighting with them can be useful.

Rob... I'm a dyed-in-the-wool tungsten guy, too. But I'm trying to remember the last time I actually used any of my tungsten fixtures. And I've got three plus Pelican's full of it in storage.
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As cameras get more light sensitive, it is possible to used lower wattage tungsten fictures, allowing for less heat. But that may really only apply to indie film and music video, as in ENG, I was typically battling ambient light most of the time.

But agreed. 9 times to of 10 or more, LED is the thing that ends up working.
 
Run&Gun said:
I'm not sure I'd call either a "fad" or "trend", even though they may be/have been very popular. They are/were top tools with regards to the tech of the time.

Tubes in the shot is a fad or trend, but actually lighting with them can be useful.

Rob... I'm a dyed-in-the-wool tungsten guy, too. But I'm trying to remember the last time I actually used any of my tungsten fixtures. And I've got three plus Pelican's full of it in storage.
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Yeah same here, I hardly use them for any solo shooting but they're there as an option to make up part of a larger lighting package.

I've got some food stuff coming up and will see if I can find a way to use them.
 
analogs said:
Hi Liam,

There is no 2 X 300 watts, too expensive? Any other choice, 1 from each set A and set B?
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Sorry missed that. In which case, I'd ask why COB lights? For the price of a 300 watt COB you can get two decent bi-colour panels or one decent panel and a couple of smaller LED COBs.
 
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