Best Lighting Kit for under $1000
- Thread starter mickeloaf
- Start date
Walter_Graff
Carbonite Member
Re: Best Lighting Kit for under $1000
I believe in mixing and matching for variety.
Here is an article I wrote about one of my light kits that might inspire you:
http://www.dv.com/features/features_item.jhtml?category=Archive&LookupId=/xml/feature/2004/graff0404
I believe in mixing and matching for variety.
Here is an article I wrote about one of my light kits that might inspire you:
http://www.dv.com/features/features_item.jhtml?category=Archive&LookupId=/xml/feature/2004/graff0404
mickeloaf
Well-known member
Re: Best Lighting Kit for under $1000
Thanks Walter, this will definately get me started. One of the questions I have is when selecting lights, what wattage to get. Do i need 300 watt lights or 2000 watt lights for a shoot, what is the general rule? Is a 500 watt softbox enough or do i need a 1000w box. I suppose it has something to do with distance and the look you are after, which I'm still trying to figure out.
Thanks Walter, this will definately get me started. One of the questions I have is when selecting lights, what wattage to get. Do i need 300 watt lights or 2000 watt lights for a shoot, what is the general rule? Is a 500 watt softbox enough or do i need a 1000w box. I suppose it has something to do with distance and the look you are after, which I'm still trying to figure out.
Walter_Graff
Carbonite Member
Re: Best Lighting Kit for under $1000
Anything from 500 to 1000 is more than enough. 2ks would be for special occasions.
Anything from 500 to 1000 is more than enough. 2ks would be for special occasions.
J_Barnes
Veteran
Re: Best Lighting Kit for under $1000
also remember that the more watts your lighting equipment puts out, the more amps they draw from your location. This is usually fine with several small lights in the inkie to tweenie range, but once you have a couple of 2ks or a few 1ks, you really need to start thinking about your power distribution.
A 2k needs a 20 amp service. While there are a lot of houses that have 20 amp breakers to the outlet, you will often find only 10 or 15 amp breakers paired with 15 amp wiring.
Even if you do have the capacity for a 2k light on your home service, you need to start spreading your power load around the house once you start adding other lights. Shooting off house power with 2k's usually means you speand as much time resetting breaker switches as you do lighting your scenes.
I like a location lighting kit with 2 650s, a 300 watt and a 1k light. I feel that those combinations of wattage are the most manageable in a wide variety of locations where you'll be using house power.
Just my .02
also remember that the more watts your lighting equipment puts out, the more amps they draw from your location. This is usually fine with several small lights in the inkie to tweenie range, but once you have a couple of 2ks or a few 1ks, you really need to start thinking about your power distribution.
A 2k needs a 20 amp service. While there are a lot of houses that have 20 amp breakers to the outlet, you will often find only 10 or 15 amp breakers paired with 15 amp wiring.
Even if you do have the capacity for a 2k light on your home service, you need to start spreading your power load around the house once you start adding other lights. Shooting off house power with 2k's usually means you speand as much time resetting breaker switches as you do lighting your scenes.
I like a location lighting kit with 2 650s, a 300 watt and a 1k light. I feel that those combinations of wattage are the most manageable in a wide variety of locations where you'll be using house power.
Just my .02
Stanrick_Kubley
Active member
Re: Best Lighting Kit for under $1000
The common route is to blow one's load on all fresnels. Fresnels are great, but much of the time, after you learn a bit about lighting, you will start altering your light anyway to change the quality (hardness/softness/size). Sometimes, though, fresnels are great to have.
I would rather have shoplights and an arsenal of modifiers than no modifiers and a bunch of expensive lights.
If I had to spend a grand on lighting I'd use for everything, I'd probably consider how I might typically want to alter the light. Some of that money will have to go to diffusion and/or bounce, which means C-stands, clamps, flags, and so forth. Buy this stuff used. For the actual lights, I'd go with maybe a fresnel (a 650 maybe) and a couple cheaper open-face lights. Buy these used if you can. I'd pick up a couple shop lights too. Get a dimmer for each light (they are fairly cheap).
What's just as worthwhile (and I apologize if you already know this) is Education. You have to take a general interest in photography as a whole. Light is not just light. Learn how to get soft light, hard light, and when to use it. Learn how to sculp with the position of your lights. Learn to create contrast where you want it (very important, especially with DV). Learn to see in terms of tone (relative light and dark). For a good photographer, professional equipment is simply more convenient.
Good luck, loaf!
The common route is to blow one's load on all fresnels. Fresnels are great, but much of the time, after you learn a bit about lighting, you will start altering your light anyway to change the quality (hardness/softness/size). Sometimes, though, fresnels are great to have.
I would rather have shoplights and an arsenal of modifiers than no modifiers and a bunch of expensive lights.
If I had to spend a grand on lighting I'd use for everything, I'd probably consider how I might typically want to alter the light. Some of that money will have to go to diffusion and/or bounce, which means C-stands, clamps, flags, and so forth. Buy this stuff used. For the actual lights, I'd go with maybe a fresnel (a 650 maybe) and a couple cheaper open-face lights. Buy these used if you can. I'd pick up a couple shop lights too. Get a dimmer for each light (they are fairly cheap).
What's just as worthwhile (and I apologize if you already know this) is Education. You have to take a general interest in photography as a whole. Light is not just light. Learn how to get soft light, hard light, and when to use it. Learn how to sculp with the position of your lights. Learn to create contrast where you want it (very important, especially with DV). Learn to see in terms of tone (relative light and dark). For a good photographer, professional equipment is simply more convenient.
Good luck, loaf!
david_kuznicki
Well-known member
Re: Best Lighting Kit for under $1000
**I would rather have shoplights and an arsenal of modifiers than no modifiers and a bunch of expensive lights.
(snip) Buy this stuff used. **
Truer words have never been spoken.
**I would rather have shoplights and an arsenal of modifiers than no modifiers and a bunch of expensive lights.
(snip) Buy this stuff used. **
Truer words have never been spoken.
Barry_Green
Moderator
Re: Best Lighting Kit for under $1000
Buying used is the way to go. A Mole 2K Junior goes for about $650 new, but you can get 'em off ebay for $150 (not that I'm recommending that light, it's probably the least-used light in my arsenal, I'm just using it as a price comparison.)
Definitely buy used, your dollar will go much, much further. Or go Britek/Rostronics, which are very low-priced lights. You could probably get a set of four to six heads, stands, case, a couple of softboxes, doors, C-47's, gels, mafers, spring clips, extension cords, cube taps, black wrap, gaffer tape, etc. all for under $1000.
Buying used is the way to go. A Mole 2K Junior goes for about $650 new, but you can get 'em off ebay for $150 (not that I'm recommending that light, it's probably the least-used light in my arsenal, I'm just using it as a price comparison.)
Definitely buy used, your dollar will go much, much further. Or go Britek/Rostronics, which are very low-priced lights. You could probably get a set of four to six heads, stands, case, a couple of softboxes, doors, C-47's, gels, mafers, spring clips, extension cords, cube taps, black wrap, gaffer tape, etc. all for under $1000.
Barry_Green
Moderator
Re: Best Lighting Kit for under $1000
I don't know what's up with B&M and Pyramid... I check in on Pyramid's auctions every once in a while, and they were auctioning off B&M itself! As in, hey, do you want to buy a lighting manufacturing company? I guess there was a divorce and they needed to sell the company...
I don't know what's up with B&M and Pyramid... I check in on Pyramid's auctions every once in a while, and they were auctioning off B&M itself! As in, hey, do you want to buy a lighting manufacturing company? I guess there was a divorce and they needed to sell the company...
B._Summers
Active member
Re: Best Lighting Kit for under $1000
Damn....check dat!
Damn....check dat!