Cheap fresnel options?

A

analog_addict

Well-known member
I have some JEITU branded fresnels that I bought a while ago. I'm very happy with them after 2 years of use and want to get a few more. I notice now though that JEITU and AS-ARRI no longer seem to exist as brands.

All I can see on Ebay UK is TOP FOTO branded fresnels. They looks to be a different build than my JEITU ones.

Can anyone vouch for these? Is the wiring good? What are the best ARRI copies to get these days (within the UK)?

Thanks!
 
Hi addict, Jeitu were one version of Arri Fresnel knockoffs that possibly came out of the same factory in China, they're still available under various other brand names. There's also cheap LED Fresnels in the same housing. If you're interested in really cheap, do what I did - wait till a bulb blows on your Jeitu, then convert it to LED by ripping out the bulb fixture, reflector, and wires, replacing it with the highest wattage LED Downlight you can get from a hardware store, cost me around $30 - might need to nibble away some of the plastic surround, but basically screws onto the same fitting that held the reflector, just use the same screws, still focuses the same (I actually just wanted to convert an old Fresnel into a novelty office light, but turned out it's not bad as a rim light).
 
Just wanted to throw in my two cents. I've ordered a couple of different lights from Came-TV, they go by Photolight on Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/photolight/

I picked up their LED fresnel (though it's not really a fresnel but whatever) and their 1.2kw HMI (economic version, $1,000). The LED is decent and the HMI is really really great. If you're looking into cheap fresnels, I've had two good experiences with their other lighting gear so I'd recommend them. Haven't tried their tungsten stuff, but tungsten lamps are much simpler than HMI and they got the HMI right.
 
analog_addict said:
All I can see on Ebay UK is TOP FOTO branded fresnels. They looks to be a different build than my JEITU ones.

Can anyone vouch for these? Is the wiring good? What are the best ARRI copies to get these days (within the UK)?
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I purchased my first set of As-ARRI fresnel earlier this year, a TopFoto brand from ebay seller UVSION, and I had the chance to compare it with my friend's real ARRI at his studio. Virtually the same, maybe except the bulb which seemed to be less powerful (unless the fresnel glass cuts the transmission, but I doubt).
Here's a video I did on it. I'm not the best gear reviewer out there, but I think it covers up pretty much all aspects:
Vimeo version:

Youtube version:
 
 
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David W. Jones said:
Any reason you are not looking at used Mole's on ebay?
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I'd say mostly shipping price to get them from the US to Canada?
That, and I got a nice deal on these, with free shipping via FedEx.

If I'd be located in the US, that would be another story though.
 
Ebay has tons of used fresnels, especially if you don't search for "fresnel" and just dig into the continuous lighting section and click "used".

Probably some in Canada as well, you'd just have to check from time to time (you can select results to only show north america or your country).

If you want to go really cheap and get decent lights, there are usually dozens of theatrical fresnels on there. I have several of the 6" 1K altman stamped steel fresnels. You generally need to add a spud and an edison connector, but they're workhorses and the light quality is very good. They're not as "pretty" as the Arris and Chinese stuff, just black stamped steel, but they have slide focus and take standard gel frames, barndoors, snoots, etc. There are usually lots of the Altman 8" 2k's with the stippled lenses. Both of these lights can go as low as $30-$40 if you look around (the 6" is about $150 new). You can save a lot of money if you don't need a Mole or Arri.

I've converted a 6" to use the Cool Lights 150 HID bulb (about the same lumens as a 500-650 tungsten, but daylight) with a $50 ballast. The CL globe ($30??) is a bit pink/magenta but a little plus green will dial it in (looks fine for hair or rim straight up in many cases). I've also converted a little 3" Times Square Fresnel to run a groovy little GX 150 watt globe, same ballast - you get the same 500-600 watt equivalent from a tiny fixture and the daylight rendering is perfect - globe is about $50. I generally use that to pick out BG details or add a wash - fixture, barn doors, scrims, ballast and cables all pack into a very small case.

You can also keep an eye out for rectangular open faced lights - "nook lights" and the like, they have legit yokes and barn doors and can be lamped from 150 or so up to (usually) 1k. The Colortran versions use a short double ended globe, but there are lots out there that use the stick-style work light globes that range from 100 watts to 1K and are dirt cheap. Really quick to lamp up for any use without dimming, I tend to take 100, 200, 350, 500 and 750 globes with me. Really great for bouncing and scrims, and not needing dimmers.
 
Michael Carter said:
Ebay has tons of used fresnels [..]
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Yeah for sure! What kills it here, is the shipping. And places like Adorama ships via UPS, which is horrible when comes the time to cross the border (with UPS) as they charges customs like no others!
Best carrier so far (in my experience) when dealing with international shipping is FedEx (part a reason why I went with these chinese fresnels).

That, and I ended up getting the lights 2x 300w, 2x 150w + 4x stands and the carrying case for like 350$USD, shipped ith FedEx!
uvision fresnel kit.jpg
 
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