Chimera lanterns?

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

I recently bought the Chimera mogul socket (that has built in speed ring holes) and am going to buy a chimera lantern, but I can't figure out whether to buy the 30" ball with skirt or the medium pancake lantern with skirt. Has anyone here used both and could comment on the pros/cons between these two verify similar lanterns? I would appreciate it.
-Shawn

 

[Barry_S]

I've seen people using the pancake lanterns over dinner table scenes and over conference tables. It's more like a classic softlight from above with the skirts controlling the light spread. The light quality looks really great. The pancake lantern is a modern update of the chicken coop--an overhanging fixture.

The ball lanterns are expensive versions of the classic china ball you stick on the end of a pole and use for fill or a soft key. These are super-versatile lights that are very fast and simple to use--just swing it over and have someone hold it for the length of the shot. I guess it depends on the size of the spaces you're working in, but you might find the 20" ball a little easier to deal with.

I think the ball lantern is a bread and butter light you use constantly, while the pancake lantern is a little more specialized and a bit of a luxury. Unless you do a lot of corporate work, I'd get the ball lantern first.

 

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Hi Barry,
Thanks a bunch for the reply, super helpful. I first wanted the 20" ball but then I read on B&H that it can only handle up to 650 watts, and I want the option to pop in a 1000w bulb (though I have 500s on order too). Is the 30 really that much more difficult to manage? Or are you just referring to someone trying to hold it?

 

[cardmaverick]

I own 15 30 inch paper lanterns with 500 watt globes. They just take up more space. Transporting them is also a bit akward if you only have a passenger car like myself. Personally, I recommend the 30 inch lanterns. The smaller the lantern, the harder your light will be, something worth considering.

 

[Barry_S]

It all depends on the space you have available on location and how you want to use the light. For exteriors, the 30" would be good. Tight interiors? The 20" is just going to be easier to position. If you have the space, I agrree that the bigger lantern will be softer.

Hi Barry,
Thanks a bunch for the reply, super helpful. I first wanted the 20" ball but then I read on B&H that it can only handle up to 650 watts, and I want the option to pop in a 1000w bulb (though I have 500s on order too). Is the 30 really that much more difficult to manage? Or are you just referring to someone trying to hold it?

 

[pablovi]

Well I have the 20" Chimera ball(7 years now), and it's a very useful tool to have, you can use it as a key light, or as fill, you can use to iluminate a large area with video. But you can't use it as a soft key light above a table because it takes a lot of sapce, so the ceiling must be very high. That's why they invented the pancake, it take less space and you can place it above a table.

I don't have the new Mogul ring, I have the old one that can let you use Photofloods and you can use a maximmum 500 watts bulb. I want to get the Pancake one, and I probably will, so I'll let you know how that one compares to the China Ball


On those two shot I'm using it as key, pay no attention to the quality, they are both 16mm film scans of a positive print transfered(ranked) to a MiniDV via composite for offline pourpuses.