Dedolights or fresnels, a question of expense

SimonMW

SimonMW

Member
Just wondering what the general concencus is on dedolights and their price/performance ratio?

They look more expensive to begin with, but have people that have used them found that they are actually cheaper in the long run due to longer lasting bulbs and less power usage?

It is said that the 100w Dedo is equivilent to a 300w standard fresnel. Could anyone tell me the equivilent output for the 120w or higher Dedo bulbs that fit into the standard Dedo units?

I don't like the heat that normal lights give off. I have been considering flourescents, but I feel that while I can make a Dedo a softlight through diffusion, I can't make a flourescent a hard light. So I'd like a good portable, yet versatile light I can use for a multitude of applications.
 
Re: Dedolights or fresnels, a question of expense

here's a question for you then: How often do you plan on using these lights and how often are you going to be paying for the electricity? Sure there is a difference in the cost and life of many different bulbs, but you're never going to make back a cost difference in bulb savings unless you're running a rental house.

Same with the electricity. Power is cheap.

I like dedo's a lot, but people argue rightfully that they're pretty expensive for what you get. I think they put out a very nice, but very specialized light, so they don't replace a standard fresnel kit.

You can also throw any openface or fresnel light through diffusion or a softbox, so I wouldn't say dedos are any more versatile then a standard fresnel.
 
Re: Dedolights or fresnels, a question of expense

Well, okay, I'll be using other peoples electricity most of the time. So I would like to do my best to not use up the national grid during an interview.

The other factor is heat. I can't afford kinos, and from the looks of it even Walters fantastic DIY flouro seems to be more for accent lighting, although I could be wrong.

Then there is the size. I need something that's easy for me to transport around as often I don't have any helpers.
 
Re: Dedolights or fresnels, a question of expense

 "I can't afford kinos, and from the looks of it even Walters fantastic DIY flouro seems to be more for accent lighting, although I could be wrong."

Could be. You can buy any size flouro and get either 20 watts or 200 watts of light. Even if you are strapped a $20 48 inch, 2-lamp flouro fixture with warm white lamps and the addition of 1/8th minus green gel around those tubes will give you more light than you'll know what to do with.
 
 
Re: Dedolights or fresnels, a question of expense

Excellent.

I'm just really desperate to get something for all occasions. Up until now I've been using other peoples kit (or renting), and quite often the shoots are small and there aren't many, if any people willing to help lug stuff around (grrr).
 
Re: Dedolights or fresnels, a question of expense

As to the question of versatility. I suppose you could light a whole setup with Dedolights, but I've never seen it done. Getting a decent soft key off a bounce or diffusion frame might take a couple of instruments, depending on your ambient light. Dedo's have always been used as accent lights, or specials for objects in the background, backlights etc. More often an Arri or Mole kit with fresnels is used to light an interview, commercial etc. I'd go with the fresnels if you can afford either.
 
Re: Dedolights or fresnels, a question of expense

Hey Simon, thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Should have been a superbowl commercial. Btw, no dedolights were used in it's construction.
 
Re: Dedolights or fresnels, a question of expense

I've lit whole scenes with dedos, and it wasn't that difficult, but I was wishing for more variety at the time. A dedo kit, a diva, a redhead, a tweenie and inbetweenie would be a very well rounded kit for my uses...but each person lights differently and tends to use different instruments.

There are DP's that use a ton of PAR cans, there are DP's that like elipsoidals. Learning what instruments you like to use is a huge part of what comes to enable and inspire you as a lighting artist.

Maybe you should keep renting until you know exactly what you're going to like to use on a long-term basis.
 
the most fantasitc lensed fixture out ther, but

the most fantasitc lensed fixture out ther, but

"Just wondering what the general concencus is on dedolights and their price/performance ratio? "


Dedos are the best lensed light for the money but they are not a general purpose light. I'd say one in a kit would be great but even that gets REAL expensive. I'd say go with a variety of lights that offer versatility. No light does everything well.
 
Re: Dedolights or fresnels, a question of expense

I use Dedo lights for packshots (focus accents) and could not see how anyone could completely light any scene other than tabletop with them. I have used up to 9 dedo units on a shot consisting solely of a Bottle of Jack Daniels with a glass beside it. Aslo used them for controlled slashes of light on c.u faces.

Usually I use them in conjunction with a soft light source.

BTW : they get very hot ( wear gloves)
 
Re: Dedolights or fresnels, a question of expense

[quote author=Shooter link=board=lighting;num=1108038403;start=0#10 date=02/15/05 at 16:15:37]I use Dedo lights for packshots (focus accents) and could not see how anyone could completely light any scene other than tabletop with them. [/quote]

I did it only because that was the light kit provided, but I managed to light a (20x16?) living room with four dedos, a single china ball, a few filters and a few bounce cards.

I'm a big fan of bouncing.
 
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