Gels and grip equipment

tony240sx

tony240sx

Well-known member
Where is a good place to get a basic set of different large gels and possibly some stand arms and reflectors ect? I am slowly piecing together a lighting kit and I would like to add these types of things. I have read a lot of informative posts on creating cookies, flags, ect. but I would like to buy some gels and arms to mount reflectors, flags or bounce. Some that I have found from searching cost more than the stands themselves and gels come in large rolls so I was just wondering if anyone has any good references on that stuff. Thanks.
 
Matthews is a pretty standard grip brand... check them out at MSEGrip

For gels, I normally use Barbizon. If anyone has cheaper places, I'd like to know too!
 
I wish they sold it in 1/2 and 1/4 rolls.

$100+ a roll gets expensive when you get different strengths of color and different kinds of diffusion.
 
I think they sell it in sheets as well for way less money... you just have to be careful with them
 
Yeah the rolls are expensive. Does anyone know where to pick up a bunch of sheets in different colors and shades? Also any arms on the cheap. Just to hold reflectors or flags.
 
I agree that filmtools.com is a great resource. As I have dozens of 21" x 24" Gel Frames which plug right into C-Stands, I buy a lot of the cut sheet gels in various densities for CTB and CTO

I also buy rolls of various densities of ND and CTO for windows. After doing projects for several key clients you quickly build up quite an inventory of "leftover" expendables.
 
Yeah, but it's either 4'x25' for $100+

or 21"x24" for $7.

It'd be nice if there were something in between, like a 4'x8' for $20 would be reasonable.
 
tony240sx said:
Perfect Sean. Thanks so much. Just what I was talking about.
Now does anyone have the hookup on some cheap arms. $200 for a matthews arm to hold up a piece of foamcore doesn't sit well with me.
Click to expand...

Can't you just get a c-stand and a platypus? It might run you 200 for all that, but you'll use that C-stand for everything.
 
craigbowman said:
I agree that filmtools.com is a great resource. As I have dozens of 21" x 24" Gel Frames which plug right into C-Stands, I buy a lot of the cut sheet gels in various densities for CTB and CTO

I also buy rolls of various densities of ND and CTO for windows. After doing projects for several key clients you quickly build up quite an inventory of "leftover" expendables.
Click to expand...

Kinda stupid question, but not as stupid as not asking, so here goes... :)

When you say "plug right into C-Stands", are you using some sort of clamping mechanism or frame on the end of a C-stand and then situating that stand to put the gel in front of a light fixture that's mounted on another stand, or are you talking about having the light actually on the same C-Stand and another clamp or something on the same C-Stand that gets the gel out in front of that light? The difference would be one stand vs. two I guess - just trying to figure out how you're doing this as I'm building up my first light/stand set myself...
 
"After doing projects for several key clients you...."

The word after is the key. I'm just saying there's a market niche for someone who wants some 4'x4' sheets of Opal, 250, 216, 85nd6, CTO Full, 1/4, 1/2, CTB Full, 1/4, 1/2, Plus Green, Minus Green...

If I had to buy rolls for that, it'd cost over $1,500. That's nuts - there's a certain camera I'd like to get that costs that much.

It'd be nice if there was a place that sold gels in 4'x4' or 4'x8' sheets...
 
"Now does anyone have the hookup on some cheap arms. $200 for a matthews arm to hold up a piece of foamcore doesn't sit well with me."

If you want to keep it solid in the wind, you have to get a solid bracket.

http://www.filmtools.com/msepobrcatb1.html

For cheaper, this will work with a c-stand:

http://www.filmtools.com/foamcorandbe.html

If you want something cheaper, this works for beadboard (1" thick foam insulation board) I used this for years before investing in shiny boards. I still use it to hold beadboard:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...y_Bogen_Imaging_143F_143F_Fork_for_Magic.html
 
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