Halogen worklights?

I

Indyreel

Well-known member
Please forgive me, as I'm sure this question has been asked a half million times before.

I would like to know if the expensive studio halogen lights have anything over a halogen work light besides barn doors.

Is there any other advantage these expensive lights have? i.e. is the quality of light any better?
 
Depends on how expensive it is and who makes it. Generally, work lights are going to be at the bottom of the list.

Stuff made for video will have barn-door like you said, also maybe focusable is some way. Also, they will be higher wattages/ more light output.
 
At the end of the days, photons are photons, they'll light your actor just the same. Pro gear just makes your job a lot easier. For example, the bulbs are standardized to 3200K or 5600K while you can get a wide range of color temperatures with work light. Most of them are also focusable into a narrow beam or a broad spread. And then the most important aspect: pro fixtures are better build (the name brand are anyway). It's sorta like the difference between using a lawn mower or cutting your grass with a clipper; either will work, but you'll have a much easier time with the specialized tool.
 
I do agree with Hey Vu, photons are photons. I have used all kinds of improvised and hardware store fixtures to light with, including quartz work lights. Although I am actually a much bigger fan of the scoop type work lights with the clamps and screw in Edison base mounts. Yes, color temp is an issue, but with judicious use of white balance, or using mixed lighting for effect, I have found that this is not that big a deal on video.
Hey Vu, is also right about the professional lighting gear being built better, and that is the real advantage. When buying more professional lighting gear to use one thing you have to keep in mind is that the investment is really for the long haul. Don't think about the cost of the pro light just in light of the project you are working on now, but what your needs are going to be in a year from now, or even 10 or 15 years from now or more. When I first started making films, in 1989, I spent about 500 bucks and picked up, used three 650 watt open faced Smith-Victor "Tin Can" lights, with barn doors and stands and four 750 watt fresnel lights with barn doors and stands . I still use these lights to this day. Shoot, one of those 650s, bounced off a piece of foam core is my "Bread and Butter" light, and I think it makes a great soft source. So that 500 bucks I spent way back in the day, has actually been some of the smartest money I have ever spent.
Instead of picking up a bunch of hardware store lights, I would suggest going on eBay and getting some lights that are designed for video/film work and put together a little light kit that you will use for years to come. What I have been picking up off of eBay lately are small open faced quartz lights that were designed for use with 8mm and Super 8mm cameras from the 50s, 60s and 70's. I love those lights. You can get them dirt cheap (I think the most I've spent is around $24.00 for one of them, most are around $10.00), and they will do a much better job than a hardware store work light. Just go to eBay and search "Movie light" in Cameras/photo. Shoot, I hate telling you this, we may end up bidding against each other!!. You can also pick up some inexpensive stands and grip equipment and put together a decent little light kit.
 
I use worklights when I need to blast a large area (like the inside of a warehouse, factory, or plant) with massive amounts of light. 20K (10 2K fixtures) of light costs just $200 and includes stands.

Proper lighting kits are used on the foreground or places where light needs to be better controlled.
 
Yes, color temperature is the biggest issue with regular bulbs like work lights..... but you can get bulbs for them that are 3200k, it just costs a little extra.

Honestly, if your looking for cheap, use china balls with daylight florecents in them. Much easier and more versitile.
 
There is a difference in light quality if you want to use the lights directly on actors. The reflector of a worklight doesn't give you a very even illumination, it just blasts out the light. That doesn't matter at all if you want to reflect or diffuse the light anyways, but if you need direct, hard light, there is nothing like a good fresnel lens (quality matters!).
Only a fresnel lens will give you a nice and even circle of hard light.
 
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