How to make a home built mini-mole?

[Policar]

I've been working on a shoot where we've been using mini-moles lately and I've fallen in love. Here's a link in case you're curious what I'm talking about:

http://www.helixphoto.com/Studio+lighting/MoleRichardson/2801.html

I love being able to focus them into a strong, powerful, but tiny beam, and getting a beautiful glint off of someone's eyes. The issue, of course, is the price. $200's not bad, but these are specialty lights and if I had the money for a couple of them I'd just get real lights in the first place (I can't afford them, unfortunately.)

Could I buy a big fresnel lens and place it over something and put a little 100w bulb in it to make something similar? I don't need the ability to focus although that's not so hard...just moving the light in relation to the bulb. What I need is the ability to get a strong beam from a standard bulb. Any tips? Should I just shine flaslights in people's eyes?

 

[j]

You could do this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...371&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Or, if you are willing to do w/o the fresnell, you could do this:

http://www.briteklighting.com/halospotg200.html

But as for kludging something together, I really don't think you will be very happy in the long run, it won't be as solid, the barndoors won't work as well... etc.

BTW, those mini-moles get my heart pounding too!

-j

 

[David G. Smith]

I love the Pepper lights. Great controllability, easy to use. You can mount those little f*ckers anywhere and get some great light.

 

[Icarus2005]

I have 4 200 peppers myself, 2 LTMs and 2 Moles. I love them and use them all the time. I wouldn't bother with 100s because you can always scrim down or ND the 200s which makes them more versital in my opinion.

But to answer your question, yes, sort of; you can just take one of those cheap clip on work lights with the silver cone and build a snoot for it that you slip back and forth for different levels of control, and you can put up to a 200 watt bulb in them. But people might not take you too seriously with that type stuff on set, not to mention is isn't nearly a controlable and flexible a light. But something is better than nothing.

 

[David G. Smith]

I have a couple of clip-on 100w halagen lights that I got in a lighting supply store in my kit. They are the type that is used with track lighting. They work ok. While not the same as the pro lights, like Icarus said, they are better than nothing.