If you could take ONE light, in a suitcase...

While all this is true, the fact is, as soon as you take that expensive fresnel and put it in a softbox, push it through a silk, bounce it off a piece of foamcore, etc, it becomes indistinguishable from an open-face. So if you intend to use the bare light, or you need the absolute controlability of a fresnel, then paying that cost is simply unnecessary. You say that open-face lights have dark spots? I say clip a piece of spun to the barndoors and the problem is solved for $15.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Fresnel, but for throwing up a key in a 9x9 room, it's overkill. The light beam is going 4ft. Now, when I have to push light 20ft and I need to control it, my 2K fresnel is my first choice for sure.

-P

10s said:
An ARRI 1 K Studio fresnel or a Pepper is a high quality small compact lightweight fixture producing a fresnel look. So what's so special with a fresnel? After all aren't all lights equal? No!

A fresnel gives an even light compared to all other lights. That is why fresenls are known for portrait quality light. The lens collects light from the front of the bulb, the sides and off the rear reflector and puts them into a phase configuration. Run a test using different lights and you'll see the difference immediately. A fresnel has no dark spots in the circle of light, whereas an open face does. You find these big ugly dark spots showing the uneven throw from the fixture.

So if you have only one light, it's wise to start with the best quality and work your way down. As stated previously, a fresnel can do all jobs using silks, spun, bounce, and other lighting tricks.
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Davdo said:
Lowel made a 650w fresnel called the Fren-L. It has been discontinued. It was suprisingly expensive considering the brand. Quite the opposite of the business model Lowel had for themselves. It wasn't at all competetive with other similar wattage fresnels.
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Yes you are right, although I didn't know it was discontinued. It wasn't a bad light but the actual construction and housing (not to mention weak grip) made it very frustrating.

Here is a link to the Lowel 650w
http://www.vistek.ca/rentals/details/16/R300234/lowel-frenl-650.aspx
 
One light? Hmm... have you seen the new Litepanels 1x1 Bi-color? http://litepanels.com/
About $2500 for one light! Yikes, yet it goes from 3200k to 5600k and dims plus no globes to change and it can run off of either the Litepanels battery or Anton Bauer batteries. Pretty slick. In the real world and for $1500 vs $2500, I pack 4 lights in my suitcase, the Lowel DVcreator Kit 55 - Omni, Tota, Pro and Rifa 55. All of those and the stands easily fit with my clothes in an unsuspecting Samsonite wheeled hardcase. Great way to travel.
 
IMO the Rifas have NO versatility at all, however they are so quick to setup and pack away really small. It wouldnt be my light if I was to take just one, but a rifa, a couple of pro lights and some foam core (black and white) and I've got a really small interview kit. Pretty cheap one too at that. For the OP's purpose I think my suggestion would be to take more than one light :)
 
Jeff Anderson said:
IMO the Rifas have NO versatility at all, however they are so quick to setup and pack away really small. It wouldnt be my light if I was to take just one, but a rifa, a couple of pro lights and some foam core (black and white) and I've got a really small interview kit. Pretty cheap one too at that. For the OP's purpose I think my suggestion would be to take more than one light :)
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I wouldn't say they have NO versatility. The ability to switch out tungsten for daylight flos is pretty cool.
 
Ok, they can do that - I'll give you that one. But beyond that they are always a softbox. You can dismantle it and make it an open face light of sorts but I just dont see the usefulness in that. Dont get me wrong, I love the rifas and enjoy working with them, but I just wouldnt use it as my only light if I was travelling.
 
For shooting a quick, flattering interview, I very much like the Rifa. And some of the more attractive interviews I've seen done have been one large source, perhaps with a bit of back side fill. If you move the Rifa away, you can make it slightly harder. You can also suspend it overhead if you want to get a shadowless light onto a product.

Put the talent near a window, Use the Rifa as an edge light, and bounce it for some fill, and you've got a pretty nice look also. trying to do the same with a hard light is going to be more work. And I don't think anyone is expecting an Emmy with a 1 light setup, but it can certainly look flattering. I shoot a lot of older subjects, and there's NO WAY, I'd show up with only a hard light or fresnel for my one light.
 
PerroneFord said:
While all this is true, the fact is, as soon as you take that expensive fresnel and put it in a softbox, push it through a silk, bounce it off a piece of foamcore, etc, it becomes indistinguishable from an open-face. So if you intend to use the bare light, or you need the absolute controlability of a fresnel, then paying that cost is simply unnecessary.
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That IS exactly it. I usually take a few DPs and maybe a few Colortran 650 watt open face focusable fixtures when flying to a job to shoot interviews.

Of course if I had the choice of any single fixture (in the world) to throw in a suitcase, I'd take a Joker.

.
 
OK, the Rifa is good for interviews. What about the million other situations needing a light besides an interview?

Would a fresnel with a silk in front do pretty much the same job as the Rifa?

One can buy the 5-in-1 fold up hoop, the type used by still photographers. That would fit into a suitcase and provide a silk, white, silver & gold bounce & a black flag.

Now of course the fresnel has a whole bunch more tricks waiting to perform.
 
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10s said:
OK, the Rifa is good for interviews. What about the million other situations needing a light besides an interview?
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Well, you might consider what the original poster asked:

This isn't for creative DOPing but just to get a good soft light on subject(s) for training videos.
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So, if we want a single light to get a good soft light on a subject for a training video, I submit the Rifa would do that easily. Yes, the fresnel with a bounce or a silk could accomplish the same thing. Assuming we had a stand for it. And assuming we had the silk or foamcore. Or we could take the whole works, including the stand and CFL adapter in one Rifa bag and be done.

I know which I would choose, but to each their own.
 
I haven't read this entire thread, but if you can really only use one light you might want to look into the new Cool Lights LED system; it's supposedly a good mix between hard and soft light, plus you can go battery powered if that's necessary.
 
Drew beat me to it; I'd look into the new LED system from Cool Lights as well.

The output sounds like it will be close to a 650w fresnel, generates little or no heat, is very portable including barn doors, can be battery powered, and you generally won't have to ever worry about bulb life.

I'm going to try a few out when they're released in Jan/Feb...
 
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