If........

[boke]

You took a seasoned pro to the local hardware store and made him choose lights available only there, how well could he still make his movie?

Or in other words is it the lights or the lighter?

 

[Drew Ott]

With unlimited time, a great cinematographer could light beautifully with any kind of lights; however, on set you're always in a time crunch, so the cinematographer must choose the fastest, easiest method to get the look he/she wants. That's what makes an Arri fresnel different from a hardware store work light.

So, to answer your questions:

1) He could still make the movie, but setup may take longer and be more inconvenient.
2) Good lighting certainly comes from the "lighter." A novice with unlimited professional equipment couldn't light a scene as well as a pro with hardware store lights.