"incandescent or fluorescent?" is this EVEN a question I should think about????

T

TheJackyl

Active member
"incandescent or fluorescent?" is this EVEN a question I should think about????

When it comes to a lighting kit should I think "incandescent or fluorescent?" Or is it normal to have a kit which combines the two types. I understand corrected bulbs can be used with fluorescent but do the advantages such as fixture temperature matter less since hot lights are being used anyway. Can I get some help understand how some kinoflo could or could not be mixed with an arri kit?

I'd love any input from experienced people on why they use one over the over or both. Thanks
 
There's definitely room for both in your kit. They have different uses, but can also be mixed. Aside from the heat difference, there is also a softness difference. You may want hard light in one part of the scene, yet a soft key light on the actor. There are plenty of reasons why you'd want to have some of each.
 
Agreed.

Thing to keep in mind: incandescent is very wasteful of energy, but the fixtures and the lamps are cheap. Fluorescent is very energy efficient, but the opposite (expensive lamps, expensive fixtures) has always been true too (at least until flolight.com and MattInSTL came along!)

Tungsten units produce hard light. Fluorescents produce soft light. You can make a tungsten unit produce soft light by diffusing it (china ball, softbox etc) but you can't make a fluorescent produce hard light.

Tungsten units run HOT. Fluorescents run relatively cool. Proper full-spectrum fluos can make for very nice key lights on interview subjects without making 'em sweat.
 
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