Is this a good kit???

I have this kit and love it. But you might like others better. It really depends on what you want out of it. I needed a small, lightweight interview kit that I could travel with. If this is a concern, it's a great kit. Even if you have a full compliment of ARRIs, the Lowel kit is a great addition for what I mentioned. I've also used this kit to light shorts and it performs well for what it is, but if you're primary goal is to do narrative work, you might want to spring for the ARRIs. Some will tell you that the Lowel kit is light duty and in a sense it is, it's also what makes it light and portable, but the actual fixtures are pretty durable. The only problem is if you jar them too much while on, you can easily burn out a bulb... BUT, the plus side is they are portable as I said, AND they're great for when you have to hide a little light. I think everyone should have a set like this in their kit, it's just a matter of what order you purchase in, and that's dependent on what you want to do.

No matter what kit you buy, figure you're going to spend another $500 on shaping tools (stands, reflectors, foamcoar, black wrap, clothespins, gells, etc.). You can get by with less in the begining, but eventually you'll want to put together a little grip kit. It's not really about the light but how you shape it...

I hope this helped.

Matt
 
I have that exact kit.

The plus side: It is fairly portable. The softbox is a CINCH to get up... compared to my other softbox which is something akin to trying to pitch a circus tent in difficulty. The pro lights are handy, and always the first one I reach for in the kit cause they're so small and generally a bit smoother/controllable than the open-face lights... although a couple days ago I had one pointed down for a shoot... and it started cooking itself. Like the heat from the bulb gets up into the wiring or something and I could seriously smell it and there was some smoke. So I guess you're not supposed to point them straight down? That kinda sucks. Is that the case with other lights people know of? Seems nuts to me.

The cons: No real nice fresnels or anything. And for a similar price you could piece together a kit with used LTMs or other proper fresnels. If you do go with this kit, get the BIGGER case. I have the smallest one... and I seriously don't know how to get all the stuff back in the case it's so tight. I guess when you open it pay close attention to how everything is fit in there so you can reverse it exactly... it's a tight tight fit. And while you're at it take a photo and send it to me. ;)
 
The smaller hard case.

I manage to cram everything back in.... but it doesn't seem right when I do. I feel like I gotta be crushing the softbox. There's a "sit on your luggage to get it to close" vibe. And crushing the softbox wouldn't be good, since I feel it's their quick & easy softboxes that are their best feature.

-Kevin
 
Standard 250w bulb. So I just dug-up the instructions for the light... which of course I hadn't read. :) Really does ANYONE read instructions?

"Do not tilt down beyond 45 degrees or operate sideways. Do not operate Pro-lights upside-down with lamps of more than 125 watts."

Well... I can tell you this at least: They're not joking. The ^%$# will burn. So I guess I'd consider that a design flaw. Is this something that's common with a lot of lights?

That limitation aside, I think the light is still the handiest in the kit.
 
Not bad for the money. Nicely portable. You will definitely be able to do some kinds of jobs with it: interviews, etc. But it's definitely a starter kit. You will outgrow it.

But if my budget was 1200, I'd probably make other choices. Buy used Arri/Mole 650w fresnels and put them in a Pelican case. Buy used stands. The softbox is nice but unnecessary--use bounce card in the meantime and save up for a Diva 200/400. This will be the basis for a kit that you will never regret and will ultimately pay for itself many times over.

Lowels have their place (the Omnis and Totas are great and cheap for just throwing light in bigger spaces, but in general there are better choices I think that you will learn more with. And besides, Lowel charge a premium for all their accessories. Price complete lights out and you will find they are only somewhat cheaper than much superior Arris.
 
I work for two different television stations in Denver. They both have Lowel kits available. I can't stand working with them. They do put out light, but that's about as far as it goes. They are difficult to control. If I have a choice, I drag one of my Arri kits from home rather than dealing with the Lowels.

This 45 degree/sideways/upside down crap seems incredibly limiting to me. There are times when you need to be able to point the lights wherever you want to, without dire results... like always! You definitely get what you pay for. The Arri's and the Mole Richardsons will still be going strong long after the Lowel lights burn themselves up!
 
twelve hunny?

twelve hunny?

The lowest price for that pkg is 1690 or something. How did you get that deal? I'm curious because for twelve, I might be interested.
 
Off brand softboxes like the ones at Amvona.com are probably the way to go for good softlight on the cheap. I personally love Kino's, but the good ones are not inexpensive. And, I don't recommend the Diva Lite, or any of the biax tube units in general. The Diva Lite in particular does not match any kind of tungsten fixture no matter how much I want it to. It has a magenta hue that will not go away, even when properly positioned and ventilated. As far as I'm concerned, the Diva Lite was a complete waste of money in the sense that it was not a lifetime purchase. Its useful life was about three months before I got fed up with it. I will never buy another one. I am soon replacing it with a 2' 4-bank.

So, for a cheap light kit, I'd get several shapes and sizes of those cheap softboxes from Amvona.com and a Dedolight 24v 150W head with built-in transformer. Then, a couple of C-Stands, hollywood heads, arms, a Cardellini clamp, suction cup mount, gobo's, flags, scrims, gel's, etc. This could probably be done for $1200 assuming you go cheap on the softlight...

Or, if you're into the long-term investment theology, here's what I'd do:

(1) Kino Flo 2' 4-Bank - $850+$80 in lamps
(1) LTM Pepper 100 - $250 with barndoors and lamps.

This would be a great starter kit - you won't need to replace either of them, ever.
 
Last edited:
I've the lowells and I think they are alright. Personally I don't like the stands I think the Plastic portion where you tighten them are cheap and can break easily IMO
 
LukeJ said:
The lowest price for that pkg is 1690 or something. How did you get that deal? I'm curious because for twelve, I might be interested.
Click to expand...

b&h sells the 55 kit with soft case for $1208.95. i went with the soft rather than the hard since it seems too breakable. i have an anvil flight case if i need it....
 
thisiswells said:
Then, a couple of C-Stands, hollywood heads, arms, a Cardellini clamp, suction cup mount, gobo's, flags, scrims, gel's, etc. This could probably be done for $1200 assuming you go cheap on the softlight...
Click to expand...

Hey Thisiswells (or anyone else who knows)-

Know of any good (good economical value that is) place to get those grip knick-nacks? The hollywood heads, clamps, those sorts of things? I got a couple amvona c-stands, and they're solid. But they don't sell all the goodies that actually make a c-stand WORTH it. And I'd hate to pay more for a stupid clamp than I did for the whole stand.

Thoughts?
 
hemophilia said:
Know of any good (good economical value that is) place to get those grip knick-nacks? The hollywood heads, clamps, those sorts of things? I got a couple amvona c-stands, and they're solid. But they don't sell all the goodies that actually make a c-stand WORTH it.
Click to expand...
No. All the cool stuff is hand machined in USA because if they sent the plans over to China for manufacturing they would be ripped off and sold on Amvona.com~!

hemophilia said:
And I'd hate to pay more for a stupid clamp than I did for the whole stand. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
All I can say, without being elitist, is that you need to recognize the VALUE of a good clamp! Sure, a Cardellini may cost $55, but it allows you to position lights in ways you never could with a mafer. That's worth SOMETHING, isn't it?

BTW, I have been getting all my goodies from FilmTools.com
 
I agree with Wells on everything except the c-stands. If you get the air cushioned ones, the Amvona c-stands are really quite the deal. I've used theirs and I've used Matthews and I'll buy the ones from Amvona.
 
MattC said:
I agree with Wells on everything except the c-stands. If you get the air cushioned ones, the Amvona c-stands are really quite the deal. I've used theirs and I've used Matthews and I'll buy the ones from Amvona.
Click to expand...
I have used an Amvona C-Stand recently and liked what I saw: durable, beefy construction and a low price! They are fantastic. I'd say the steel tubing was a notch above Matthews but the grip heads do not compare. Matthews are much better, but of course several times the price. I really like Avenger because of their attention to detail and the fact they are made in Italy. And, they offer a complete line of products. No need to mix and match brands as they make all the same stuff the other guys do, and some things the other guys don't -- all at competitive prices. :thumbsup:
 
yeah, mine just showed up today. pretty cool for the cash. i didn't even realize that it came with gel frames and gels. sweet. the rifa to me is the highlight of it. with just that and a backlight it looks great right out of the box. i will probably go search for some used 1k fresnels on ebay now though. that should do me for a while. these stands are all kind of universal right? in other words if i buy a different kind of light, will it fit these stands?
 
Is ebay a good resource for buying used lights? Has anyone bought some used HMI's or Fresnels off ebay? A lighting kit is something that I can't afford right now (that's ok though, I can use our schools...) but I am slowly researching in the event that someday I can drop some cash on one. I'll probably end up going the route of buying a small base kit and adding used fresnels and HMI's to the mix. As far as Fresnels go, what do you guys find to be the best wattage to start out with? say, 300 watts and move on from there? Is it even worth it to get a 150 or 200 watt fresnel?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top