Kino Flo style Fluourescents vs. CFL softbox fixtures

J

Jackson Miller

Well-known member
Hi. I have some cfl soft box fixtures that I use quite a bit. I mainly see the kino flo bank style lights on professional sets though. I am going to buy some more fluorescent lights and I am wondering how the two styles differ from each other. What are the pros and cons of each? Are the kino style ones more portable because you can leave the bulbs in and close the barn doors or is that not advisable? Are the kino style ones soft without any diffusion from the get go?

Please help me out,

thanks

JM
 
A few reasons why we've avoided CFL solutions except for one (200w bulb) exception which I carry because I think its got some good points.

1). Having the ballast in the bulb, you pay more for the two together. That works until one or the other go out. If the bulb should go out, you lose the investment in the ballast and you just end up throwing the whole thing away. A system where the bulb and ballast are separate keeps the investment in the ballast sound even if bulbs should go out, you just replace them.

2). CFL with integrated ballast can never be as efficient as systems where the bulb and ballast are separate. There simply isn't the room in the bulb's base for the circuitry required. Plus you have the issue of the heat generated by the bulb which can't be helping the ballast's life time since they are so close to one another. So the power factor of a larger, external ballast has a greater chance of being better and therefore more efficient in electricity use per lux/lumen generated.

3). There are more high CRI alternatives in 55w, T12, T8, etc. than in self-ballasted CFL type bulbs.


Many people leave the bulbs in the tubes to transport. Its probably not something you'd consider best practices but they do it anyway.

Softness has to do with size of the light emanation from whatever fixture. A larger fixture with more bulbs or a larger fixture with larger bulbs should be more soft than a smaller fixture. Thus it follows that a 4 foot fixture should be softer than a 2 foot fixture. Adding diffusion helps the smaller fixtures but of course cuts a lot of light too.
 
Thank you so very much richard.

Is diffusion necessary for the kino type fixtures? Or will you still get a fairly soft/pleasing light that is EVEN despite the spacing of the bulbs?

JM
 
People have different ideas on that. I see many that say they need a flozier which is a diffusor that fits over barndoors. And many others say they don't need it. It would all seem to come down to personal preference, what look you like and experience. I personally don't find myself using diffusion much on our 55w fixtures when I pull them out to use on some project. If there were more requests, we'd do a flozier, but there really haven't been that many requests.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top