Kino Flo vs LED's

[CharlesPapert]

Used the Area 48 this week a few times. Good owner/operator unit. Color temperature adjustable via swapping out phosphor panels, which takes about as long as adding gels to conventional units, but at least doesn't change the output level. The softbox is a little finicky since it has to mount over the barn doors, which then makes changing color panels difficult as you have to remove the soft box to do so. But: plenty of output, clean color and full dimmable down to zero with no flicker. Also, 12V DC power able with gold or v-mount on back, which could be handy.

 

[Grug]

Used the Area 48 this week a few times. Good owner/operator unit. Color temperature adjustable via swapping out phosphor panels, which takes about as long as adding gels to conventional units, but at least doesn't change the output level. The softbox is a little finicky since it has to mount over the barn doors, which then makes changing color panels difficult as you have to remove the soft box to do so. But: plenty of output, clean color and full dimmable down to zero with no flicker. Also, 12V DC power able with gold or v-mount on back, which could be handy.

Hey Charles, did you use the older units with the fixed barndoors? Or the newer versions where the barndoors are removable? I have one of each, and with the removeable versions, you can have the barndoors (with softbox or grid attached) on or off in a couple of seconds, leaving you free to swap out the panels almost instantly.

 

[CharlesPapert]

Yes, turns out my electrics hadn't fully investigated the setup, it was the newer version and they could have popped the barn doors off. I didn't have time to examine it myself.

 

[B.Berry]

I just wanted to add to the mix the Kino Flo 200 BarFlys, I love how portable they are, and the soft case they come in holds one ballast, one mount, two crates 60/90, one gel frame, and one BarFly unit, along with room for two more lamps in the zippered lid! These units have been discontinued, and now they have BarFlys with built in ballasts. Here is the link http://www.kinoflo.com/Archives/BarFly200/BarFly200.html I'm still mostly using my 2x and 4x, 4 banks on bigger jobs, but the BarFlys on smaller one man band interviews with a couple of DeDos or 300 fresnels work a treat. They sell the built in ballast units now. I may buy one of the 400 units.

Broatch Berry

 

[John Foundas]

Lens rentals has the ice light if you want to give one a try... they seem kind of specialty to me, early reviewers weren't impressed with the output for the cost.

I had a couple scrim jim fabrics made for me that are black with a narrow strip of diffusion, it is a really pretty look for lower-key interviews or looks where you want some shadow & "mystery" but still soft & pretty, the ice lights look like they could be useful for something like that as well.

This was shot with the Wescott ICE as a back light. It was really fun to work with. Flagged it off with black wrap.
http://vimeo.com/66359339

 

[John Foundas]

Here's a setup with a 2'x3', (this one using a grip arm instead of a cardellini) but it works just as well with a 4x4.

I don't often use fill lights, but if I do, I'll generally put the second Area48 through it's softbox at a couple of percent intensity - it's the quickest and easiest fill light I've ever used since the dimming is perfect with zero colour shift, so you can dial it in precisely to where you want it.

Thats perfect!

 

[JPNola]

Damn...that Area 48 4-head soft box configuration is sweet. But at $10,000 I think I will have to stick with my old-school Lowell Tota and Lg. Chimera setup.

 

[JPNola]

I don't often use fill lights, but if I do, I'll generally put the second Area48 through it's softbox at a couple of percent intensity - it's the quickest and easiest fill light I've ever used since the dimming is perfect with zero colour shift, so you can dial it in precisely to where you want it.

"I don't often use fill lights, but when I do I use Dos 48's."



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