Kino placement questions

[Mark-P]

I want to use 2 Diva Lite 400s to light a person standing. I have never used Kinos and I do not yet have the fixtures, so I am trying to do some planning beforehand to see how large of a room I will need to plan for.

1.) What height level should these be placed? Are regular C-stands too high? Should these be on smaller stands to light the person?

2.) Is there an ideal distance that the Divas should be placed from the subject for something like this?

Thanks.

 

[Davdo]

Both of those depend very much on what you're going for.

Regarding how close you place it, Divas (and flos in general) don't have the throw of open faced or fresnel fixtures. That said, you can back it off a good bit and still get what you need, depending on what you're dealing with (if you're shooting in direct sunlight or against a very VERY bright window, you'll need it in close to get a good balance). Be wary, though, like with any source, the further it is away from the subject, the harder it will be. If you want soft, get it in as close as the shot will allow and dim for exposure. You can also put some diff on if you need to.

Regarding how high, you have to choose that yourself. Do what looks good. To answer your question, though, if the person's standing, unless they're 2 feet tall, the minimum height of most c-stands will be fine for most conventional setups.

Good luck.

~~Dave

 

[Mark-P]

Hi Davdo,

Thanks for your reply.

I am also considering other Kinos to light the background of a green/blue screen. What are the uses generally for a 4Bank vs. a Double vs. a Single? If you are not sure what you might need in the future, is it a good idea to just get the 4Bank and not use all of the lights in it, essentially using it as a Double or a Single? Or are there drawbacks to doing this?

Thanks!

 

[Davdo]

Are you buying or renting or what? If you're buying, get more than you think you'll need. I guess the same goes for renting, too, if you have the budget.

Regarding a 4Bank vs. Double vs. Single, they're all used the same way. The difference is output and to some degree softness and spread. It's the same as deciding whether to bring out a 300w or a 1k fresnel.

Just curious - what are you lighting over there?

Good luck with everything.

~~Dave

 

[salils]

I want to use 2 Diva Lite 400s to light a person standing. I have never used Kinos and I do not yet have the fixtures, so I am trying to do some planning beforehand to see how large of a room I will need to plan for.

1.) What height level should these be placed? Are regular C-stands too high? Should these be on smaller stands to light the person?

2.) Is there an ideal distance that the Divas should be placed from the subject for something like this?

Thanks.

Ask the dealer or rental house for a copy of the photometrics sheet for the divas. That should give you a better idea of what they can do at what distance.

 

[RyanT]

You can also place the diva's on a regular C-stand with the arm in the low-mode. That'll get you almost at ground level if you want it. Just saying you aren't stuck at like, eye level or taller.