kinoflo 4bank copies?

A

awesomeboy

New member
hello everyone.....my first post yay!

has anyone ventured into getting one of these from china? if I use genuine kino tubes i should be ok right?
 
considering the quality of chinese tungsten lights, which is very basic, I would be dubious of a kino. Remember that the ballast is what sets kinoflo apart. I suspect anything chinese would be basic hardware store parts, you'd be better off making your own. Get a couple of shop lights and some black plastic sign board. cobble together as needed.


If you go with t8 electronic ballast and daylight tubes you can get very good results for low cost.
 
dop16mm said:
considering the quality of chinese tungsten lights, which is very basic, I would be dubious of a kino. Remember that the ballast is what sets kinoflo apart. I suspect anything chinese would be basic hardware store parts, you'd be better off making your own. Get a couple of shop lights and some black plastic sign board. cobble together as needed.

If you go with t8 electronic ballast and daylight tubes you can get very good results for low cost.
Click to expand...

You should get out more - some of the Chinese Biax models are amazing for the price. A 4-bank biax for under $300 - a twin for under $200? Hard to beat. All of mine use high-output ballasts; testing shows my 4-bank is indeed in the tungsten 1K range. The only problem I've had with my duals and quads are the spud lock knob can fail (the rubber handgrip loosening from the threaded stud). FilmTools sells all-steel knobs and t-handles, so consider getting a few. (And avoid the gooseneck stuff). These are really nice lights and as versatile as biax can be.

I don't own any of the cool light models but they're pretty highly regarded around here, and many have a grid option which interests me.

Personally, I don't have a single client that would like to see a signboard & duct tape mess on set. Not something I'd want to transport or come up with a yoke assembly and barn doors for.
 
Michael Carter said:
Personally, I don't have a single client that would like to see a signboard & duct tape mess on set. Not something I'd want to transport or come up with a yoke assembly and barn doors for.
Click to expand...

LOL. That's how I started with some DIY like that, but it was only for use in my studio. I would have been too ashamed to go out on jobs with the Home Depot specials.
 
I did make three of these for a giant green screen shoot - these big flos really kick out some lumens. I want to get someone to fab up some fabric lanterns for 'em. They really don't look too DIY...

diy-flo.jpg
 
Has anyone worked with a geniune kinoflo? They are made out of plastic sign board. Not that hard to duplicate. They don't have a yoke, just a stud plate to attach to a grip head.

for sheer price vs. performance it is hard to beat a $20 shop light with 4 ft daylight tubes. There are some really cool shiny ones that look like diamond plate. You could just paint the outside with flat black stove paint and done.
 
dop16mm said:
Has anyone worked with a geniune kinoflo? They are made out of plastic sign board. Not that hard to duplicate. They don't have a yoke, just a stud plate to attach to a grip head.

for sheer price vs. performance it is hard to beat a $20 shop light with 4 ft daylight tubes. There are some really cool shiny ones that look like diamond plate. You could just paint the outside with flat black stove paint and done.
Click to expand...
I have four Kinoflos. The fixtures are simple but you can't duplicate them easily. You don't need to. There are less expensive alternatives and using big box retailer fixtures and a little effort you can make a serviceable alternative.
 
+1
slondon said:
I have four Kinoflos. The fixtures are simple but you can't duplicate them easily. You don't need to. There are less expensive alternatives and using big box retailer fixtures and a little effort you can make a serviceable alternative.
Click to expand...
 
I tried all kinds of diy stuff and finally bought two Cool Light four banks from Richard and I'm glad I did. If you are just shooting for your own pleasure, then duck tape, splice, velcro, pvc pipe, carboard and shop lamp yourself silly. But eventually you will say, "I wish I saved and bought some real lights." And if you want to shoot for real clients or with professionals, get real lights.

I've been shooting a doc with some well known celebrities and the Cool Lights have been great and make me look like I know what I'm doing (even when I don't know what I'm doing.) If you just can't afford Cool Lights now, then get a nylon, not paper, china ball and some high CRI screw in flos or a tungsten frosted 3200k bulb. Great soft light for almost nothing (about $30 to $40) and you still look semi-pro.

But I still vote for Cool Lights if you want quality and value and have something that has a great resale ratio of money back to money spent. And you'll look like you know what you are doing even if sometimes you don't:)
 
Last edited:
dop16mm said:
Has anyone worked with a geniune kinoflo? They are made out of plastic sign board. Not that hard to duplicate. They don't have a yoke, just a stud plate to attach to a grip head.

for sheer price vs. performance it is hard to beat a $20 shop light with 4 ft daylight tubes. There are some really cool shiny ones that look like diamond plate. You could just paint the outside with flat black stove paint and done.
Click to expand...

It's not the fixture that is the hard part to duplicate, it's the bulbs and ballast. They're high CRI and using their ballasts you get 4 switchable tubes that you can shoot at pretty much any shutter speed.

Honestly I've worked with Kinos a whole heck of a lot, and I've worked with cool lights, mole biaxes, and man...everything else. Just get it over with, buy the kinos, be happy, sleep well at night. You won't regret it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top