Lighting Kit... worth it?

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Dyplodicus1975

Member
Greetings Gentlemen,

I am looking to buy a lighting kit for general purposes (interviews, indoor and some outdoor scene lighting) and saw this kit on eBay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Indie-Filmmaker...itemZ7538942730QQcategoryZ43440QQcmdZViewItem

it seems like a great deal, almost a complete small lighting set-up (add a reflector kit and some c-stands and voila!), and cheaper than a Lowell or Arri kit. I was wondering if this set was worth buying or if I should spring for a Lowell kit. I know lights are lights but is there a major difference between a name brand and no-name ones? I've also been looking at the kits from rostronics.com. Any advice?
 
These "focusable" lights are really just open face reflectors with a very small amount of lamp movement within the reflector. These types of lights really lack the control that Fresnel lamp head offers. This "kit" seems to have really focused on being "soft" light sources as they include a softbox for every head. I rarely, if every, use more than 1 softbox in any lighting setup. For the near $1000 asking price (plus shipping), I would recommend that you pickup some used Mole or Arri heads and stands off of eBay. You might not get quite as "complete" of kit for the same amount of money, but the difference in the achievable light quality would be more than worth the fewer number of items.
 
Didn't someone recently determine that 1080AV was the same bunch of ripoff artists as SaferSeas? I could be wrong....
Dyplo... You should check out the Rostronics kits. Do a search here on the forum and you'll find the links.
 
That kit consists of two "OPEN-FACE" 650W lights, another open-face 300W lamp, and two open-face 1,000W broads (or "nook" lights). These lights are hot, uncontrollable, and pretty much, more wattage than you may need for many of your set-ups.

Personally, I would recommend piece-mealing a custom kit, and buying additional units as your budget allows. Here's what I would recommend (and also what I'm planning to buy for myself).

x1 Lowel Rifa-lite LC-55 $429 from B+H (or the larger 750W LC-66 if you need more light output)
x2 Arri 150W Fresnel $287 + barndoors $39 + 150W or 200W globe (about $35)
x1 Arri 300W Fresnel $285 + barndoors $50 + 300W globe $25

That all comes to $1,511 plus shipping and you still need stands.

Then buy some standard, and short Bogen/Manfrotto stands (they're the same ones that come in the Arri-branded kits, but much cheaper--and they're decent stands).

I know this is a lot more money for fewer lights but, these are professional tools with great control. The Lowel Rifa can't be beat for ease of use and compactness. It opens like an umbrella and sets up in seconds, and it's much cheaper than a Diva or other KinoFlo unit for use as a single soft key. IF you can afford it, the fabric eggcrate made for the Rifa is sort of a must-have for a softbox like this--without it, your light just sprays everywhere. And for the Arris--you just can't beat the control of real Fresnel lenses in front of your globe. The focus control on Fresnel lamps are very good and vastly superior to the lame "focus control" of an open-face lamp like a Lowel Omni or DP light (or the ones pictured in that ad). The Arris give you great control over your beam spread from spot to flood. By the way, LTM Pepper Fresnels are VERY good also, and I think, actually have a wider, softer beam spread at full flood and a finer spot than the Arri Fresnels do. But then again, the Arris do look way cooler.

SPECIAL NOTE: I WOULD NOT BUY ANY LOWEL PRODUCTS OTHER THAN THE RIFA! They actually are really lame lights (also open face). If you simply need a lot of broad, uncontrollable light, then go ahead and buy a couple of 1,000W Lowel Tota lights. But they're very hot and too hot to really gel effectively.

Save your money for more Arri/LTM Fresnels as you can afford them. They're really worth the money.
 
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