Looking for a basic multi-use lightning kit

M

mrjenkins44

Member
I am beginning filmmaker and I have been reading alot of the DIY tutorials and what not, on getting cheap lighting, stuff like that. I honestly would rather just drop the cash and get a nice setup, that has multi-uses, but mostly for indoor shooting and maybe night shooting. I have some projects coming up and I am OKAY with dropping some money, but I don't have that much to drop. I am looking for something that fits those requirements and also is under a grand.

I found these on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/nicejnicej/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

They look similar to the ARRI lightning kit my friend had (before it got stolen..lol). His met our needs pretty well, but he spent about 2k on it. I can't drop that much right now, but I could drop about 600-800 total. Is it possible to get something nice for that price? I would plan on using it probably for 1-2 years. My main confusion comes from all the different types of lightning kits, most have different lights and accessories than each other. It confuses me on what would work for just a beginner who wants to get started. Thanks for your help.

edit: I see the different configurations mainly come down to the wattage on the bulbs. So I assume that the one with 3x 650W ones would have a different use than say the one with 650W, 300W, 150W.
 
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Those are crapilly made lights that are meant to fool people into thinking that they are getting real deal for 1/3 of the price. You do not.

Most of those knockoff are made by people who never stepped on the set thus they actually have no clue what set lights have to go through. Without that knowledge you get flimsy wiring that melts away when exposed to prolonged heat, inferior glass of the fresnel lenses (that can't withstand prolonged heat and creates color shifts), loud fans in ballasts (if used) that is suppose to be on set where sound is recorded, bad finish with screws missing basic "longevity" features such as washers to prevent screws unscrewing when tossed around in transit. ...All that adds up to a fact that those lights have no re-sale value and more expensive maintenance than the brand lights.

For $700 quote by those websites you can get 2 used REAL lights (maybe even 3 if you are lucky).

Yes 300w, 650w, 1000w is a good start.
 
If you're in the states I imagine secondhand on eBay would be good and also don't forget the market place here on DVXUSER!
 
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