Pbl ql-1000 quartz halogen light

I've used them a lot. The fans definitely give off some noise, but nothing terrible. Just make sure when you take room tone you keep them on... Also, the softbox set-up is a *****. I seriously spend more time setting these things up then I do positioning the lights. I would consider buying some Rifas if it's in your budget.
Good luck.
 
Thanks. At almost a grand a pop, Rifas are not in the budget right now.
Nothing terrible? Could you be a little more specific? Is there noticable sound from these lights in the background of your audio, barring the use of music?
 
It's a very low, barely perceptible hum. In large rooms it's not an issue, but in small spaces you can def hear it (mostly with omni-directional lavs). I usually back them off the talent. I wouldn't worry so much about the sound as I would set-up time and build quality. I think these lights were meant to be set up in a studio and left up... Hope that helps.
 
I have a pair of these and I wish I hadn't bought them. I had the lights about 10 feet away fromthe subjects and the noise from the fans is definitely audible on the track. I did an interview using them and the lav (G2 Evolution) and the boom (Rode NTG-1) picked it up. Not as bad on the lav but very obvious on the boom. The boom mic was just over 12 inches from the subject, barely out of frame. The noise reduction filter in Adobe PP muted it a bit but I still hear it. If you lay some music over it it could help but if it just a conversation you will hear it for sure. It sounds like there is someone in the next room drying their hair. There is a tutorial online explaining how to install an on/off switch for the QL-1000's fan. It will give you the ability to cut off the fan but the bulb will heat up quickly and the built in cut off will kick in shutting off the bulb. It will also void any warranty you had. I tried and the fan on one doesn't work right and the light on the other doesn't work at all.

I ignored some advice telling me to skip them and to instead rent my lights until I had the budget for something more solid. Basically I spent $380 bucks for 2 light stands and a bag. The soft boxes are tough to set up, but no harder than the ones that came with an Arri kit that I rented. If I had it to do over again, I would go with the kit suggestion made by Doug Jensen in the video "How to Setup, Light & Shoot Great Looking Interviews". His light kit costs somewhere around $1500 and will get you more than started. The list is discussed in another thread on DVXUser somewhere.

I hope this helps.

Cole
 
Cole said:
I have a pair of these and I wish I hadn't bought them. I had the lights about 10 feet away fromthe subjects and the noise from the fans is definitely audible on the track. I did an interview using them and the lav (G2 Evolution) and the boom (Rode NTG-1) picked it up. Not as bad on the lav but very obvious on the boom. The boom mic was just over 12 inches from the subject, barely out of frame. The noise reduction filter in Adobe PP muted it a bit but I still hear it. If you lay some music over it it could help but if it just a conversation you will hear it for sure. It sounds like there is someone in the next room drying their hair. There is a tutorial online explaining how to install an on/off switch for the QL-1000's fan. It will give you the ability to cut off the fan but the bulb will heat up quickly and the built in cut off will kick in shutting off the bulb. It will also void any warranty you had. I tried and the fan on one doesn't work right and the light on the other doesn't work at all.

I ignored some advice telling me to skip them and to instead rent my lights until I had the budget for something more solid. Basically I spent $380 bucks for 2 light stands and a bag. The soft boxes are tough to set up, but no harder than the ones that came with an Arri kit that I rented. If I had it to do over again, I would go with the kit suggestion made by Doug Jensen in the video "How to Setup, Light & Shoot Great Looking Interviews". His light kit costs somewhere around $1500 and will get you more than started. The list is discussed in another thread on DVXUser somewhere.

I hope this helps.

Cole
Click to expand...


It helps alot, thanks.
 
Do not buy the ql-1000...

Do not buy the ql-1000...

unless you are deaf. These lights are of absolutely no use for video work. If you really, really need to control the wattage of your lights (which is the big selling point of this light), then buy a "router speed control" box from harborfreight.com. They're cheap, and they work great. Make no mistake, though. The QL-1000 is a useless piece of junk. I just bought a few from Steve Kaeser, and I'm returning them tomorrow.
 
You'll find here an excellent (and devastating) professional critique of the QL-1000 lamphead:
http://www.pclightingsystems.com/tungsten/ql/four-head.html

Here are the highlights from that article:

"Unfortunately this fixture incorporates a very noisy cooling fan. Not only making it completely useless for Moviemaking and 95% of Videography where you need to record audio while shooting; but also its dimmer feature makes the product completely unreliable and prone to failure usually within the first 48 hours of use...Pacific Coast Lighting Systems had carefully evaluated this product well over 1 year ago...However, in our tests 8 out of 10 QL-1000 fixtures failed within the first 24 hours of use. The cause? Frozen Fan causing the potentiometer to overheat which rendered the fixture dead."

So, STAY AWAY from these lamps. But here is the good news: The good folks at Pacific Coast Lighting Systems offer a nice alternative:

"If you want to get the right product for video or film Production and halogen lights are right for you; take a look at the Indie Filmmaker Series of kits from Eos Lighting. These are the best-selling portable production lighting system in the USA. They offer virtually silent operation. They are specifically designed for Filmmakers."

GOOD LUCK!
 
Hey Guys I was wondering whats the wattage draw from the QL-1000, I know its a 100 watt light but when plugged into a house hold outlet does it pull 1k watts? I called Image west becausr I plan on ordering them to shoot a few music videos but they didnt even give me a decent answer- btw I hear PC lighting is a scam, is IMAGE west also? Just curious
 
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