Questions about Cool Lights

Eatsnax

Eatsnax

Well-known member
Richard Im sure you'll chime in and I hope you do. I feel your lights are the way to go for me. Yet I have a few questions. I've been looking around for answers and after an hour Id rather just ask. Plus anyone with these lights or anyone with anything else about any light you like please chime in.

First I hope to be able to use one fixture and different tempeture bulbs. Is it easy to switch bulbs back and forth if I need to change temps on cool lights?

Second what should I start out with? I'm always mobile. Most things I film are shorts and music videos. I will be lighting backgrounds and subjects of course. Plus I will be getting a green screen about 10'x14'. And I will probably be shooting up to 5 people at a time in one shot at the most. Also what Key light you suggest? Will I get away with one soft light for the green screen ot a small background? And another soft plus two hards for key and backlight? So 4 total 2 soft and 2 hard?

Another question, will there be any problems running these lights on a speed router control that some of us indie filmmakers have been using from Harbor Freight?

Thanks:happy:
 
1) Switching different color temperature bulbs is easy. They only come with one color temperature though, and you have to buy the others separately.

2) It's different for each person. I'd get 2 4x55w fluorescent fixtures, a few hard lights and a bunch of grip equipment. You'll have to buy some basics and then see what you are lacking on your shoots until you build a good package.
 
If you're not planning to move the lights, get the studio version. It's pretty darn heavy, but it's cheaper. The Harbor Freight dimmer will not work on the Cool Lights. You'll have to pay about a hundred more for the dimming version.
 
Deciding what to buy,when, how much to spend, and how you are going to use each light for different assignments at different locations, definitely spells... versatility.
I think the type of light your looking for is the perfect choice.
Being able to change to different light temps at the push of a button , is certainly one of the greatest things about Flo type lights. Soft, flattering light for faces during interviews, and the usual choice for soft ,even light accross green screens. (Depending on the size of the studio-location and green screen)
As mentioned above by Drew, I would think you should consider the 4x55 fixtures and perhaps the 6x55 units. Having the larger option is always nice, turn off a switch, and you still have 4 bulbs. Skip the dimming feature, you don't need it...
 
Eatsnax said:
Second what should I start out with? I'm always mobile. Most things I film are shorts and music videos. I will be lighting backgrounds and subjects of course. Plus I will be getting a green screen about 10'x14'. And I will probably be shooting up to 5 people at a time in one shot at the most. Also what Key light you suggest? Will I get away with one soft light for the green screen ot a small background? And another soft plus two hards for key and backlight? So 4 total 2 soft and 2 hard?
Click to expand...

Some of the other guys started answering pretty well. Lets see what I can do to attack this central question. For lighting the green screen that size, you may need two softlights. If you weren't needing to be so portable you could do that very inexpensively with a couple of home depot shoplights as I often say. For portable though, you may need a couple of something like the CL-455P. I suggest two for even lighting. Next another CL-455P may be necessary for lighting up to 5 people. Not sure if a CL-255P would be enough but you could start with that and see how it does for you. A couple of Tungsten 300w or 650w fresnels (or you could wait a bit for our well-appreciated CL-MF0150 150w CDM daylight fresnel which is out of stock right now but should be back in by June) for your hardlights and that should do it for the most part. We also have carrying cases in stock now to help even more with the mobility aspect and making it all a bit easier to carry around.

Eatsnax said:
Another question, will there be any problems running these lights on a speed router control that some of us indie filmmakers have been using from Harbor Freight?
Click to expand...

One other person mentioned that you can't and I just want to underline again that with fluorescent its not so easy. You need a ballast thats capable of dimming and thats why you'll see "dimmable" and "non-dimmable" models. Putting an external dimmer on the line voltage into the fixture could even potentially damage the ballasts so thats why I wanted to say it again even though Huy Vu got it right.
 
Thanks for the reply! Well just a few more questions and I think I should be good to go.

- I have a 3 light Halogen kit. El Chepo that I bought a while back. They are 1000 watts each, one bulb is now 750. Can I mix Halogen with say your warmer bulbs? I read your great article explaining your bulbs, very informative, but I'm still not sure if my Halogens will mix well or not.

- Do your lights come with stands? Or do I have to order stands separately?

- I notice that your portables compared to your non portables, the only difference is the weight. Am I right? I don't mind so much about the weight as much as I do the size. So if I'm willing to lug around the non portables, will that still be an option in your opinion? Or are the non portables just way to cumbersome?

- If I buy extra bulbs, different temps to change out, is there a storage option you sell or recommend, in order to lug the bulbs around and keep them safe from damage?

Thanks
 
Eatsnax said:
- I have a 3 light Halogen kit. El Chepo that I bought a while back. They are 1000 watts each, one bulb is now 750. Can I mix Halogen with say your warmer bulbs? I read your great article explaining your bulbs, very informative, but I'm still not sure if my Halogens will mix well or not.

- Do your lights come with stands? Or do I have to order stands separately?

- I notice that your portables compared to your non portables, the only difference is the weight. Am I right? I don't mind so much about the weight as much as I do the size. So if I'm willing to lug around the non portables, will that still be an option in your opinion? Or are the non portables just way to cumbersome?

- If I buy extra bulbs, different temps to change out, is there a storage option you sell or recommend, in order to lug the bulbs around and keep them safe from damage?

Thanks
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You can mix our 3200K with your halogens. Worse case, you might have to add a 1/8 CTO to the fluorescent's to make them a bit more warm in color.

The stands are extra.

Differences between the portables and studio models are:

portables use lollipop mounting and can swing around horizontally or vertically on any axis and angle and studio models use a yoke and can only position horizontally and by angle. Portable model is plastic, studio model metal. Metal is powder coated and while a very tough coating will not stand up to being tossed in the back of cars and such over a long period of time. They are more meant for use on a stand or grid in a fixed location for the most part. Portable models plastic is pretty tough and no paint involved to wear off. All close to the same sizes but studio models yoke protrudes more from the housing making them longer overall. Light output is about the same.

For storage options our 55w bulbs (like these models use) come with a free padded carrying case so you don't have to worry about that. We're the only ones I know of that do that kind of packaging as standard. We also have carrying cases now in stock for the fixtures too with wheels and pull-up trolley, padded, etc. They aren't so much meant to work with the studio models though but to facilitate the portables being carried around more effectively.
 
Okay I think I'm ready to make my decision, thanks. The fact that the bulbs come with a storage case, wow.
 
My quick .02. I have a CL-655 flo and two CDM-150's (which I love) from Cool Lights. Along with a couple of tungsten fresnels, dimmers (Harbor Freight) and some gels (to match color temps), I have a versatile, portable kit which can cover most interior shots, pretty effectively. The kit has worked well for green screens too. I've also recently added a couple of battery powered LED's which have their uses in certain situations.

In retrospect, I probably should have gone with two CL-455's instead of one CL-655 for a touch more versatility and slightly more output. I suggest adding the egg crates in order to have additional control over light spill on the flos.

I put my Cool Lights on a set of Bogen 3363's; 13' air-cushioned light stands with casters which work really well, in addition to a set of Matthews triple risers for the rest of the lights.

All in all, I am very happy with this set up. Right now, I rent more powerful lights whenever I need to but will definitely be looking at purchasing more of Richard's ever expanding, affordable CDM/HMI series.
 
muroshi said:
Leo,

For what situations do you use your CDM-150?

Cheers
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I use them pretty much wherever/whenever I previously used 300w/650w tungsten fresnels. The big difference is that I can get daylight color temps without losing 1/2 to 1 stop of output from CTB gels. Furthermore, the CDM-150's are MUCH cooler and draw a lot less power which translates to a more comfortable set for everyone. They also have a significantly longer bulb life.

Cheers,
 
Richard another thing, each portable light I look at gives me the option to purchase a CL-MPSA stand adapter. I did a search on your site and came up nothing. What would I need that stand adapter for?

Also I don't think I'll be able to afford the dimmable lights you carry but I'm still interested to know, do they change temps when dimmed?
 
Also Richard, is the CL-MF0150 Fresnel the only one you have that has the ability to change out different temp bulbs?
 
Eatsnax said:
Richard another thing, each portable light I look at gives me the option to purchase a CL-MPSA stand adapter. I did a search on your site and came up nothing. What would I need that stand adapter for?

Also I don't think I'll be able to afford the dimmable lights you carry but I'm still interested to know, do they change temps when dimmed?
Click to expand...

The CL-MPSA is pictured in many of the pictures. It adapts a normal light stand (baby spud 5/8" male top) to our lollipop stem. If you don't get this, you need a grip head to mount the lollipop. Our CL-MPSA also helps with the balance of the fixture over the stand rather than in front of it like would be the case with the grip head. Its worth getting this option as its also worth adding the eggcrates too for side spill control which is superior to any barndoors you could get for a softlight of any kind, including ours.

Yes the lights change color temperature after about 50% as do all fluorescents. No one has a model that doesn't change color temperature.
 
Eatsnax said:
Also Richard, is the CL-MF0150 Fresnel the only one you have that has the ability to change out different temp bulbs?
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Yes for now. The tungsten fresnels are just tungten colored and not much we can do about that. I just posted another status thread in the lighting forum that shows what all we're working on. A 250w and 400w are what I hope will come next but I am not sure of the timeframe so its hard to give a status there.
 
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