Thoughts on this light kit ???

S

Spops

Member
I'm looking to buy a Light Kit. However, unfortunately like most of us I cannot afford an ARRI light kit. I did however find this light kit on eBay for $285.

redheadkit2_294473_thumb.jpg

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It comes with
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800W Red head light*3
Barndoor set*3(Barndoor equipped with DIFFUSER CLIPS!)
Wire Mesh Grille*3
220V/110V 800w Quartz Bulb*6
1.9M aluminum stand*3

for only $285. My question is does this look like it will be a good light kit. My only worry is I don't want to find out that something goes wrong with it.

Here is the eBay link.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...6900&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab=Watching

Any advice is greatly appreciated!
 
No, it looks like a terrible light kit.

If you want some decent lights on the cheap, but still "pro" quality, get a Lowel Pro light, a DP light, a couple of stands, and a diffusion frame. Then buy some black and white foam core and a stand.

Buy it in pieces if you have to. But do not buy these ultra cheap and ultra crappy Ebay kits. It's like flushing money down the toilet.

Cool lights would also be a good choice, but I don't think they do "kits" yet.
 
Junk, you'll regret it.

Like PerroneFord suggested, Lowel makes some good affordable lights.

Look into getting a bunch of silk china balls with some 500 watt photoflood bulbs. I use them so much for a soft ambient light, they're awesome. I've even lit interviews with one 24" 500 watt ball and it produces a great clean light. You can get the 24" silk balls for about $6 each and photoflood bulbs are about $6 each also.

Of course, you'll need more than china balls to light scenes, but they're a good cheap start to a lighting kit.
 
Last edited:
BEWARE....you get what you pay for.

i wanted to see what they were like and bought one to check it out

A$140.00 delivered .....if i had paid A$20.00 i would still have paid to much

had to comletely rewire it with 10 amp cable. the original would have melted if i ran 12 volts thru
it

the earth line terminated at the switch and did not run up to the housing... highly illegal in
australia if the active melted and shorted on the metal housing the light and stand would have
been live with 240 volts .......a good way to ruin your day....

the ceramic lampholders turned back to sand after several hours use
and i replaced them with ianaro ceramics

so after spending several hours and a couple of hundred dollars it works just fine

oh and the spot/zoom doesnt work ........

and......................................

so as i say you get what you pay for

cheers
darty
 
correction to last post..................

"the spot/flood control doesnt work...."

and the heat from 800w lamp actually burns the paint off of the metal housing

and boy do they run hot..................

i only use it with a 300w lamp and mainly use it scrimmed up as a fill light

darty
 
ian dart said:
BEWARE....you get what you pay for.
........................
the earth line terminated at the switch and did not run up to the housing... highly illegal in
australia if the active melted and shorted on the metal housing the light and stand would have
been live with 240 volts .......a good way to ruin your day....

the ceramic lampholders turned back to sand after several hours use
and i replaced them with ianaro ceramics.....................darty
Click to expand...

HOLY CRAP! :eek:
 
Yeah, I'd be more likely to try and find a used Lowel DV kit. I love my Lowel DV lighting kit, and I do sometimes see them on eBay in whole or in part.
 
as a sugestion check out second hand light dealers

we have one in melbourne australia.... ccslightsound.com.au

they deal in new and second hand film and theatre gear

you can pick up lights a third of their new price they are ussually a bit knocked around

but that gives them character and proves they work because somebody has been using

them

as a safety tip always have new lights inspected and tagged especially any bought off ebay
as the normal rules of safety for power dont seem to exist

the light i purchased should never have been allowed into this country as it broke every
rule of electrical safety

cheers
darty

LIGHT WRANGLER.....GAFFER TO THE STARS.
 
oh yes...always work with safety switches........ you can buy them incorporated into
extension cords (stingers) they are your first line of safety

they can be costly..... but they are a hell of a lot cheaper than a funeral

darty
 
hey thanks for the site ian. im from melbourne australia, and didnt know where to look for lighting equipment..

wait a sec, the site doesnt work loll
 
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