What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

Slimothy

Slimothy

Veteran
Hello,
I was wondering what kind of lights to get for a home-made style kit. I just got my dvx and don't have the cash for good light kits but I want to start shooting asap. I don't know what kinds of lights would be good to get from a hardware store or if I should even get lights from a hardware store. Anyone have any knowledge on this? Thanks alot, Tim.


Ps. Im VERY unknowledgeable in this field and am looking to learn so if you could be specific that would be awesome!
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

How much do you have to spend on lights?

The britek lights are only slightly more expensive than home depot stuff and LEAGUES above them.
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

Really? The lights at home depot are expensive huh? Man. Looks like I'll just head over to the briteks page. Any certain kit you would suggest?
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

[quote author=Slimothy link=board=lighting;num=1099344652;start=0#0 date=11/01/04 at 13:30:52]

Ps. Im VERY unknowledgeable in this field and am looking to learn so if you could be specific that would be awesome!  
[/quote]

Someone on these boards recommended this book earlier. I purchased it on Amazon and have found it very well written.

After a close reading and experimentation, I don't think you'll have to say, "I suck at lighting..ect. I don't really know what I am doing.." we all know that is like.

John Jackman, "Lighting for Digital Video and Television"

good luck.
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

Oh I think you can get home depot lights cheaper but I just remember that the difference wasn't substantial enough to make it worthwhile (for me at least).

You can get a Britek G-2000 200W Light for 56$. While more expensive than the home depot alternative this will give you much much more control of your light. Very much worth the extra cash IMO.
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

Ok, thanks to both of you. I will purchase that book.
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

This is embarrasing while my camera, sound package may exceed $6,000 I use lights I made for 15 bucks a pop.  They aren't the most controllable... but I supplement it without whatever arris or other fresnels I can  get my hands on.  If it's not a fresnel, I use my own.  Those other lights are at best ugly.  I would look into using photoflood bulbs and building your own porcelain sockets and rigging some sort of barndoor contraption...
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

Eh but it's very difficult to control if you don't know exactly what you want the light to do. Plus without knowing a little about watt= amps x voltage it might not be the best bet but I like how the photofloods look on the dvx..
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

I boughtmy work lights on sale at the auto shop for 15 bucks each. Having more time than money, I made diffusers, extenders, and am working on barn doors. For that effort I got 3, 500w halogen lights with barn doors, diffusers and that extend to 7.5 feet for less than a hundred bucks for the whole deal. Like I said, it took time, and some ingenuity, as well as advice from this forum. At this point the main difference between my lights and briteks are consistent color temp (work lights can vary at least 100 degrees from lamp to lamp), and the lack of focus ability. Oh, and I hear briteks are really light. For me, the differences haven't been a problem, but then again, I've never owned a pro light set up. Sometimes you don't know any better until you have something to compare to. On the upside, the process has taught me a lot about lighting, and why things work the way they do. IF you have the cash, I'd advise the briteks. If not, get Jackman's book (the best I've read) and look into some work lamps. THere is some specific advice about it in this topic. Also using brooder lamps and photofloods, or screw in fluorescents (check color temp though) are other options.

But think about this. On my last shoot, I had a guy volunteer to light it. He brought a thousand dollars worth of lights, but didn't know how to use them. (in his defense, he was a photographer, just trying to help. Shooting a film is different) We fired him after a day and a half. The rest of the shoot we just used my worklights and set the lights ourselves. THe footage was exponentially better. So in the end it's more about what's in your head, than what's in your gear. Learn how lighting works, and you will be better able to decide what you need.
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

Any way we can see pictures of your rigs, also what do you have in your setup....I am very interested on how you made the things you made as well...
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

I will try to get some up shortly. I just started a new job and the training schedule is pretty time consuming.
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

The kick with DV is that we are fortunate enough to do a WB. In this day of color correction one can almost get away with anything in terms of how the image looks.
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

Yes. The slight variation in the color temp of the worklights, (or mixing with a properly rated photoflood) isn't a big deal when you can white balance after each lighting set up.
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

That is a very very good point. It's just the harshness of the light I guess because like mentioned before you don't want two round circles from a car headlight in the shot...
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

Jim,
That would be cool to see those photos of your rig. Im sure this will be a question answered in that book by Jackman, but what are diffusers? Extenders are obviously the stand that the light sits on to make it different heights right? Also, Halogen lights are the way to go?
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

Diffusers are things that make like softer.

Standard is 216 Diffusion gel.  It's look like a white sheet of wax paper.  You cover the front of lights and clip them with wooden clothe pins and it makes light rays from travelling in parallel paths to being all scrambled.  This causes the light rays to travel in non parallel patterns.  So it isn't as strong (it won't light as far) but also, it won't be as harsh.  

It also wraps around subjects because the light isn't travelling in straight lines anymore.  So on faces, even if you light to one side of the face, the light will wrap around and the other side will still be exposed.  In hardlights that aren't geled with diffusion paper, the light would hit surfaces only directly in line with the light source.  The other side of his face will remain dark.

Other effects diffusion paper have in terms of lighting and cinematography is shadows.  Hardlight cause hard single dark shadows but diffused light might cause softer multiple shadows.  If the light is even soft enough, you could eliminate shadows (or the defining figure of it atleast).

Test it out, it's the best way to actually see what I'm talking about.  They have these starter diffusion packs that have one sheet of all these different types of diffusion paper from frost to heavy mesh or something that all make light act differently.
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

thanks alot. do you know where they offer those starter light diffuser kits? Also, this paper must be durable, what stops them from melting?! thanks again. tim.
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

Dude for like 400 bucks today, I got (2) dual 600/300 lights, softbox, and a small 200 watt light, the versitility is great now just a big 1k and im on my way, but hell 400 bucks thats a steal....Your going to spend at least 150 in Home Depot, plus all your time....In my opinion not worth it
 
Re: What kinds of lights to get from Home Depot

It's not just watt and price. You have to take into account if it flickers or not. If it will be steady or not.

Difussion is not a permanent thing. I buy rolls of them (for a lot of money) and cut off pieces as I need them and after about 5-6 shoots they get worn but they can still be used. Not so expensive but it ain't cheap.

I don't see the sample packets, I'll keep looking, but here's a link where you can buy sheets: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...chBar&A=search&Q=*&shs=white+diffusion+sheets.

I'd suggest sheets about 21" x 24" or somewhere around there and if you cut the sheet in half each half gels a 1k openface quite nicely. Rosco's 216 is the one I'm happiest with. They also come in different densities. Full, half, quarter and eigth. I'd say use the quarter 216 diffusion sheets....
 
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