What's wrong with Lowel?
- Thread starter MatthewC
- Start date
Moseph
Veteran
The worst stands in the world! Even if they're in perfect condition, I despise having to work with them. Those tiny knobs make them so much more difficult to tighten up, and I feel like they'll topple over unless I get a bunch of sandbags on them.
I've found that the omnilights will tend to fall apart in the hands of students. All of the Arri and Mole Richardson equipment that they give us never has any issues though, it's just the omni's and their delicate parts.
I've found that the omnilights will tend to fall apart in the hands of students. All of the Arri and Mole Richardson equipment that they give us never has any issues though, it's just the omni's and their delicate parts.
Really? I have specifically pursued the omni 01-33 stands. Go pretty high, can hold more than they are marketed toward and fold down pretty compact (small tighteners help). I have a rolling duffel with a bottom compartment that holds a fleet of them. Upper compartment holds 5 lowel pros and two omnis (all with frost filters) with room to spare. Add an umbrella or chimera and you can do a lot with that. But yeah..the fixtures are not as bulletproof as larger heavier units.
I began to appreciate lowel more when I began footing the bill for my own gear
And this guy's approach to a kit was also err..instrumental: http://www.bluesky-web.com/light-kit.htm
I began to appreciate lowel more when I began footing the bill for my own gear
And this guy's approach to a kit was also err..instrumental: http://www.bluesky-web.com/light-kit.htm
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RyanT
Veteran
Really? I have specifically pursued the omni 01-33 stands. Go pretty high, can hold more than they are marketed toward and fold down pretty compact. I have a rolling duffel with a bottom compartment that holds a fleet of them. Upper compartment holds 5 lowel pros and two omnis (all with frost filters) with room to spare. Add an umbrella or chimera and you can do a lot with that. But yeah..the fixtures are not as bulletproof as larger heavier units.
I began to appreciate lowel more when I began footing the bill for my own gear
Yeah, I totally agree on the stand front. In terms of stands in that similar range, they're really quite awful, even brand new I can't stand them. If you need a stand like that, I feel like those little arri kit stands or matthews stands are much much better.
wgzn
Veteran
all these people comparing lowel to mole or arri are kind off base. pretty much everything lowel makes is lighter weight than a mole or arri equivalent.
get some gloves and sandbags and get to shooting. i have 3 lowel prolights with stands and frames that i wouldnt go on a shoot without. same will be said for my gloves and sandbags ; )
get some gloves and sandbags and get to shooting. i have 3 lowel prolights with stands and frames that i wouldnt go on a shoot without. same will be said for my gloves and sandbags ; )
Moseph
Veteran
Just what I was about to post. The Arri ones aren't too much more expensive but they're so much better. I would definitely consider buying omnilights for situations where I don't need a whole lot of control, I'll bet if I treated them carefully they'd last, but wouldn't bother with a kit that includes those stands.
The OP did ask what was wrong with Lowel lights. Just pointing out my observations - you get what you pay for. Specific issues I've seen include the whole reflector becoming detached from the housing, use of the flood / spot control causing lamps to burn out while they're turned on, spot mode being more of a ring than a spot, barn doors becoming detached too easily, the gel frame not clearing the barn doors when they're pointed straight forward, and scrims sometimes creating a grid-shaped shadow for reasons I cannot fathom.
All of that said, I still have managed to produce good results with them. It just involves more frustration than it does when you have nicer gear.
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RyanT
Veteran
While they're lighter weight, that just comes with a lot more frustration on my end, with not much win otherwise. I'd rather have a few 1k nook lights and maybe a dedo or two than any of the lowel lights we've been talking about. They're pretty comparable fixtures, except they actually work.