What is your favorite lighting equipment?

[adamj5]

What is your favorite lighting equipment?
Who makes it?Quartz?Halogen?fluorescent?
Do you have a favorite kit?

[#Pedro]

I think the only option for Super 8mm film is halogen equipment, as it fits to the color characteristic of this tungsten film. Perfect colors with halogen lamps and without camera filter.
The set depends a lot of the project. When I want to shoot indoor szenes without complication and with no possibility to install light equipment on the location, I use a 300 W camera light for mains connection. The results are like flash fotos, sufficient for documentation films. Without possibility to mains connection I use a common 75 W or a 100 W halogen reflector bulb which is powerd with a 12V/4Ah lead battery. Sufficient for about 15 minutes of light and for distances in the range up to 3...4 meters.
When light installation is possible, I use a 2000 W halogen main light, mounted as high as possible (at home, screwed on the top of a closet), a 1000 W additional light, mounted in diagonal to the main light and a 300 W camera light. The additional light helps to brake the shadows of the main light and also serves as a effect light to make the hair of the actors shiny. The camera light takes of the rest of any shadow. This set gives me a plastic, 3dimensional picture and allows to work with stop settings in the mid-range.
Pedro

[trevorbr]

I've been wanting to ask more or less the same question myself. What is the consensus on small lighting kits:

An Arri Fresnal 1000w 3-light kit (tungsten):


Consists of:
3 - 531100 1000W Fresnel;
3 - 531110 Barndoor;
3 - 531120 Filter Frame;
3 - 531150 73/4* Full Single Scrim;
3 - 531152 73/4* Full Double Scrim;
3 - 531145 EGT 1000W Lamp;
3 - 570050 AS-2 Stand;
1 - 571700 Accessory Pack;
1 - 571197 Heavy Duty Case

cost- $2,486.50 from B&H

Is this a waste of money? Could equal to superior result be achieved at a much cheaper cost?
I couldn't really find a comparable kit at B&H (but then again, I'm by no means a lighting expert/ pro DP) to make a fair comparison. It seemed that cheaper kits by other manufacturers were not as complete ie. they didn't have the same accessories or different ones, they didn't come with bulbs, the case wasn't as sturdy etc...

Are Arri light any good or are you paying for the name?

Sorry for babbling.

MUST HAVE GOOD LIGHTING....CHEAP

Any specific suggestions for a good basic kit be it "professional" or home brew solution?


-trevor

[jocko]

Arri Lights are good but $$$$$$...I have a nice little lowell kit..If I need more lights, I rent them(HMI's etc)..with the faster speed negative film avalible..you can cut back on some of the lights..for INT: shots..compared to the slow K-40..and If your shooting B&W...just grab any light you have..the small lowell kits are compact and pack into a nice travel case..I have seen them used for about 200-300...
Neil
JOCKO FILMS

[mattias]

my favorite lighting equipment is the grip stuff and not the lights. any light source bright enough is good for me, as long as i can use diffusion, nets, styrofoam, black wrap and more to control it. don't buy expensive lights. buy a simple kit and lots of things to control the light. if you would need a bunck of kinos, a 4k hmi or something else like that, just rent it.

[Nigel]

Lowell Tota, Omni, DP all of these lights are small and not very expensive. I use them a lot and I like them. Hey they are not Arri HMIs but they get the job done.

[adamj5]

I have seen several posts as regards the lowel kits. Im looking quite seriously at the Lowel Dp Remote Kit about 1500 buck, 3 Dp lights with barn doors,stands,gel frames,a couple of scrims,umbrella and case.

Anybody use Smith Victor?? I have seen they have some quartz kits for a couple of hundred dollars.Lights,stands,case.

Any experience with Smith Victor.

I have an old 650w smith victor and stand (i would venture to say its about 20 years old;found it in the garage) The light still worked and aother than some rust the stand was fine.The umbrella that came with it is another story.

[Hanthx]

The Sun

Scott

[This message has been edited by Hanthx (edited July 20, 2001).]

[ekoe]

1k fresnels are my favorite. but i wouldn't want three of them. just one. and something like a 450w open-face softlight and a 650w fresnel. i think this would meet most demands. with the 3 1k lights, you'd always be diffusing and 'doubling down'. what a pain in the arse. you can pick up used lights from a camera broker for a song, or off ebay. although they may need new bulbs and require some tweaking. you'd probably pay more for the new bulbs than you would for the lights.
lately, i've been using a 650w movielight that i fastened to a gripclip for easy positioning and three $4.99 aluminum dome type worklamps from home depot with 120w par36 bulbs or 150w softhead bulb. the par/softhead worklamps are pretty warm, but it's lent itself well to my subject matter (macro shots of spiders and flowers with my schneider 6-66).
i get very naturalistic light from these sources. although i've been laughed at repeatedly for using them.
-ekoe.