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Choosing Light Kit
  • divineworlddivineworld

    Anyone can do me a recommendation for a good budget light kit for three point lighting, something decent but not overtly expensive. Also maybe someone recommends me a good small factor led light for three point lighting in thight spaces also to serve as fill in day light. If ac powered they have to be 240/220 VAC

  • 69 Replies sorted by
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Personally, for whatever that means :) I went with all 5600K or there about lights and gel them accordingly.

    It is just more handy to adjust temp. I really like such lights. With current prices is is more easy to just get more powerful one if you need it.

    As for gels, they are not more efficient, until you are very close to original 5600k.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev If it wasn't outdoor, I would agree with that. The main problem with those bi color lights is that you get such a drop when you change color temp. Personally, for whatever that means :) I went with all 5600K or there about lights and gel them accordingly. I've found that I'm able to get a little more lighting on the subject with these LEDs. It's hard to get the 500 LEDs to really do anything in the sun, especially if they are at 50% power.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @vicharris

    I think he want to use color adjustable light.

    I think good idea can be use something like Aputure 528C, it is small still, but much more powerful.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    @256colour Yeah man, many times. You just need to know what color balance they shoot at and gel them accordingly. It's really easy to get green skin tones with LEDs. The funny thing is now, I use a mixture of 3200 and 5600 bulbs in my kino lights for good skintones regardless of where I'm at.

    They actually make LED gels now with green spike correction

  • 256colour256colour

    Hi, i hope this isn't wrong place to ask.. : )

    Has anyone here used LED light outdoors as a fill or softening light? I know that there could be some problems with different colour temperatures but i don't yet own one and haven't found any videos to objectively see how bad or good the results would be.

    I thought if maybe i could use reflector and a small led light like Amaran AL-198C on a cloudy autumn day to have some tools for playing around with light.

    Will desaturating footage help hiding differences in lighting, like colour temperature, and is using led outdoors with defuser and white/black reflector viable in any ways? I searched for some videos but it's hard to tell what the real natural light was in those shots and all that.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    If you're doing a lot of controlled studio and web stuff like you said, that $100 is fine to get started. Treat it well and when you're ready to spend more, you can probably sell those softbox kits for $75. I started with the 3 box kit and it was fine for what I needed it for, that is of course when the minus green is added. You might need half with those. Not sure.

  • christianhubbardchristianhubbard

    Sorry I cant edit my post, but I had the price for the Redhead kit incorrect. It is actually 280$.

    Decision made :) sorry for the excessive posting, feel free to delete anything necessary. (I cant)

  • christianhubbardchristianhubbard

    I have the option to rent out an Arri light kit from my school when I need it, so this is really only for cheap studio photography/ lighting talking head youtube videos.

    That being said I cant bring myself to drop the 550 on the fresnel kit, I can just rent it out the occasional times i need it for a personal project. (rare) So am I better off with the redhead kit or the cheaper flourescents?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @christianhubbard

    Normally issues with tungstend lights happen in US mostly (due to 110v requiring higher amps).

    But I doubt that you'll have issues with such kits in 90% of places, it is not 2Kw lights.

    As for 1000w CFL, it is marketing terms mostly. As you need to know real power at certain distance.

  • christianhubbardchristianhubbard

    do I need to worry about tripping circuits and such with the fresnels? at least, any more so than I would the "1000w" CFLS?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Yep.

    For example - 650w+500w(300w) +150w kit - $550 (I just got our deals item)

    About softboxes, initially one collapsible reflector and one arm that attaches to existing stand are enough. After this you could get cheap softbox.

    You do not need 3 softboxes, really.

  • christianhubbardchristianhubbard

    the $565 seems like such a hefty investment though. And they don't even come with softboxes.

    so I'd also have to put up money for those, or stands to hold silks/reflects/etc.

    I'm not doing much narrative work, mostly youtube production stuff and studio photography for fun.

    Still think i'm better off with a fresnel kit? Honestly I would love one but having a hard time talking myself into it.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @christianhubbard

    If you ask me, you better of with fresnels kit, as beginners portable and reliable solution.

  • christianhubbardchristianhubbard

    For some reason it wont let me edit my last post, so sorry for double posting.

    Am I better off with this 2 piece CFL kit for $110 or a redhead kit for $189? http://www.amazon.com/ePhoto-Lighting-Portrait-Carrying-Fluorescent/dp/B002SCGY5S/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

  • christianhubbardchristianhubbard

    what do you guys recommend for gels?

  • matt_gh2matt_gh2

    @vicharris Yeah, shot looked great - real pro look. Just ordered 2 of the 312s from our p-v deals. Thanks again for great advice. Turns out I have a roll of minus green in the closet. Maybe pick up some ND sheets and I should be gold.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    @matt_gh2 Just for reference, I had the 312 on the dash dialed just above min on the dimmer and the overhead 500 was prob about 30% up. Think that was all shot at 1250 ISO so those things can get pretty bright.

  • matt_gh2matt_gh2

    @vicharris Very cool. Yeah - remembered the Camtree shots. I can see the difference. Great info really. Thanks-I'm ordering mine tomorrrow!

  • vicharrisvicharris

    Oh yeah, Minus Green is the Magenta gel or pink if you call it that. Use it on all my Kino and LED lighting, unless I'm using the Lee LED Gel sheets.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    @matt_gh2 The car shot was. I had the 312 BiColor on the dash set at 3200K with a 1/4 minus green and two layers of .9ND on it. Then the 500 LED sold on here which is always 5600K with a layer of 316 Diffusion I think and a 1/4 Minus green clamped and to the top of the car, right above her coming through the sunroof, as a hair light and hitting the seat. Also, yep, all dimmable. I wouldn't buy one that wasn't. Also all the night tests I did in my Camtree Car Rig thread, I had the 312AS on the dash but didn't have the 1/4 minus green on it. That made a big difference on my hair highlights.

  • matt_gh2matt_gh2

    @vicharris Great info. Thanks. That shot of the woman in car was really well lit. Did you say you were using one of the AS LEDs for that shot? Amazing. Are they dimmable? For the 1/4 minus green, guess you're talking about the pink sheets you cut to size?

  • vicharrisvicharris

    I second the battery powered LEDs. I have a 500 and 312AS Bi as well. Same ones sold on here and they friggin rock. I also have an older 500 Fancier that I don't use too much, no batteries. I used the other for the car stuff I posted in the CM Night thread and going to use them again tomorrow night for some car to motorcycle stuff at night. The batteries last pretty darn long and some cheap extras are easy to find. The one thing I'm still finding is that I need to slap on a layer of 1/4 minus green like @ala_img did. Well, don't know if he used 1/4 but you get the point. I had some cheap LEDs and didn't realize how bad they were till I picked up these new ones. I've seen the 900s at night at they light the shit out of stuff. Need an AB battery for those though. Two 500's and One 312 from here might be a great place to start. Not sure if I'm sold on the whole Bi Color lights yet or not. Lee makes 3200 color gels just for LEDs now that also takes out the green. They work really well. I also have a 3 piece Kino Diva knock off set that I use so as soon as I try to adjust some color on any bi-color LED, it all gets a little more difficult with the mix.

  • matt_gh2matt_gh2

    Would love to hear what people think would be the best light solution for filming outdoors at night when there are no electrical outlets. Something battery powered. Obviously LEDs are inexpensive. What are the pros/cons for LEDs, and which are best? What other alternatives are there (regardless of cost) for lighting outdoor night scenes when there are no electrical outlets?

  • ala_imgala_img

    I have a LED kit 2xcn900, 1xcn600 and 1x312sa bicolour. Great setup for interviews and other indoor shooting. When i planed to buy this lights i was afraid about colour shift, but in fact it is not problem, with minus green and proper white balance. Some pro guys who was sceptical about my cheep LEDs, now making TVCs with it and they take it for rent from me. It mixing with flos or big HMI without any problem.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    They are fine if you don't need to set em up and tear em down everyday. They most likely will need some minus green, maybe just 1/4 but they are a good start. As for your LED, depends on which one you have. I had a few of the cheap ones from amazon, 96 or 70's, I can't remember and after I purchased some of the AS lights that Vitaliy has on here, I noticed how green they were. Just horrible. Sold em right away for nothing. More than likely everything will be skewed towards green. Minus green will be your friend.

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