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The Lowel Kit, the DP Lightand now the Caselight systems have long been the cornerstone of portable lighting packages for video and the occasional film production.
My own Lowel Kit has mutated and evolved over the twenty some years since I originally purchased it and has proven durable and versatile time and time again.
While on location in Fiji I had the misfortune to drop my entire case in salt water. After a quick rinse in a nearby pool, a couple good blasts with compressed air, my lights all fired up the first time and have worked dependably ever since.
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Arri lighting instruments have been around for quite a while and have generated enormous respect throughout the entire spectrum of film and video production. While crew might look at you a bit strange if you were to start pulling out a Lowel kit on a feature production, no one would think twice about seeing you setting up some Arri heads.
Arri lights come in a vast spectrum of wattage's and sizes. While more expensive than a Lowel package, an Arri lighting kit conforms to the established cinematic conventions and will transition between the worlds of film and video more seamlesly.
I have two Arri heads that have been with me for quite a while (Pocket PAR & ArriSun) and have taken enormous abuse without a single problem. If you've got the bucks and like to look stylish, you can't go wrong with Arri.
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If ask to name my single favorite lighting instrument for video it would be a toss-up between the Pepper 200 (on left) and the
Dedolight 100W (on right). Both posses an unusually high degree of versatility.
While the Pepper's 3" Flat Pyrex Fresnel Lens gives a very sculpted beam with incredibly smooth falloff, the Dedolight's focusable dual-lens system allows an unusually clean beam that can often reach across a set with little, if any stray light. Both lights are built for rugged use. |
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DIVA-LITE 400 KIT is one of the best entrees into the soft-fill world of Kino-Flo.
The DIVA-LITE softlights are ideal for interior lighting. A fixture can run tungsten or daylight-balanced lamps and the long-life lamps operate coolly, so they won't overheat your subject. Rapid drop-off from the soft light doesnąt wash out the background on tight shots while the energy-efficient ballasts can draw as little as half an Amp. |
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Mole-Richardson lights are a Hollywood staple-they're very durable and solidly built. On many of the back lots they just leave the big guys sitting out for weeks, if not months at a time.
Mole recently introduced a new line of lower-cost HMI instruments and as soon as I give them a try, I'll let you know how they perform. My guess is that they'll work like everything else MR makes, dependably.
The Molequartz Tweenie Solarspot Kit is an excellent general-use kit that supplies 300W and 650W "Tweenie" fresnels with a 650W Mini-Soft light. The Mini-Soft light is a compact portable unit with a concealed globe and curved, textured reflector. It gives a very soft, even light in a small package.
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The Elinchrom Scanlite is a fan cooled, tungsten unit rated at 22,000 lux ( F8-1/3 @ 1/125 sec. ISO 100) with a color temperature: 3200K.
While I've never personally used one of these units, I have seen them used on two DV productions and both times the crew were very happy with their performance. If you have personal experience with these units, and are not some PR person from the manufacturer, please drop me an e-mail and let me know your thoughts.
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Smith-Victor probably has more lighting units in daily use than all other manufacturers combined. Generally known for their broad prosumer market penetration, their widspread use in the professional world has probably been hindered by perception more than quality.
While I've never personally used one of these units, I checked out their new line at a recient trade show and was pleasently suprised at the quality and durability. I was particularly impressed with their 1800 Total Watt Portable Studio system which seemed to be a really great, no nonsense value.
While their professional units are significantly more expensive than their "lightbulb" reflectors, they are quite resonably priced and would make a fine kit for the financially impared moviemaker.
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Copyright Scott Billups @2001
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