Group Buy: K-FLECT lighting System

[David Battistella]

Thanks for doing this Antoine! Super helpful.

+1 Antoine! Thanks!

Battistella

 

[Steve Das]

I'd like to see some BTS stills of sets especially outdoors...what do people use to hold up the reflectors outside...do simple c stands work..?

 

[David Battistella]

Steve,

I will ask about some exterior examples but if you watch the youtube clip earlier in the thread you see the boom mounting options and a couple of other scenes where you can use yolks, c-stands and clamps to place reflectors. the magnetic clamping system on the website shows a bunch of K-grip which can be used indoors or outdoors.


On a side note.

In terms of US customs, etc, I am not sure what customs and duty the US puts on these types of items or what category they fall under. There are no moving parts or electronics, it would not fall under the category of dangerous goods or anything like that, so I guess it depends also on the state tax, laws, etc.

The panels are very robust, but if any of them come apart or spit or become unglued then K-Flect would do a 1 to 1 exchange. The European laws are quite strict on return and exchange and warranties and K-Flect adheres to all of the laws of the EU and extend those EU warranties worldwide.

There might be news of a North American distribution base in Toronto in the coming months. Until then, DHL, TNT, FEDEX, etc, all can have stuff turned around pretty quick. In fact, I think that FEDEX might be a good place to figure out what customs issues there might be (if any at all)
Will keep you posted.

Battistella

 

[Bob Gundu]

Great to hear about Toronto distribution!

 

[Marcos Montenegro]

so what's the price/discount?

 

[David Battistella]

so what's the price/discount?

20% off 240 items and four different specialized kits on orders placed before August 10th.

This is information is in the thread.

Battistella

 

[David Battistella]

Great to hear about Toronto distribution!

in its absolute infancy, but is a possibility.

 

[Sean Solowiej]

So, if one were to key light a straightforward talking head interview with a #9, it seems fill light from opposite the key could come from a #1. The fill's source from the #9 would already be soft-n-scattered, so the hard mirror #1 would bounce this same quality back in for the fill side.

If we want to shift the color of the light then we need to gel the source. Then they all match. A look similar to bouncing off muslin might be to add something like a straw gel to the source... or I suppose one could use a #1 hard mirror to actually bounce off muslin... just trying to get my head around a typical setup with KFlect. To use the same single source for every angle may involve a good amount of #1s to move the source around before getting it onto the subject with a modified bounce.

Am I thinking about this right, and does anyone who has spent time with these have workflow advice?

 

[David Battistella]

Hey Sean,

seems like a pretty good scenario. I'm not sure you'd need mirrors as much as maybe a number 2. Plus you could always just put a bit of fill in from what is coming off the number 9 with a different one depending on what kind of ratio you are going for.

id see a one in the roughly same position as the 9 shooting toward maybe an 8 overhead as a back or rim light.

Or or you could have a 9 and 2 1's in roughly the same position. The 9 as a key, a one firing the backlight an 8 and another one firing a sift 4 or something like a 17 as a fill.

it gets fun to think about.

ill post a little diagram a bit later.

Battistella

 

[Sean Solowiej]

Thanks David! It does get fun to think about.

I was trying to come up with a minimal set, and now you've got me considering more panels...

 

[Marcos Montenegro]

David-

Since not a lot of people have had actual experience with this particular vendor and lighting concept, I'm finding it hard to make a choice. Can you or someone with actual hands-on experience chime in and recommend 3 options and give the pros-cons for us K-FLECT newbies?

Thanks!

 

[David Battistella]

Here is a good concept starter page on the KFlect site.

I'm going to try to work up a video with an example that will help people with the concept.

Battistella

David-

Since not a lot of people have had actual experience with this particular vendor and lighting concept, I'm finding it hard to make a choice. Can you or someone with actual hands-on experience chime in and recommend 3 options and give the pros-cons for us K-FLECT newbies?

Thanks!

 

[Antoine Baumann]

We made a first selection with Patrick Tresch, but we have a few questions:
-Does the shape of light change when you turn the Concave and Convex K-Flector?
-Is there any weight info on the K-Flector?
-Which minimum magnet size do we need for a 50x50 K-Flector to hold perfectly?
-Does the Magbone L88 is too strong, and therefore hard to remove, for a 10x20 K-Flector?
-On the xls list there is a Magneck 25HD (MN-25-HD), but cannot find any photo on the web site. Is it available?
-I'm sure I read it, but cannot find it anymore: what is the minimum size of K-Flector that has a hole for the Secuflect?
-I have to say I don't really understand MAGFLECT, the different items that makes it and the prices.
-And also I'm not sure about the VACUFLECT, which model is the one with the spigot or the "spigot receiver", ...
-Oh and also does somebody have experience with the Mitronic lamp head?

the selection we've made so far:

 

[Marcos Montenegro]

where's the link?

Here is a good concept starter page on the KFlect site.

I'm going to try to work up a video with an example that will help people with the concept.

Battistella

 

[David Battistella]

where's the link?

Sorry about that...

http://www.kflect.com/introduction/benefits/

Battistella

 

[David Battistella]

Hi Antoine,

Have been working on these answers for you and I'll try to get back to you over the weekend.

Cheers,

Battistella

We made a first selection with Patrick Tresch, but we have a few questions:
-Does the shape of light change when you turn the Concave and Convex K-Flector?
-Is there any weight info on the K-Flector?
-Which minimum magnet size do we need for a 50x50 K-Flector to hold perfectly?
-Does the Magbone L88 is too strong, and therefore hard to remove, for a 10x20 K-Flector?
-On the xls list there is a Magneck 25HD (MN-25-HD), but cannot find any photo on the web site. Is it available?
-I'm sure I read it, but cannot find it anymore: what is the minimum size of K-Flector that has a hole for the Secuflect?
-I have to say I don't really understand MAGFLECT, the different items that makes it and the prices.
-And also I'm not sure about the VACUFLECT, which model is the one with the spigot or the "spigot receiver", ...
-Oh and also does somebody have experience with the Mitronic lamp head?

the selection we've made so far:

 

[Bob Gundu]

David. I appreciate all the insights into this system. If you had to pick your top reflectors, what would they be? And at what size?

Thanks!

Bob

 

[David Battistella]

David. I appreciate all the insights into this system. If you had to pick your top reflectors, what would they be? And at what size?

Thanks!

Bob

Bob,

I will test again over the weekend and come up with a "DB package" considering a few different scenarios. Initially I thought I would want all or a lot of 100x100 but I can tell you that is not the case as they punch back a wide area, 30x30 and 20x10 are intriguing sizes that could be great in a lot of situations.

Battistella

 

[Steve Das]

...Initially I thought I would want all or a lot of 100x100 but I can tell you that is not the case as they punch back a wide area, 30x30 and 20x10 are intriguing sizes that could be great in a lot of situations.

Battistella

Looks like they give you these in their XL starter kit ...2...7...11...15....

• K-Flector XL2
• K-Flector XL7
• K-Flector XL11
• K-Flector XL15

Thought one would need the large 100x100 sizes to be able to "light" or "reflect" a wide room area in a master shot.
Are all the reflectors made of aluminum..?

And do they operate just like regular shiny boards..? or is there more control available to them from their specific design..being
more akin to direct/focus a light and cut it with barndoors but with just a reflector..?

 

[Med D]

I'm very interested in this gear but the documentation leaves a lot to the imagination. That link above is really just a features list. A user guide with some details would be much better. It looks like the most elaborate document they offer on the website is the price list.