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Kino 4 bank vs Diva

J

Jason Ing

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I'm deciding between the two. Can anyone tell me their experience between the two? I originally was going to get the 4bank gaffer kit but then read that the diva had equivalent light output but in a smaller package, although portability isn't really high on my list. Quality of light is very high. I started to research on the internet and read reports of issues with Diva color temp, lamps, etc. And that the 4banks are more for film, Diva for video... although good light is good light in either film or video, to me.

I really like the honeycomb option with the diva and wish they had that for the 4bank.

So any real world feedback and opinions would be very appreciated. I want to pick up the lights this week. And I'm getting a dedo 150 and 650 along with them. Thanks!
 
Divas are often much warmer with a slight magenta spike IMHO (check the bulbs for CT - I think lots of them I have seen have been at 2800) - the divas are smaller and have a system that "wraps" the light with diffusion for a soft look. If I'm going this way I often order kinos but if I were buying (with transport etc) in mind - I might consider the Diva - watch out for the colour temp though.

Also check out the Kino flo barfly - good output but tiny unit.

The new Parabeams are extraordinary (my new fav light) - fully dimmable with no loss of colour, enclosed ballast, high output (think wallolight) but a nice size for easy transport. Might hurt your wallet though.
EDIT: found a link to parabeams
http://search.store.yahoo.net/cgi-bin/nsearch?query=parabeam&catalog=cinemasupplies&go.x=0&go.y=0
 
Hey Jason, I went through the same decision making almost 2 years ago. I ended up settling on the 4-bank gaffers kit and couldn't be happier. I use it all the time, it's easy to rent out because almost every shoot uses the 2-banks or 4-banks. They are lightweight. You could tape them to a wall if you needed to. I like that the ballast is separated for that reason. You can take out an individual lamp and stick it somewhere weird. Lots of options. The divas are geared more for video production/TV type of work. They are easier to setup and smaller, but I prefer the light output and the functionality of the 4-banks way more. You should go to Kino Flo in Burbank. They will demo all of their units for you. Or you can checkout the Diva vs. the 4-bank at Samys camera but I recommend just calling Kino and checking them out. They love showing their stuff off. Good luck
 
Yeah, it depends on what your usage is. If portability isn't an issue, if I had to get one, I'd go for the 4-bank too. Divas sure are a great light, though--quick and easy. Get them both eventually.

I've been wanting to get a parabeam since they came out.
 
Divas often appear to be off-colour (magenta or green) on a lot of rental units I've come across (don't know whether that's because some people use them the wrong way up??)
 
Thanks guys. Everything everyone said really confirms my own thoughts and a lot of posts on the web. I'm leaning back toward 4banks also because of their size. If I want a strong large source of soft light, I can put them together. One of the pluses of the diva was the honeycomb grids. I wanted to be able to control the light too. But I found lighttools.com and it's exactly what I wanted, albeit a tad expensive.

thanks again!
 
Diva's and 4 banks are two entirely different lighting instruments.

The 4 Banks are more versatile.

I'd also check out the Vista Beam - my new favourite - the Para Beam is so 2007 ;-)

The "600" replaces a 4KPar with a chimera. And runs off of a wall outlet.

http://www.kinoflo.com/Lighting Fixtures/VistaBeam/VistaBeam.htm

I told my gaffer about this - he ran out and bought one. I would say I use it on every job.
 
Just got back from a trade show here in Toronto and you should check out the new "Vista Singles". Basically one of the long tubes housed in a Kino flo style housing. Comes in a kit of two. Extremely high output. Light weight and compact.

I think he said $2695 for the kit of two - including the case. I don't have the photometrics, but I am guessing a Vista single would have higher output than a 4 Bank.

Really nice!
 
Dylan Macleod said:
Just got back from a trade show here in Toronto and you should check out the new "Vista Singles". Basically one of the long tubes housed in a Kino flo style housing. Comes in a kit of two. Extremely high output. Light weight and compact.

I think he said $2695 for the kit of two - including the case. I don't have the photometrics, but I am guessing a Vista single would have higher output than a 4 Bank.

Really nice!
Click to expand...

that's a really interesting idea.

my only concern with singles is the light "area" or lack of it. how do you get the "wrap"? is the length of it sufficient although it is relatively a single line of light rather then a large area of light?
 
i've been contemplating the vista 600, but what i don't like about it is that when you take it down, you're actually turning off lamps and therefore the size and shape of the light source changes. but the barger light doesn't change it's large area light shape because it still fills the entire chimera even though you turn off lamps. the downside is the power and heat (although the power you can still use household outlets, you just have to find three of them).
 
Jason Ing said:
that's a really interesting idea.

my only concern with singles is the light "area" or lack of it. how do you get the "wrap"? is the length of it sufficient although it is relatively a single line of light rather then a large area of light?
Click to expand...

The housing is about the size of a 4' 2 Bank. It is not quite as long - maybe 3+ feet instead of four. If you open the doors fairly wide and put a piece of diffusion across you will be pretty close to the area of a 4 bank.

They have a really cool relfector too, which kind of adds "width" to the single source. Keep in mind that it is the new high efficiency bulbs, so it looks almost like two bulbs.

These are definitely in my site lines.
 
Jason Ing said:
i've been contemplating the vista 600, but what i don't like about it is that when you take it down, you're actually turning off lamps and therefore the size and shape of the light source changes. but the barger light doesn't change it's large area light shape because it still fills the entire chimera even though you turn off lamps. the downside is the power and heat (although the power you can still use household outlets, you just have to find three of them).
Click to expand...

This is minimized by skinning the frame with diffusion. And pre cut ND's solve it as well - albeit it takes longer to add the ND than it does to click off a couple of bubbles.
 
Those vistabeams look awesome. Between the Diva and the 4bank I would say the 4bank is a no brainer, really versatile, and something about the light quality just looks more filmic to me. Could it be a color balance thing?
 
Unfortunately, there is no "one size fits all;" well, perhaps, only if it fits all badly.

The Divas are terrific little sources for soft kicks and even for dramatic side lighting a fairly tight close up, but they are too small for a good key light and they lack the punch to key with windows in the shot.

4 Banks are terrifically versatile, good size for soft source, but lack punch.

When I'm close, I like the Mole Richardson Biax 8; still a bit small for a soft light; my new favorite is the Image 85; plenty of punch and a large size for a nice soft effect. With green tubes, they are wonderful for lighting a green screen. Although they are probably designed for the studio, I take them with me on almost all my location work, usually tubed for daylight.

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo
 
Image 85's are incredible.

I was just at KinoFlo headquarters, and they just rented 200 of then out to one DP for a shoot. Must be a massive undertaking....
 
If you want more kick but still relatively soft light, look into the parabeam

It's PAR reflector aids in giving it that extra throw and punch, good for key, with 2' bank as fill
 
I prefer 4 banks to Diva's for the reasons stated above: weight and colour temp. I've had issues with Diva's (and yes, they were right side up).

Oh, and I like that Kino's have a spigot that goes on a C-stand, I find it more useful than the 750 female that Diva's have.
 
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