Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Log in
  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Kinoflo

David Ellison

David Ellison

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
335
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Manchester UK
Could someone recommend a good all round kinoflo kit that will get me through most shoots?
There are numerous versions out there and not sure which one to get.
How many lamps (2 x bank or 4 x bank)
 
I have used both on a feature film project. I really liked the quality of light given off by the Kino.
I was also following the advice on here to star with Dedo's then move up to Kinos and then a good set of Arri's.
Can you get just as good light with the LED's?
Are you referring to the ones made by Kino?
 
2 foot 4 bank, or Diva400 is good for all round use. More flexible than a 2 bank.

LEDs are getting there, and are more portable, more dimmable and power-able by batteries, but it's arguable that Kinos still have the edge on quality of light and the extra size over a 1x1 gives a bit of a softer light for a given distance.
 
LED's are indeed getting better by the day but kino's are great and have been for years. The color of the original kino style is very good and rarely strays far. The 2 ft 4 bank "fat boy" is a great all around lamp and can be ganged up (2 or more) to make a bigger source if need be. Id stay clear of the "diva" style lamps, the "U" shape kino bulbs have green/magenta color issues that can cause major headaches specially when mixed with other types of lights.
 
This is my choice. We own two of these kits for a total of 4 units and they almost always get used in conjunction with other lights. Each one is equivalent to 1,000 watts of fresnel light. The only down side is that these are NOT meant for one-man shows. Definitely need two people to carry them.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N=10258951&InitialSearch=yes&sts=pi
 
Erich Roland said:
LED's are indeed getting better by the day but kino's are great and have been for years. The color of the original kino style is very good and rarely strays far. The 2 ft 4 bank "fat boy" is a great all around lamp and can be ganged up (2 or more) to make a bigger source if need be. Id stay clear of the "diva" style lamps, the "U" shape kino bulbs have green/magenta color issues that can cause major headaches specially when mixed with other types of lights.
Click to expand...

The Divas single ended tubes are orientation sensitive, and the built in ballast dimming feature while useful can also affect colour if dimming more than 1 stop (50%), - which is why some people have had green/magenta issues. The Divas are brighter than the equivalent non-Divas.
The 2ft 4Bank Selects don't offer dimming and have a separate switched ballast only and the tubes being double ended don't have a preferred orientation. If you don't need the Diva features then the 2ft 4bank is a good choice.

From the Diva401 manual:

Correct Lamp Orientation
VERTICAL MODE:
Follow the principle of lamp base up and lamp tip down. This orientation keeps the mercury away from the cathodes and provides best color temperature stability and best color rendering.
DO NOT operate fixture with lamp base in the down position. Color can diverge up to 400K and will get very green.

HORIZONTAL MODE:
Even in the horizontal position, a slight rotation favoring the lamp tips (lamp base higher than the lamp tip) will allow for better color temperature stability.

From Kinoflo's website:
For Kino Flo, heat management is a critical design element of fixture design. The physical heat of the lamp directly influences color temperature and lumen performance and lamp life. In order to maintain a stable color performance the lamp requires:
• a cool spot at the tip of the lamp
• a horizontal orientation
• or a vertical orientation where the base of the lamp is above the lamp tip.


The Diva-Lite design addresses these requirements:
• The lamps are correctly spaced to maximize light output and minimize heat.
• The reflector is vented in the back to increase airflow.
• The ends are open to minimize heat buildup.
• The power cord is oriented in such a manner that the lamp tips will naturally be in down position when fixture is operated vertically.

The Diva-Lites feature a built-in dimmer control. Lamps can dim from 100% down to 5%. However, it is not recommended that the dimmer be used to adjust exposure levels beyond one f-stop (50%) down. As the lamp cools, the color may drift into the magenta spectrum. Under certain conditions this phenomenon may have a positive cosmetic effect; much like using cosmetic gel that is magenta in appearance.

To adjust for lower light levels, the Diva-Lite 401 and 400 Universal are equipped with a select switch to control 2 Lamp or 4 Lamp operation. Switching off a set of lamps reduces the light by one f-stop.

Also this thread:
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?5200-Kino-Flow-Diva-Lite-vs-4-banks

and this:
http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=36444
 
Ive used the diva's many-many times and I'm aware of the orientation issue and what the manual says, and every time I use them I struggle.... every time. I just think they have inherent color problem with the tube design. I realize they are brighter but Ill take the less bright older style any day then to have to fight the green/magenta battle with Diva's. When no other type of lamp or light source is involved (like a closed Diva style lamp set) then its not a problem just white balance it out, but if you mix with other sources like HMI, or tungsten, that's when the weird colors show themselves in comparison. My opinion as always.
 
I have a four-bank kino Diva-lite, and it's by far my most used lamp for documentary interviews. Daylight balance is a huge bonus and with a layer of diffusion it's a lovely quality of light and very quick to set up.

I never use the dimmer though, due to the colour issues mentioned. Just tend to turn tubes off or add more diffusion. I have run into the green/magenta spikes with other brands of tube, although I must say I find the Kino Tru-match ones to be very good.
 
You really want both a diva and a 4ft 4bank
 
I use a mix kit depending on the situation, if you are doing talking heads, go with a diva 400, diva 200, have some LED light panels for fill. Also I love having a Mole TweenieLED with me for some directional backlighting or background lighting, something that shapes light.


r
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top