Poor(er) Man's Pancake Light

[Matt W.]

I like the pancake lights but don't like the price and the size is a little big for one-man bands like me. What would I lose by going with something like this:

http://www.filmtools.com/lanternlock-24-mogul-socket.html

http://www.filmtools.com/lanternlock-24-china-ball-mogul-base.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/168154-REG/Chimera_5505_Mogul_Base_Lamp.html

duvy scraps

I figure the pancake is flatter and thus better for short ceilings and has a better quality of light. I'm looking for a go-to key light for night interiors.

 

[Jeremy 0sbern]

Go for it. People have been lighting with china balls for years! The quality of light will be very similar, just make sure to control the directionality and it's a great lower budget solution.

 

[Michael Notar]

Ikea 18in china ball with socket are like $15 bucks max. add a $14 home depot dimmer. also look for used photoflex white dome softboxes on ebay. pretty similiar to a lantern i think. they might still be made new. its like a china ball but a little more controllable .

 

[Matt W.]

How do you secure it then? And what's standard for securing a duvy skirt? Just clothespins? I'm leaning toward lantern lock but might spring for pancake light hmm... I want this to be my go-to key light.

Edit: good call on the dimmer.

 

[Jeff Whitehurst]

You might like this option...
http://www.alzovideo.com/alzo-drum-overhead-light.htm

 

[Ulf Krentz]

We sometimes use a chimera pancake lantern. The light is not spreaded everywhere, the top is silver coated inside, therefore you have a higher directional light output. Also don´t forget the skirt, which I consider essential, it is also silver coated in the top area and black for the rest of it. It can be wrapped up to a disired hight and the control of light is very precise. You can also purchase a single or double scrim to dim your light witout changing its color in opposite to an electronic dimmer. You will find a broad range of speedrings to fit a lot of different brand lights in a chimera. I would love to have the option for different screens though, the applied one is very diffuse, but sometimes its just the right choice. Downside is you´d probably always have to use a boom stand.
You may also consider using a PAR light, a few flags and/or a bounce board, this sounds very simple but you can create so much with just these few things.

Cheers, Ulf