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  • 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 :)

WHICH IS THE BEST 3-LIGHT KIT FOR UNDER $1000? ...NEWBIE

Arri is very durable and is industry standard. if I can afford a basic 3 light kit from Arri, will it offer bi-color light? If not, how do I change the light colours if needed? Thanks
 
You don't have the money for an arri kit. You could buy like 2 650s and a 1k open face used. Maybe. That is not going to get you very far. And you would change color temps with gell, and lose a ton of output going to daylight. Plus they are hot lights. And you will need a lot of grippage to soften and shape then. The falcon eyes are both color temps, dimmable, and have soft boxes and grids which make them very controllable. I have a stack of arri and Desisti as well as mole tungsten lights, but they almost never come out for interviews.

Nick
 
Nick Gardner said:
You don't have the money for an arri kit. You could buy like 2 650s and a 1k open face used. Maybe. That is not going to get you very far. And you would change color temps with gell, and lose a ton of output going to daylight. Plus they are hot lights. And you will need a lot of grippage to soften and shape then. The falcon eyes are both color temps, dimmable, and have soft boxes and grids which make them very controllable. I have a stack of arri and Desisti as well as mole tungsten lights, but they almost never come out for interviews.

Nick
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And from what I get, the Falcon Eyes are best suited for small setups/spaces. Are KINOs any better?
 
And from what I get, the Falcon Eyes are best suited for small setups/spaces.
Click to expand...

It really depends on how fast your lenses are, how you are rating your camera, etc. The interiors at the bowling alley and in the bar in this spot were lit with HMIs through the windows, and falcon eyes mats inside. It was 1 4k through the front window in the bar, and 2 1200s through the windows in the bowling alley. So it depends on what you consider small set ups.

As far as kinoflos, I was never a fan. They are big and bulky compared to LED mats, I think the color is better on LEDS, and kinos aren't particularly high output. That being said, I haven't messed with Kino leds, and plenty of productions have used them to great effect. Just not a personal favorite of mine.

https://vimeo.com/307291135

Nick
 
Open site of Litegear and look for 4 , 2 and 1 . This sizes will get you through just about any portrait and something like a dedolight for the background. Find something similar from Aliexpress (Falcon Eyes being a good bet). Don't forget soft crates as they are your screams and flags. And buy a lot of black cloth (cheap one) to kill windows. Done.
P.S. They will not render colour as good as LiteMats, but will have the same bias.
After get some colour sticks like Astera and go to the next level.
 
if you looking at LED Mats I would recommend used Westcott flex .. Falcon Eyes is not bad by any mean but you get really good CRI light from Westcott .. also I really like there ScrimJim system

https://indiecinemaacademy.com/complete-led-color-database-cri-tlci-cqs-tm30-15/

as main key light doing interview look at an used Aputure 120d with light dome . it will give you great key light and a nice catch light ...
 
Has Anyone here used dracast LEDs at at all? They also seem fairly cheap. Are they good?
 
You could also consider used Litepanels Astra-- the previous generation 4x bi-color are very bright, and I see them going pretty cheap as the pros who paid $1k+ per unit move on to sexier options. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think their output is noticeably more than the Falcon Eyes, if you need it. (Nothing against Falcon Eyes-- I'd give them a try myself after all the recommends. But I trust the durability of the Litepanels and the ability to rig.)

I'll also put in a word for an Aputure C120D or used C300D. It's great to have a hard light in your kit.
 
If you can hold off for a couple weeks, I'm in the final stages of an open source open face LED. 2700K->6500K adjustable, interchangeable lenses, can fit in a bowens mount, 95CRI, and is similar in output to a tweenie. The whole thing can be built for around $100.

I'm not going to sell them (maybe just parts boxes) but they'll be easy for any Arduino-familar person to make.

NBUSvlx.jpg
 
Andy, this is really exciting, plus it's bi-colour?
 
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