Cool lights reviews

[Rick Wise]

The main issue could be green spikes. The Divas themselves tend to have a bit of a green spike when they got hot (burning face down, for instance) but otherwise burn true color. I don’t know the Cool Lights first-hand but I strongly suspect they will have something of the dreaded green spike. Their CRI is only 87. That said, if you have some 1/8 and 1/4 minus-green gels, you can mostly correct that spike. The difference in cost is huge.

If money is OK, I’d go for the Divas. Otherwise, the Cool Lights plus some gels. (Beware of over-correcting.)

Rick Wise
director of photography
Oakland, CA
http://www.RickWiseDP.com
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com

[Rich Sims]

Great,

That’s exactly the type of info I’m looking for. Green spikes do seem to be the problem I’m hearing about.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with this in the case of the Diva’s and the Cool Lights. I’ve heard the same complaints from people regarding the Divas. Although we’ve never had that big of a problem after fooling with our white balance settings to the desired look on set or in the field.

I guess I’m trying to figure out if the same complaints I’m hearing about one are the same complaints I’m hearing about the other in which case in my mind you go with the money saving choice. If it’s a drastic difference than I spend the extra dough to have the right unit over the long haul.

Thanks,
Rich

[Dennis Size]

Inevitably I almost always use LEE Filter 188 (sometimes 186) whenever I’m using Diva’s (I put the diffusion between the eggcrate and the lamps). The Lee 188 is a subtle mix of minus green, CTO, and opal all rolled into one. It not only softens the light further, but it pulls out the green spike while warming the quality of the light.

DS

[Rich Sims]

Thanks,

So with that being said, would you be afraid of mixing the two different units, (the Diva and the unit from Cool Lights since I will be correcting for the spike that each is reported to have)?

Take care,
Rich

[John Sharaf]

Yes I’d be afraid. Why ask for trouble? Why defy logic? If you want the color to be the same in both directions, use the same lights. Don’t buy lighting instruments that will last 20 years or more on the basis of saving a few dollars. I don’t mean to be harsh, but this is the logic that usually comes from the people we work for that makes our lives difficult, and makes doing a good and efficient job more difficult. Do the right thing here and buy the Diva. You’ll be happy and sleep better at night.

JS

[Rick Wise]

Are you sure about the minus green in Lee 188? I can find no such reference on Lee’s web; the effect of a little warming does, in effect, remove some green, but that’s not the same as adding minus green. For the Divas, that little warmth is probably all it takes. For the Cool Lights, you would need to also add minus green, I suspect.

Mixing some soft diffusion with the warmth certainly saves having two different gels. Great idea.

Rick Wise
director of photography
Oakland, CA
http://www.RickWiseDP.com
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com

[Dennis Size]

Afraid is not a word that’s in my vocabulary. I habitually do so many “untraditional” things (considered bizarre by many), often out of necessity, that my actions often become the norm — and end up being copied by others.

In your particular case, since you’re buying the fixtures from scratch — and not forced to mix and match (the way I often am when sent to many “3rd world” studios) — why would you want to set yourself up for a fall.
Plus, why would you want to have incompatible equipment?
Go with the Diva’s
DS

[Dennis Size]

Wow! John, I’m trembling! 🙂
As always, excellent advice, but I’ve never heard you so forceful and definite. Good for you. Your post almost reads like one of my “snarky” ones! (Well, perhaps not.)

If your definitive opinion doesn’t make everyone realize the error of their ways, nothing will!

By the way, while I have your attention ….. appropos of another series of posts — “to meter or not to meter”???!

DS

[John Sharaf]

As regards meters, knock yourself out, just don’t drop them and be sure and calibrate every year or so.

Seriously, I still carry my old analog Spectra and some kind of spot meter (I can’t even remember the brand) in my workbox and I can honestly say that I haven’t used either in twenty years, except for one film shoot a year ago with Barbara Streisand.

She insisted on being shot on film (although she didn’t specify 16 or 35 so we shot 16 because it was cheaper) for an insert in the Oscar telecast. I rented another Spectra with the camera package (rather than pay o have mine calibrated) and wasn’t really too surprised that the three meters on the set (my old, the rental and the camera assistant’s) all were different. We exposed at the average of the three and had no complaints.

Say lightmeter for video and I say waveform monitor. Literally I would not do a video shoot other than run and gun without one, either in the Panasonic monitor or my trusty Leader LV5700 or LV5750. I couldn’t imagine lighting a green screen with out it or how else would you set the skin tone level to 60/65 ire on a consistent basis?

I also would feel naked without the Vectorscope function and my DSC Chroma du Monde chart, which I use to touch up the matrix and create accurate and colorful pictures (after I’ve set the exposure on the B&W chips).

You asked!

JS

[Dennis Size]

I’m very sure.

If anyone wants to “scientifically” verify it, feel free. (Frankly I never really have, as I’m a go-with-my-gut-instinct sort of guy), You’ll find that LEE 188 is a very close blend of light opal, “faded” 1/4 CTO, and 1/8 minus green.

I’ve been using — and probably over-using — LEE 188 since it first came out over 15 years ago, using it extensively in my lighting design for the OPRAH WINFREY SHOW. I found the tint of minus green, in conjunction with the amber, helps negate the slight “greenish/blue” tint prevalent in the pigmentation of some African/American skin tones…. especially when the camera picks up reflected light off that skin. Countless LD’s I’ve worked with over the years have embraced my use of this particular diffusion.

I doubt if this characteristic would be on the LEE website as I’ve never told them — although I can’t help but think someone would have noticed…. especially since I myself have bought hundreds upon hundreds of full rolls over the years. 😉

As you well know, when dealing with the ephermeral, intangible, visible spectrum we work with, nothing is really very exact. There’s a certain amount of physics and science involved … but we all mold and shape light via “learned behavior”. We copy what we’ve observed light does in nature. In the process of our work — especially when dealing with the variety of sources at our disposal — we experiment and play in our attempts to make our end product even better.
Some of my best “tricks” didn’t come from a manufacturer’s website, but through observation, logic, experience, and lots of luck!

DS

P.S. If anyone does verify my opinion of LEE 188 let us know so that I know I’m not just full of shit.