Focus Floods, Fresnels & Dimmers

[Steve Wargo]

We live with our ARRI 300/650 kit. Before the great cameras of today, you had to have 1K lights but I never use them any more. If I do, I use a Lowel Tota. The 300/650 kit runs around $2500.

You can make dimmers using Lutron dimmers and Home Depot pieces.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

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[Jay High]

I’m buying a Panasonic AG-HMC150 video camera to shoot small documentaries, promotional and web videos, including the use of some green screen shooting. I have about $1500-$2000 to spend on a light kit and have been looking at Arri 3- and 4-light kits. The 4-light 300/650 fresnel is a bit out of my range, but the 300 fresnel / 600 Arrlite focus flood is within reach. Could I get some advise on the following?

1. I will use a softbox for my key lighting, will the fresnels be a waste of money, or will I see improved even-lighting as compared to the Arri 600 focus flood?

2. I wasn’t considering a Lowell kit before I read this string. Can you recommend a Lowell kit that would be comparable to Arri 300/650?

3. Will I be better off with fresnels in lighting the green-screen?

4. Any advise is choosing between the 3-light fresnel 650/300 or the 4-light 600 focus flood /300 fresnel?

Jay High
Baton Rouge, LA
Geaux Tigers!

[Mark Suszko]

Well, this is just really quick and dirty, but there’s this kit:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/260848-REG/Lowel__Omni_light_Pro_light_Rifa_eX.html

And add a Lowel DP light for another $325, you have four pretty versatile lights and a bunch of accessories.

Though I would rather take more time and build a kit from scratch, and I would go with the biggest Rifa I can afford, preferably the one with the Exchange system, but the standard halogen-powered one is still fine with me.I would maybe start with a Rifa 66, add two Omni/Pro lights, and a tossup between a tota and another Omni or a Lowel DP. I think the Lowel site still has a configurator for assembling a custom kit, look there. Lowel actually sells a fresnel too, but all my experience is with their open-faced lights. The only thing I don’t fancy about rifas is the egg crate diffusers are ridiculously expensive. And I wouldn’t buy a V-light even with someone else’s money. The rest of the line I quite like.

I don’t think the fresnels will work as well on a green screen as a couple of soft lights, you’d still tend to get hot spots, where the softlight starts with alarger light source right from the beginning, but that’s just my own opinion. The typical green I light is about 20 by 20 with two Rifa 66’s, and separate light for the actual subject.

[Jay High]

Mark,
Thank you for the information, links, and quick response. I’ll check it out.
Jay

Jay High
Baton Rouge, LA
Geaux Tigers!