Comments on: Low Budget Lighting Equipment Tips: How good are Britek Lights? http://www.filmsensei.com/2008/12/low-budget-lighting-equipment-tips-how-good-are-britek-lights/ Indie and Guerilla Filmmaking Tips from the Trenches - Let the Sensei Be Your Guide Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:05:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: David Hodge http://www.filmsensei.com/2008/12/low-budget-lighting-equipment-tips-how-good-are-britek-lights/comment-page-1/#comment-986 David Hodge Sat, 07 Aug 2010 13:45:23 +0000 http://www.filmsensei.com/?p=28#comment-986 I purchased the Lowell DV250 kit with three lights and a case from B&H Photovideo for a graduate film class. It was about 1100 bucks, but was top notch all the way. I only wish I could have purchased an extra Rifa light as they are so awesome for a soft light. The lights do take about 8 seconds to reach hot enough temps on the metal to stop you from touching it without letting it cool down for several life times. Also, you don't want to touch the bulbs being halogen and the risk of them blowing up and all. I can't say I am a total fan of the broad light as it's so hot and offers to protection if the thing gets knocked over there are no barn doors or such things to stop it from touching fabric or carpet and starting to charbroil whatever it lands on. Plus, bugs tend to land on it and you'll see smoke coming out of it that will freak your talent out if not you as well. All in all the Lowell kit is very decent and three point lighting is a snap. I would recommend getting an extra stand and mounting an LED flashlight and gelling it to create a glint in the subject's eye, but that has nothing to do with the kit itself. So, I digress. If you already have a kit and have some cash to burn I am in total awe of two products; Rosco's Litepads and the 1x1s from Litepanels. Either one of those are gold, but Rosco's Pro Gaffer's Kit really give you a bundle. It's twelve lights, dimmer, power supplies, cables, case, support items galore, and lights that are bliss to use and take so little energy my Bescor battery could power them for a MONTH on one charge! Yup, they are super and if you have the means get a kit. If you can't afford the kit then the small rectangular LItepad is great for hootking up to a battery and putting rubber bands to hold them on a visor and/or gaffer's taping them to instrument panel in a car...perfect car lighting fixture that has just the right intensity and color for it. Couldn't be more awesome. Hope any of this was helpful. David... I purchased the Lowell DV250 kit with three lights and a case from B&H Photovideo for a graduate film class. It was about 1100 bucks, but was top notch all the way. I only wish I could have purchased an extra Rifa light as they are so awesome for a soft light.

The lights do take about 8 seconds to reach hot enough temps on the metal to stop you from touching it without letting it cool down for several life times. Also, you don’t want to touch the bulbs being halogen and the risk of them blowing up and all.

I can’t say I am a total fan of the broad light as it’s so hot and offers to protection if the thing gets knocked over there are no barn doors or such things to stop it from touching fabric or carpet and starting to charbroil whatever it lands on. Plus, bugs tend to land on it and you’ll see smoke coming out of it that will freak your talent out if not you as well.

All in all the Lowell kit is very decent and three point lighting is a snap. I would recommend getting an extra stand and mounting an LED flashlight and gelling it to create a glint in the subject’s eye, but that has nothing to do with the kit itself. So, I digress.

If you already have a kit and have some cash to burn I am in total awe of two products; Rosco’s Litepads and the 1x1s from Litepanels. Either one of those are gold, but Rosco’s Pro Gaffer’s Kit really give you a bundle. It’s twelve lights, dimmer, power supplies, cables, case, support items galore, and lights that are bliss to use and take so little energy my Bescor battery could power them for a MONTH on one charge! Yup, they are super and if you have the means get a kit. If you can’t afford the kit then the small rectangular LItepad is great for hootking up to a battery and putting rubber bands to hold them on a visor and/or gaffer’s taping them to instrument panel in a car…perfect car lighting fixture that has just the right intensity and color for it. Couldn’t be more awesome.

Hope any of this was helpful.

David…

]]> By: A A http://www.filmsensei.com/2008/12/low-budget-lighting-equipment-tips-how-good-are-britek-lights/comment-page-1/#comment-524 A A Tue, 18 May 2010 22:28:26 +0000 http://www.filmsensei.com/?p=28#comment-524 Thx for the info, please keep it coming! I found this site when researching the Alzo Pan L 3 Light kit I saw at DFV Expo last yr, finally ready to buy, and looking for some other cheap but great additions to a kit. What do you think of Lowel's DV Creator kits- which of their kits would tyou recommend? Thx for the info, please keep it coming! I found this site when researching the Alzo Pan L 3 Light kit I saw at DFV Expo last yr, finally ready to buy, and looking for some other cheap but great additions to a kit.

What do you think of Lowel’s DV Creator kits- which of their kits would tyou recommend?

]]> By: Ryan http://www.filmsensei.com/2008/12/low-budget-lighting-equipment-tips-how-good-are-britek-lights/comment-page-1/#comment-176 Ryan Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:49:16 +0000 http://www.filmsensei.com/?p=28#comment-176 Good stuff. I'll soon be looking into a kit like this, so appreciate the heads-up. Good stuff. I’ll soon be looking into a kit like this, so appreciate the heads-up.

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