Since i'm only 14 and can't get a job or bum any money off anyone, usually, the only time I ever really get any "decent" amount of money is on my birthday, christmas, and "tax refund day"....so I have decided to spend whatever cash I get for my birthday coming up at the end of this month, on some video stuff, the main thing would be putting together something I could remotely call a light kit, wheter it's modified work lights or a something cheap from B&H.... either way any lights that can be setup has to be better then just using the "existing light"....


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh3/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=getItemDetail&Q=&sku=48854&is=REG&si=acc#goto_itemInfo


Anyway.... I am wondering if them would be useful/better then worklights. Any thoughts?

Could I make decent use of them?

How bright is a 250W bulb, or is 750W total enough to light a decent sized room?

Why couldn't you use 500w bulbs in there? http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh3/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=48852&is=REG The only difference between them ones right there that are "rated" at 500w is the size of the reflector, which is slightly bigger at 12" vs 10", and I imagine the sockets are the same, so why couldn't you use a 500w bulb, and it also says "Rating Max 500 watts" in the original link that I posted..... Maybe it's just a marketing scheme?

How cheap are them stands? I hear if you knock a cheap stand over (which them ones obviously are) it has a good chance of snapping in half....they don't look too beefy.

Probably the biggest advantage I see over that cheapo "kit" from B&H over worklights is the portability, and that's really important for me. Once again, since I can't drive yet, I have to depend on other people to take me where I need to go to shoot crap, and I can't have like a bunch of big freakin not all that portable worklights to carry around.... All that stuff can be packed into a case and toted around with no problem......

Also, if I did buy them, i'd probably wire up some dimmers on them and use my uncles tools and machine/weld up some type of holder for some sort of diffusion and gels....

Thanks.

These would indeed work to some degree. The problem you would have with these vs a more expensive "Pro" kit, is the lack of barn doors to keep light from spilling into unwanted areas.

I like the "Corrugated carry case". It's a cardboard box! Hehehe. Those people in marketing!

Hehe, yeah I was wondering what a "Corrugated carry case" is also.... what do you expect for $118, though? I'd probably buy a "real" case to throw them in.....hah a cardboard box....

Barndoors? Pfft, I can go out my uncles and cut out some sheet metal and make whatever kind of barndoors you want, might not be the prettiest things you'd ever see though, heh. I think i'd have to make some special ones since the reflectors on the lights are round.... spill = bad.

Also, the funny thing is that them are basically nothing more then a light socket with a reflector, like them clip style lights that you see in a hardware store, infact I seen them in a local marc's (kind of like a surplus store) for only $3.88 a peice, the little clip style silver work lights...they said "don't use no higher then a 150w bulb" though...if I could atleast use a 250 watter in em, i'd snatch up like 10 of them and buy some stands and make little mounting plates...heh They still would be nice (and cheap) for extra "fill"...

I wonder if you wouldn't be better off buying decent stands and mounting the work lights on those. It should cost about the same, and I'll bet it would be a lot sturdier. When you can afford pro lights you'll already have stands.

I actually use worklights. I have a stand of two-500w lights, and two worklights that have clamps on them. Then I went online to B and H (I'm sorry sponsors!) and bought several used light stands very cheaply and I can clamp the worklights on stands.

I also bought several of the dome-reflector clamp lights and can use for fill. All of this and two bounce disks and some foam board, and I can light about anything.

Maybe not as good as Hollywood, but it's much better than existing light! If you haven't read it already, there is a post in the lighting thread from Charles Papert about a pro who made his own soft box out of a cardboard box and aluminum foil.

If pros can make something like that works, then we can too! Then I think it's all about how to use what we have!

Thanks, I got the heads up from a good "internet buddy" (rick from rickandrak.com) and he said he has the same version of these lights but with some extra stuff added, and he says they infact work quite well... and apparently I can buy barndoors for around $35 a pop, but I think I can make my own for cheaper. :D

Sounds good. Let me know what you come up with. You may make something I can use!