i really like to use as much natural light as possible, but i need to buy a decent key light (for lighting faces, etc)... i bought those halogen home depot lights and they look REALLY bad when i dim them... so...

just wondering peoples opinions on what i should buy... maybe a softbox or i was looking at two fairly cheap kits on B&H...

1. smith/victor k63-c 1800w 3 light quarts kit w/barndoors
2. smith/victor k42-ua quarts light kit (2 lights w/umbrellas)

i don't really know much about lighting so any info would be helpful... hopefully i can get a good multipurpose light, stand, etc for around a couple hundred bucks...

anyway... thanks in advance for all responses....

william

well for versatility, a kit with umbrellas is always helpful, because you can either use it as a hard source (pointed directly at the subject, no umbrella), or as a semi-soft source (bounced into the umbrella).

Hello William,

I agree with Casey that you need to have the option to soften your lighting.

As you may already have discovered, good lighting fixtures and kits are expensive. Lowel, for example, has several good, versatile kits which you can find at B&H Photo (bhphoto.com). One kit that I use has 2 Omni lights (w/barn doors and gel clips), 1 Tota light, 1 umbrella and stands for each. The whole kit packs into a relatively trim fiberglass case for transport and storage.

William,

You'll probably find that direct light is rarely the best approach especially when trying to light faces. As Ken and Casey have already mentioned - bounce lighting is a way to do it. If not bounced then try diffusing the light by placing a white diffusing gel in front of the light. The only time direct light might be used is for "rim lighting" or back lighting. Lighting is not a science. Keep experimenting.

thanks for all the replies...

this forum is awsome...

william

so what's the word on halogen? i'm eager to use it because it's cheap. is it possible to use gels, and all the other wonderful tools of the dp to make it look good for video, not to mention in-camera white balancing?

There's a lighting thread about 10 down. It's a lot of work to keep rehashing this stuff.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2419

Halogens can be not so cheap, arri fresnels redheads use halogen lamps as do lowel, strand, ianiro,dedo and mole-richsdson. You get what you pay for. Read my posts on a reasonable soft box kit. If you want Smith Victor or the home depot work lights go for it. You've spent a few bucks on a decent camera why go mickey mouse now. It's like using a pipe wrench for all of your mechanical needs, very crude!