Westcott Spiderlites? at DVinfo.net

Peter Moretti · January 12th, 2008, 04:51 PM

Anyone have experience with Wescott's Spiderlites?

They have normal threaded fixtures which can take halogen, compact flourescent*, stuido strobe or modeling lamp bulbs. Fixtures can be individual turned on/off.

http://www.fjwestcott.com/fjw.com/products/td5.htm

The five bulb version kit cost around $650 from B&H.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...5_Small_1.html

I'm looking at this as an alternative to a Diva Light.

*Westcott supplies the bulbs and specs them as: 27-watt daylight fluorescent lamps CRI 93.

Peter Moretti · February 24th, 2008, 03:51 AM

Just got the TD-5 five bulb spider light with the medium softbox. My initial impression is "WOW!" A friend of mine who is a gaffer checked it out and was duely impressed.

You can turn on-off individual bulbs. The light looks really well balanced, so CRI 93 seems to not be a stretch.

With the stand, bulbs, softbox, baffle and diffusion it came in at around $600.

To be honest, I think this is a better option than a Diva light, and for ~$400 less.

Bill Pryor · February 24th, 2008, 11:55 AM

You can get this setup significantly cheaper and it uses a single 200 watt fluorescent bulb, either 3200 or 5500K:

http://www.coollights.biz/clsft1-coo...ture-p-33.html

Peter Moretti · February 25th, 2008, 05:10 AM

FWIU, you can't dim a flourescent bulb significantly w/o changing its color temp. With the Spiderlite, there are five bulbs that can turned on/off. I can change the intensity by 1/2 a stop or 2/3rd's of stop w/ no change in temp.

And the quality of the light from the bulbs is outstanding, IMHO. The industry gaffer who checked it out thought the light looked nicer--a little softer--than what comes out of a Diva light (and KinoFlo's have very nice light). Also, the bulbs can be switched out with higher or lower intensity ones.

Rob Katz · November 8th, 2011, 07:58 AM

all-

i'm reviving a VERY old thread.

has anyone used the westcott td5 spiderlites?

i have series of short-10min, interior/evening, stand-up talking heads in a very tight space and i'm concerned that a tungsten softbox will "melt" my interviewees.

the idea of using flous is very appealing.

any and all thoughts are appreciated.

be well

rob
smalltalk productions

Michael Carter · November 10th, 2011, 11:18 AM

If you want to get past the hot lights & pricey (fire proof) softbox... I've become very fond of the biax flo fixtures. You can find duals (about 400 watt equivalent) for $200 or so, quads (like 8-900 equivalent - and that's with no CTB) for around $300. Cool lights sells some nice ones.

They're already pretty soft - just clipping 1/4 diffusion to the barn doors is often all you need. I like clipping unbleached muslin to the quad for a bit of warmth. Or you can shoot them through a 4x4 frame, or narrow the doors for more of a strip-light look. I wrap them in black mesh if I need some cut, or white mesh to soften sometimes.

I just like how versatile they are, and how much kick they have. I have 4 duals and a quad, use them all the time. Will likely get a six-tube before long.

January 12th, 2008, 04:51 PM	#1
Peter Moretti Trustee Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sherman Oaks, CA Posts: 1,259	Westcott Spiderlites? Anyone have experience with Wescott's Spiderlites? They have normal threaded fixtures which can take halogen, compact flourescent, stuido strobe or modeling lamp bulbs. Fixtures can be individual turned on/off. http://www.fjwestcott.com/fjw.com/products/td5.htm The five bulb version kit cost around $650 from B&H. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...5_Small_1.html I'm looking at this as an alternative to a Diva Light. Westcott supplies the bulbs and specs them as: 27-watt daylight fluorescent lamps CRI 93. Last edited by Peter Moretti; January 12th, 2008 at 05:58 PM.

November 8th, 2011, 07:58 AM	#5
Rob Katz Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: new york city, new york Posts: 594	Re: Westcott Spiderlites? all- i'm reviving a VERY old thread. has anyone used the westcott td5 spiderlites? i have series of short-10min, interior/evening, stand-up talking heads in a very tight space and i'm concerned that a tungsten softbox will "melt" my interviewees. the idea of using flous is very appealing. any and all thoughts are appreciated. be well rob smalltalk productions

November 10th, 2011, 11:18 AM	#6
Michael Carter Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 108	Re: Westcott Spiderlites? If you want to get past the hot lights & pricey (fire proof) softbox... I've become very fond of the biax flo fixtures. You can find duals (about 400 watt equivalent) for $200 or so, quads (like 8-900 equivalent - and that's with no CTB) for around $300. Cool lights sells some nice ones. They're already pretty soft - just clipping 1/4 diffusion to the barn doors is often all you need. I like clipping unbleached muslin to the quad for a bit of warmth. Or you can shoot them through a 4x4 frame, or narrow the doors for more of a strip-light look. I wrap them in black mesh if I need some cut, or white mesh to soften sometimes. I just like how versatile they are, and how much kick they have. I have 4 duals and a quad, use them all the time. Will likely get a six-tube before long.

February 24th, 2008, 03:51 AM	#2
Peter Moretti Trustee Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sherman Oaks, CA Posts: 1,259	Just got the TD-5 five bulb spider light with the medium softbox. My initial impression is "WOW!" A friend of mine who is a gaffer checked it out and was duely impressed. You can turn on-off individual bulbs. The light looks really well balanced, so CRI 93 seems to not be a stretch. With the stand, bulbs, softbox, baffle and diffusion it came in at around $600. To be honest, I think this is a better option than a Diva light, and for ~$400 less.

February 24th, 2008, 11:55 AM	#3
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	You can get this setup significantly cheaper and it uses a single 200 watt fluorescent bulb, either 3200 or 5500K: http://www.coollights.biz/clsft1-coo...ture-p-33.html

February 25th, 2008, 05:10 AM	#4
Peter Moretti Trustee Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sherman Oaks, CA Posts: 1,259	FWIU, you can't dim a flourescent bulb significantly w/o changing its color temp. With the Spiderlite, there are five bulbs that can turned on/off. I can change the intensity by 1/2 a stop or 2/3rd's of stop w/ no change in temp. And the quality of the light from the bulbs is outstanding, IMHO. The industry gaffer who checked it out thought the light looked nicer--a little softer--than what comes out of a Diva light (and KinoFlo's have very nice light). Also, the bulbs can be switched out with higher or lower intensity ones.