cheap china redhead knock off's? Info? at DVinfo.net

Andrew Carter · July 8th, 2009, 02:16 PM

Hi,

I'm trying to find out about those cheap china knock off redhead lights. I'm NOT looking to buy them, I want to find out about the company whom actually manufactures them?
Can anyone shed any light on the subject (no pun intended)

I've tried searching but all that comes up, is mutliple websites for wholesale companies who want to charge you to use their websites

Regards
Andrew

Bill Pryor · July 8th, 2009, 03:58 PM

Alan Gordon sells them:

Lighting Equipment Sales

I've used a set before that belonged to a client. They seem to run hotter than real Ianiaro Redheads and don't put out as wide a beam and don't seem to have the focusing range. But they are cheaper and available in the U.S.

Nicholas de Kock · July 16th, 2009, 12:15 PM

800W Continuous Red Head Halogen Light (220V)

Ben Longden · July 16th, 2009, 07:46 PM

I lashed out and invested in a set about a year ago.... and to my suprise they are actually quite good.
The heads are almost identical to the redheads at the station I freelance for in terms of build quality.

Mine came with spare globes and a pretty nice carrybag.

The only two drawbacks were 1) I had to put our local power plugs on them and 2) the stands were a bit prone to swaying... but this was overcome as I had three manfrotto stands lying idle in my office.

The light quality is good, and is fairly even in distribution.

The only thing you will need to buy are a few sheets of light blue gel if you intend using this mixed with daylight.

Ben

Nicholas de Kock · July 17th, 2009, 08:05 AM

Ben which one's did you buy?

Allan Black · July 17th, 2009, 06:35 PM

I bought 2 of these 800W Chinese Redheads w/barndoors and IMO they made good sense for the price. They give good focusable light but I've got nothing like Lowell or Arri to compare them with.

I got a sale 'deal' here recently with 2x9' quality stands, 2 white opaque umbrellas, clips for gels 2 spare globes and a case for $A700, but Nicholas link above looks to be much better prices, maybe the freight might equal my deal.

Does anyone know about their gels, are they any good? High temp gels are expensive and those say 1000 watts, but the price looks great.

Pro Studio Flash Barn Door Barndoor Grid & 3 Color Gels

Cheers.

Chris Swanberg · July 17th, 2009, 08:43 PM

I picked up a Chinese Red Head recently, and I thought the build quality was decent - especially for the price ($85 US delivered). One issue, they only send a European to American electrical adapter - unwired. You will need to wire from the adapter to an American plug (in my case anyway).That was ok for me, but I have heard of others experiencing the same thing.

David Ruhland · September 3rd, 2009, 06:40 AM

Anyone who has any of these Chinese Redheads if you could please send me a picture of the Chinese documentation, (It can be in Chinese) I too am trying to track this company down. I travel to China often and would like to Visit this company.

Allan Black · September 3rd, 2009, 07:06 PM

Looks like there's more than manufacturer and there's quite a few dealers in Hong Kong, it's cheaper to go through them, some have free freight. Make sure you get the necessary AC plugs you want. Mine had no documentation with them.

Google, Ebay Chinese Red Head lights.

Cheers.

Paul R Johnson · September 4th, 2009, 05:04 AM

Don't forget that as they are supplied, they will fail the UK PAT test. The cable is two core, the outside is thin steel, and isn't earthed. Mine also had two pin mains connectors that are not UK type approved. Nothing that a new length of cable and a bit of bonding won't cure. The focus mechanism is quite basic, but they work fine. Light output is good. The only thing really missing are gel clips on the barn doors - but bulldog clips work ok.

Perfectly usable and cheap - can't really have everything!

Mark A. Pitcher · September 4th, 2009, 09:53 PM

I bought a couple of these (direct from China) a couple months ago. Price was right ($80 each including barn-doors), and build-quality was much better than I thought would be.

If you're looking for the manufacturer, I suggest getting in touch with one of the Chinese resellers on Ebay. I found them quite approachable and quick to answer questions.

Gary Nattrass · September 5th, 2009, 02:45 AM

I have two of these and as stated they are not earthed for UK use, ten mins and a new 3 core earthed to chassis cable and they passed independant PAT testing no problem.

I paid £40 each delivered for them and they are very well made and if they break I just buy another one but the two are still in active service.

I also have a friend who uses two that he bought in china whilst doing the olympics, he paid £15 each for them!

George Kroonder · September 5th, 2009, 11:14 AM

Searching may be better on Alibaba or Baidu. Anyway I believe these two both manufacture red-head-type lights: lishuai.com.cn and shyj.com.cn.

Don't know if they do factory tours though mostly Chinese are proud to display their facilities.

George.

Paul R Johnson · September 5th, 2009, 01:07 PM

As there isn't really a brand associated with Redheads, you can't really call them knockoffs, as there are some big well known brands all selling heads that are red.

Buying direct from China from the factories is quite simple, but be aware that the benefit of doing from an ebay chines source is the ability to buy single units and pay by paypal, so there is some protection. If you buy direct, then many factories are not geared up to one-offs at all, and have a MOQ - minimum order quantity. They may well sell you one, but it's normal to charge 1.1 to 1.5 times the normal price for these. Freight costs can be amazing. It's quite common for an order value of $200 to have a freight cost of $100-200! If you put in proper MOQ quantities, then they ship via sea, not air, and it takes 6-8 weeks for delivery, but it's a more realistic price. Payment wise, if you have a business bank account, then you will use SWIFT to transfer funds. They then have the money for 2-4 weeks before it gets shipped. Many Chinese factories make goods to order, and do not keep anything in stock. Hong Kong based companies usually have stock and proper electronic payment systems, maybe via Paypal/Visa/Mastercard.

I've been selling Chinese products sourced direct for a while now, and it's not simple - but it does work. Alibaba can be useful as a lead, but all you need to do is look for one of the brands that offer electronic payment and one-offs. If you get directed to a site that has a basket for enquiries, rather than any visible prices, then you need to ask them for a one-off price to the UK (or wherever you are) and the freight price. If it's ok, they send you a proforma invoice, then you use the bank details on that to pay them. If you have a standard bank account, then you may have to visit the branch. Business electronic accounts can do international payments fairly simply. Oh - if they ask for LOC (letter of credit) payment - don't do it, because it's a bit more complex and your bank need to process it for a charge!

Bill Pryor · September 5th, 2009, 09:08 PM

The original Ianiaro Redheads were called Redheads, much as Lowel calls their 1K open face lights DPs. So any other manufacturer using that name is, in my opinion, doing a knockoff. The Chinese could just as easily have decided to knockoff Lowel and started selling 800 watt "DPs."

Not that there's anything wrong with the Chinese models. Most of what I've bought in terms of gear that's made in China is pretty decent, including my $139 Breville coffee grinder. It all depends on the management and design, just as it does with any product. I'd still like to have a set of real Redheads. They're hard to beat in a 1K open face light.

July 8th, 2009, 02:16 PM	#1
Andrew Carter Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: England Posts: 116	cheap china redhead knock off's? Info? Hi, I'm trying to find out about those cheap china knock off redhead lights. I'm NOT looking to buy them, I want to find out about the company whom actually manufactures them? Can anyone shed any light on the subject (no pun intended) I've tried searching but all that comes up, is mutliple websites for wholesale companies who want to charge you to use their websites Regards Andrew

September 3rd, 2009, 06:40 AM	#8
David Ruhland Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Madison WI Posts: 340	More info Please Anyone who has any of these Chinese Redheads if you could please send me a picture of the Chinese documentation, (It can be in Chinese) I too am trying to track this company down. I travel to China often and would like to Visit this company. __________________ Vegas 8.0c (Build 260)-(Upgraded to Sony Vegas 10 pro)Canon GL2, Canon HV30, HF200, HF20-Sony UWP Wirelesss Mic Kit, Intel Core 2 CPU-6600@2.40GHz-3.00GB Ram

September 3rd, 2009, 07:06 PM	#9
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,887	Looks like there's more than manufacturer and there's quite a few dealers in Hong Kong, it's cheaper to go through them, some have free freight. Make sure you get the necessary AC plugs you want. Mine had no documentation with them. Google, Ebay Chinese Red Head lights. Cheers. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated.

September 5th, 2009, 02:45 AM	#12
Gary Nattrass Trustee Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Cornsay Durham UK Posts: 1,992	I have two of these and as stated they are not earthed for UK use, ten mins and a new 3 core earthed to chassis cable and they passed independant PAT testing no problem. I paid £40 each delivered for them and they are very well made and if they break I just buy another one but the two are still in active service. I also have a friend who uses two that he bought in china whilst doing the olympics, he paid £15 each for them! __________________ Over 15 minutes in Broadcast Film and TV production: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1044352/

July 8th, 2009, 03:58 PM	#2
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Alan Gordon sells them: Lighting Equipment Sales I've used a set before that belonged to a client. They seem to run hotter than real Ianiaro Redheads and don't put out as wide a beam and don't seem to have the focusing range. But they are cheaper and available in the U.S.

July 16th, 2009, 12:15 PM	#3
Nicholas de Kock Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: KLD, South Africa Posts: 983	800W Continuous Red Head Halogen Light (220V)

July 16th, 2009, 07:46 PM	#4
Ben Longden Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Echuca, Victoria, Australiamate Posts: 179	I lashed out and invested in a set about a year ago.... and to my suprise they are actually quite good. The heads are almost identical to the redheads at the station I freelance for in terms of build quality. Mine came with spare globes and a pretty nice carrybag. The only two drawbacks were 1) I had to put our local power plugs on them and 2) the stands were a bit prone to swaying... but this was overcome as I had three manfrotto stands lying idle in my office. The light quality is good, and is fairly even in distribution. The only thing you will need to buy are a few sheets of light blue gel if you intend using this mixed with daylight. Ben

July 17th, 2009, 08:05 AM	#5
Nicholas de Kock Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: KLD, South Africa Posts: 983	Ben which one's did you buy?

July 17th, 2009, 06:35 PM	#6
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,887	I bought 2 of these 800W Chinese Redheads w/barndoors and IMO they made good sense for the price. They give good focusable light but I've got nothing like Lowell or Arri to compare them with. I got a sale 'deal' here recently with 2x9' quality stands, 2 white opaque umbrellas, clips for gels 2 spare globes and a case for $A700, but Nicholas link above looks to be much better prices, maybe the freight might equal my deal. Does anyone know about their gels, are they any good? High temp gels are expensive and those say 1000 watts, but the price looks great. Pro Studio Flash Barn Door Barndoor Grid & 3 Color Gels Cheers.

July 17th, 2009, 08:43 PM	#7
Chris Swanberg Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 904	I picked up a Chinese Red Head recently, and I thought the build quality was decent - especially for the price ($85 US delivered). One issue, they only send a European to American electrical adapter - unwired. You will need to wire from the adapter to an American plug (in my case anyway).That was ok for me, but I have heard of others experiencing the same thing.

September 4th, 2009, 05:04 AM	#10
Paul R Johnson Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lowestoft - UK Posts: 4,016	Don't forget that as they are supplied, they will fail the UK PAT test. The cable is two core, the outside is thin steel, and isn't earthed. Mine also had two pin mains connectors that are not UK type approved. Nothing that a new length of cable and a bit of bonding won't cure. The focus mechanism is quite basic, but they work fine. Light output is good. The only thing really missing are gel clips on the barn doors - but bulldog clips work ok. Perfectly usable and cheap - can't really have everything!

September 4th, 2009, 09:53 PM	#11
Mark A. Pitcher Tourist Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan Posts: 4	I bought a couple of these (direct from China) a couple months ago. Price was right ($80 each including barn-doors), and build-quality was much better than I thought would be. If you're looking for the manufacturer, I suggest getting in touch with one of the Chinese resellers on Ebay. I found them quite approachable and quick to answer questions.

September 5th, 2009, 11:14 AM	#13
George Kroonder Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Utrecht, NL \| Europe 3rd Rock from the Sun Posts: 612	Searching may be better on Alibaba or Baidu. Anyway I believe these two both manufacture red-head-type lights: lishuai.com.cn and shyj.com.cn. Don't know if they do factory tours though mostly Chinese are proud to display their facilities. George.

September 5th, 2009, 01:07 PM	#14
Paul R Johnson Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lowestoft - UK Posts: 4,016	As there isn't really a brand associated with Redheads, you can't really call them knockoffs, as there are some big well known brands all selling heads that are red. Buying direct from China from the factories is quite simple, but be aware that the benefit of doing from an ebay chines source is the ability to buy single units and pay by paypal, so there is some protection. If you buy direct, then many factories are not geared up to one-offs at all, and have a MOQ - minimum order quantity. They may well sell you one, but it's normal to charge 1.1 to 1.5 times the normal price for these. Freight costs can be amazing. It's quite common for an order value of $200 to have a freight cost of $100-200! If you put in proper MOQ quantities, then they ship via sea, not air, and it takes 6-8 weeks for delivery, but it's a more realistic price. Payment wise, if you have a business bank account, then you will use SWIFT to transfer funds. They then have the money for 2-4 weeks before it gets shipped. Many Chinese factories make goods to order, and do not keep anything in stock. Hong Kong based companies usually have stock and proper electronic payment systems, maybe via Paypal/Visa/Mastercard. I've been selling Chinese products sourced direct for a while now, and it's not simple - but it does work. Alibaba can be useful as a lead, but all you need to do is look for one of the brands that offer electronic payment and one-offs. If you get directed to a site that has a basket for enquiries, rather than any visible prices, then you need to ask them for a one-off price to the UK (or wherever you are) and the freight price. If it's ok, they send you a proforma invoice, then you use the bank details on that to pay them. If you have a standard bank account, then you may have to visit the branch. Business electronic accounts can do international payments fairly simply. Oh - if they ask for LOC (letter of credit) payment - don't do it, because it's a bit more complex and your bank need to process it for a charge!

September 5th, 2009, 09:08 PM	#15
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	The original Ianiaro Redheads were called Redheads, much as Lowel calls their 1K open face lights DPs. So any other manufacturer using that name is, in my opinion, doing a knockoff. The Chinese could just as easily have decided to knockoff Lowel and started selling 800 watt "DPs." Not that there's anything wrong with the Chinese models. Most of what I've bought in terms of gear that's made in China is pretty decent, including my $139 Breville coffee grinder. It all depends on the management and design, just as it does with any product. I'd still like to have a set of real Redheads. They're hard to beat in a 1K open face light.