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Well, you’re still well within the return window. I’ve been on sets with the 150D/200D/300D, and it hasn’t been a huge issue. This from a sound mixer’s perspective. Keep in mind that I’m actively swinging a boom and using the mic’s rejection to my advantage. Properly-placed lavs also tend to be...

Until a new member registers in a year or so, and dredges up this thread with something about their $50 Neewer panels that they absolutely love. (Magenta shift? What magenta shift?) This discussion cost me money, too. After all the exchange, I decided to make one more capital purchase for ‘22...

Of course. I‘m not seriously suggesting you never shoot in sunlight. Just work within your means. Avoiding high noon also avoids hard shadows from straight above. Using sun that’s at an angle and bouncing it where you need it can help you get your images clean and with depth. It’s tricky, and...

One other add-on, fairly inexpensive, and extremely handy: get a pancake (eighth apple) and a couple of baby plates (one straight pin, one right-angle). https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/99404-REG/Matthews_259538_Eighth_Apple_Box.html...

Around 5lb? I usually use lighter-duty aluminum stands for my Pocket Cannons, Quasar, lighter Silkray panels. The C-stand with Hollywood Arm is pretty sturdy, but I wouldn’t load it past 10lb at the end of the arm. The stand itself has a load capacity of 25lb, but you really don’t want to put a...

Proceed at your own risk (and the risk of others on your set). Just wanted to be on record cautioning against it without an experienced gaffer. There are heavier—duty arms available that can go on some of the beefier stands. Look at Matthews Junior Boom, which extends to 10’. The tricky part...

I think DIY butterflies can be a pretty dicey proposition. First, I cannot reiterate enough the safety issues with butterflies. It seems simple and easy, but it can be one of the most dangerous pieces on location. A skilled gaffer is always keeping on top of weather conditions - current and...

A few things about butterflies: C-stands are not enough. You’ll want combo stands that are much more hefty. Unfortunately, this means that you may end up spending $800-1000 just on the two stands. This may be one of the things that you find more practical, and affordable, to rent when needed...

See my edit above. I looked up the missing info. I also take manufacturer specs with a grain of salt. They’re always testing in unrealistically perfect and controlled scenarios, and plotting the numbers to look as good as they can make them look. Same goes for microphones. Anyway, I find the Q25...

Again, wattage with LEDs doesn’t say much other than power draw. Obviously, higher output requires higher power draw, but unlike traditional tungsten or even HMI where we always know what we’re getting when we grab one off the shelf, LEDs behave entirely differently. That Quasar Q25 puts out...

If you’re looking for an incredibly handy accent/hair light, check out B&H. They have a Quasar 2’ bicolor tube for $99. It is dimmable, but does not have a built in dimmer. Add a squeezer and the Nanlite barndoor attachment and you’ve got a really handy hair light package. We use Quasar tubes...

I think the point here is to invest in something beyond household light fixtures. You’re also right about multiple shadows being undesirable. And the thing I particularly don’t like about LED panels is microshadows. The included diffusion filters either slide in or snap on, and they don’t do...

Annoying that the color temp is offset like that. Also annoying that he starts by saying it’s “putting out 300W of light”, as that’s not how this works. That is a good bit of output. However, it’s an overcast day and he’s shooting in the evening. I’ve been on shoots using a Litepanels Astra 1x1...

So the GVM does put out more. I cannot attest to its quality of light, build, etc., as I haven’t had my hands on one. Their smaller LED panels did look and feel cheap. Take that 15% power comment in context. It was an overcast day, and we were shooting toward the windows with a good bit of...

$1500 for 4 lights is still, in the big picture of film lighting, cheap. How would beam spread bite you in the ass? My original answer kind of addressed this. How much do you need any one light to do? That’s where modifiers come in. Focus to flood will impact angle, but also intensity as the...

To an extent. You’d definitely be able to key in the shade to help match bright background outside of the shade. It is focusable, which can help when you’re trying to key or fill with sunlight in the back. But even a 1500W tungsten is going to have limited use in that scenario. And for...

Geez… you asked for advice and opinions. Take it or leave it. What makes me think that? Experience. 300W, 165W, 150W… that’s just power draw. What matters is output, or what it actually does with that power draw. The tricky thing about LEDs is that wattage doesn’t mean a damn thing except for...

Probably not the answer you want to hear, but you may be better off, for the time being, renting on a project-by-project basis. There are two lighting and grip rental houses in the Baltimore area - Serious Grip & Electric and Redstar Pictures - where you can rent lights and a small grip truck...

Well, let’s start with that… budget. What’s yours?

There’s no one answer to that. How much beam spread depends on how much, or little, that specific head needs to light for its intended purpose. Hard lights or soft lights? Different tools for different results. Soft lights for key and fill, hard lights for hair/shoulder and some background...