• Wondering which camera, gear, computer, or software to buy? Ask in our Gear Guide.

Too late to buy Dedos?

Hi All,

I've been looking into buying a lighting set-up for a while now and I'm very tempted by a set of Dedolight DLH4's. I want to buy a set of lights that can be versatile enough to use to shoot a 3-point lighting interview but also be used more creatively for short films and music videos - my budget is £2,000. I'm hesitant to go for LED panels or 1x1s as in my experience they can't be shaped and moulded as easily as tungsten lights, nor do they have the same throw.

I completely agree, with most other filmmakers, that there is no 'perfect' lighting set-up; you get what you need for the particular job in hand, but I'm sure many would agree with the basic versatility of the DLH4 kit.

My question is: Is it stupid to by a tungsten lighting kit in 2015 when LED may soon be taking over? Are tungsten lights soon going to become old hat or will they still have place in a gaffer's arsenal for years to come.

If not, what other alternatives are people buying?

Any advice and experiences are hugely appreciated.
 
I LOVE Dedolights! I do a LOT of lighting using a single kit of three Dedolights. They actually light a lot more than you'd think. So powerful and so small. Also nice kits come with pretty much all you need to set them up around a set.

LEDs taking over? I doubt Mole Richardson, Sunray, or Arri are worried about LEDs taking over lighting plots.
 
Hi All,

I've been looking into buying a lighting set-up for a while now and I'm very tempted by a set of Dedolight DLH4's. I want to buy a set of lights that can be versatile enough to use to shoot a 3-point lighting interview but also be used more creatively for short films and music videos - my budget is £2,000. I'm hesitant to go for LED panels or 1x1s as in my experience they can't be shaped and moulded as easily as tungsten lights, nor do they have the same throw.

I completely agree, with most other filmmakers, that there is no 'perfect' lighting set-up; you get what you need for the particular job in hand, but I'm sure many would agree with the basic versatility of the DLH4 kit.

My question is: Is it stupid to by a tungsten lighting kit in 2015 when LED may soon be taking over? Are tungsten lights soon going to become old hat or will they still have place in a gaffer's arsenal for years to come.

If not, what other alternatives are people buying?

Any advice and experiences are hugely appreciated.

Personally, with that much cash, I'd buy a used Arri Kit for lighting backgrounds, and Flourescents to light your foreground. (Your actors will thank you.)

You can shape and play all day long with the Arris. They're awesome.
 
Dedos are awesome; very versatile and very good lights. However, if I was presented with a dark stage and a set to light, I'd need a shipload of Dedos to be able to light the way I want (depending on the vibe of the film, along with a whole lot of other factors of course).

I'd be more inclined to look into a 3 or 4 kit of fresnels. I'd go for three 650w Fresnels, or 2x 650w + 2x 1k.
They're not as versatile as Dedos - but conversely can light a larger area easier and quicker, and allow you to diffuse them much easier as they are a bigger source to begin with.
 
Personally, with that much cash, I'd buy a used Arri Kit for lighting backgrounds, and Flourescents to light your foreground. (Your actors will thank you.)

You can shape and play all day long with the Arris. They're awesome.

Could you specify a bit more when you say Arri Kit? That's equivalent of telling someone to buy a Mole Richardson kit.... which could almost be any kinds of lights. I'm assuming you mean to buy a tungstens kit? He would save a lot of money then going with a used MR kit instead, which generally are the same quality if not better. If you mean HMI... then yea Arri is tough to beat there, but god that's expensive.

As for fluorescents I will highly agree that KinoFlo is great for lighting your actors, specifically if you have a few of them with plenty of diffusions and gels to work with. However, it's good to note that some people have very sensitive eyes to that kind of light, I'd always ask the actor first. Perhaps turn them off between takes if at all possible.

Dedos are awesome; very versatile and very good lights. However, if I was presented with a dark stage and a set to light, I'd need a shipload of Dedos to be able to light the way I want (depending on the vibe of the film, along with a whole lot of other factors of course).

I'd be more inclined to look into a 3 or 4 kit of fresnels. I'd go for three 650w Fresnels, or 2x 650w + 2x 1k.
They're not as versatile as Dedos - but conversely can light a larger area easier and quicker, and allow you to diffuse them much easier as they are a bigger source to begin with.

I saw a crew light a set just yesterday with about 8 Source 4 PARs. I'd say they are some of the quickest wide source lights to set up. Even gelling them is very simple. Although be careful, they are easy to break. Currently we're taking one apart because someone got a gel to slide out of the gobo inside of it.
 
As for fluorescents I will highly agree that KinoFlo is great for lighting your actors, specifically if you have a few of them with plenty of diffusions and gels to work with. However, it's good to note that some people have very sensitive eyes to that kind of light, I'd always ask the actor first. Perhaps turn them off between takes if at all possible.

Ask my Gaffers - I love Kinos. But, they're super expensive for someone just piecing together a small lighting kit, and I'd still say less versatile than a hard light (it's much easier to soften a hard light than it is to make a soft light hard).


I saw a crew light a set just yesterday with about 8 Source 4 PARs. I'd say they are some of the quickest wide source lights to set up. Even gelling them is very simple. Although be careful, they are easy to break. Currently we're taking one apart because someone got a gel to slide out of the gobo inside of it.
Source 4s are pretty cool. They're also pretty damn versatile and relatively cheap. THe Leko Source 4 is a great light, and IMO super under-utilised, at least here.
 
Could you specify a bit more when you say Arri Kit? That's equivalent of telling someone to buy a Mole Richardson kit.... which could almost be any kinds of lights. I'm assuming you mean to buy a tungstens kit? He would save a lot of money then going with a used MR kit instead, which generally are the same quality if not better. If you mean HMI... then yea Arri is tough to beat there, but god that's expensive.

Tungstens for sure. 2X650 and 2X300 Kit, with maybe a 1K Open face and chimera. You can pickup a used Arri Kit for around $1,700, and I think MR would be similar in price. So, I'm not in disagreement that you could also go MR, but I don't think Arris are a higher price.

I wouldn't use Arri HMI's indoors, unless you were lighting the wall to appear like the light was coming from outside. (from what I understand the original question was directed towards indoor lighting.)
 
I'd be more inclined to look into a 3 or 4 kit of fresnels. I'd go for three 650w Fresnels, or 2x 650w + 2x 1k.
They're not as versatile as Dedos - but conversely can light a larger area easier and quicker, and allow you to diffuse them much easier as they are a bigger source to begin with.

Yeah, this was what I'm saying by advising to buy a used Arri Kit. Couple 650s, and a couple 300s. And maybe a 750 - 1000 Open face.
 
Back
Top