Lighting Buyer's Guide

by Randy Hansen
January 2007

...and there was light.

From the beginning, filmmakers have known the value of good lighting. One of the first movie studios, Thomas Edison's Black Maria, rotated on a turntable so it could follow the sun across the sky for the best possible light.

Happily, today's video producers don't need rotating buildings. An entire lighting studio can now be carried in a case nearly anywhere there's an AC outlet. Careful research into the types of lighting available can make the difference between a good film and a great film.

Before you can make an informed purchase, you must first ask yourself some important questions:

• What do I need it for? General use? Interviews? Product shots? Small subjects? School stage?
• How often will I need it? If you need a light kit daily, then durability should be at the top of your list. If it gets used only sparingly, then you may be able to save some money by purchasing a more light-weight product.
• What's my budget? Ah, the big question! This could mean general-purpose lights may be more useful than a specific one-task-only light that could eat up more of your scarce dollars.

You may choose to purchase a single light or more than one. If more than one light meets your requirements, be aware manufacturers build many different kits with a huge assortment of lights, stands, accessories and cases that are custom-built just for your needs.

What Kind of Lights are Available?
As in any project, it's best to use the proper tool for the required job. Lights are no different. They are designed and constructed to accomplish certain tasks. A selection of lights could be one or more of the following fixtures:

• Flood: Spreads a large area of even light over a wide space. Used for general all-over lighting.
• Spot: Nearly an opposite of the flood, this type of light boasts a highly concentrated "spot" of illumination (what else?) with little to no "spill" of extraneous light.
• Accent: A minor (usually quite small) light used to highlight a specific area, such as the "glow" around the back of the head during an interview.
• Softboxes: Usually mounted in a collapsible, fabric "box." The light glows in the center and transmits light through a special diffusion fabric attached to the front of the box, creating a soft, gentle wash of illumination. These are great for flattering shots of your talent.
• Spot/Flood Adjustable: Some general purpose lights can be adjusted from spot to flood and back through means of a knurled knob. When twisted, the bulb's mounting point is moved closer or farther from the reflective back, resulting in the flood or spot effect.

Bulbs or Lamps?
Kits may contain one or several types of lights in each kit. Each of these lights may use different lamps (or bulbs) to illuminate the scene. Some of the more common include:

• Incandescent: Also known as the common light bulb and more than 100 years old, this "old school" technology is still used as a light source. For video, the lights are normally "color corrected" at the factory to better simulate the natural color temperature of sunlight. Usually found in entry-level light kits and a little more cumbersome to use.
• Halogen (or Tungsten Halogen): Brighter and hotter than its cousin the incandescent lamp. The color temperature of this lamp is naturally closer to sunlight and requires less factory color correction. Burns far hotter and lasts about twice as long as the incandescent lamp. The most common type used by news crews and lower budget video productions.
• Fluorescent: One of the most recent developments in video lighting, fluorescent lights are normally built in groups or "banks" of 2-10 lamps (due to their low "throw" or inability to cast a strong light for a given distance; grouped lights increase the throw). They provide a softer, spread-out light ideal for lighting interviews or objects. Not conveniently portable, they are commonly built into a box-like structure with a reflective backing. This light is typically "cooler" than halogens and incandescent lights in terms of color temperature.

What is a Light Kit?
A light kit is an all-in-one package of lights, stands and other lighting accessories designed to provide filmmakers with the equipment necessary to accomplish their lighting tasks. Some light kits are general; they are intended to provide enough versatility to cover a range of situations, with multi-tasking lights such as the spot/flood adjustable and a softbox. Some kits are highly specialized and are assembled to achieve a high-quality result for one specific task, such as the on-camera interview; an accent light would be found in this kit. Most people use a kit as a starting point and customize it for their unique needs, adding whatever gadgets and gizmos they require.

Like new cars, light kits come priced and equipped in a dizzying array of price points, quality and level of standard equipment. They may be purchased from an online retailer or at your local photography shop. You may also find a good deal at a video production rental house looking to unload some older or redundant used stock.

Kits can be found with one, two, three or more lights. The kits come with the light heads, collapsible stands that extend to 6 feet or more, electrical extension cords for each light, barndoors to control the light spill and sometimes a small selection of gels to change the color of the light that helps set the mood (e.g., red for anger, blue for sad, etc.). A carrying case is usually included, but the actual lamps usually need to be purchased separately.

Accessories
Many light kits come with or can be later equipped with accessories that can help control the light to serve a specific purpose. These items can block, diffuse, reflect or change the color of the light, providing nearly infinite control of the illumination. Some of the more common items found in a light kit include:

• Umbrella: These specially-built umbrellas are covered in a special silver or gold metallic finished fabric. The open umbrella is mounted next to the light head and the light is aimed into the apex of the opening, resulting in a nice, even flood-type light.
• Barndoors: Named for the building entrance they resemble, these are small, semi-permanently mounted steel doors positioned around the light head. They're hinged so they may be moved back and forth into the light stream, blocking light in some places and allowing light in others.
• Flags: Kind of a remote barndoor, flags are black, small- to medium-sized panels in infinite sizes and shapes. Mounted on long, flexible arms, they are usually attached to the light or light stand. They're used to block unwanted light from highly specific locations.
• Gels: Meant to be mounted close to the lamp so light passes through them, gels are made from a special, translucent heat-resistant material in a rainbow of colors. Gels can create moods, correct color or diffuse light (the gel is deeply frosted, removing hotspots).

These accessories are the most common, but there are also accessories for mounting lights to ceilings, doors, bookcases, chair backs, etc.; electric dimmers; and heat-resistant fabric to diffuse light. More esoteric accessories are also available from the aftermarket or can be made in your garage.

Be careful when making your purchase, as a good, durable, quality set of lights isn't cheap and will usually outlast three or four cameras. After all, buying a good light kit is easier than rotating a studio!

Randy Hansen is a television news chief photographer and is often in the dark about many things. But lighting isn't one of them.

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