Is there a place online that I can order a nice gel package with alot of different gels?


I apprecate your time and info...

B&H (one of DVinfo's sponsors) is a Roscolux dealer. Here's a large assortment which includes 8"x10" sheets of all their gels: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=90440&is=REG

You should also be able to get gels locally from a theatrical supply house, check your yellow pages.

Thank you very much!

If you don't need that many, you can order a swatchbook directly from Rosco (www.rosco.com) the same company that the link is for. The difference is that the swatch book has small swatches and is free, and the BH book is 8x10 (so they are actually useable for lights, etc.) and costs $112

I have ordered the free small swatch book, and then will order only the gels I need from it. In the long run I think it will be a little cheaper...

Alex F

If you have a local shop that sells gels, it's really wise to look through their stock and buy the colors you think (or know) you'll need the most.

I've had very few situations where an 8x10 gel is big enough... I like to get them a bit distant from the hot lights, and thus need a bigger size. (I think every gel I've ever bought has been the roughly 12x18" size). If you get gels from a primarily "camera" store, keep in mind they may be made for strobes and will melt on a hot light... the cinema gels are thicker and more robust in my experience.

Also, lots of people get a bunch of intense-colored gels. But I've found the ones I use most are subtle color-balancing gels... blues and ambers. Not just for dialing-in a pure daylight, but for making scenes subtly warmer/cooler for subconscious emotional impact, or warming up hair lights or rim-lights for a more deep & 3D look to a subject.

Finally, consider some ND gels in 1/4, 1/2, & full stop. They're handy as hell (I label the corners of mine with a sharpie... in a dark situation, or working fast, it can be hard to judge what density you've got in your hand).

As you know, we like to encourage everyone to purchase from our sponsors. However this is one case where you may want to visit a local supplier. ESTA is the professional organization for Theatrical Suppliers. You can locate a dealer in your area through their website: http://www.esta.org/memdir/index.php

If you visit one of these in person I'm sure you'll find they have free gel swatchbooks from the major suppliers, such as Rosco, Lee and GAM, along with lots of other product brochures and catalogs. You should also be able to buy exactly the gels you want by the sheet.

Also see Rosco's website for theatrical gels http://www.rosco.com/us/filters/roscolux.asp, their other lines of color filters http://www.rosco.com/us/filters/index.asp, and flim/video products http://www.rosco.com/us/video/index.asp. Info on Lee Filters is here http://www.leefilters.com/LP1.asp?PageID=21