I've just heard about this book on DIY lighting.

Amazon.com: A Shot in the Dark: A Creative DIY Guide to Digital Video Lighting on (Almost) No Budget (9781435458635): Jay Holben: Books

I haven't read it it, but it might be of interest to people doing their lighting on a tight budget.

Jay Holben is a great guy, and his book is very informative...even for someone with a large kit and experience. It's worth a purchase (and he's not even paying me to say this).

Light,Science,Magic

Amazon.com: Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting (9780240808192): Fil Hunter, Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua: Books

Light: Science and Magic!

I second that very much.

Peter

I've just heard about this book on DIY lighting.

Amazon.com: A Shot in the Dark: A Creative DIY Guide to Digital Video Lighting on (Almost) No Budget (9781435458635): Jay Holben: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Shot-Dark-Creative-Digital-Lighting/dp/143545863X)

I haven't read it it, but it might be of interest to people doing their lighting on a tight budget.

I had a look at the preview on Amazon (US). It makes reference to some of electrical practices which I wouldn't have thought were safe on 110V systems and are certainly highly dubious if not actually illegal on UK mains of 240V. Two examples of this are the use of a snap-on tap for twincore lighting cable and adaptors which turn ES lighting fittings into power sockets. I must admit that I was put off this book a bit because of this, even though it may well be very good on advice in other areas.

There's Do-It-Yourself lighting and there's Done-Yourself-In by lightning.

Not sure Colin? It's an American book, and these issues are common. I guess they'd have the same complaint if we wrote it over here? My own experience is that it's not practical to cover both in a book. It just confuses. Over here, US kit fails the grounding test very easily. A few people still use the old bayonet cap adaptors we used to use - but we've moved on. In the US they still have more leeway. In fact, many of their practices are now moving back here. They've used twisted together mains power connectors for years. We used to, porcelain ones, but then they no longer mets the regs - now you can buy then again because they do!

All international lighting books cause grief with power types - I guess we have to allow for this. Until somebody produces a UK only version, it's not something we can do much about really!

It's probably worse because so many bit of kit nowadays are 110-250V auto ranging - meaning the only real difference is the power connector on the end!