Anybody use Britek lights

Bryan Litt · July 23rd, 2004, 07:35 AM

Jack,

I bought the Britek light stands.

Jack Barker · July 23rd, 2004, 08:09 AM

Well, I guess you should check the size of the stud on the stand. Maybe it's not the 5/8" stud. Some stands come with a reversible stud - 3/8" on one end and 5/8" on the other. You just take it out and flip it over. If it's 3/8" only, you could send the stands back (after notifying everyone here, of course), or you could try a layer of electricians' tape to the stud. Pain in the a** either way.

Greg Matty · July 23rd, 2004, 10:22 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Barry Green : I mounted the 250 on a standard c-stand and it fit just fine... -->>>

What exactly is a C-Stand???? I know what a C-clamp is, but a C-Stand?

Greg

Barry Green · July 23rd, 2004, 10:54 AM

The best-designed light stand in the world.

Also called a Century stand ("C" stand is short for "Century" stand).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=5802

Greg Matty · July 23rd, 2004, 11:43 AM

Thanks Barry.

To my untrained eyes it appears to be a typical telescoping light stand with three legs and large handles at the leg junctions. The next time I need a light stand I'll order one of these and see what other differences abound.

Greg

Richard Alvarez · July 23rd, 2004, 12:59 PM

Incredibly usefull on a shoot. Not only will they hold lights, with the grip head, they hold flags, scrims, bounce cards, microphone booms, backdrops. The legs fold flat, and because they are staggered, they allow you to set several stands right next to each other, with their legs overlapping. Very handy when you set a ligh, and need flags or cookies. Nothing beats them.

Jack Barker · July 23rd, 2004, 02:33 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Greg Matty : Thanks Barry.

To my untrained eyes it appears to be a typical telescoping light stand with three legs and large handles at the leg junctions. The next time I need a light stand I'll order one of these and see what other differences abound.

Greg -->>>

Well, as Richard points out, nothing does beat them, but you will pay a premium for one, which you may have already noticed if you visited B&H via Barry's link.

They are not fold-up like a regular stand - you have to put them together and take them apart when you're finished, but they are very rugged.

Bryan Litt · July 23rd, 2004, 03:11 PM

I posted earlier that I had a minor problem with the head being loose on one of the stands. It was actually the stud itself which was loose and could not be tightened.

I called Tom at Rostronics and he said no problem. He shipped me out a replacement stand and I'll ship this one back.

So I'm not only happy with the light kit, but the service has corrected the one minor fault in the kit and put a smile back on my face.

Barry Green · July 23rd, 2004, 07:12 PM

Quote:

<<<-- Originally posted by Jack Barker : <<<-- Originally posted by Greg Matty : To my untrained eyes it appears to be a typical telescoping light stand with three legs and large handles at the leg junctions. The next time I need a light stand I'll order one of these and see what other differences abound.

A c-stand without the attendant grip arm and head is a sad and lonely thing... not much more than a glorified light stand. But add the arm & head and it becomes an amazing multifunctional tool.

Quote:

They are not fold-up like a regular stand - you have to put them together and take them apart when you're finished, but they are very rugged.

? The legs fold flat, the arm collapses down... there's nothing that needs to be assembled or disassembled. What do you mean?

Luis Caffesse · July 26th, 2004, 08:56 AM

Okay, I have now had the 250 watt Britek in my possession for
about 15 minutes. Here are my first thoughts:

The head looks to be a solid, well contructed piece of gear.
It gives a nice, even beam.

The flood to spot focus is not as drastic as I would have liked, but
given the price, this looks like a great little light.

As others have already mentioned, the barn doors are very nice.
The only problem I see with them is that there is a bit of light leak
from the sides. Then again, that's probably only because there is
a tray for scrims, which is a plus. So I can live with a little light
leak (that's what blackwrap is for anyhow, right?).

The only complaint I would have on the contruction is the joint
connecting the light to the stand. It is a 'vice' type connection
(not sure exactly how to describe it). When you loosen the knob,
it opens up the joint, then you tighten it around the stud on the
stand. The only problem with this is that you have to loosen that
same knob to adjust the angle of the light. So if you loosen it a
little to angle the light, it loosens the grip on the stand. Not too
big of a deal, and it does not seem to be in any danger of falling,
just something I thought was worth pointing out.

Also, the power cable is hardwired into the back of the light.
It would be nice to have a removable cable. But that's just a
personal preference, and really not a big deal at all.

Overall, I have to say I was very impressed with the construction
of this light, and I was already expecting quite a bit after reading
the reviews on here. It feels solid, gives off a nice light, and
offers decent control with the well constructed barn doors.

My first impression is that for the money, these lights are more
than worth it. I'm looking forward to checking out the 600w
model.

-Luis

Barry Green · July 27th, 2004, 06:31 AM

I just used my 250's on a 5-hour shoot yesterday. At strike, I was able to turn the light off AND HAND-HOLD IT. It was quite warm, yes, but not so hot that you couldn't actually hold the thing in your hand! Try that with a regular fresnel and you'll melt your flesh off. Amazing. No more waiting a half-hour for lights to cool off!

I think I'll order a couple of the 600's as well. These lights have proven to be quite impressive for the price. They're not Arri Fresnels, but then again the 250's are $76! (after using the "dvxuser" discount at Rostronics.com).

Luis Caffesse · July 27th, 2004, 07:27 AM

"These lights have proven to be quite impressive for the price"

I completely agree Barry, and apparently so do a lot of other people.

Rostronics is currently sold out of the 250's, and unsure when they will receive another shipment.
I guess the word is spreading.

Scott Spears · July 28th, 2004, 10:59 AM

Thanks for the info on these lights. I already have a good compliment of lights, but if something goes down, I'll consider Briteks.

Scott

Barry Green · July 28th, 2004, 12:31 PM

Hey Scott,

I think these Briteks are good enough that you might want to consider revising your low-budget lighting article to at least advise people that if they have a little bit to spend, they'll get a whole lot more usability out of the Briteks than they would from worklights.

They're not gold, they're not Mole or Arri Fresnels, but they do work and they're surprisingly inexpensive.

Ryan Gohlinghorst · July 29th, 2004, 07:25 AM

I just got mine. I picked up a 1k and a 600w. I couldn't be happier with the contruction. The best part is not burning yourself when you touch the damn things.

July 23rd, 2004, 07:35 AM	#16
Bryan Litt New Boot Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 16	Jack, I bought the Britek light stands. __________________ SquakBox Productions Chicago, IL. shlo3@hotmail.com

July 23rd, 2004, 03:11 PM	#23
Bryan Litt New Boot Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 16	I posted earlier that I had a minor problem with the head being loose on one of the stands. It was actually the stud itself which was loose and could not be tightened. I called Tom at Rostronics and he said no problem. He shipped me out a replacement stand and I'll ship this one back. So I'm not only happy with the light kit, but the service has corrected the one minor fault in the kit and put a smile back on my face. __________________ SquakBox Productions Chicago, IL. shlo3@hotmail.com

July 27th, 2004, 07:27 AM	#27
Luis Caffesse Major Player Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 704	"These lights have proven to be quite impressive for the price" I completely agree Barry, and apparently so do a lot of other people. Rostronics is currently sold out of the 250's, and unsure when they will receive another shipment. I guess the word is spreading. __________________ Luis Caffesse Pitch Productions Austin, Texas

July 28th, 2004, 10:59 AM	#28
Scott Spears Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 65	Thanks for the info on these lights. I already have a good compliment of lights, but if something goes down, I'll consider Briteks. Scott __________________ Scott Spears Emmy Winner Cinematographer http://www.scottspears.net IMDB listing: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0817387/

July 29th, 2004, 07:25 AM	#30
Ryan Gohlinghorst Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Mankato, Minnesota Posts: 104	I just got mine. I picked up a 1k and a 600w. I couldn't be happier with the contruction. The best part is not burning yourself when you touch the damn things. __________________ http://www.horsefilms.com "I like Mankato just a little bit better than any other town in the world." -Sinclair Lewis

July 23rd, 2004, 08:09 AM	#17
Jack Barker Major Player Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 342	Well, I guess you should check the size of the stud on the stand. Maybe it's not the 5/8" stud. Some stands come with a reversible stud - 3/8" on one end and 5/8" on the other. You just take it out and flip it over. If it's 3/8" only, you could send the stands back (after notifying everyone here, of course), or you could try a layer of electricians' tape to the stud. Pain in the a** either way.

July 23rd, 2004, 10:22 AM	#18
Greg Matty Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 177	<<<-- Originally posted by Barry Green : I mounted the 250 on a standard c-stand and it fit just fine... -->>> What exactly is a C-Stand???? I know what a C-clamp is, but a C-Stand? Greg

July 23rd, 2004, 10:54 AM	#19
Barry Green Barry Wan Kenobi Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 3,863	The best-designed light stand in the world. Also called a Century stand ("C" stand is short for "Century" stand). http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=5802

July 23rd, 2004, 11:43 AM	#20
Greg Matty Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 177	Thanks Barry. To my untrained eyes it appears to be a typical telescoping light stand with three legs and large handles at the leg junctions. The next time I need a light stand I'll order one of these and see what other differences abound. Greg

July 23rd, 2004, 12:59 PM	#21
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Incredibly usefull on a shoot. Not only will they hold lights, with the grip head, they hold flags, scrims, bounce cards, microphone booms, backdrops. The legs fold flat, and because they are staggered, they allow you to set several stands right next to each other, with their legs overlapping. Very handy when you set a ligh, and need flags or cookies. Nothing beats them.

July 23rd, 2004, 02:33 PM	#22
Jack Barker Major Player Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 342	<<<-- Originally posted by Greg Matty : Thanks Barry. To my untrained eyes it appears to be a typical telescoping light stand with three legs and large handles at the leg junctions. The next time I need a light stand I'll order one of these and see what other differences abound. Greg -->>> Well, as Richard points out, nothing does beat them, but you will pay a premium for one, which you may have already noticed if you visited B&H via Barry's link. They are not fold-up like a regular stand - you have to put them together and take them apart when you're finished, but they are very rugged.

July 26th, 2004, 08:56 AM	#25
Luis Caffesse Major Player Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 704	Okay, I have now had the 250 watt Britek in my possession for about 15 minutes. Here are my first thoughts: The head looks to be a solid, well contructed piece of gear. It gives a nice, even beam. The flood to spot focus is not as drastic as I would have liked, but given the price, this looks like a great little light. As others have already mentioned, the barn doors are very nice. The only problem I see with them is that there is a bit of light leak from the sides. Then again, that's probably only because there is a tray for scrims, which is a plus. So I can live with a little light leak (that's what blackwrap is for anyhow, right?). The only complaint I would have on the contruction is the joint connecting the light to the stand. It is a 'vice' type connection (not sure exactly how to describe it). When you loosen the knob, it opens up the joint, then you tighten it around the stud on the stand. The only problem with this is that you have to loosen that same knob to adjust the angle of the light. So if you loosen it a little to angle the light, it loosens the grip on the stand. Not too big of a deal, and it does not seem to be in any danger of falling, just something I thought was worth pointing out. Also, the power cable is hardwired into the back of the light. It would be nice to have a removable cable. But that's just a personal preference, and really not a big deal at all. Overall, I have to say I was very impressed with the construction of this light, and I was already expecting quite a bit after reading the reviews on here. It feels solid, gives off a nice light, and offers decent control with the well constructed barn doors. My first impression is that for the money, these lights are more than worth it. I'm looking forward to checking out the 600w model. -Luis

July 27th, 2004, 06:31 AM	#26
Barry Green Barry Wan Kenobi Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 3,863	I just used my 250's on a 5-hour shoot yesterday. At strike, I was able to turn the light off AND HAND-HOLD IT. It was quite warm, yes, but not so hot that you couldn't actually hold the thing in your hand! Try that with a regular fresnel and you'll melt your flesh off. Amazing. No more waiting a half-hour for lights to cool off! I think I'll order a couple of the 600's as well. These lights have proven to be quite impressive for the price. They're not Arri Fresnels, but then again the 250's are $76! (after using the "dvxuser" discount at Rostronics.com).

July 28th, 2004, 12:31 PM	#29
Barry Green Barry Wan Kenobi Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 3,863	Hey Scott, I think these Briteks are good enough that you might want to consider revising your low-budget lighting article to at least advise people that if they have a little bit to spend, they'll get a whole lot more usability out of the Briteks than they would from worklights. They're not gold, they're not Mole or Arri Fresnels, but they do work and they're surprisingly inexpensive.