Really really cheap lighting? at DVinfo.net

Frank Granovski · May 5th, 2003, 03:33 AM

I mainly use light bulbs and track lighting. Does anyone have any other, really really cheap suggestions (besides using sunlight)? What are some of the home made setups you've come up with?

Rob Lohman · May 5th, 2003, 04:14 AM

I bought some worklights on stands for around $20 or something.
Have yet to try them out though!

Adrian Douglas · May 5th, 2003, 04:42 AM

I've got some of those of worklights too, actually 3 500 watt ones and a 150 watt one. They work well as long as you are not mixing them with any other lights. They are quite warm, in both light temp (2800 K) and heat output. However, for the cost, about $80 US for all four, they are a good place to start.

One thing I do with them to soften the light is to use heat resistant baking paper. It costs about $1.50 a roll and does the job really well.

John Locke · May 5th, 2003, 09:21 AM

Frank,

I've got a setup that mimicks the Lowel Scandles setup. I took a plastic disc, drilled holes in it to fit a PhotoFlex 800 mounting attachment for medium Litebox (using wing nuts for fast removal), then just mounted some cheapo light sockets to the plastic plate I use "N" temperature curly Q lights. It works pretty good.

Frank Granovski · May 5th, 2003, 01:20 PM

Now don't laugh. I keep finding those cheap long light stands, which stand about 6 feet high or so---the ones with the heavy base. If you want to buy them, they cost about $50 or less. Yeah, they're junk alright, but I keep finding them because people buy them and then decide to throw them out. Well, I've used these for spot lighting for both video and stills. I have them pointed from different angles onto the subject or area I want to shoot. And you know, it works! From my books, that's what I call lighting on the cheap, or should I say, lighting for nothing except for the electricity you use. :)

Dean Sensui · May 6th, 2003, 03:18 PM

I found some fluorescent worklights that are fairly close to daylight. With a 1/2 minus green filter (slightly pink) it gets really, really close.

Works great for indoor daylight fill.

Was cheap enough at $20 or $30 each. Got six of them. Low power draw, too, about 65 watts for the equivalent of 500 watts. Also low heat.

The problem with the lights is that the light they put out is heavily dispersed. Don't know if there's a way to focus it effectively but for that price, can't complain too much.

I still have to figure out how to mount them on a standard light stand. The other modification is installing a silvered reflector instead of using the matte white it currently has.

Dean Sensui
Base Two Productions

Alex Knappenberger · May 6th, 2003, 03:27 PM

Frank, are you talking about the house floor lamps? I actually have used mine with a 250w bulb in it before. I unscrewed the top and leaned it sideways, and it worked quite well, you have to soften it.

I also have some worklights in the shed, need bulbs for them though, I want to build a collaspable softbox to put around it, collapsable, making it extra portable.

Frank Granovski · May 6th, 2003, 03:46 PM

Yes I mean those stand lights that every one seems to buy, because they're cheap and look nice---and they all end up in the back alleys beside the trash. During the last few years, I must of picked up 30 of them. Some I kept, some I returned to the garbage. But they work well as spot lights, say if I'm shooting guests. The only difficulty is positioning them because they are so long (and the subjects get rather warm---er, hot)! Nevertheless, I would call this lighting on the cheap. Real cheap. :)

May 5th, 2003, 03:33 AM	#1
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Really really cheap lighting? I mainly use light bulbs and track lighting. Does anyone have any other, really really cheap suggestions (besides using sunlight)? What are some of the home made setups you've come up with?

May 5th, 2003, 04:14 AM	#2
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	I bought some worklights on stands for around $20 or something. Have yet to try them out though! __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

May 5th, 2003, 04:42 AM	#3
Adrian Douglas Trustee Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Chigasaki, Japan. Posts: 1,660	I've got some of those of worklights too, actually 3 500 watt ones and a 150 watt one. They work well as long as you are not mixing them with any other lights. They are quite warm, in both light temp (2800 K) and heat output. However, for the cost, about $80 US for all four, they are a good place to start. One thing I do with them to soften the light is to use heat resistant baking paper. It costs about $1.50 a roll and does the job really well. __________________ Adrian DVInfo.net Search for quick answers Where to buy? From the best in the business...DVInfo.net sponsors

May 5th, 2003, 09:21 AM	#4
John Locke Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Austin, TX USA Posts: 2,882	Frank, I've got a setup that mimicks the Lowel Scandles setup. I took a plastic disc, drilled holes in it to fit a PhotoFlex 800 mounting attachment for medium Litebox (using wing nuts for fast removal), then just mounted some cheapo light sockets to the plastic plate I use "N" temperature curly Q lights. It works pretty good. __________________ John Locke SursumFilms.com

May 5th, 2003, 01:20 PM	#5
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Now don't laugh. I keep finding those cheap long light stands, which stand about 6 feet high or so---the ones with the heavy base. If you want to buy them, they cost about $50 or less. Yeah, they're junk alright, but I keep finding them because people buy them and then decide to throw them out. Well, I've used these for spot lighting for both video and stills. I have them pointed from different angles onto the subject or area I want to shoot. And you know, it works! From my books, that's what I call lighting on the cheap, or should I say, lighting for nothing except for the electricity you use. :)

May 6th, 2003, 03:18 PM	#6
Dean Sensui Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 2,054	I found some fluorescent worklights that are fairly close to daylight. With a 1/2 minus green filter (slightly pink) it gets really, really close. Works great for indoor daylight fill. Was cheap enough at $20 or $30 each. Got six of them. Low power draw, too, about 65 watts for the equivalent of 500 watts. Also low heat. The problem with the lights is that the light they put out is heavily dispersed. Don't know if there's a way to focus it effectively but for that price, can't complain too much. I still have to figure out how to mount them on a standard light stand. The other modification is installing a silvered reflector instead of using the matte white it currently has. Dean Sensui Base Two Productions

May 6th, 2003, 03:27 PM	#7
Alex Knappenberger High School Student Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Canton, Ohio, USA Posts: 609	Frank, are you talking about the house floor lamps? I actually have used mine with a 250w bulb in it before. I unscrewed the top and leaned it sideways, and it worked quite well, you have to soften it. I also have some worklights in the shed, need bulbs for them though, I want to build a collaspable softbox to put around it, collapsable, making it extra portable.

May 6th, 2003, 03:46 PM	#8
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Yes I mean those stand lights that every one seems to buy, because they're cheap and look nice---and they all end up in the back alleys beside the trash. During the last few years, I must of picked up 30 of them. Some I kept, some I returned to the garbage. But they work well as spot lights, say if I'm shooting guests. The only difficulty is positioning them because they are so long (and the subjects get rather warm---er, hot)! Nevertheless, I would call this lighting on the cheap. Real cheap. :)