Chimera/softbox or Umbrella?

[<ShoobieDoobieDoo>]

When lighting your interviews, which do you prefer...using a Chimera or the Lowel light w/umbrella??? Just curious--I have both in my kit...and I find myself using my umbrella more often because it's easier to set up.

 

[<chimera>]

the chimera - with a 40 degree egg crate. the umbrella just sprays too much light EVERYWHERE. i never (rarely) use umbrellas at all anymore - but when i did (before i had chimeras) i only used the white, 'shoot-thru' ones.

 

[Fisher]

Chimera Box with a grid. Light is more diffused and easier to direct. I usually try to position the key light in such a way as to prevent any light from splashing on the wall behind the subject. Which allows me to control what kind of light I want to put back there... time permitting of course.

 

[Dble(Punched)Vision]

I keep my chimera box always set up, attached to my lowel prolight and stand with about 10 ft of cord-- sitting in the back seat of my rig. If I know I'll have one extra minute to set the box up, I'll grab it. It adds to those "we have no video for this package" stories. I set the chimera on the side of the "victem" so that no light hits the background and I fill with my top light. It looks good every time and is a fast and dirty way to boost those not so visual stories.

 

[<Event-9999-shift-enter>]

I am a new-ish photographer, be kind.

I like to use the umbrella. I find it gives a soft shadow. We have smaller Lowel lights, so doing the thru the umbrella isn't an option for me.

I always like to hear "Lets not bring the light kit" from the reporters. I always want to light as much as possible. (meaning to use a light, not more light.) I push to light it, I am shooting it! Sometimes I except the fact that there isn't always time. Can't win 'em all

I am interested to know what a Chimera Box is? I have never used one.

 

[1911A1]

I mostly use a Rifa44 soft box. I have a Chimera and a Tota speed ring, but the Rifa is a whole lot quicker to set up.

I keep a Tota and umbrella ready to go next to my tripod for quickie interviews where there's not time for "proper" lighting. Looks better than the camera light (or no light at all).

 

[<chimera>]

hey event....

http://www.chimeralighting.com/

you can check out chimera products there.

 

[Run&Gun]

Chimera w/eggcrate and dimmer.

 

[<Goobertron>]

The station I work at has very little in the way of toys so bare with me. On a recent freelance gig I used a Chimera soft box with an Arri 650 for a key. They also had an Arri 1000 with barndoors for a backlight. I'm curious to see what some of you lighting experts think about this set up. Second question, If I wanted to buy my own light kit, what are the absolute essentials? Not talking basic Lowell kit here but not talking feature film lighting either. Thank you.

 

[<Minnesotan>]

Tell them, well if were not going to bring a light kit, we might as well leave the tripod in the truck too...

Maybe ask them to carry one light and an umbrella...Sounds like they're lazy and don't want to take the time to setup some decent lighting. There are times when the camera light is the only way to go(lockerrooms, at the car wreck in the middle of nowhere...)

I made the male reporters carry the tripod and female reporters usually carry a light or the light kit.

I've always wondered, do male reporters carry the tripod or lights with female photogs. or are they like some that make them carry everything?

Originally posted by <Event-9999-shift-enter>:

I always like to hear "Lets not bring the light kit" from the reporters. I always want to light as much as possible. (meaning to use a light, not more light.) I push to light it, I am shooting it! Sometimes I except the fact that there isn't always time. Can't win 'em all

 

[Terry E. Toller]

Chirmera with a honeycomb gives you more control over the light. It helps keep the light off of the background if it isn't too close. That way, you can create the look of the background...

It takes a few minutes longer to set up and strike but it's worth it to me. Once the image is on tape, it is there forever. You have to live with it...

[ July 26, 2004, 03:45 PM: Message edited by: Terry E. Toller ]

 

[Run&Gun]

Originally posted by <Goobertron>:
The station I work at has very little in the way of toys so bare with me. On a recent freelance gig I used a Chimera soft box with an Arri 650 for a key. They also had an Arri 1000 with barndoors for a backlight. I'm curious to see what some of you lighting experts think about this set up. Second question, If I wanted to buy my own light kit, what are the absolute essentials? Not talking basic Lowell kit here but not talking feature film lighting either. Thank you.

A 1K for a backlight/hairlight, holy $h!t! I use either an Arri 150 by itself with some slight diffusion or a 300 in a Chimera on a dimmer for the hair light. Were they trying to put the hairlight across the city and hit him with it?

 

[2000lux]

I have both an umbrella and a Chimera. Which one I use depends on how much control I need of the light.

If I'm in a big open space like in a theatre, or if I want some spill; I shoot the light through the umbrella because I like the light quality better. If I need more control, I use the Chimera. The grid is nice, but not totally necessary. If your subject wears glasses, use the Chimera because if you catch a reflection, you'll see the spines of the umbrella in it.

One of the big problems with umbrellas is that they're pretty fragile. They break by wearing out from normal use.

I've had a lot of practice, and our Chimeras are well worn in, so it takes me less than a minute to set one up.

I carry two Lowel Pro lights (250 W)and an extra stand for a reflector. A nice set up is the umrella as key, the Chimera for a hair light, and the refector for fill. My kit only weighs ~15 lbs and is very compact so I get no complaints about carrying it.

[ July 28, 2004, 03:11 AM: Message edited by: 2000lux ]

 

[SandRat]

Originally posted by <Minnesotan>:
I made the male reporters carry the tripod and female reporters usually carry a light or the light kit.

I've always wondered, do male reporters carry the tripod or lights with female photogs. or are they like some that make them carry everything?

My light kit is much heavier than my tripod, but I don't tell my reporter.

 

[Terry E. Toller]

Run and Gun makes a great point! Too many times, I see TV photogs use way too much light!!!

My kit has two 1k broads (tota lights) but all of my other lights are from between 450 watts down to 20 watts. More than enough light and much easier to control.

Remember, in order to have a light, you need a dark place to stick it (Arlo Guthrey). He said it as a joke but in our business it's very true. The more light you throw into a scene, the more difficult it is to control it.

 

[<Tucson Shooter>]

What size Chimera soft box are most people using. I am looking at the 16X22 with the 40 degree egg crate and a 650w minipro. Is that large enough for typical interview headshots? danpinard@mac.com

 

[Tippster]

I moved "up" from the XS to the small for various personnel (freelancer) reasons I won't go into, but the XS seemed to do the trick just fine, and took up less room in the light kit. The larger box does "wrap" the light better, however.

Tota speed ring is the way to go, IMHO. The Omnis don't fill the whole box, just make a "hot-spot" on the face.

 

[<Ungrateful>]

After a couple of reporters made negative comments about my use of Chimira and backlight. I took MY lights out of the news unit and now they suffer with the company provided Omni's. No umbrella, just harsh lights with very little diffusion because the diffusion is full of holes.

Now they have live shots that s*ck, packages that s*ck due to their poor writing skills, and because the always want the stick mic instead of the lav because its "quicker".

Then they wonder why their agents/or themself can't find them jobs elsewhere.

You could argue that I don't care about the quality of MY work...but after investing several hundreds of dollars of my own money to have a light kit that would make them and me look better those ungrateful critons get what they deserve.

Only once in a rare while will I bust out and load the good stuff into the company truck for a shoot. Otherwise it gets used on some freelance gigs with my own gear so those dollars invested go for my own use.

 

[Tazam77]

I like using a Lowel light with Umbrella. I have used just the light in certain situations as well.

When time is tight and battery levels are good; frezzi mini fill.

 

[vdoguy]

Two Chimeras with egg-crates and about 4,000 watts of total light (I just like to watch the meter spin at high speeds!).