Digital Video - October 2007 - (Page 20)

IN REVIEW LIGHT BRIGADE output becomes easier when you attach the included umbrellas, though the light quality still doesn’t wrap around the subject like a nice softbox would—it’s still a hard source. We found the Totas worked equally well when reflected or beamed through the umbrella. There is no option to orient the Tota vertically, due to design regulations that prohibit such use. The 500W open-face Omnis have a slim-profile head, utilizing a simple bulb tilt design to either focus or flood the output. The focus tilt is adequate, but doesn’t offer as much control over the focus range as comparable models. The four barn doors are split, which make controlling and flagging the light an easy task. While the thin metal barn doors aren’t as robust as we would prefer, they are nearly infinitely configurable. Scrims are difficult to install and remove from the Omni and require some fiddling around to get things situated. The final fixture in the kit is the 250W Pro Fresnel. Its lensed design allows one to focus down to a tight spot, or flood wide using a side knob. The design also includes the split barn doors. Interestingly, we found that the 250W Pro performed very favorably versus the 500W Omni in some output tests. In fact, the 250W unit was the outstanding performer in this kit. Essentially, the Lowel Super Ambi kit is a production-ready solution that’s well suited to traveling and on-location usage. boot as well as storage cinch straps. Cords could be longer, but are adequate. The five Omni stands are a lightweight design and seem a bit shaky. The stand for the Rifa, constructed of largergauge metal, feels tougher without adding much more weight. All the stands in Lowel’s kit would be as such. The Rifa softbox unfolds much like an umbrella to deploy in seconds. The sides are made of Nomex, and the flame-proof diffusion face simply snaps into place. The Rifa is the best-designed softbox we’ve ever used. Lowel also provided us with a preproduction Rifa eXchange option, a swappable fixture for the Rifa that enables the use of daylight-balanced compact-fluorescent lamps instead of the standard tungsten bulb. Light output is on par with the tungsten design, but heat output is significantly less. One disadvantage of the fluorescent option is weight: the eXchange setup adds significant heft to the front of the Rifa. Lowel offers a balance bar accessory to offset the center of gravity of the Rifa for fluorescent applications. The fluorescent lamps we were provided with for testing were preproduction units, and we had some issues with the fixture threads snapping. Lowel has since informed us that this problem has been fully addressed in the production units. The 750W open-face Totas have a powerful, broad throw. Harnessing that MOLEQUARTZ FRESNEL COMBO PRO DV EXCELLENCE AWARD OF SCORE LOWEL-LIGHT MANUFACTURING PROS: Lightweight, powerful and efficient. Rifa eXchange softbox can be set up in seconds, and the cool fluorescent lamp option is very useful. The 250W Pro Fresnel packs a punch for its size. CONS: Weak stands, mounting hardware, and barn door construction. Omni screens are clunky and difficult to remove. BOTTOM LINE: A compact kit with enough included accessories to begin working right out of the box. Well-suited for the traveling loner or small production crew where equipment weight and size is a major concern. MSRP: $3,045. CONTACT: www.lowel.com/kits/superambi T he Mole-Richardson Molequartz Fresnel Combo Pro kit is a full-featured setup that includes one 200W, one 650W and two 300W fixtures, as well as stands, lamps, filter frames and barn doors for each. Set Wear gloves and a gel pack are also included, as well as a wide selection of scrims for each light, 20 in total. There is a half single, half double, full single, full douwww.dv.com 20 dv october 2007 http://www.lowel.com/kits/superambi http://www.dv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - October 2007

Cover Contents Letters DV Update R&D Fest Circuit Light Brigade Follow Focus Shootout Image Conscious Instant Expert Close-Ups Eastern Europe Exploit Call of the Wild Four Principles of Storage Storage Media Production Diary

Digital Video - October 2007

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