Really Cheap Video Lighting Part 2: More Power

In the last episode we talked about a simple, inexpensive, DIY 3 light setup for making better interview or vlog videos. I recently added some power to my two key lights (now 300 Watt equivalent each). This provides some great benefits in terms of lower ISO, smaller aperture, more depth of field, and easier, more forgiving focus.

Shot with 2 300 Watt equivalent compact flourescent bulbs in Home Depot shop lamps and 1 shop lamp with a 60 Watt equivalent CFL bulb.

Video on a Canon 60D and Sanyo Xacti HD 1010

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Video Lighting
• canon 60d
• Sanyo Xacti HD 1010

[Live2BFlawless]

What kind of camera are you using? I am having trouble with my camera focusing when I move.

[curtisjudd]

@Live2BFlawless I'm working with a Canon 60D. Typically I shoot 1080p24 at f/3.2, 1/50th of a second shutter speed and ISO 320 for this type of low-key piece. I focus at the start and leave the camera in manual focus mode. Probably the biggest things you can do is use a smaller aperture--3.2 or above. That way when you do move, you won't slip out of focus. Also, you might either move your lights closer to the actor or add more bulbs so that you can increase the aperture. Hope this helps!

[darkstonecastle]

The lighting in Part 1 looks a lot better.

[curtisjudd]

@darkstonecastle Main difference is more contrast in part 1. Definitely a more dramatic look.

[AlbrightJamesD]

I was wondering if you could tell me what daylight balanced florescent bulbs I would need to for a RPS 250 - 750 Watt Variable Quartz light kit (each of the two lights uses 3 bulbs) to achieve the equivalent of 250 watts total in each light that I found is enough light using the quartz lights that came with the kit.

[curtisjudd]

@AlbrightJamesD As a rough rule of thumb, divide by four to get the equivalent compact florescent wattage. So in your case, you'd probably want to aim for a total of about 60 watts of CFL. Divide that by three and you should aim for 3 20 watt CFL bulbs. They'll be quite a bit larger than the equivalent quartz bulbs so be sure they'll fit next to each other in the fixture.

[zorastrus]

I really loved the blown out hair lighting of the last video. It kind of gave the impression you were a supreme authority giving us advice. Ha! I must agree, though, it isn't ideal for all circumstances.

[exxors]

Thank you for speaking clear... People who have another native language (like me!) are grateful of this.

[americanidlekaraoke]

I much prefer the look of part 1 of the video to this look. I feel this set up looks a little flat and low contrast. But thanks for the videos, you do a great job explaining the basics to beginners like me.

[windmill10]

Yup, lighting in part 1 was much better. This lighting setup is very dull. The first video had really beautiful contrast.

[patbollin]

Thanks for making these! I want to make some instructional videos, and have no real budget for it, so I'm trying to learn as much as possible about making quality video without spending a fortune. This really helped. Seeing the quality of your lighting on such an inexpensive setup was really given me some hope that I can get my videos shot sooner rather than later.