The Most Dynamic Lite Pad Kit I Could Find

This week we purchased our first LED lights pad kit and I have never been more excited. After much debate on which kit, which manufacturer, how many lights, we finally pulled the trigger on the ROSCO Gaffers Lite Pad Axiom Kit sold at BH Photo. There are so many options on new lights today and the choices are overwhelming. In the end we wanted a large kit that was compact, durable, dynamic, daylight balanced, and easy for a small crew to set up. This kit did all of that.

Overview

Buying a light kit can be overwhelming. There are so many options from so many manufactures that it can often result in a stalemate of choices. It all comes down to what you will be using the lights for the MAJORITY of the time. If there is one thing we know, it's that there isn't one solution for lights, especially for both video and photo. Different projects require different lights and that's why there are so many options. For what we do on most projects, we needed a light kit with soft light that is daylight balanced. We needed something to mimic a sunny window, or a diffused Arri fresnel. I needed to be able to handhold the lights if needed, hide them in small places if required, and be super portable for small crews. When we rented Arri kits from our local gear house, we almost always had rolls of Rosco diffusion and gels in front of the lights to create the soft light we needed and to balance the color correctly. I had to wear gloves, and always shut the lights down whenever possible due to the massive amount of heat they put off. This is a hassle, fire hazard, and danger to say the least. Not to mention they make the models sweat from the massive amount of heat.

I had no idea Rosco even made lights until I found them at BH Photo. After comparing the amount of gear that comes in the Gaffer's kit to other manufactures, it was really hard to pass up at the total price of just over $3,000. Some of the lights I was researching for this were over 3,000 a piece. These lights are durable, compact, and put out a ton of light for their size. The best part is that they don't get hot, ever. One of the best parts is that you can slowly build your kit as well. You don't have to buy a kit together and can buy all of the gear separately. They also have other, smaller kits if you don't need the biggest kit that we got. Check out BH photo and search ROSCO Lite Pad for a full list of the gear and individual prices. I think this kit would be ideal for small crews that need to move fast, set up quick, and quickly light up various scenes for various numbers of people. The kit is perfect for documentary interviews, still photos on location outside or inside, motion capture of food/product indoors, and just about any other scenario where you need beautiful soft light.

What I Love So Far

• You can leave these lights on over night and they won't get hot.
• Each of the 6 sizes of lite pads come with 8 gel inserts for color temperature plus a "Full Spot Lens" insert that helps magnify and concentrate the light, which is ideal if you don't want a broad soft light.
• The entire kit fits compactly in a pelican case that comes with it.
• These lights can go anywhere easily and are easy to grip.
• I can bring 2-3 of these lights on location for still or video and run the lights my self. No assistant needed!
• I can bring kit to shoot that requires both motion and still capture and not waste time changing lights.
• Daylight balanced!
• Super Soft Light that's easy to modify and gel.
• Wireless if need be via 8 AA batteries.
• Can adjust the light intensity from 0-100 with the dimmer switch.
• Great Price for the amount of lights that come in the kit.
• Kit comes loaded with accessories, grip gear, and is easy to keep organized in the kit.

Part 2 of this Photo Shoot via CreativeLIVE

If you would like to see us complete part 2 of the photo shoot in the above video, then tune in live on CreativeLIVE.com on Nov 7, 8, and 9th where Rob Grimm will be printing this bar scene backplate into a duratrans print and using this in a photo shoot for a Japanese Whiskey. This is an awesome technique used by many working pros that can save you time and money in creating awesome images for both people and products. We will be shooting whiskey bottles in the CreativeLIVE studio and Aaron Nace from Phlearn will be teaching you how to Photoshop objects into any scene or backplate using some techniques he's developed. On each day we will also be covering the business side of our commercial studio with our workflows, what it takes to break into the industry, our gear, interviews with our photo agent, interviews with a creative director, and how we license our images. It's free to enroll and watch the course live, so don't miss out. Follow us on twitter as well and let us know what you want us to cover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL6t3k23Jx4

To become part of our studio audience in Seattle:

https://vimeo.com/77464874

Here is what came in our kit:

• 2 x LitePad 3" Circle HO+ Daylight
• 2 x LitePad Axiom 3 x 6" Daylight
• 2 x LitePad Axiom 3 x 12" Daylight
• 2 x LitePad Axiom 6 x 6" Daylight
• 2 x LitePad Axiom 6 x 12" Daylight
• 2 x LitePad Axiom 12 x 12" Daylight
• 6 x Three Amp Transformer
• Car Adapter
• 6 x Y Splitter
• 6 x Right Angle 10' Ext. Cable
• 2 x Four-Way Splitter
• AA Battery Holder
• 4-Pin Adapter Cable
• Anton Bauer Adapter Cable
• 3 x 6" Eggcrate
• 3 x 12" Eggcrate
• 6 x 6" Eggcrate
• 6 x 12" Eggcrate
• 12 x 12" Eggcrate
• 2 x Bracket, 3"
• 6 x Baby (5/8") Pin 1/4" - 20
• 2 x Single Fader Dimmer
• 1560 Pelican Case with Custom Cutouts
• Color Filter Pack 3 x 3"
• 30 Mil Color Filter Pack 3 x 6"
• 30 Mil Color Filter Pack 3 x 12"
• 30 Mil Color Filter Pack 6 x 6"
• 30 Mil Color Filter Pack 6 x 12"
• 30 Mil Color Filter Pack 12 x 12"
• 3 x 6" Full Spot Lens
• 3 x 12" Full Spot Lens
• 6 x 6" Full Spot Lens
• 6 x 12" Full Spot Lens
• 12 x 12" Full Spot Lens
• Swatchbook Cinegel
• 60 Day Manufacturer's Warranty