Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC)

Comments about Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC):

This set is an industry standard for a reason. I'm still airing out the awful plastic smell of it, but that's my only complaint.

Definitely grab some 12 gauge stingers to go with this.

Comments about Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC):

This is my favorite portable lighting kit. Having an openface unit with chimera plus two matching fresnels (650w)and a small fresnel (300) makes this kit perfect for small jobs.

Of all the kits, this one gets the most use from me. Buy with confidence.

Comments about Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC):

THIS KIT COMES WITH ALL THE RIGHT LIGHTS TO MAKE MY PRO VIDEOS LOOKS GREAT. GOOD PRICE AND EASY SET UP.

Comments about Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC):

Arri makes the best product in the industry and B&H had[...] the lowest price.

Comments about Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC):

First off, and this is a strange comment, but this products needs to off-gas a lot of plastic. Suggest placing the bags and fixtures outside or in a well ventilated place for awhile before use. The smell is gnarly in a studio for a few days.

Now here are a few things.

- Could use more scrims. And some scrim bags for each light would have been nice too. Nothing fancy, just something to keep them organized.
- Light stands are just OK. Nothing awesome.
- Lamps are challenging to set the first time. We heard some ceramic grinding and so forth while placing them. Should be easier the next time, but the pins in the lamp have to center the lamp connectors inside the housing. It takes some force and some wiggling. We used the ceramic at the bottom of the lamp itself, put considerable pressure and wiggled for a bit. It's a tight space but use the foam that comes with the lamp or a glove.
- The 1K knobs are weak. Need to be larger in order to crank them tight. With the softbank on, it tends to sag a bit over time.
- The softbank is cool. If they added a tight angled egg-crate it would be nicer.
- There could be another set of wheels on the side of the case. It can be tough wheeling this through tight spaces.
- The included stinger is pretty weak. Could have saved some weight and left it out.
- Some basic color-correction gel would be nice too. Nothing fancy, just a few sheets of cto and ctb. Rather have that, then that negligible stinger.
- Some empty sandbags would have been a nice addition. Again, far more useful than the stinger.
- C-47's included? Not worth it. Again, put the money elsewhere.
- The gloves are large, but if you have meaty hands, it's like wearing OJ's gloves. Again, they could have spent the money elsewhere in this package.

But that said, the fixtures are nice. Well-built and easy to set up. It packs away nicely and goes up and down in a few minutes. There's room left over in the case for other things too. Not a lot, but some. Probably get a couple of stingers in there if you wanted to. Everything is light and easily manageable.

Comments about Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC):

I have rented a lot of lights in the last 25 years, including this same kit many times in LA for everything from interviews to product shots and have never been disappointed.

The Arri Kits that I have rented have all had a lot of mileage/usage yet were always in great shape due to good design, solid construction and excellent materials used.

Having moved out of LA my first choice was to buy this kit for my basic production needs.

These lights are a solid investment.

(minor detail) The only thing that they have really never fixed was the tightening knobs on the 1K. They tend to get weaker with age when a larger Chimera is on the light. You just have to really crank them down to hold.

Comments about Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC):

The kit came in perfect condition and I was more than happy. When I got it I had to immediately use it the following day. Setting up wasn't a problem. But as I've never had to fix bulbs before (since at school you almost always get lights with bulbs fixed in it already), that took me a bit of a while.

The chimera softbank that came with the kit is an awesome deal. One thing though, as I am really new to it, there weren't any specific instructions as to how to set it up, for that matter, the first time I used my light kit, I didn't use the softbank.. and had my fill positioned way far back though now in retrospect I think the softbank would've given me a more consistent and softer look.

If you do your homework, ie check out the prices for each individual items in the kit, you'd realize that essentially, you're only paying for the lights (including barndoor and lightweight stand etc) and the case. If I'm not mistaken, the softbank and scrims and accessories (small pouch, glove etc) are literally free bonus items, and that's a really good deal.

All in all, this is a great basic kit to start with. I mean, I'm a student and we usually don't have access to four lights from college. This kit is more than enough lights to toy with. Plus they're arri lights and are very solid.

Also, the amount of light you get is more than enough for an indoor video shoot. Last time I shot on film we only had 2 650s and 2 omnis and it was still sufficient lighting. I would assume this kit will work great too on small indoor film shoots.

Comments about Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC):

I travel several times a month around the country shooting at client sites and this light kit is awesome. The heavy duty case travels well and the construction of all the equipment is top shelf. I really did my homework before buying this kit but was still surprised by the quality of the little things and all the unexpected extras like gloves, ditty bag and clothes pins. I highly recommend to anyone.

Comments about Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC):

At almost eighty pounds the fully loaded case is heavy but can be wheeled and set up almost anywhere. It's great for interviews and very small productions. if your a video professional just starting out, this is what you should start with.

Comments about Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC):

I have yet to put this kit back in it's case. I use it for personal interviews 1 and 2 person, even some portfolio and product photography.

Tips: 1: Wear those gloves that come with!
2: It's 2600 Watts / 120 Volts = 21.6666 amps, So make sure to split the load between your breakers. (assuming they're 15 or 20s)

Comments about Arri Softbank I Tungsten 4 Light Kit (120VAC):

I use this kit to do location lighting for digital video productions for faculty and administration at my college. It is a great kit (it's an ARRI, after all), that includes everything you'll need to get started. The tripods feel a little on the light-duty side, but time will tell. Power cables are long and sturdy, switches are weatherproofed and easy to operate. My only negative comment is that it is HEAVY. It's nice that it has wheels built into the case, but be to make a special trip for this case wherever you go - you will not be able to go very far with this case, your camera and sticks. But if that deters you from buying this kit, get yourself out of video production now.