DIY "Dim-able" Kino's
02/03/09 08:00
Make your own “Dim-able” Keno-Flo for $49!
I wish that I could take full credit for this project, but as I was just following the design of David Tejada I must give the credit to him. However, I did make a modification to his design, and I am providing step-by-step instructions on how to make your own DIY Kino-Flo Lights. So if you are interested to find out how you can make your own “Dim-able” Kino’s then read on.
*UPDATE: See how to create a bank of lights here: IY Kino Update">DIY KINO UPDATE.
Disclaimer:
If you want all of the functionality / flexibility of a Kino, then you’ll need to buy a Kino-Flo. If, however, you are looking for an affordable 4’ soft light that can be “dimmed” then this solution will work for you.
Also, please forgive the quality of the pictures, All I had on hand at the time was a little point and shoot digital camera...
The Shopping List-
1. Lithonia Lighting Diamond Plate Utility Light $30
This light is more reflective then the standard utility light due to the diamond plating. It should also be noted that Home Depot’s online system is not very reliable. When I clicked to see if any were available at my local store it said that they were not, and further more that they could only be bought online. I went to the store anyway, and found an ample supply of them. So disregard what it says online, and go see for yourself.
2. Avenger F805 Baby Wall Plate - 6” Stem $14
In the build that David did, he chose to use 3” Stems- which will work just fine if you desire to use just one light on one stand. But if you want to group two lights on one stand, then I’d recommend getting the 6” stem. You’ll see why later...
3. 4x Bolts, nuts, & washers. Slightly bigger then 1/8” $1
Sorry, I have no clue what size the bolts, nuts, and washers were. They were just extras that I had on hand. I do know that they were slightly bigger then 1/8” as the drill bit that I used was 1/8” and the bolts had to be threaded through in order to fit.
4. 2x Florescent Bulbs T12 base 4’ long. $4 - $20
This is where the choice is going to rest with you. I would recommend getting the highest wattage, highest output, highest CRI bulbs that you can. At Home Depot those were bulbs that were 40w, 2200 Lumens, and 92 CRI. They ran $10 each, and you’ll need two of them per light. There are cheaper ones that you can get for $2 each... (Also, my preference is to get Daylight balanced bulbs 5000k or 6500k, but that is because I’m shooting on the Red.)
Instructions:
1. Un-box the light and remove the two screws that are holding the reflector to the ballast. (They are located on either end of the light.)
2. Set the reflector a side and make room to flip the ballast over. (The reflector will still be attached by the light switch, but you will still have enough room to flip the ballast over.
3. Now measure the ballast box and center the plate on the box. For mine I found that placing the plate at 22” from either side placed me at the exact center.
4. Now mark the holes using the plate, and then with the appropriate drill bit (1/8” in my case) drill the holes. Remember to measure twice, and cut once.
5. Screw in the bolts, and then add the washers and the bolts. If your bolts were slightly bigger then the holes (like mine) then your need to thread the holes by gently forcing them through. But as it is a thin metal, it should not take much effort.
6. Repeat this process for as many lights as you have. and you are now done.
So how do I attach more then one light to one stand? Good question! That is why I had you use the 6” pins. You’ll need one short arm and grip head to complete the mounting, but if you mount it this way, they will function as one light that will rotate as one. And now since you have two lights next to each other you now have a “dim-able” light or more correctly selectable banks, as you can turn on all four, or just two bulbs to get the light output you want. To attach both lights to one stand follow the pictures below: (The long stem allows you to attach the extra head and arm to the back of the stem.)
Now that you have a 4 bank, “dim-able” Kino, get out there and shoot! in a future post I’ll be sharing what this light looks like in action. If you are currious about the photo-metrics of this light, here they are:
4-Bank:
3’ = 90 Foot Candles (fc)
5’ = 45 fc
8’ = 20 fc
12’ = 10 fc
2-Bank:
3’ = 50 fc
5’ = 20 fc
8’ = 10 fc
12’ = 5 fc
Cheers,
Ryan E. Walters, Cinematographer
*UPDATE: See how to create a bank of lights here: IY Kino Update">DIY KINO UPDATE.
Disclaimer:
If you want all of the functionality / flexibility of a Kino, then you’ll need to buy a Kino-Flo. If, however, you are looking for an affordable 4’ soft light that can be “dimmed” then this solution will work for you.
Also, please forgive the quality of the pictures, All I had on hand at the time was a little point and shoot digital camera...
The Shopping List-
1. Lithonia Lighting Diamond Plate Utility Light $30
This light is more reflective then the standard utility light due to the diamond plating. It should also be noted that Home Depot’s online system is not very reliable. When I clicked to see if any were available at my local store it said that they were not, and further more that they could only be bought online. I went to the store anyway, and found an ample supply of them. So disregard what it says online, and go see for yourself.
2. Avenger F805 Baby Wall Plate - 6” Stem $14
In the build that David did, he chose to use 3” Stems- which will work just fine if you desire to use just one light on one stand. But if you want to group two lights on one stand, then I’d recommend getting the 6” stem. You’ll see why later...
3. 4x Bolts, nuts, & washers. Slightly bigger then 1/8” $1
Sorry, I have no clue what size the bolts, nuts, and washers were. They were just extras that I had on hand. I do know that they were slightly bigger then 1/8” as the drill bit that I used was 1/8” and the bolts had to be threaded through in order to fit.
4. 2x Florescent Bulbs T12 base 4’ long. $4 - $20
This is where the choice is going to rest with you. I would recommend getting the highest wattage, highest output, highest CRI bulbs that you can. At Home Depot those were bulbs that were 40w, 2200 Lumens, and 92 CRI. They ran $10 each, and you’ll need two of them per light. There are cheaper ones that you can get for $2 each... (Also, my preference is to get Daylight balanced bulbs 5000k or 6500k, but that is because I’m shooting on the Red.)
Instructions:
1. Un-box the light and remove the two screws that are holding the reflector to the ballast. (They are located on either end of the light.)
2. Set the reflector a side and make room to flip the ballast over. (The reflector will still be attached by the light switch, but you will still have enough room to flip the ballast over.
3. Now measure the ballast box and center the plate on the box. For mine I found that placing the plate at 22” from either side placed me at the exact center.
4. Now mark the holes using the plate, and then with the appropriate drill bit (1/8” in my case) drill the holes. Remember to measure twice, and cut once.
5. Screw in the bolts, and then add the washers and the bolts. If your bolts were slightly bigger then the holes (like mine) then your need to thread the holes by gently forcing them through. But as it is a thin metal, it should not take much effort.
6. Repeat this process for as many lights as you have. and you are now done.
So how do I attach more then one light to one stand? Good question! That is why I had you use the 6” pins. You’ll need one short arm and grip head to complete the mounting, but if you mount it this way, they will function as one light that will rotate as one. And now since you have two lights next to each other you now have a “dim-able” light or more correctly selectable banks, as you can turn on all four, or just two bulbs to get the light output you want. To attach both lights to one stand follow the pictures below: (The long stem allows you to attach the extra head and arm to the back of the stem.)
Now that you have a 4 bank, “dim-able” Kino, get out there and shoot! in a future post I’ll be sharing what this light looks like in action. If you are currious about the photo-metrics of this light, here they are:
4-Bank:
3’ = 90 Foot Candles (fc)
5’ = 45 fc
8’ = 20 fc
12’ = 10 fc
2-Bank:
3’ = 50 fc
5’ = 20 fc
8’ = 10 fc
12’ = 5 fc
Cheers,
Ryan E. Walters, Cinematographer
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