|
Photo Basics 402 uLite Video Lighting Kit |  | Brand: F.J. Westcott Co.
Category: Photography
List Price: $249.90
Buy New: $203.94
as of 3/14/2010 07:31 CDT details
You Save: $45.96 (18%)
New (4)
Seller: Adorama Camera
Rating:  15 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 16.9
Dimensions (in): 30 x 7.5 x 13.5
MPN: 402
Model: 402
UPC: 817967004022
EAN: 0817967004022
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
| • | Easy set up; soft boxes are collapsible and set up and tear down in seconds | | • | Constant lights allow you to see lighting patterns instantly | | • | Can use with any point-and-shoot or digital SLR camera | | • | Educational DVD covers all aspects of set up, lighting and posing | | • | All-inclusive kit allows you to start shooting right away |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
We've all heard of the wonders of using Green Screen for video, but for the first time ever, we teach how simple and easy this technique really is. Play live at a rock concert, conduct an interview in front of the Eiffel Tower, enjoy a day at the beach--the possibilities are endless. The Westcott 402 comes complete with everything you need: Lighting, Green Screen, Educational DVD, Digital Video DVD and free trial of Adobe Premiere Elements 7 software.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
 Product flaws overmatch its utility October 17, 2009
loce_the_wizard (Lilburn, GA USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Our experience with the Photo Basics 402 uLite Video Lighting Kit was glowing but not positive. As others have noted the instructional video references an old version of iMovie and setting up the green screen itself takes a bit of practice and patience. Once it is in place, and applying the basics from the video, one can start experimenting with visual effects and the green screen does perform as advertised.
But the big surprise here was that the light covers melted over the bulbs within 15 minutes of being set up. The acrid smell of melting plastic is an attention getter, and there is no hope of repairing these, so the lights in kit are already out of commission. For the record, I would have to say the this product's flaws overmatch its utility---at least ours did.
 Average lighting kit September 1, 2009
M. Potvin (SC PA)
The light stands are you average not quite bottom of the barrel stands. I have a number of these for my photography gear and they hold up well.
The included softbox is on the smallish side, less air print than the footprint of the stand. However the included bulbs generate a ton of light, and the softbox cover does its job pretty well. Make sure you have adequate cooling in the room as they generate a LOT of heat!
The green screen is of very good quality, and truly wrinkle free. I have a perfect span on my fireplace where I was able to hook it to a couple nails and spread perfectly.
The educational videos is probably where this kit shines. They really do help you learn the art of green screen shooting.
If all the gear was bought separately, you could probably save some money. However getting everything in one kit is nice.
Good value as a Starter Kit August 2, 2009
David K. Watson (Ojai, CA USA)
The Photo Basics 402 uLite Video Lighting Kit is a good starting point for anyone interested in green screen or who just wants to step up a level in their video and photo lighting. The light stands are not professional equipment, but they are still quite a bit better than the equipment I owned in high school and college.
The green screen itself is like a large lightweight blanket. It has grommet holes for hanging on a wall and a channel for hanging from a backdrop stand. It would be helpful if the product description noted both the size of backdrop (9' x 10') and the fact that you need a space where it can hang freely. The instructional video recommends (though not by name) 3M Command(tm) Hooks for wall hanging. The only place in my house that has both enough unobstructed wall space and enough empty floor space to set up is in front of the master bedroom closets. If I want to set up in say, my living room (good natural light), or the guest bedroom (don't have to break it down between sessions), I'll need to buy a backdrop stand. It would be nice if this were available as an option.
The instructional video provides clear and easy-to-understand explanations of basic lighting setup for green screen. It also provides some instruction on using Adobe Premier Elements (Windows) to combine your live action green screen video with pre-recorded backgrounds. I was pleased to see instructions are also included for using iMovie on the Macintosh for green screen. Unfortunately, the version demonstrated is an older version (probably iMovie HD '06) which required a third-party plug-in to do green screen. It is true that iMovie '08 was met with a lot of resistance among iMovie users, many of whom have stayed with iMovie HD '06 or stepped up to Final Cut Express, but iMovie '09 addresses some of the concerns of iMovie HD '06 users and does have built-in support for green-screen effects. It would be beneficial if the instructional video was updated with segments on using iMovie '09 or Final Cut Express to work with green screen effects.
As a package deal, the Photo Basics 402 uLite Video Lighting Kit is aimed at the home and education markets and seems to me to be a good value for anyone who is new to this technology and starting from scratch on equipment.
 definitely gets the job done, but with small growing potential July 23, 2009
fatmav
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I suppose anyone who considers this kit wants the answers to the following two questions: does this kit do what it is supposed to do and does it have any potential for other applications? Since the components of this kit are well-described in other reviews, let me skip listing them and jump right in.
For the first point, I consider this kit to be totally adequate for its advertised purpose, which to me is beginner green-screen work. I find the quality of the bundled items good for the price, especially on the hardware side.
* The two lightstands are well-made for green-screen applications. They have absolutely no flex even at maximum height (can't say this for some economy lightstands) and they extend high enough for typical video productions to hide the shadows.
* The two 500W bulbs are certainly bright enough as your sole light source. They can get very hot, but any tungsten light at this rating has to be hot.
* The included green screen fabric is thick and so I expect it to remain wrinkle-free after many foldings. It also has a good size. (Keep in mind that one needs a much larger background for green-screen work because the subject has to stand a few feet in front, thus diminishing the effective size of the screen.)
* While I would love to have the diffusion panels on the two softboxes to be stretched tauter, at the typical green-screen distance we are considering, there can be no visible improvement to the evenness of light.
* Finally, there is an instruction DVD that has the green-screen technique laid out in a clear fashion, together with a very entry-level tutorial on how to post-process green-screen footage. The former is great and the latter is adequate. As a bonus, they also throw in a DVD that contains animated background so that you can start producing immediately.
Having that said, the pricing of this kit brings us to a curious point where one can get very good work out of the kit but one cannot grow out of the kit easily. In other words, I find that if I actually do anything in addition to beginner green-screen (which I think most of us are), then I would want to have bought the components separately. I would end up spending a bit more on each item, but I also get a much upgraded kit.
* First, the lightstands. I can hardly find any other use for the two in the kit. Their foot span is relatively small considering their folded length. In other words, they are tippy relative to their (lack of) portability. This is what I mean by not being able to grow out of it. If you do anything else at all, I think you have a better choice here. You can either get a more portable (folded smaller) lightstand, or you can get something significantly sturdier for other indoor applications that has a heavier load. Either route costs you a bit more, but you get much more use out of your stands.
* The same thing applies to the background also. The one included in the kit is really a large blanket with hook holes and you are supposed to use wall hooks to attach them to the wall. But you can gain portability by getting a collapsible one that can be leaned on the wall. This is great if you need to be on location. (A certain competitor has one that is slightly smaller in size.)
* The lights... the kit ships with two 500W bulbs and it can be desirable to replace them with much cooler fluorescent lamps. Westcott knew this and they actually make an adaptor Part #413 that allows you to use four CFLs instead of a 500W bulb. But once you factor the cost of the adaptor and the replacement CFLs into the equation, well, you have just spent the equivalent of a decent fluorescent kit if not more.
Bottomline: If you have a specific application and you want a kit to get the job done, this is recommendable and hence the five stars. In other cases, you will probably benefit by picking up the components individually. I should warp this up by noting that the Adobe Premiere Express included in the kit is the PC trial. In other words, be prepared to buy your own software.
Great starter kit for a small home July 20, 2009
V. Ghazarian (New York)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
After getting this kit, I can produce much better video interviews than my local TV station. After going through the very clear and concise training CD for a total of an hour, I was able to produce professional videos. The software included in the kit allows for the creation of different backgrounds, I can create a video of myself in the Swiss Alps in a matter of minutes. It is important to have a large room where the green screen can be fully stretched so that it doesn't show wrinkles, because wrinkles cause image problems. The lights are not heavy and are easy to set up and store, the screen is from a wrinkle free material so the setup and clean up are quick and easy.
For someone who had no exposure to this industry and didn't know anything about video editing and lighting this was a nice quick intro to the subject. I really enjoyed the instruction material it was very easy to understand and follow. I highly recommend this product to anyone who has an interest in creating and editing videos.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
|
|
|
 . | |
Digital camera, camcoders, lenses and more 
