Dual Ultralite Arm Set up?

[gearbow_36218 9]

Hi just pulled the trigger on video rig. The GH5 with Nauticam Oly M. Zuiko pro f2.8 7-14 and the 60mm macro. I ordered 2x Sola 3500 with diffuser earlier in the year for my GoPro and in a effort to save some dollars now i decided to stick with these lights for the time being. I also have four sola 2000's that still work perfectly and work great as back up lights should one go dead as batteries can not be replaced in the solas.

 

I have four ultra light arms, two on each side connected with butterfly clamps. Good for attaching a light to each side of my rig. Since most of my stuff will be wide angle and hopefully the sola diffuser will widen the beam enough that i get good coverage. However I have noticed in the past with my solas that that a wide angle set up can leave some space in the middle that is not illuminated. That is okay on those shots but as I move closer to the object I need to illuminate the subject and foreground. I could mount a light on the shoe mount but then backscatter becomes more of a issue as i light straight on.

 

Does anyone have a recommendation for branching off a second set of lights to each side? Is this even desirable?

[Pajjpen 61]

I'm far from an expert but diffusers for video lights seem very counter productive. I've never owned a pair of Solas so that might be how they work but I doubt it.

 

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[Undertow 30]

I'm not sure what you mean, why not just adjust the lights' position? That's what movable ball joint arms are for... No single lighting position is applicable to every shooting scenario.

[Aotus 9]

diffusers are great for video lights, though i am almost saddened to say that a white plastic bag and a rubber band often can produce the same softening effect (though maybe not the increase in angle).

 

Re: OP's question. If the light doesn't connect, tilt inward. If you haven't used the Solas with their diffusers yet, you may not have a problem. L&M are awesome and serious about their lights (check out their test site, www.wetestlights.com). I used the 3000s and found the edge was hard, so I used the bag trick to soften it. Later I tried a 3800 with diffuser (just in the house), and the edge is wide and soft.

 

I do not think a second set of lights is the answer, at least not on the same rig. I considered using a pair of 1200s with a pair of 3000s. I had them all so I set up the rig -they're small enough that it can be done, but I have a hard time imagining it working well without making weird uneven lighting. No reason not to try it though. I wouldn't get a second set of arms. I was going to use a triple-ball clamp to hold two sets to the end of one arm. Then tilt each light individually. worked like a charm in my living room, but decided i didn't;t need the 1200s, because they made little difference to the intensity or spread of light (again, in my house).

 

As for the lights you are using, I used a pair of 3000s in a cave and got great images and video. I very much doubt that light spread is an issue with 3500 (aren't they 3800?) with diffusers. If you're competing with ambient light, or want to reach farther, you may need to go up in power, but I think we'd have to hear more about your application to guess at that. Their 9000 (9600? i forget) is an amazing light, but it's way way way bigger and double the price.