Soft Box kit on eBay...

Jonathan Bowerbank · January 20, 2007

Whaddaya guys think? It's so cheap it's tempting, but I don't know :/

http://cgi.ebay.com/PHOTO-DIGITAL-VIDEO-PO...1QQcmdZViewItem

David Sweetman · January 20, 2007

That 'Amvona' equipment is cheaply built but functional; I've got some of their c-stands and combo stands because they're so much cheaper than Matthews and good enough for my purposes. I've never had any problems in over a year, but they're definitely weaker, so you do get what you pay for. In my case, the savings were well worth it.

Mitch Lusas · January 20, 2007

Buying cheap is expensive. Amvona has some okay equipment. But that equipment was based on designs they stole from companies like Bogen. In the long run you'll be happier purchasing an Arri or even (if you shoot quick and dirty) Lowell kit. If you're looking for cheap, you might be able to find an old RedHead Kit and build a SoftBox onto the barndoors using Nylon Ripstop and FoamCore.

Jonathan Bowerbank · January 21, 2007

cool cool, I figured as much. I'd never heard of the brand before, so thanks for your input :)

Hoping to get a good Arri fresnel kit and maybe some Photoflex or Chimeras sometime this year.

Anyone know where I could find some Briese lights here in CA?

Stuart Brereton · January 21, 2007

I have three of the Amvona/Dynaphos softboxes. They're very well made, comparable to a Chimera, but a fraction of the cost. I haven't used the Amvona lights, but they appear to be copies of the Photoflex Starlite QL. The speedring that they supply will only fit these lamps. If you want to use the softboxes with other lamps you'll need to buy the correct ring.

On the whole, I'd say don't buy one of their kits. Just get a couple of the softboxes and buy a speedring for your Arris from B&H.

Evan Phan · January 24, 2007

It all depends on your budget.

If you're in a situation where buying the standard Arri and/or Chimeras means using a lot of your budget, I'd say definitely go for a softbox or two from Amvona, like mentioned above. The kits might be a bit much. I've bought an Amvona large softbox from ebay and have used it for 2 years. It isn't the QUICKEST to setup, but no longer than 5 minutes in skilled hands. But they're definitely sufficiently functional. Large diffused sources are large diffused sources anyway you cut, as long as you know how to use them. I'd use that extra cash to buy/rent other things the production would surely need like c-stand kits, gels, other expendable grip equipment.

If budget isn't a big issue on the other hand, I'd just go straight for Kino Banks.

Stuart Brereton · January 24, 2007

I've bought an Amvona large softbox from ebay and have used it for 2 years. It isn't the QUICKEST to setup, but no longer than 5 minutes in skilled hands.

No offense, but what are you doing that takes five minutes? Mine take less than 30 seconds to set!

If budget isn't a big issue on the other hand, I'd just go straight for Kino Banks.

Kinos are very nice, but all they do is soft light. You still have to carry fresnels or open-face lamps around with you. If you have the space, money and crew to carry lots of lights, fine, but otherwise a fresnel kit with softboxes or diff frames is much more flexible.