Rololight > Testimonials
I was enlightened by the arrival of a new player in the lighting space: Rololight Softbox.
- Mario Munger
I have been waiting for years for a new more convenient lighting system. The nature of my business makes it such that I need to make quicker and quicker decisions in the field.
The landscape changed over the years due to the arrival of continuous and high definition television, new more competitive documentaries and the explosion of specialized channels. This has transformed by business and my production methods. As a director of production and photography, it is a must for me to have the right tools for the right job.
I was enlightened by the arrival of a new player in the lighting space: Rololight Softbox. I have been following the evolution of Rololight and their products for some time. A convenient lighting source, with little energy consumption yet a powerful output. Its ability to be rolled-up, separated into individual lighting strips and its lightweight allows me today to create my best work ever.
It is without a doubt and incredible product!
Mario Munger
Director of Production & Photography.
First Rololight Softbox Experience
- Karen Taylor
Black and White Studios
This is the first time I didn't need to white/colour balance an image upon downloading a CF card into Photoshop. Your settings were spot on and now I shall need make plans to purchase your system. I'll even market them in my Rembrandt Lighting class.
Enclosed is my Pumpkin Photo Entry... actually two. Neither have any white or colour balance editing. I have only added your web address and removed a couple of black carpet spots.
I was dazzled with the quality and the intensity of the lights
- Parish Kohanim
Altanta, GA
I was passing by the ROLOLIGHT booth at the PHOTOPLUS EXPO in New York City.
I was dazzled with the quality and the intensity of the lights.
I had to stop and look further into this beautiful lighting system.
After using ROLOLIGHT system I discover the infinite possibilities for the use in the studio or on location. Several features in this lighting system impressed me.
- Light quality, bright crisp daylight temperature bulbs
- Solid construction
- Extremely portable and compact. (I love the fact that the lights can be rolled up in a compact case and be carried or shipped on any location).
- ROLOLIGHT panels are lightweight and ideal for tight spaces. They can be taped on the wall in such spaces and be used as a window light.
- They are easy expandable or contractible.
Finally…
These light produce light quality unlike any strobe or continuous lights.
These lights are a must for every photographer regardless of speciality, whether it is fashion, portrait, or architectural ect…
Parish Kohanim.
Parish Kohanim Studio, Inc.
1130 West Peachtree St.
Atlanta, Ga 30309
The right tool for the job.
- John Harrington
Cygnus Imaging Group, Melville, NY
I admire the highly organized mechanic, who has the right tools for the job. One drawer holds the socket set; one, the perfectly spaced wrenches, standard and metric.
The right tool for the job. For years, I had taken what amounts to a crescent wrench to my assignments. Then finally, tired of having my metaphorical knuckles skinned, I began looking for the perfect tool.
Enter Rololight. I stumbled across them at PhotoPlus Expo a few years back. The lights illuminated the booth so brightly I had to ask the company president, who was manning the booth, to dial them down so we could chat. I asked about color temperature, color shift due to sine wave fluctuations, power draw, durability, then left to think about what I had heard. I returned about 30 minutes later and purchased every light in the booth.
For over 15 years, I have hauled and pushed and prodded my lighting equipment, all 300 pounds of it, to and fro. For a major commercial assignment, lighting a huge production line or a group of 15 executives, that lighting kit was exactly what the assignment called for.
But for the weekly portraits, for law firms where I set up a location studio, or for magazine covers and inside features, Rololights, with a three-light kit, plus a spare-weighing in at less than 100 pounds-are a godsend.
One of the drawbacks of flash-tube lighting, aside from the recycle times on the less expensive packs, is that, for subjects who hate being photographed, the flash is an unnatural experience. After 15 to 20 pops, they get antsy, loose their expressions, and otherwise diminish their composure, and it shows in the images.
The Rololight's continuous daylight light source means I'm not burdened by recycle times, which means I get far more frames to consider, increasing my chances of getting an image the subject is happy with.
For a standard law-firm portrait (above), I use a three-light setup, usually in a conference room, with one head typically to my left (subject's right), one head directly opposite it (next to the background as a kicker to separate the subject from the backdrop), and one head on the backdrop (almost always Savage Thunder Grey paper), giving the background a slightly graduated tonality. To my right (subject's left), I have either a reflective white or silver panel, kicking back into the subject. For slightly weightier subjects, I move the kicker light to the same side as the main light, making those with weight challenges look their best. For more complex location shoots, the number of lights can vary. In the two images shown here, one Rololight is positioned behind the glass wall (right), pointed toward me, and one is a main light source on the subject's face (above). Both portraits, done for a high-profile
corporate client, are being used as part of a corporate branding campaign for a hip, young clientele. Sometimes we find ourselves in tight spaces and simply have to deal with it. Enter the geniuses at Lighttools. I can't imagine traveling to an assignment without their light modifiers, called Soft Egg Crates. I have one for every softbox, and now for my Rololights. I used to have a softbox nearly two-feet deep--even with my thin Plume softboxes-approaching three feet with the head. But when the
Lighttools are attached to my Rololight, the depth is approximately eight inches, allowing me space to fly a light over the head of my subject, even when I'm fighting the standard seven-foot ceiling. With the Egg Crates attached to a light panel (shown above), I am assured of no spill of my large soft light onto surfaces in narrow location studio spaces. Often, I will insert a sheet of Tuffspun in front of the lights to soften the light further and give the lights - which have individual tubes that can cause reflective lines in the eyes--a "standard" softbox look.
My friend and colleague, lighting genius Michael Grecco, also relies on Lighttools. So you know they're a serious tool for controlling your light.
John Harrington
Cygnus Imaging Group
3 Huntington Quadrangle/Suite 301N
Melville, NY 11747
My experience using ROLOLIGHT SOFTBOX on location.
- Alin Dupras DOP
My experience using ROLOLIGHT SOFTBOX on location.
I had been thinking for a long time of how to develop a lightweight, compact, flat, sturdy, economical lamp that could produce the soft light I like most. When a friend told me about ROLOLIGHT SOFTBOX, I just had to contact the designers of this new light. I have to admit that I was really impressed and a little jealous when I saw the concept that Robert and Mario perfected. Beyond a simple light, this is a multi-purpose lighting system with virtually endless configurations thanks to the simplicity of its design.
The base module (one neon on a plastic base) is itself so simple that you have to wonder why nobody thought of it before. But the masterstroke is the linkage system that lets you extend your light source to the size you want, with each section remaining fully independent, inspired by the body design of the lowly earthworm! Cut it in half, and you have two sources ready to go. As simple as that.
I’m not going to try to explain how the system works. You can go to the company’s website and see for yourself. What I’d like to do is tell you about my experience filming with ROLO.
During the two weeks I spent shooting a documentary that involved a lot of different situations, I had the chance to really put the versatility of this new device to the test. Because it’s lightweight and compact, it can go just about anywhere; you can expand or reduce the light source as much as you want and adapt it to any format: round/corner/arch/panel, you name it. You can also link blocks of modules together from a single outlet just like a set of Christmas lights. These lightweight and sturdy units are so easily camouflaged that I was able to light my subjects and sets from really tight spots. You can hang them on a wall with all kinds of tape- masking/gaffer/velcro/double-face- so they take up a minimum of space while giving off a soft diffused light.
In panel configuration using plastic rails it acts like a more conventional “softlight”, but one that is easier easy to handle than anything I’ve used up to now.
For a lighting freak like me, ROLO immediately became a DOP toy, a construction set that let me play with all the combinations and configurations I could think of. I’ve even caught myself lying in bed with my eyes closed, thinking up increasingly complex problems to tackle with ROLO.
Another important point is that a small crew or even a single person can easily use ROLO. This is a real plus when shooting a documentary. Having said that, it is also every bit as useful for shooting a feature film. The quality of its light and its versatility make it perfect for any kind of shoot on location.
So get your own ROLO and play around with it!!!
My «wish list» of toys I'd like to put to good use in the coming year.
- E. G. Petersen
Here's a product from Canada, ay - the Rololight Softbox. It's a series of fluorescent fixtures that can be connected to form circles (see first picture below) or as a wall (second picture down), you can use one light or connect hundreds together. They can be "daisy chained" and can run either AC or DC. The odd thing is the manufacturer had to special order the lamps from Denmark. The lamps are full spectrum, but they simulate 7000K. Each light you see below is an individual light unit. When you see a set of them, they've been connected together. Let's see if this item takes off.