F&V — manufacturer of many innovative LED lighting products — have released their new Softlight F&V Z1200VC ,a 3×1 LED. Let’s have a closer look at the announcement. Z1200VC CTD-Soft I have always loved lighting with soft lights. HMI or tungsten fresnels shot through (multiple) diffusion frames and fluorescent-tube fixtures like KinoFlos have had a fixed place in my arsenal since I began with filmmaking. I tried to steer clear of LED fixtures in the past, because I never liked what they did to skin-tones and always felt the quality of the light was kind of “rough”, not en-par with the soft glow a KinoFlo or diffused tungsten source produced. That changed a while ago, especially when Arri came out with their Skypanel series of soft RGB LED lights. But their high price means that they are out of many budgets in rental as well as for buying them as an owner/operator. Since the introduction of high-end LED lights like the Skypanel and others, various companies have stepped up to making LED soft lights that produce equally “good” quality light — F&V being one of them, with a CRI that matches the one of the Skypanels. Let’s have a look at the F&V Z1200VC CTD-Soft LED Softlight – F&V’s newest offer, which appears to be a well thought-out product. 3×1 LED Softlight F&V Z1200VC Technicalities & Color The F&V Z1200VC CTD-Soft LED Softlight is roughly 800mm x 290mm x 43mm in size (3x1ft) and is very light at only around 5kg (lamp head only). That makes the fixture one of the lightest contenders in the market. The F&V Z1200VC CTD — a very slim fixture, indeed. The light draws 270W of power and has a beam angle of 130°. F&V rate the light at 1300 Lux at two meters with 3200°K and at 1450 Lux with 5600°K also at 2 meters. That puts the F&V Z1200VC CTD-Soft LED Softlight somewhere in the middle of the market’s current offerings in terms of brightness. F&V employs a LED panel technology the named EverTrue Vari-Color, which they claim is superior to bi-color solutions. Their technology allows the color temperature follow the Black Body Radiation Curve more precisely resulting in no magenta or green color shift like it occurs when simply blending together tungsten- and daylight balanced LEDs like it is done in normal bi-color fixtures. This Green/Magenta shift has always been the problem with bi-color fixtures, especially when they were mixed with pure daylight or tungsten sources that were balanced with gels. One of the reasons I never use Bi-color LEDs. Ever. I rather gel daylight LEDs with CTO to match tungsten sources. F&V claim that light temperature can be adjusted from a very low 2400°K to 9900°K, which is quite a huge range compared to other products and will come in handy when matching existing light sources or for creative work. Speaking of matching existing light sources: the F&V Z1200VC CTD-Soft LED Softlight offers Tint Controls and Green/Magenta shift, which should make matching the tint of existing practicals or movie-lights much easier. Z1200VC CTD – Vari-color vs. Bi-color The TLCI (Television Lighting Consistency Index) of the lamp is given at “up to” 99 by F&V and they claim to factory-calibrate their lamps so that there are no inconsistencies between multiple fixtures. I presume the “up to” means that the precision is not constant across the full-color temperature range. Power, Control & Mounting The fixture can be powered by either a 2-slot battery plate (Standard is V-Mount an Anton Bauer is optional) or via an AC adapter. (The V-Mount plate is included in the Rental- and Location kits, not in the Studio Pack.) Z1200VC CTD – AC power adapter or twin V-Mount A separate unit is used to control the lamp and adjust settings either directly on the unit, via DMX and via WiFi. A variety of pre-programmed lighting effects like Party, Club, Lightning, TV a more can be dialed-in and adjusted by the user – making the fixture a lighting SFX tool. F&V has hinted at more effects that will be added —presumably via a firmware update. Another neat feature is user-selectable dimming curves – these can be useful in a variety of scenarios. Just think about a simulated sunrise or adjusting the dimming-curve to match tungsten lights that need to be dimmed live at the same time. AC Adapter and Controller unit can be attached or detached The Controller and the AC adapter (alternatively a battery mount) can be either mounted directly to the back of the lamp or taken off the lamp and used much like the ballast of an HDMI or Kino-Flo. NOTE: This is a neat feature, because you can change the depending on where you want to rig the lamp choosing between a compact fixture with minimal cabling and the lightest possible lamp-head configuration. The standard way of mounting the lamp is a central lollipop-mount, which enables the light head to be rotated freely in many ways — probably the best solution for location- and most studio scenarios. F&V also offer an optional Pole Operation Yoke, which is useful when the lamp is used in a semi-permanent studio setting. Conclusion If the F&V Z1200VC CTD-Soft LED Softlight delivers, what F&V promise (at a very reasonable price point) they could have a winner on their hands that will be seen on many larger and smaller sets out there. What also remains to be seen is the build quality of the lamp body and the accessories – whether they can stand some abuse on set will determine if the lamp is suitable for rental or if it’s more suited for owner /operators. The lamp head itself has passive cooling and will not cause any noise issues, but it remains to be seen whether there are fans in the AC adapter or the control unit that might. F&V are currently offering three kits that include the lamp head and various accessories: the Location Pack, Studio Pack, and the Rental Pack. What do you think of LED lights in general and LED Softlights in particular? Is the F&V Z1200VC CTD-Soft LED Softlight something you think you will be using or even buying? Let us know in the comments!

Have you ever heard of Spiffy’s so-called Specular LED light? If not: read our coverage here or our review here, and if you did you might be pleased to hear about three new kits the guys at Spiffy have put together: The Interview Kit, the Complete Star Kit and the Traveller Kit. image credit: Spiffy A quick rundown of specs of this neat light? Sure: One kit comes with 4 LED sections, each of these are 5600K daylight balanced, dimmable (10-100%) and offer a TLCI of 96+. Each unit weights only 335 grams and a single V-Mount battery can power a whole 3-point-lighting setup, since each section only drwas 14.5W of power in full brightness. You can stack up to eight sections with just one power cable, so even the full star shape can be put together without too much cable clutter. New Spekular Light Kits Since the Spekular LED lights are modular, using them is very flexible. Power them either by AC power through a wall outlet or by using the optional battery adapter and connect it to a D-Tap equipped battery. Build a triangle shaped light rig with three sections of the Spekular light. Or use them individually with the optional Expansion Kit. image credit: Spiffy Want to build a star-shaped light? No problem, just connect eight sections using an optional star adapter. Each Spekular light kit (4 sections) is $650, each optional accessory is $130. Pretty straight forward. Unfortunately, the news here is not the introduction of new bi-color Specular lights. You still need some gels in order to balance these lights to your needs. The news here are three new kits, put together by the guys behind Spiffy. Pricing of these kits is pretty interesting compared to indivdual products so these might be worth a closer look if you’re hooked by the idea of this light. Traveller Kit (left), Complete Star Kit (center)& Interview Kit (right). image credit: Spiffy Interview Kit ($680): Spekular Core Kit ($650) + Expansion Kit ($130) –> save $100 Complete Star Kit ($1,230): Core Kit ($650) + another Core Kit ($650) + Star Adapter ($130) –> save $200 Traveller Kit ($820): Core Kit ($650) + Battery Adapter ($130) + Expansion Kit ($130) –> save $90 Availability You can get these new kits straight from Spiffy’s website. The same is true if you prefer to buy separate items to build your own kit. These new kits are available now. image credit: Spiffy I really like the idea of these light and getting a full kit for less can’t be wrong. Sure, these light are clearly rooted in the photography world but a decent eyelight (or even a full interview kit in one small bag) can’t hurt, don’t you think? Links: Spiffy.com What do you think about these modular LEDs? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The Came-TV RGBDT panels feature an array of different coloured LEDS to achieve high CRI at any setting. They come in 20W, 75W and 150W models. The name may be a bit of a tongue twister, but there is actually a logic behind all those letters. As David from Came-TV explains, although RGB LED panels offer great flexibility in creating combinations of colours between red, green and blue, the CRI – or Colour Rendition Index – can drop drastically when trying to dial in a Daylight or Tungsten color temperature. The technology implemented in the Came TV RGBDT fixtures incorporates Daylight and Tungsten LEDs into the RGB array in order to maintain a high CRI across all hues. The models presented at IBC were prototypes of the final product, so the extreme ends of the colour temperature from Tungsten to Daylight haven’t been established just yet. The Came TV RGBDT fixtures feature quite a slim body, with two knobs at the back that allow you to control colour temperature and brightness. A set of buttons lets you select the individual red, green and blue channels, which are controlled by a single knob. The lights offer the user visual feedback on the current settings via an on-board display. In terms of power, the little 20W model can take a couple of Sony NP-F style batteries in addition to DC. Powering the 75W and 150W on the go requires moving up to V-lock batteries, with the larger of the two models needing two batteries simultaneously due to its larger power draw. Of course, both larger models also take DC power. A very nice touch is the inclusion of magnetic barn doors that snap onto the Came TV RGBDT panels very easily, making setup changes on set that much quicker. Unfortunately, there isn’t any pricing information available just yet, but you should be able to purchase these light fixtures from around November time. For more information, visit Came-TV.com Are you interested in the RGB LED panel craze? Could the Came-TV RGBDT make it into your buy list? Let us know in the comments!

When considering LED lights it’s often easy to think, “If it’s available in bi-color, it’s worth the extra money for the flexibility”. But there are often times when a Bi-Color LED is not the best option. Bi-Color LED Lights Bi-Color LED lights are a pretty common sight, as the rise of LED technology within filmmaking naturally brings more advanced and flexible lighting systems. A Bi-Color light by definition is one that can offer the user multiple color temperatures. Some are user switchable between 3200K and 5600K, others give mid-way options such as 4300K, and others will transition from one end of the spectrum to the other, offering a whole variety of Kelvin color temperatures. This versatility makes them very popular – after all, why have a fixed temperature light when you can have Bi-Color, right? Well, it’s not always the best option, and here’s why. Some LEDs are less color accurate in Bi-Color mode. Testing the extended CRI on them can yield lesser results when compared to the respective straight tungsten or daylight LED fixture. But this is quite a broad statement, so let’s make the assumption that we’re considering good quality LED lights, where high-extended CRI values are a minimum expectation. Generally speaking, many Bi-Color panels have less output at respective Kelvin values then single-temperature fixtures. And this is when you should consider what fixture is the right one for you. Are Daylight-Only LED Lights Sometimes Better? For simplicity, I’ll generalize approximate 5600K (Kelvin) fixtures as Daylight, and approx. 3200K as Tungsten, and work on the assumption that we’re always trying to color-match environments correctly (for example a daylight lamp in a daylight environment). When shooting in a daylight environment, you are often competing with some sort of daylight. That could be room ambience, a visual-in-frame window or an exterior. If you were to take an ambience reading with a light meter in a daylight space like this, you’d generally get more level reading than if you were in standard tungsten-lit room. This is usually the kind of situation where you want the most out of your lights. A high-powered, daylight-balanced light means you can compete with ambience levels and you can modify your fixture by cutting or diffusing as you feel necessary. A daylight-only fixture will nearly always be brighter than its Bi-Color counterpart – you will therefore get more output from a daylight-only fixture than a Bi-Color one. Let’s look at the Litepanels Astra family as an example. I use these in one form or another on nearly every shoot, so I know them well. The Litepanels Astra is available in Daylight, Tungsten and Bi-Color, and they have also now released a new 6X model which is brighter across all versions. Below are the lux ratings of each lamp: Distance of 5 feet/1.5M away Litepanels Bi-Color at Daylight – 4577 lux Litepanels Daylight – 5790 lux Litepanels 6X Bi-Color at Daylight – 6330 lux Litepanels 6X Daylight – 6612 lux You can see from the figures above that you will get the most output from your LED light when it is a fixed temperature fixture – although, again, Litepanels has closed the gap with its latest model. But where does that leave you with mixed temperature or Tungsten lighting, if you go with a daylight-only LED light? My experience with these types of environments is that you have more control over the ambient levels – mixed temperature or Tungsten light is a strong contributing factor to your light levels because daylight is less apparent. It’s these situations where you can sometimes afford to have less output from your light. Therefore, adding a corrective gel to the front of a daylight fixture is an acceptable compromise to having a Bi-Color option. There are of course exceptions to this theory. I can’t speak for the masses, as there is an infinite amount of scenarios with lighting. But it’s a consideration worth taking on board when considering an LED fixture: Does it really need to be a Bi-Color LED or will the extra output from a Daylight-only fixture be more useful to me? A small tip I’d give for those considering Daylight-only fixtures and adding gels when appropriate: always consider Rosco or LEE filtration over the correction packs supplied by the light manufacturer. Many light manufacturers will mass-produce colored gels that won’t have the consistency of output and color accuracy of a company that solely specializes in filtration. Finding a few grades of color corrective Rosco/LEE and cutting them to size can be handy, and adding magnetic strips or some small dual lock will make them as quick and easy-to-use as a native corrective filter. What’s your preference? Would you prefer the instant flexibility over the temperature of your light in a Bi-Color lamp? Or does the extra output on a daylight fixture make more sense to you?

At NAB 2017 we took a look at the Visionsmith ReLamp system. An ingenious idea: use your old light fixtures, and upgrade them with LED replacement bulbs! Courtesy Erik Naso – Showing ReLamp LED replacement for ARRI 650 ReLamp LED Replacement Lights ReLamp allows you to replace old halogen lights, such as ARRI fresnels, and upgrade them with an LED component – a great idea for those who have would like to give a new lease of life to their old fixtures. These revamped versions that Visionsmith showed off at this year’s NAB now feature 90V – 250V compatibility and offers LED replacement units for a wider variety of housings. While many cinematographers have complained that LEDs don’t render perfect colour, I believe the game has changed significantly. Visionsmith claims their LEDs have a CRI of 98, and apparently there are no colour shifts during dimming. The benefits of using LED include being eight times more efficient, meaning you can save a whole lot on your electricity bill. Additionally, there’s no heat to worry about: a halogen grid is like a grid of industrial space-heaters, compensated by heavy-duty air conditioning. If you’re running lights for 12 hours a day, the numbers add up fast. The new VisionSmith ReLamp will be available in various versions. Here are some of the prices: ARRI 650W LED replacement: $495 ARRI 1k LED replacement: $695 ARRI 2K LED replacement: $995 For more information please have a look at Visionsmith’s website. What do you think of ReLamp? Has the time come to move over to LED? Please let us know in the comments below.

There’s a bright update regarding lights here at NAB 2017. The Aputure Light Storm C300d is the latest addition to their lineup and it’s really bright! Ted Sim from the A Team talks us through all the features. Aputure Light Storm C300d Not very long ago, I did a review on the Aputure Light Storm C120t. The t in that model stands for tungsten, so the d in Light Storm C300d clearly stands for daylight. Simple! At 150% the size of the previous tungsten version, the new Light Storm C300d fixture is the bigger brother of the C120t. This light is tremendously high-output, and as such, its LED COB (chip on bard) system needs some serious cooling and the enclosure space to house it: not one but two fans and a large heatsink are built right into the unit. Basically, this light can replace a much higher-powered HMI source but without the need of a power outlet. With 300W of power, Aputure claims a massive 82,000 lux of light output. However, that’s its rating at about 0.5 meters. Since lux ratings are usually measured at a distance of 1m, these 82,000 lux may not actually mean so much. I’m walking on thin ice here, but I assume this number translates to about 20,500 lux @ 1m when consulting the inverse square law to do the math. EDIT: Ted from Aputure just got back to me via mail and he’s telling me that the rating is actually 31,000 lux @ 1m. Nicely done, indeed! To clarify even more, read the following comment by Aputure’s Ted Sim: When we said 31,000 lux, we were talking about at 1m with the Bowens Reflector which puts it at a 60 degree beam angle. With the fresnel, we’re looking at 187,800 lux at 0.5m. One thing to be careful of though is that lux isn’t really an accurate measurement of output since it’s only testing the brightness of a fixture at a single point in space. It isn’t measuring every ray of luminescence that light is emitting, which means that if a light has a hot spot in the middle of the beam when compared to the edge of the light’s cast (ex. a 4:1 ratio rather than 2:1), that can cause a light to give off higher (even double) lux readings even though it isn’t actually any more efficient or bright. We specially design the Light Storm Reflector to give as even of a spread as possible. We think it makes for a better tool in cinematography where you want as much control as possible. However, it does mean that if you test the center of the light and compare it to the edge of its cast, the lux readings won’t vary much. We’ll be releasing full photometrics the following week, but the best thing to do is have users compare the lights for themselves and in person. At the end of May in NYC and at the beginning of June in LA, we’re going to be hosting an open house where anyone is welcome to bring their lights and compare fixtures. The external ballast is also a bigger version of the original. It now sports two V-mounts, though you can order a Gold Mount, too. In terms of stamina, we’re looking at about 100min run-time at full power when you attach two 150Wh batteries to the ballast. That’s not a vast amount, but it does allow you to have a very bright light in the field. Just bring a bunch of batteries and you’re all set. You can still remote control the ballast and group several fixtures together. The dimming knob is also still there. Just as the C120t, the build quality is pretty solid without too much plastic. The Light Storm C300d still has the Bowen-S mount to attach a vast variety of available light-shaping accessories. Also, the Light Storm C300d will ship in a case, which is always a nice accessory to have. Pricing and Availability The Aputure Light Storm C300d should be ready for shipping in under three months, so we’re looking at a July 2017 release. No final pricing has been set but according to Aputure they are trying to get it under $1,000 which would be nice to see, of course! Do you have a Light Storm fixture in your kit already? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Litepanels are offering a flash sale on their Astra E panels, placing the “lower powered” daylight model into sub-$500 figures. The sale is for US retailers only, and will last until 5pm PST on 10th November. I’ve been using the Litepanels Astra for years. For me, they’re one of the most versatile portable light fixtures on the market. Dimmable, bicolor, great color reproduction and most of all, powerful. The latter means you can use these fixtures in ways no other panel can. You have the ability to modify your light heavily to obtain much larger and softer sources, whilst retaining good light levels and still remining portable. The Astra comes in three brightness models: the straight-named Astra being the most powerful, followed by the Astra EP and finally the Astra E. There are daylight, tungsten and bicolor versions of each model as well as an Astra Soft. This flash sale is for the Astra Daylight E version, a great cost-effective option for more controlled environments like studio or interiors without lots of windows to compete with. The current sale is valid in the US until 5pm PST on 10th November, saving you $133.00.