FloLight LED500 Light Review

Kit Hannah said:
Hey Richard,
I say just build some LED versions of the CL-2x55 or 4x55 studio models, use the same case, just with your LED design. I'll buy a bunch.
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That'd be way more expensive though (and more useful, as those light sources are so much bigger).

The LED light under discussion here is about the same basic dimensions as a sheet of paper. It's a small panel. $200 seems like a steal, I'd be down for a couple of those.
 
Well, just read those reviews -- with positive (highly positive) reviews from both David Saraceno and Bill Pryor, let's just say these things shot up way higher on my radar. Bill's was particularly interesting because like him, I've been using CaseLights and -- well, CaseLights are great, but they're heavier than Starr Jones. A small little replacement, especially one that can be battery powered? I'm all over that.

So -- Richard -- what's your anticipated delivery time? Can you just import the existing Lishuai model at $200? Sounds like a huge winner.
 
I'm on board as well for several, even if they are metal housing, not plastic.

But really do think that having one color with as much as light as possible and gelling down to 3200K is the way to go. Not worth cutting light output in half just to have two color temps built in.

And as I said, I know that they'd be solid products coming from Cool Lights!
 
Yep, I would vote for one bank of daylight LEDs. I can always slide a sheet of CTO over them if needing tungsten.

When I got the CaseLites I thought I'd put two daylight and two tungsten tubes in there, but -- it's just a pain. I normally run 'em all-daylight. A sheet of CTO converts it to tungsten color and only costs 2/3 of a stop (which means, with four daylight tubes in, I get twice as much daylight as I would with 2+2, and with the CTO in it's still 1/3 stop more tungsten lumens than it would be with 2+2).

So, all daylight, please. :)
 
Barry_Green said:
So, all daylight, please. :)
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I'll second that, for the very same reasons.
I have a couple of Flo lights that I use quite often (and am very happy with by the way) - and I bought some tungsten tubes for them... and can honestly say I've only used those tubes once.

Most times I'm working with existing daylight, or use some CTO to balance as needed.

Point is - if we're talking about having half as much power per color temp, or using CTO to knock town the temp of the daylight bulbs.... I'd DEFINITELY go with the all daylight option. Just makes more sense.
 
I agree with all 5600K.... so I 4th it. And most certainly would get 5 if they'll be available before the end of April. Otherwise I don't know. I may need to get the others by then.
 
Seems clear that there are several here that want these lights, and I suspect there would be a ton more if they knew about them.

This will be interesting to see if consumer demand will translate into a product from Cool Lights to meet this demand or if we have to go to Flolight and buy theirs.

I'd pulling for Richard first. But if they are not in the cards then I'll go with whomever offers them.
 
Wow, sounds like my idea of the mixed 3200K / 5600K was a bust. Maybe we won't waste time on that then. To answer a previous inquiry in here, I have never seen an LED which can change color temperature so they are fairly rare and not easy at all to find. Yes, that would be ideal, then you can just have all 512 (or however many) LEDs dedicated to whichever color you choose but its just not that simple to find one LED that can do it all.

As long as we're dreaming though, can you imagine in the future an LED that can not only change color temperature but can also change beam / spot angle electronically as well. That would be incredible to be able to do that with one LED. To be able to change the beam as well from a very small spot to a wide one.

Someone mentioned my carrying the Lishuai panel for $200. I can't do it as theres already a lot of cost in it direct from Lishuai. I really need to manufacture this using my resources to control the costs better. We'll know more in about 5 days.

We can do this its just a question of time as always. We all know how projects can take much longer than you thought in the beginning especially when there are teams involved and each team has other stuff to work on as well.
 
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We are supposed to be taking delivery on a sample 100w LED on Monday (or so). I don't know what people think about this idea of an LED fresnel but let's see some of the interest in it.

This LED is a special one with a higher lumen per watt rating of about 90LPW. More expensive as a result and requires a big heat sink. About 6000K and CRI 90ish so a lot like a small HMI. The lumen output will be 9000 lumens or roughly the equivalent of a 500w tungsten fresnel but daylight.

I think the cost on this fresnel would be in the $800 dollar range but you have to remember that the bulb is rated for 50,000 hours (or more) and thus its tough to compare it directly to any other fresnel, HMI included.

Obviously if the bulb lasts that long in any fixture it will be more expensive so its a question of how you feel this could help you. Cool light output, fixture not as hot as even our CL-MF0150 CDM fresnel, 50,000 hour bulb life, fresnel roughly the size of a 300w type (maybe a bit longer because of the heat sink). Should have focusing ability and maybe more comparable to a dedolight type unit than a classic fresnel. In other words, more of a spot lens with focusing ability from narrow to wide beam. Of course, a hard light output with hard and well defined shadows. And daylight! We'd probably put a dimmer on the power supply as well. The power would be 100 to 277 volts 50/60hz in and 36 vDC out per the requirements of this LED. Since its DC, a battery could be in the future for this unit.

We probably wouldn't do a 3200K as many of you observed, 3200K is kind of a legacy thing thats dying away a bit at a time. And it would be a separate version so you'd have to buy two fresnels to have both 3200K and 5600K as it would not be so easy to change the bulb out quickly given the heat sink configuration.

We really want to make an LED fresnel or spot but if the time isn't right given cost, then we'll wait if necessary.
 
I'd be very interested in trying out and hopefully buying a LED fresnel, budget allowing.
 
Barry_Green said:
That'd be way more expensive though (and more useful, as those light sources are so much bigger).

The LED light under discussion here is about the same basic dimensions as a sheet of paper. It's a small panel. $200 seems like a steal, I'd be down for a couple of those.
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Yes thats the issue. An LED panel of a size like the CL-255P would be $700 or so its over double what the CL-255P would be with flo tubes. The output, would be more hard too, given that I was planning to go with the 30 degree spot LEDs. That's probably a good thing as this panel will have more throw than an equivalent flo but you'll need to add a flozier or something to soften it when necessary. Its probably more helpful to think of a light like this as a replacement for a tungsten flood light than for a tunsten or flo softlight. Given the choice of a 60 degree or higher LED, it would be more of a softlight and have less throw of course.

Now of course, like I said earlier on the fresnel posting, its a question of something that lasts 50,000 hours or more and also a newer technology so it will be more expensive. An average flo tube will last between 6000 and 8000 hours by the specs and you're also paying a premium for the solid state aspect of the panel. Adding a battery is a bit easier too than it would be with a flo fixture.
 
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Zander said:
I'd be very interested in trying out and hopefully buying a LED fresnel, budget allowing.
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Me too. The problem is, the first one (prototype) costs several thousand dollars so we want to make sure we really do have some demand for this.
 
We really want to make an LED fresnel or spot but if the time isn't right given cost, then we'll wait if necessary.
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$200 LitePanels-style LED, or $800 HMI-fresnel-style LED? No question whatsoever, we need and want the LitePanels-style. If you're asking as to what project you should devote your energies to, I think I speak for just about everyone here when I say the FloLight LED500 is the direction we'd want to see you take. We've already got a $390 HMI that serves the low-power daylight fresnel situation; I doubt there's gonna be a ton of appetite to get largely the same thing at twice the cost. Whereas the lightweight, compact, 500-watt LED at $200 just screams out to become reality.

My vote, anyway.
 
Well 3 weeks is not practical in any case. Manufacturing time is typically 30 days and container shipping takes 30, so you're 60 days out from the time you pull the trigger on mass manufacturing assuming no other delays which there are usually some. I hear what you all are saying and we are doing the panel first as the fresnel would take some time to make a fixture for anyway.
 
Richard,
I would be in for 4 of your LED panels as well!
Are you showcasing any of your lights at NAB?
If so what booth?
Thanks
 
I'm not sure yet. There was one person talking about putting some of our fixtures in their booth but I personally have no plans to be there as of now as we're really about as busy as we can be already. Any more business and we'd bust at the seams.

I went to another LED factory yesterday to commission a second product. 16 5w LEDs (80 watts so double the other panel's draw) in a square panel and a dimmer. 15 degree spot pattern. About 2900 lumens from the specs of the LEDs. Not sure of what the price would be yet of that unit but it would obviously have a more powerful beam than the other panel.
 
Barry_Green said:
$200 LitePanels-style LED, or $800 HMI-fresnel-style LED? No question whatsoever, we need and want the LitePanels-style. If you're asking as to what project you should devote your energies to, I think I speak for just about everyone here when I say the FloLight LED500 is the direction we'd want to see you take. We've already got a $390 HMI that serves the low-power daylight fresnel situation; I doubt there's gonna be a ton of appetite to get largely the same thing at twice the cost. Whereas the lightweight, compact, 500-watt LED at $200 just screams out to become reality.

My vote, anyway.
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I'm with Barry.

There's no real reason to pursue a Fresnel unit, but a sturdy LED unit would be on my purchase list!

Keyword: STURDY.
 
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