LED Lighting advice please

A

andrew00

Well-known member
Hey,

I'm up for getting a LED light or two as I want something powerful enough to use for photo+stills applications. However, I'm finding it hard to decide what to spend my money on.

I'm up for getting the new Cool Lights 1200 LED although there's no video out yet showing it's power, because I like the idea of something that can be as a sun replacement.

Photography wise whilst I get asked to take pictures that have that harsh on camera grungey-Terry Richardson look but I'd also like to take images with more classic beauty. I know a lot of that is down to the look, makeup, hair etc, but from a lighting pov it's something I'd like to do too.

In fact I like this guys images - http://www.flickr.com/photos/micmojo/ - I feel he does a good job at soft but expressive lighting. In fact in his tag he generally says natural lighting although I've noticed some tags for frenels so I think there's a mix there.

I'm tempted to get a Cool Lights 600 LED light as I'm a big fan of low key portability although I think it'd prob be too weak as a sun replacement, hence the consideration to a 1200 LED. I.E. preference is small/portable, although I would like something powerful enough.

I also see on ebay there's a 350 led ring light that might be a companion to one of the setups, either for the ring light effect (in photo + video) or as a fill it itself.

Anyone give suggestions please?

Oh and I should say I want LED lights for the size, portability, battery power and ease. I often shoot on my own so something carry-able is welcome.
 
I have 3 Cool Lights LED256 units and they have worked fine. Just recently added 2 of their biax fluorescent fixtures as well. (I use Comet studio lighting packs for flash though.)

I shoot stills and video. Something you must be realistic about is that flash watts and continuous light watts are not the same and should never be thought of the same.

The CL LED 1200 looks great. It's on my list of possible purchases, but it is equivalent to about 1000 tungsten watts which is the same as saying 1000 watts at 1 sec exposure, not the same as a 1000 watts from a studio flash at any shutter speed.

So unless you think a 1K tungsten is a sun replacement (which I would say no to) then don't expect the LED1200 light to be one either. It will be great for indoor use as a 1K continuous light though.

This explains it better: http://www.scantips.com/lights/flashbasics2.html

I use my LEDs for photo still life shoots, food, product, not people though, and also for video with any content, but the two are so different in needs, shutter speed, ISO etc.

I think Cool Lights will serve you well. They truly have superb customer assistance, prompt email responses and repairs, and good price points.
 
Cool, I'l bookmark the link and read it tomorrow.

Yeah I'm not saying to replace the sun per se, but if you look at the link I posted the guy does a really good of shaping the light in a way to providing flattering light that gives a classy but natural effect. That's what I'm wanting to do so am up for whichever light can give that.
 
It looks to me like the 1200 led is close to an arri 300w fresnel in the middle setting, which is reasonable b/c the 1200 led is a flood, so if the arri was in a flood mode the 1200 led would be twice as powerful.
 
The LED 1200 would be about like a 1000w fresnel (maybe a bit more) in flood mode when its at full intensity.
 
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