LED lights and their light quality

Very interesting.

Looks like most of the non-tungsten lights that score well will cost roughly $1,000 per panel.
I think I'll be sticking with hot lights for a few more years.
 
DPStewart said:
Very interesting.

Looks like most of the non-tungsten lights that score well will cost roughly $1,000 per panel.
I think I'll be sticking with hot lights for a few more years.
Click to expand...

I think what is more astounding is how many which score bad ans cost a lot of $$.

The Astra looks like a winner for both quality and light output. Wish I could afford the Area 48 stuff.
 
i didnt check out the video, but from personal use i am a fan of the Ikan 1024/ 1x1 panels. bi color, dimmable, pretty darn bright, but yes, runs about $3000 for the 3 light kit. some folks have mentioned they are simply rebranded and marked up from some Chinese model, and if thats true Id be interested in seeing the cheaper original. ikan also makes panels that are half the size and half the price, also bi color/dimmable. wondering if those are any good.
 
I was surprised by the inexpensive LEDGO 600SCS v2 that got a very high score. Astra looks sweet but they are so back ordered that I guess it'll take half a year or more for them to catch up.
 
DPStewart said:
Very interesting.

Looks like most of the non-tungsten lights that score well will cost roughly $1,000 per panel.
I think I'll be sticking with hot lights for a few more years.
Click to expand...

Over the last year or so, I've reverted to almost 100% tungsten for sit-down interviews, especially 24P features. I just think skin tones look better and even motion rendering is better(even in low movement situations like sit-downs). I'm rarely pulling my Kino's out anymore.

But I do have a decent assortment of LED's. I use them mostly for live and 'video' situations. All Litepanels. Five Sola ENG's(one 3-light flight kit), an original 1x1 Daylight panel and two Astra's. After some rigging to take care of the power cable mess that they have, I really like them, at least the light anyway. Good output, good quality of light and easy to match the ambient light in most places you're shooting. I actually 'calibrated/indexed' and marked them to my primary camera(not absolute to a color meter) so I know where 32, 43 and 56 is on the dial(for my VariCam 32 is a few ticks up from full left and 43 is a few ticks past center. 56 is full right).
 
Osslund said:
I was surprised by the inexpensive LEDGO 600SCS v2 that got a very high score. Astra looks sweet but they are so back ordered that I guess it'll take half a year or more for them to catch up.
Click to expand...
Looks like the Ledgo units also have very good output.
 
From the article on the Guild of TV Cameramen's website:

85 to 100 errors are so small that a colourist would not consider correcting them
75 to 85 a colourist would probably want to correct the colour performance, but could easily get an acceptable result
50 to 75 a colourist would certainly want to correct the errors, and could probably achieve an acceptable result, but it would take significant time to get there
25 to 50 the colour rendering is poor, and a good colourist would be needed to improve it, but the results would not be to broadcast standard
0 to 25 the colour rendering is bad, and a colourist would struggle for a long time to improve it, and even then the results may not be acceptable for broadcast
- See more at: http://www.gtc.org.uk/tlci-results.aspx#sthash.od3Q9p9C.dpuf
 
Does it really matter that much? The older I get the more I believe in "trust your own" - and the own is "eyes" "ears", "nose" all senses, "instincts", "taste", "judgment". Say, I have a light that falls below the 100 on that scale - even to something scandalous, like 50 or less. But if I like the effect, does it really matter? So, maybe the sky looks a bit different in my film, but heck, I like it that way, so sue me. It's like anything. So this old lens is not very sharp, and there's a color cast and whatnot - but if I like it, and it gives me the effect I'm after, so what?

I mean, as a DP, I can understand that you'd like lights that reflect reality and so the closer to 100% the better. But, my point is: this only matters so much. Judge the lights you have or want to buy with your own eyes - CRI or whatever number is almost irrelevant. If I like the light, I don't care what number is attached to it. If I don't, same thing. I happen to hate green skin tones, so a light that gives me that effect is out, regardless of any numbers. What the guy said in the video is quite interesting. The number only represents how close the light gets to accurate color representation - but if it's not accurate (so anything below 100), there is no way to predict just what the distortion is... it could be anything. So, personally I'm not going to sweat it. If I like it, I don't care what the number is.
 
I've had such good results with chinese biax that I'm still not interested in LED.

YMMV, but... do some tests, find a minimal gel setup that gets them clean, and WB to the biax and let the BG be off a hair if needed. That won't fly for the next James Bond flick, but for interviews? Pretty.

I like tungsten as well, but I seem to do a lot of interviews where I've got already-bluish daylight coming in the windows. I'd rather cool down my biax stuff a notch than 1 1/2 CTB my hot lights.

Funny, my interview look seemed to jump up a huge notch when I made my old Nikkor 85 1.8 my main lens for people. Something about that sucker...
 
I got a pair of the Ledgo LG-1200CS panels and compared them to my 4x55w fluorescent panels and a Litepanels 1x1 Bi-Color. Reading Alan Roberts report the Ledgo panels measured fine.

My fluo panels were a lot brighter but also showed much more green. The fluos have a reflector behind the tubes so they do direct all light forward. The Ledgo had no green and looked natural. Compared to the Litepanels 1x1 I'd say the Ledgo panels are twice as bright and colour looks better. They have a wider spread also.
 
It's interesting that some of the units that perform less well are the theatrical types I use from time to time. Especially the RGBW ones. I guess the 4 in 1 LED modules don't help. Best is the IKEA cheap lamp, that has excellent results. One thing is certain - mixing LED is never going to be a good thing to do!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top