LED to tungsten

[CharlesPapert]

Large single-source looks like the reference photo still require a single unit with a lot of firepower, but there are other times where the scene requires color washes that can be accommodated with smaller units which opens up other possibilities.

In the last few years I've moved to RGB LED's for color washes since you can adjust the color to the scene instead of having to select gels ahead of time, which can be a little nerve-wracking. I use Philips Colorblasts for smaller setups and Chroma-Q Colorforce battens when I need a wider spread and more punch. For closer-up work I use an Arri Skypanel or my old Zylight IS3.

The good news is that there are a lot of DJ lights out there that can also do the job and that industry is set up to be on the inexpensive side, so putting together a little package of RGB lights and an small DMX dimmer (generally required to dial in the color) is really affordable.

 

[Phil Rhodes]

The good news is that there are a lot of DJ lights out there that can also do the job and that industry is set up to be on the inexpensive side,

This often works very well, although there's a need to be cautious about flicker (just as with the RGB LED strip controllers that are being discussed on that other thread). Very similar problems can arise as low-cost DJ stuff often isn't set up to be flicker-free. This is especially a problem on rolling-shutter cameras or at high frame rates, as ever.

But yes, in general fine.

P

 

[forbyfiev]

some people like a little Plusgreen in addition to the CTB (or native 5200K). If Polaroid22 wants the look of the framegrab (on a much smaller scale), leave the LED at its native color temp and balance the camera to 3200K, and add 1/8 or so Plusgreen to the backlight. Of course if the LED panel has a green spike anyway....

 

[scorsesefan]

Look for a "Party Gel" pack, Rosco and the others make them. They have all of the wild stuff in them, deep purples, weird greens, pinks, etc. Fun for BGs or a stylized interview back drop for certain things. Gels are a lot of fun. To me, every shooter, at a minimum, should carry a full CTB, CTO and diffusion pack, these are lighting 101 basics of a kit.

Yeah, I use party gels all the time for interesting background effects..