Lighstar Luxed-4 - poor man's M18? (softlight)

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scotchtape

Active member
As a challenge to myself (small time solo operator) I'm trying to light interviews against a bright window and expose for the window.
By my estimate I need about 12.5EV of light (14,500lux) on a subject to do this acceptably (sky not unbearably overexposed).

Of course, you can bang this out with a single 200W COB LED w/ fresnel no problem, except it looks terrible and the subject is not going to be very comfortable.
So if you want that nice soft light, you're going to need a lot of light.

In this epic light media vid they exposed for the back window and lit subject with 2x Aputure 300D and another LED panel (assuming it's 200-300W), so 900W total through an umbrella.
Looked ok but could have use a bit more light.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqAn7BHJ9E8
In some other meet the Gaffer vids I've seen multiple M18s being used.

I've been experimenting with 2 COB lights, 500W total and I can't get any sort of softlight near that amount unless the diffusion is 1ft away (too close).
I've got another 300W on the way. Right now for a decent double diffused light I'm getting around 5,000lux @ 1m with my 2 lights.

Then I stumbled onto this light:
http://en.lightstar.net.cn/a/MATRIX/756.html#
Andrew from Gaffer and Gear did a spot on it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmN_lhbZp7E
Newsshooter here:
https://www.newsshooter.com/2019/12/16/lightstar-lightman-luxed-4-lm-review/

It's drawing 600W and the output seems to be insane. I've been convinced that a watt is a watt in LED world (improving slowly), a 200W soft panel seems to get you as much light as a 200W COB with softbox (after matching the evenness and size of diffusion, no hot spots etc).
This light seems to be absolutely crazy. Output quantity and quality is really good. Price for the output is amazing. Downsides are it's really heavy, large and probably noisy. Not designed for people like me at all, it's for the pro pros like the rest of you. Only remote control is DMX and Lumen Radio (which I never heard of before this).

But I can't stop thinking about the photo metrics, it's 720W and it's outputting 11,000lux @ 3M (that's 99,000lux @ 1m) - NO FRESNEL or focusing. Fine you say, the Aputure 300D comes close with fresnel... but the moment you throw a softbox on it (at least the one's I have), you're getting like 4,000lux @ 1m.
This one with a softbox @ 3m is 2,900lux (26,100 @ 1m). 26,100lux @ 1M!!!! (haven't actually seen it in use so I don't know if the diffusion is any good).

Am I crazy to want this light, how is it outputting so much light? They're using small emitters with lenses, maybe that's the way to go instead of these COBs?
Has anyone here used this light? Even though I'm waiting for the Aputure 600D, based on my experience with the 300D series, there's now way it's going to even come close to matching this light for soft light output. I'm betting if I throw my 48'' Westcott octa on the 600D I'll get 9,000 lux. This Luxed somehow throws out almost 3 times the amount. Of course I can probably barely fit it in my car but... THEM LUMENS. (Also, BI COLOR!)
I should probably just close my eyes and wait a few more years.
 
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Having little exchange with the gaffer and gear bloke it would seem the forsa offers more lumen/dollar

It would seem this light is not that bright.

I suggest 2-4 top end cobs on a Tbar thing (4 jnr pins) would get more lumenss/$
 
Yeah, everyone's loving the "window backgrounds" these days. I'm currently using two 6x2' quasar Kinos and an Astra 6x. I've considered setups with fewer fixtures... that Lightman fixture looks obnoxiously huge, but maybe less huge than 3-4 fixtures.

What other options exist?
One Lupo Superpanel 60 Dual?
Intellytech Light Cannon Pro Bi-Color 2?
Intellytech Mega Light Cloth (no need for diff)?

...of course, for the purpose, one could ask if bi-color even need be considered, but for a solo op with only a few lights (like myself) that might occasionally need the lights in a W or Flo setting, I still like bicolor.
 
Why not just rent an M18? Who, as a OMB, needs to own this kind of stuff? Do you shoot against open windows all of the time? I hardly ever do,
but when I need to shoot an outdoor interview or against a window, I just rent the big stuff. Owning big grip and lighting if you don't have a truck is
kind of shortsighted IMHO. Big lights need big, heavy junior pin steel stands and 30lb sandbags too! More stuff to haul around.

If you happen to be in LA, I think Wooden Nickel rents these or something that looks a lot like them that's a different brand but similar design. I would definitely
rent a few lights before buying something like these.
 
morgan_moore said:
Having little exchange with the gaffer and gear bloke it would seem the forsa offers more lumen/dollar
It would seem this light is not that bright.
I suggest 2-4 top end cobs on a Tbar thing (4 jnr pins) would get more lumenss/$
Click to expand...

It "seems" that way initially when you look at the quoted specs, but you have to consider that you're comparing the Luxed at 90deg beam angle to the COB chips with a very very hot spotty reflector on it.
Again, in my experience trying to soften those COBs leaves you with very little output (relative to bright windows), basically best case around 2,000lux @ 1m soft light per 100W of LED power.

I'm comparing my 150W flex panels with frost diffusion and COB leds with a softbox.

I just picked up an Aputure 300D II - with 48'' Westcott Octa I'm getting around 4,000lux with included double diffusion.
If I punch that through one shower curtain it's very spotty. Once I punch it through 2 to get some soft light I'm essentially getting 3-4,000lux @ 1m.
So assuming you punch 2 of those through some diffusion you're going to get around 6-8,000lux @ 1m best case, which it never is since so much light gets wasted bouncing back.

The marketing specs of the Luxed with softbox is 3X this. Even 2X would be sufficient for my purpose.
I'm currently punching an SL-200 and the 300D through diffusion and not getting very good results (for windows).
Adding a Godox VL-300 soon for 800W of COB lighting and I still think it's going to fail. I estimate I'd get around 11,000 lux softISH lighting @ 1m.
Really need that 14,500 minimum.

I've also tried 3x of my 2x2 flex panels with softbox, 450W, getting around 7,000 lux @ 1m. If I make a 4x4 I'd probably only get 9,000lux @ 1m.

Current 300W COBs really hard to get strong soft light out of (for windows).

I guess I need to find someone with this light and compare it.
 
scotchtape said:
I guess I need to find someone with this light and compare it.
Click to expand...

This is probably exactly what you need to do with this and other gear. I managed to get a joker 800 and 5-6 leds together about four years ago. I ended up buying LUPO panels and LUPO fresnels - I now feel a generation behind at 100w and 200w for the fresnels. I bought LUPO as the importer is close by so I had someone to smack if they packed up (one fresnel did and I got it swapped for free - they have been all good since then)

A non serious moment from my test https://vimeo.com/160909737
 
puredrifting said:
Why not just rent an M18? Who, as a OMB, needs to own this kind of stuff? Do you shoot against open windows all of the time? I hardly ever do,
but when I need to shoot an outdoor interview or against a window, I just rent the big stuff. Owning big grip and lighting if you don't have a truck is
kind of shortsighted IMHO. Big lights need big, heavy junior pin steel stands and 30lb sandbags too! More stuff to haul around.

If you happen to be in LA, I think Wooden Nickel rents these or something that looks a lot like them that's a different brand but similar design. I would definitely
rent a few lights before buying something like these.
Click to expand...

M18 is $30K, this light is $3K :) 1800W vs 600W.
But very good point, I should save my money, thank you for helping me with my GAS, it is my scourge. Need to save that $$$!
I've discovered my love of direct sunlight interviews with scrims and reflectors, light quality is so good (when the angles line up).
I need to stop thinking about lights...
 
That's why I like renting the best over owning the lowest end. For me, I only need big, powerful lights like that a few times per year,
now probably even less since the EPK and BTS business is dead in the water since TV and Film production is too.

GAS is real and very dangerous too, RESIST!
 
scotchtape said:
M18 is $30K, this light is $3K :) 1800W vs 600W.
But very good point, I should save my money, thank you for helping me with my GAS, it is my scourge. Need to save that $$$!
I've discovered my love of direct sunlight interviews with scrims and reflectors, light quality is so good (when the angles line up).
I need to stop thinking about lights...
Click to expand...

I'm not saying buy one but an m18 isn't $30k, they should be something like $10-15k USD (inc ballast) brand new.
 
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