New Light - Fotodiox Pro PopSpot J-500 Focusing LED Light

[puredrifting]

Just got notice from Fotodiox. https://fotodioxpro.com/collections/lighting-grip/products/led-j500?variant=37433969863 Looks interesting but I am not sure about the value equation?

1. 5600K small, focusable (non-fresnel) source using a "Dense Matrix LED light source"
2. 95+ CRI
3. 50 watt power draw
4. 25°-55° Focus Adjustable
5. Comes in a nice kit with barndoors, AC only version $275.00 - The J-500 comes with the light head, AC power adapter, color filter for Tungsten, ball head a carrying bag
6. $400.00 for the battery version with wireless control

These do not seem to be a fresnel, more like an LED version of a Lowel Pro light, but could still be useful for BGs or as a hair light. The CAME TV Boltzens turned out to be a minor disappointment to me, these could be more useful, although I find close to $300.00 for a none fresnel lens LED light to be possibly not a good value. I would have the usual questions, what are the true photometrics/output measurements, how is the CRI in real life, do they have a fan or make noise and how is the build quality? Also, converting to tungsten using a filter is less cool that bi-color COB?

 

[AlexLeith]

Just out of curiosity – what is it about the Came-TV Boltzen that was a disappointment?

I'm happy with the light quality out of mine (I have 2 of the 55 watt version), but they a bit "rough-and-ready" in terms of construction and the fairly useless case that came with them :-D

 

[AlexLeith]

Oh never mind! I found the other thread

 

[puredrifting]

Oh never mind! I found the other thread

Yep, I started that thread because they too looked intriguing. Now the Nanguang fresnels are up, they look better than this light or the Came Boltzens. Can't even keep up with the innovation, it's coming so fast. I may spring for a couple of the Nanguangs, a 30 and 60 or a 60 and 100.

 

[scotchtape]

Yeah I'm probably getting a CN-30F BUT, honestly the Boltzens for what they aren't bad.
I wouldn't use them for key lights if I had a choice, but for small hair lights they are pretty good for less than $300.
They don't shape well, but the DLED4 cost like $1700 if you want the cool attachment where you can slash the light.

Less than $300, great CRI, decent output, lightweight for booming (2.13lbs for the head), battery power option.
Cons are no included remote system (aputure and godox do it for free so not sure why no one else is), some fan noise, crappy light shaping.
Really hard to complain considering.

The Litepanels has slightly less output and cost more (but it does have really high efficiency!), the Fotodiox produces half the output for some reason and manages to cost more, the Nanguang might be heavier (3.5lbs stated but not sure if that includes the power supply or not) but does have the best output and has really good efficiency, plus no fan. The Aputure version that is supposed to come out... they never stated the lux values, but since it can be run from a USB battery bank I imagine doesn't have the punch of the Came or Nanguang units.

 

[puredrifting]

What's more appealing about this light over the CN-30F Nanguang is the Fotodiox has more wattage, is smaller and lighter and I have heard of Fotodiox, Nanguang doesn't seem to have much of rep here. Zylight picking them up is encouraging but pricing remains to be seen. I will be out of the country for a few weeks but when I get back, I may try one of these Fotodiox lights. The AC only model is $274.95 on Amazon, the battery model, with their plate and two batteries is $399.00, which actually is a good deal if you NEED battery but I already have two panels, the Brightcasts, that can run off of batteries. To me, there is NO reason to shoot interviews in rooms with AC with batteries on the lights, you are just going to be worrying about them cutting out after an hour. OTOH, shooting on the street or in vehicles, battery powered lights are a great option but my panels would be far more useful out on the street than a small spot/fresnel. So I am skipping the battery model. To me, it's just like wireless mics. If you are doing a sit down interview, you have no business using wireless when wired sounds better and is more reliable. Same with running your lights off of batteries. Unless you are running and gunning or out on the street, plug the damn things in, then no worries about the batteries dying as your subject utters that killer soundbite that you will never capture again and your light cuts out in the middle of it.

 

[scotchtape]

The low output compared to the other lights doesn't bother you? 50% to 25% less light... it is half nanguang/came and 25% less than the litepanels, which supposedly only draws 17W and you can power by 6x AA

 

[puredrifting]

The low output compared to the other lights doesn't bother you? 50% to 25% less light... it is half nanguang/came and 25% less than the litepanels, which supposedly only draws 17W and you can power by 6x AA

Do you really believe the published photometrics on any of these lights? I don't. I too tend to look at wattage consumed and technology used. I probably won't buy one of any of these cheap lights until I see one in person or at least a good YouTube shoot out. Maybe we can get Caleb Pike or Curtis Judd to do a nice little side by side shootout?

 

[scotchtape]

Do you really believe the published photometrics on any of these lights? I don't. I too tend to look at wattage consumed and technology used. I probably won't buy one of any of these cheap lights until I see one in person or at least a good YouTube shoot out. Maybe we can get Caleb Pike or Curtis Judd to do a nice little side by side shootout?

The nanguang was tested by dragon lighting or whatever on YouTube and the came was tested by cheesycam and newsshooter so yes I think we can at least draw some conclusions about the power they put out. The nanguang matched the manf. Specs and the came averages about 9000 in spot mode. The j500 claims almost half that... If anything wouldn't they overinflate?

The litepanels is litepanels, I assume they are putting out somewhat accurate specs! So in this case there seems to be good reason to say the j500 just doesn't put out that much light . Maybe it does, who knows.

The wattage and tech thing makes sense except the exceptions... Litepanels caliber says 17w wow. Look at dedo dled4. Crushes competition in spot mode while rated lower in watts. Nanguang seems to also be 2x as efficient with the fresnels compared to average.