Photo/Video Ledlight Panel Leds? Are the same??????

hasselblad

hasselblad

Well-known member
Question is simple. Do photography/videography led light panels use the same led light bulbs
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Do Aperture, Younguo, 1 x 1, Came TV... use the same light bulbs in their led light panels?
Prices vary between 100-300 and 1000-15000 USD for the same size light panels. I know they are different units, cooling, etc. but I am just wondering whether the BASICS of these units are the same: the individual light bulbs...Are the light bulbs the same?
 
No, never assume such a thing. They may be similar, they may look the same, but only the actual performance can show what the bulbs are made of
 
Bear in mind also that price is not necessarily an indicator of quality. Some expensive manufacturers have shipped terrible LED lighting, and some cheap stuff has been quite good (though frankly that's rarer).

Look for TLCI (television lighting consistency index) measurements, or CRI measurements which also specify R9 and R12 numbers. These latter two refer to a deep blue and saturated red which are often missing from LEDs and can cause problems. Usual CRI calculations include only R1 to R8, which don't include saturated blue and red and can mask problems.

If a manufacturer specifies only a CRI, be suspicious - although many do just that, unfortunately.

P
 
Phil Rhodes said:
Bear in mind also that price is not necessarily an indicator of quality. Some expensive manufacturers have shipped terrible LED lighting, and some cheap stuff has been quite good (though frankly that's rarer).

Look for TLCI (television lighting consistency index) measurements, or CRI measurements which also specify R9 and R12 numbers. These latter two refer to a deep blue and saturated red which are often missing from LEDs and can cause problems. Usual CRI calculations include only R1 to R8, which don't include saturated blue and red and can mask problems.

If a manufacturer specifies only a CRI, be suspicious - although many do just that, unfortunately.

P
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Thanks so much! I learn a lot every day! Could you recommend a good led light which doesn't break the bank?
 
Hasselblad,

Can you indicate a general budget as well as how much (power), and how many lights you need? What is the use scenario?

In the inexpensive (but still rendering great skin tones, High CRI, etc), I would recommend the Aputure offerings (672 for under $300, next jump in power is the LS1 ($600-ish).

After you jump up from there, maybe the Lightpanel Astras (start around $800 and go up).
 
ozmorphasis said:
Hasselblad,

Can you indicate a general budget as well as how much (power), and how many lights you need? What is the use scenario?

In the inexpensive (but still rendering great skin tones, High CRI, etc), I would recommend the Aputure offerings (672 for under $300, next jump in power is the LS1 ($600-ish).

After you jump up from there, maybe the Lightpanel Astras (start around $800 and go up).
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The Astras aren't a step up from the LS-1 (in terms of output, remote control capabilities, battery option, or light quality) in my opinion. Just more expensive. I looked at them prior to going with the Aputure. The only potential caveat I have, is the lack of a track record of Chinese firms producing reliable panels that hold up over time. Aputure appears to be pretty serious about changing those perceptions, and mine will get more prolonged use in the next couple of months. Will let the forum know if there's any problems :)
 
Cheap fluorescent fixtures are a much better investment than cheap LED panels, as you can buy high quality tubes for them to get accurate colour reproduction. Cheap LEDs are all over the place quality-wise and should be avoided for all purposes bar acting as worklights IMO.

If you want to go with LEDs (and their particular set of advantages) you need to spend the necessary cash to get ones that perform well on the TLCI scale. If you don't, you're asking for all of the trouble you'll end up in in terms of light/colour quality.
 
I'm with Grug - go with the TLCI scale. I have the Astras and I am very happy with them. Pricing is in the $600 ~ $1300 range depending upon power and single color vs bi-color (pricing @ B&H). You can get v-mount or AB battery adapters as well as a Bluetooth option for remote (but all that does add to the price.)

If you don't need a 1x1 style light or that amount of power Litepanels Caliber is a kit three small fresnel lights for ~$900. Also, high on the TLCI scale. But there are many other brands as well if you poke around the GTC TLCI tests.
 
Grug said:
Cheap fluorescent fixtures are a much better investment than cheap LED panels, as you can buy high quality tubes for them to get accurate colour reproduction. Cheap LEDs are all over the place quality-wise and should be avoided for all purposes bar acting as worklights IMO.

If you want to go with LEDs (and their particular set of advantages) you need to spend the necessary cash to get ones that perform well on the TLCI scale. If you don't, you're asking for all of the trouble you'll end up in in terms of light/colour quality.
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I also agree with Grug on this. I don't have any experience with the 3 brands the OP mentioned... but am always a bit skeptical about mfg's stated CRI and now TLCI ratings. Same with most camera's - you are almost always better served to see the lights in practical use before assuming the marketing for said product is solid fact. And, I realize this needs to go in a different thread... but mostly because it's still rather new to me - I'm a bit skeptical about the newer TLCI rating system. I get how it's supposed to measure color more accurate - but other DP's and lighting pro's who I respect have questioned it. Here's one such online article:
http://www.provideocoalition.com/doestlcireallywork
 
LP Astra's (bi-color, high-powered) have become my go-to lights for most situations that aren't feature sit-downs or needing HMI's.

I also recommend getting the Chimera 1x1's for them, otherwise they can be a little harsh.
 
Keep in mind that CRI can be pretty meaningless. It really comes down to "is the light pretty" or "Can it be gelled pretty with minimal fuss".

I've been playing with 400 watt HID for some time now; the mogul-sized aquarium/grow bulbs with digital ballasts. If you can find a deal on a Photoflex Starlite with softbox, they can be absolutely killer interview lights. I started with a 6500k 85 CRI bulb - 1/2 or 3/4 CTO and 1/8 minus green, and it's perfect. Even made a space light for it. That's a fair amount of gel, but beats a quad biax flo by over a full stop, with a way better form factor and a much more useable & standard softbox setup - and I can put a large, medium, or small softbox, with grids if I want, on the things.

Last week I found a 5200k 85 CRI globe for about 30 bucks. It looks like it could use 1/8 minus green (eyedropper a gray card in AE and play with the color), but that's an easy tweak in post and matches much of my biax stuff. Or gel it, or WB to it (which can then give an interior window-lit BG a lift from blue-gray) or stick a CC10m on the lens. It's 33,000 lumens. (A 575 HMI globe is about 48,000 lumens - a quad biax is around 15,000.) (And shooting interviews in day-lit interiors with 6500k bulbs? WB to the bulb and you lose the cold-blue-gray look).

So many people here say "never shoot with something under 90 CRI", but that's BS. (I swear, reading big pronouncements about CRI always makes me think I'm reading a post from a newbie who has yet to buy a single light). Shoot with lights that look good.

If you buy, buy from a good no-questions return supplier (if you've had a prime account for a while, they're now doing instant refunds as long as you promise you're actually sending something back). Do some tests.

My issue with LED panels is you have to spend some serious money to get so-so lumens. The Araman 672's are nice, affordable units - but the equivalent of 400 watts tungsten (about 10,000 lumens?). I just can't get excited about that when I spent less for one of my 400 HID setups (which is 5200k and out-lumens a 1k starlite globe) (1k starlite is 22,000 lumens). The lightstorms are more in my interest range, but they're closing in on used 575 HMI prices. I have a thing for lots & lots of photons. If I were doing a lot of outdoor interviews, I could see digging the batteries. But I see a lot of kids starting out and assuming since LEDs are new, they're the latest/greatest must-haves - and then they buy the cheapest stuff out there. They're good for what they do, but in that situation, there are better choices.
 
The Yongnuo YN600 is an incredible buy . Color is quite good, output is enormous and the price is ridiculous. Have only tried the 5500 version but I use them on almost every shoot these days. The astra's are also very good lights and very powerful but quite a bit more money.
 
Lenilenapi said:
The Yongnuo YN600 is an incredible buy . Color is quite good, output is enormous and the price is ridiculous. Have only tried the 5500 version but I use them on almost every shoot these days. The astra's are also very good lights and very powerful but quite a bit more money.
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I've never found a single statement of lumen output (or even "comparable to XXX watts") for those on any ads or reviews. By "enormous" do you mean same as the Aramans, etc, or actually truly enormous, like outshines a 2k or something?
 
What Michael said.

Also, look for TLCI numbers. CRI alone is not meaningless, depending on the technology, but it can be artificially inflated to make good things look bad.

It rarely makes bad things look good, on the other hand.
 
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