morten
Well-known member
*Thread originaly posted under DVX-100 Hardware*
After extensive research I am thoroughly frustrated about this: There are NO extensive reviews of most of the new LED on-camera lights out there. The few reviews that are available are short and unspecific and most of them talk solely about one light: the Litepanels. In the past the DVXuser equipment reviews and shootout articles have been fabulous and I put all my trust in this community because the people are both dependable and knowledgeable.
Here’s my request: Can we (someone) do a proper side-by-side comparison of the LED lights that are commercially available to be posted on this site? It would be of enormous help to all consumers on the net (like I said there are no such tests at the moment and this would be the first and only one) and also to the companies reviewed I’m sure.
Lights that should be tested (with links) (apologies if I’ve missed some but I think I got them all):
Spinet SKC-630P LED Camera Light
Bescor LED-10
IDX X3-Lite
Varizoom LS2000
Litepanels
Vidled
Zylight Z50
The test criteria should include:
- Output at different distances
- Battery life
- Dimmer feature
- Wide angle / barn door / diffuser
- Colour temperature / filter application
- Ease of use
- Off camera use
- other hardware related topics (battery compatibility etc)
In addition there should be a benchmark based on a standard tungsten light like a Frezzi.
I wouldn’t mind doing the tests myself but a) I don’t have the money to get all the lights to test, b) I doubt the companies would just send me lights for free to test, c) according to most U.S. companies I live close to the North Pole (Vancouver, BC) thus making it impossible to transport any item to my house without great expense and complication.
When I started researching this about 6 months ago I was shocked at how little information there is out there about the topic and how little industry people, both on the seller side and on the user side, knew about the products. In conversations with shooters for a large variety of broadcast outlets as well as production houses I quickly learned that few people know about the products and those that do tend to deal with them as if they were silly toys for children. The same thing goes for the stores that carry video lighting.
I think we might be going towards a shift in paradigms here – from the old energy wasteful, burning hot, battery lugging tungsten and halogen bulb lights towards the new and very different LED lights that use far less power and have a completely different range of applications. And as with all paradigm shifts the established oldies cling to their old gear because they don’t (want to) understand the new type of equipment that is popping up everywhere (if you want more on the topic of shifting paradigms I strongly recommend you read The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by philosopher Thomas Kuhn (link)).
Wishful thinking I’m sure, but such a test would do wonders for the products and people who want to use them.
Mor10
After extensive research I am thoroughly frustrated about this: There are NO extensive reviews of most of the new LED on-camera lights out there. The few reviews that are available are short and unspecific and most of them talk solely about one light: the Litepanels. In the past the DVXuser equipment reviews and shootout articles have been fabulous and I put all my trust in this community because the people are both dependable and knowledgeable.
Here’s my request: Can we (someone) do a proper side-by-side comparison of the LED lights that are commercially available to be posted on this site? It would be of enormous help to all consumers on the net (like I said there are no such tests at the moment and this would be the first and only one) and also to the companies reviewed I’m sure.
Lights that should be tested (with links) (apologies if I’ve missed some but I think I got them all):
Spinet SKC-630P LED Camera Light
Bescor LED-10
IDX X3-Lite
Varizoom LS2000
Litepanels
Vidled
Zylight Z50
The test criteria should include:
- Output at different distances
- Battery life
- Dimmer feature
- Wide angle / barn door / diffuser
- Colour temperature / filter application
- Ease of use
- Off camera use
- other hardware related topics (battery compatibility etc)
In addition there should be a benchmark based on a standard tungsten light like a Frezzi.
I wouldn’t mind doing the tests myself but a) I don’t have the money to get all the lights to test, b) I doubt the companies would just send me lights for free to test, c) according to most U.S. companies I live close to the North Pole (Vancouver, BC) thus making it impossible to transport any item to my house without great expense and complication.
When I started researching this about 6 months ago I was shocked at how little information there is out there about the topic and how little industry people, both on the seller side and on the user side, knew about the products. In conversations with shooters for a large variety of broadcast outlets as well as production houses I quickly learned that few people know about the products and those that do tend to deal with them as if they were silly toys for children. The same thing goes for the stores that carry video lighting.
I think we might be going towards a shift in paradigms here – from the old energy wasteful, burning hot, battery lugging tungsten and halogen bulb lights towards the new and very different LED lights that use far less power and have a completely different range of applications. And as with all paradigm shifts the established oldies cling to their old gear because they don’t (want to) understand the new type of equipment that is popping up everywhere (if you want more on the topic of shifting paradigms I strongly recommend you read The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by philosopher Thomas Kuhn (link)).
Wishful thinking I’m sure, but such a test would do wonders for the products and people who want to use them.
Mor10
