Your thoughts for the ideal on-camera LED

P-tap or d-tap as well as any other connector is really not on the light itself but the other end of the powering cable. As a matter of fact you can power the unit from whatever plug type exists on the battery/source side, as long as the other end of the cable is a female barrel/pole connector of 2.1X5.5 mm female because the unit has a 2.1X5.5 male on it. ( like most led lights do).

Hi FranK !

That's what I thought but I need more feedback as to the temperature range. I really can make it at almost any range from 2800K to 8200K, but looks like 3000-4200-5600 so far.
More feedbacks please. Thanks.
 
Units will be supplied with choice of cables in P,D-Tap as well as 4 pin XLR, Cigatette lighter or type specified by client. BTO beam angles will range from 6 degree super spot all the way to 120 degree super wide, the 6 degree super spot has a distance projection well over 100 ft. Single die led unit (1400 lux) will also be available in Kelvin ranges from 2800 to 8200K ( in 500K increments) for single shadow lighting. Soon to be prototyped and available is a dual and triple beam unit that allows the unit to project either 12, 30 or 60 degree beam angle (triple) or 20,60 (dual) . All units can be used with variable shutter speed cameras as they do not incorporate PWM dimming thus eliminating banding/flicker issues. Special BTO options also include severe weather sealing, off camera units up to 12000 lux and 3 light kit combos of varying intensities/color/beam choices. New updates posted as soon as they become available.
 
Price estimate for the 3 color mode 1400 lux on-camera unit will be roughly in the $350-$400 range, however we are trying to keep component costs/assembly/ down to the minimum without sacrificing quality and reliability. BTO options would add or subtract from that depending on the configuration. Only the latest and most efficient leds are to be used and matched from the same bin for consistent light qualities from unit to unit. All specs will be conservatively rated and photometrics based on the 1 meter distance given as both lux and FC at neutral color setting (approx. 4000K).
 
Yes, considering that they will be made in limited quantities at first as well as individually tested, hand soldered and assembled, the pricing will drop as soon as we can purchase components at larger quantities from several suppliers we are presently dealing with. Led emitters in the latest bins can be quickly installed in the production as soon as they become commercially available, that is why we run limited quantities as the demand dictates, thereby keeping up with the technology.Many manufacturers are still selling units with led emitters in them that are way past the current offerings, considering that led performance is constantly improving by the month.
 
My sequence of importance in LED lighting:
1. Even illumination, exact in color temp, no cast
2. Lightweight, small dimensions, except the reflector which should have big area (like a tiny soft-box)
3. Quick change from 3200K to 5600K (most churches use incandescent lamps, most landscapes use sun!)
4. Power options, the more the better, I prefer direct mount of my batteries (NP-F770) or LIGHT Connector Adapter for compatible camcorders

I don't care anymore about the price tag since I bought many wrong LEDs
I don't care anymore about the power consumption since I can carry batteries with me
I don't care anymore about light intensity since camcorders get better and better in low light.
 
1- All our units have extremely even illumination due to the computer designed reflectors that actually allow more lumens to reach the far edges, as light has to travel a longer distance to the edges than the center.
2-Lightweight, 12 to 15 oz. depending on options. 3 X 2 X 2.75 inches.
3-Quick change 3 position selector switch in 2800-4000-5500K click choices. Exact color temp. to be soon determined based on survey.
4-Power options, plenty as the operating DC in is 6 to 18 VDC. Many aftermarket batteries see Swit US or Switronix as well as AB and IDX and others.

Pricing is very affordable
Power consumption- Less than 10 W
Light intensity ( average 1200 to 1500 lux at 3 ft,)
 
Norman99 said:
1- All our units have extremely even illumination due to the computer designed reflectors that actually allow more lumens to reach the far edges, as light has to travel a longer distance to the edges than the center.
2-Lightweight, 12 to 15 oz. depending on options. 3 X 2 X 2.75 inches.
3-Quick change 3 position selector switch in 2800-4000-5500K click choices. Exact color temp. to be soon determined based on survey.
4-Power options, plenty as the operating DC in is 6 to 18 VDC. Many aftermarket batteries see Swit US or Switronix as well as AB and IDX and others.

Pricing is very affordable
Power consumption- Less than 10 W
Light intensity ( average 1200 to 1500 lux at 3 ft,)
Click to expand...

Shows you how smart I am. What do you mean your units? What company are you from?
 
Doe it have to be a company ? Did I ever mention the word "company" ? Perhaps it will be a company very soon. I have not sold any units but evaluating prototypes based on members and videographers feedback as to what they would consider a cut above the crap that is out there.
Excuse my bluntness, but "our" refers to my fellow people ( mostly videographers) that have contributed the time and expertise to get this thing off the ground since 2009. Many long hours have been spent in the sourcing out of materials and components. Steve Jobs started out in his garage along with Bill Gates. Was it a "company" back then ??
 
Norman99 said:
Doe it have to be a company ? Did I ever mention the word "company" ? Perhaps it will be a company very soon. I have not sold any units but evaluating prototypes based on members and videographers feedback as to what they would consider a cut above the crap that is out there.
Excuse my bluntness, but "our" refers to my fellow people ( mostly videographers) that have contributed the time and expertise to get this thing off the ground since 2009. Many long hours have been spent in the sourcing out of materials and components. Steve Jobs started out in his garage along with Bill Gates. Was it a "company" back then ??
Click to expand...
I see and I wish you all the best.
 
Your thinking is impressive. I look forward to seeing or reading about your light.

I am interested in LED panels that can really light up a large room. Perhaps one day that would be feasible as well.

It's obviously a complex subject, but the various attributes that LEDs have (run very cool, light-weight, and variable light range without gels) are very compelling, hence all the buzz about these lights.
 
Leds still have a long way to go, but they have been improving at an exponential rate from the past 2 years. It was not too long ago that leds were used only for decorative and panel lighting use due to their meager light output. Even the most powerful flashlight then just was barely able to muster a paltry 100 lumens along with a blue cast. For leds ( emitter component) that are available today to light up a large room is not a problem at all, it is just a matter of using enough of them to do the job. If 4 panels won't do, then perhaps 8 or 16 will. The leds that will really brighten things up are the high lumen lighting class single large die ones in the 10 to 50 watt range each. Just as an example, CREE recently has commercially available the XM-L led that is about the size of half a baby pea split in two that when driven at 3 amps at 3.3 volts (10W) will output almost 1000 lumens making it effectively a 100 lumen per watt device AT THE MAX RATED OUTPUT. Now if you take only 10 of these little leds in a well designed heat sink and putting collimating optics or reflectors on them to somewhat narrow down the beam to say 45 degrees, now you effectively have a light that outputs in the area of almost 20,000 lux at a distance of 3 feet. I say almost because the cooler tinted leds (blue ones) are usually the brightest of the lot. By having warmer tinted ones, the lumen value drops 20 perhaps 30%. Even at that 15,000 lux really blows the sox off most if not all panels out there that use the zillion teeny weeney leds in them. Oh, by the way this example would draw only around 130 watts from the source, yet having an equivalent halogen bulb output of 750W or more.
The real buzz is, in my opinion, the capability to doing away with AC and AC generators on a location shoot as batteries can easily power them for long durations and also the fact that ENG users can get rid of their heavy battery belts to run them on-camera 50-75 watts halogens that really do a fine job of sucking out the power real fast from them. I am sure that many will say that the leds don't have the color rendition and CRI of other light sources and that the leds are not "ready" yet. Well, we can all wait in the meantime for the next quantum led leap ( which will take time), or we can enjoy their present attributes right away. They are good, they do have high CRI, they are available right now, it's just that many manufacturers are too slow to ramp up production to catch up with the present technology and also that they have lots of past, or should I say obsolete units still sitting on warehouse shelves that must be sold BEFORE the new improved ones can be produced and introduced. That is why my light is using only the newest leds that are PRESENTLY available.
 
I have purchased and used the cheapie LEDs from China. They work OK. I would welcome a higher quality build at a good price (that's the rub...). Litepanels are nice, but I just can't afford $1500 per light.

As I've said, I think the primary advantages are (1) they run cool, (2) they don't heat up a space, and (3) they don't suck tons of power from household lines.

The thought of using high-powered LEDs is interesting. I just don't want them to flicker. As long as a filter will correct a green spike (or whatever) that would be OK as well.
 
Another thing: the shoot I did over the weekend (they pretty much used my LED panels because the room was small, and Sacramento was running 95-100 degrees that day) went OK I think. At least the DP didn't complain about the look after we filmed with a Canon 7d.

The room was about 10X10. We didn't use full power on the lights, and it was certainly bright enough.

Really looking forward to further improvements in this technology.
 
Flicker problems as well as banding or horizontal lines on video are not caused by the leds themselves but rather by the driver used ti drive the leds at their current/voltage range.Also in some led units the flicker is also due to the low voltage/current cutoff threshold of the driver. This is most often the case with drivers that use the PWM method of dimming (Pulse Width Modulation) and drivers that are cheaply and cost effective designed. The banding issues are most apparent when using the video camera at high frames per second settings ( fps) with PWM dimmed leds. The led units I have do not use the PWM for the dimming hence are immune to the banding and flickering effect. I just cannot see how panels that are in those high price ranges continue to sell at those prices. What is it in them that cost so much? I can understand one being over 91 CRI with quality leds and spec'ing out at 20K Lux on flood and equivalent to a 1K halogen. Perhaps my next project, hmm, food for thought !
 
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