First Continuous Lighting Purchase

[ryan Strong]

Very helpful guy... I appreciate the time and effort you have put into your reply and it has helped me understand the world of continuous lighting more.

 

It appears us still photographers have it easy with our strobes!

 

What I am going to do is rent a Kino Flo Diva 401 kit for my first shoot I have in 2 weeks and try it out, see what I think.

 

It sounds like I'm probably just going to have to ret for awhile until I really figure out what's best. I will probably plan to rent the parabeam on the shoot after next.

 

Still lots to learn but this has been VERY educational and I appreciate all that have chimed in.

[Guy Holt]

I need a workhorse single light setup. … I want to be able to use my continuous light purchase in studio and out on location…. It needs to be fairly mobile. ….[a] light that caught my interest due to it's mobility and lightweight was the LED Litepanel 1x1... however I am a little skeptical of the light quality and fall off vs the price....Does anyone have any comments or suggestions as to what I should get that would be easy for me to step into with this new video world?

 

Ryan, there is a new light technology introduced at NAB this year that you may want to consider because it offers a number of benefits over existing LED, Fluorescent, and HMI technology. It’s called Light Emitting Plasma, or LEP, it is getting a lot of press lately. However, as with any new technology, you have to be wary of all the claims made by the manufacturers. At present there are three motion picture LEP lamp heads on the market: the Photon Beard Nova 270, the Helio 270, and Hive Lighting’s Hornet 180. All three lamp heads use the same Luxim Plasma Emitter behind Fresnel lenses. The Photon Beard Nova 270 and Hive Hornet 180 can be operated on batteries at 28 Volts or off a Universal (90-305Vac, 50/60Hz) AC power supply (the power supply is separate in the case of the Photon Beard Nova 270. The Helio 270, by comparison is a stripped down, more robust location production instrument that offers a built-in 120V/60Hz AC power supply (no DC option) with near unity (.99) Power Factor. As such, the Helio 270 is nearly half the price of the other two heads. For our company newsletter I have put together an overview of the technology and what products are available for motion picture lighting (available at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html#anchorHigh%20Output%20LEPs.) In this newsletter article I have tried to cut through some of the hype. Here is a quick summary of a few of the issues.

 

The Photon Beard Nova 270 (left), a "Hive" of Hornet 180s (center), and the Helio 270 (right.)

 

LEP bulbs are capable of intense light output. One manufacturer, Luxim, claims their technology can produce 144 lumens per watt. In contrast, Tungsten Halogen bulbs produce 15 lumens per watt, LED emitters produce between 65 to 85 lumens per watt (in practical applications), and HMI bulbs produce 90 Lumens per watt. While there is truth in this claim as it pertains to an LEP bulb in isolation, as with LEDs, manufacturers have not realized anything close to that kind of lumen efficiency within the framework of a practical light that will burn in all lamp orientations.

 

The Helio 270 LEP

 

When the pill sized LEP bulb in mounted in the “puck” so that it will burn in all head orientations, the emitting area is no more than 1/4" x ¼." In this configuration, the 273W LEP bulb will deliver 16000 lumens or 57 lumens per watt. While much less than the 37’000 lumens the bulb will generate fully exposed in a horizontal position, it cannot be tilted up in that orientation. On the plus side, mounted so that it will burn in all orientations, all of its’ output is forward directed within a 60 degree angle so it doesn’t require a reflector. Such a highly localized forward directed light is ideal for Fresnel type instruments. As close an approximation to the ideal point source that exists today, its light output favors the central portion of the Fresnel lens. Since, this part of the lens has greater transmittance, LEPs are a more efficient source for Fresnel type heads than tungsten filaments, LED arrays, and even HMI arcs. For this reason you get more of those lumens transmitted through the lens in a highly collimated light that is very clean and crisp making it great for cutting shadows or gobo effects. The 273W LEP bulb in a Fresnel type instrument has an output comparable to a 575W HMI Fresnel.

 

Forward directed output of Helios 270 LEP

 

LEP head manufacturers also claim that LEP lamps provide a CRI of 94+. But, more important than their high CRI ratings, is the fact that LEP lamps generate light with a continuous color spectrum. If you compare the spectral power distribution graphs (below) of natural daylight and LEP lamps (available at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html#anchorHigh%20Output%20LEPs) you see that, except for very brief drop outs at approximately 425 nm and again at 475 nm, the light output of LEP lamps is almost identical to natural daylight.

 

 

And, as also can be seen in their spectral distribution graphs above, Plasma lamps have a much more continuous color spectrum than even the best LED luminaries on the market today. For instance, LEP lamps, unlike LED lamps, generate light at wavelengths shorter than 425nm - which means that violet colors will render better. And, unlike LED lamps, LEP lamps also output in the medium blue-cyan-turquoise range from about 465-510nm so aqua-type colors render well by comparison. Skin tones and warm, amber-yellow colors stand out better under LEP lamps because of the strong presence of their complementary colors. And, since the output of LEP lamps extend all the way out on the long-wavelength end (well beyond the 600 nm cutoff of LEDs), pinks, reds, oranges, and other long wave-length colors look vibrant under LEP light where they tend to look a little dull under LEDs. As a continuous spectrum source, colors not only appear more natural and vibrant under LEP lamps than under LED lamps, they also reproduce more accurately on the screen since, as is also evident by their spectral distribution graph, the output of LEP lamps is almost an exact match to the spectral sensitivity of daylight film emulsions and digital sensors. Plasma lights will deliver the same true-to-life color rendition previously achievable only with full-spectrum Daylight or HMI sources.

 

Where we are a long way off from having a single-die LED with sufficient output and correlated color temperature to match HMIs, LEP lamps are a cost effective alternative to expensive HMI Fresnel systems when it comes to generating daylight balanced light. This feature of LEPs benefits users of DSLRs and the Red One in particular.

 

One downside to lighting for the 5000K native color balance of CMOS sensors in the past has been that it requires an all 5000K balanced lighting package and HMIs are considerably more expensive to buy or rent than other light sources. Kino Flo fixtures, particularly the Parabeams, are a cost effective alternative to HMIs because they can use either 3200K or 5500K tubes. But, the drawback to fluorescent fixtures (like LED fixtures) is that they generally have a very broad soft light output that drops off rapidly which means the units need to be positioned close to the subject they are lighting. This characteristic has always made them better suited to lighting documentary interviews than dramatic scenes.

 

With a 5300K output comparable to that of a 575 HMI Fresnel, the Helio 270 in particular offers the same benefit of being a less expensive alternative to HMIs, but also offers the added benefit of being more versatile than a Kino Flo or LED fixture. Not only does it offer the capacity of traditional Tungsten/HMI Fresnels to throw and control its light output (making it a more suitable Key and Backlight source for lighting dramatic scenes), but it also has sufficient output to bounce it or waste some output to diffusion material to make it softer (existing LEDs put out barely enough, with none to waste.) It’s capacity to provide both hard crisp light that will throw a distance and is easily controlled, as well as offer soft light with diffusion, makes the Helio 270 much more versatile than any Fluorescent light or LED array presently available. It also offers a number of benefits that the new LED Fresnels and traditional HMI Fresnel do not.

 

For instance, LEPs do not require the active microprocessor color control that is required to assure consistent color rendition in LEDs. Absent such microprocessor based color management systems, LEPs are less expensive and more robust than LED Fresnels. An added benefit to LEPs is that color meters, like the Minolta III F, that make their calculations of the Color Temperature (CT) based on a light sources continuous spectrum, are able to generate accurate reading of the CT and Green/Magenta of LEP lamps. Color meters are completely useless reading the “spiky” discontinuous color spectrum of LEDs (see my newsletter article for details .)

 

The biggest benefit to LEPs in comparison to HMIs has got to be the cost savings in not having to replace lamps every 500 - 750 hrs as is the case with HMIs (or an entire LED light panel when its' emitters reach low light failure.) Where a 575w HMI globe typically retails for approximately $150.00, the 5000 hr L85 lamp life of an LEP bulb is equal to seven HMI globes, which amounts to a savings of $1050.00, or nearly half the cost of the Helio 270 Plasma lamp head.

 

The Helio 270 LEP

 

Plasma emitters use solid state, hardened components that improve their reliability under harsh location production. Plasma bulbs are rugged and vibration resistant, and so unlike HMIs will not break or explode inside expensive heads. Since the LEP emitter is extremely compact, in the case of the Helio 270 at least the emitter, driver, and power supply all fit in the lamp head (the Photon Beard Nova 270 uses a separate AC power supply), eliminating the need for a separate ballast connected by header cables (the acknowledged Achilles heel of HMI systems.) Finally, with much lower UV emissions, LEPs do not require elaborate and ultimately finicky safety switches. In total, LEPs have an order of magnitude better reliability than conventional HMI lamp heads while offering the intense beam and the colorful spectrum needed for motion picture production.

 

Unlike similar sized HMIs, LEP heads use Power Factor Corrected (PFC) power supplies. In fact, we are looking at including the Helio 270 in our HD Plug & Play Pkg. because it has a Power Factor of .99 making it a near linear load. As a result, it uses power more efficiently, minimizes return current, and generates virtually no line noise. Where, it is as much the Harmonic Noise that non-PFC HMI, Fluorescent, and LED power supplies kick back into the power stream, as it is their higher Apparent Power, that limits the total number of them that can be reliably operated on conventional portable generators; the efficiency and near unity Power Factor of this LEP head means that you can operate more of them on portable gas generators. For instance, you can operate four 575W HMIs on a 6500W portable AVR generator, where you should be able to operate 23 of these 270W LEP heads (each with an output comparable to a 575W HMI).

 

Oscilloscope shots comparing the current and voltage waveforms of the PFC Helio 270 with an equivalent wattage of non-PFC LEDs

 

Where LEP is radically new technology there is a lot to get your head around. One way to think of a LEP bulb is as a tiny discharge lamp. But, unlike an HMI bulb it does not have electrodes. Instead of applying a voltage and drawing a current through the lamp to create light as does an HMI, the energy that creates light in an LEP comes via a high frequency RF transmitter. The RF waves heat the materials inside the lamp and bring those materials to a plasma state so that the lamp emits a "flicker-free" light. Besides better color rendering, light quality, and lamp life, this different method of transforming electricity into light has other benefits as well. For more details about LEPs see our newsletter article at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html#anchorHigh%20Output%20LEPs.

 

Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lighting Rental & Sales in Boston

[JamesVergara]

I've screwed around a little with my 5d MKII and the ISO on it is great even at really high levels 3200 ISO even. I can go down to 1/30th of my shutter — I've been wondering how the shutter works with video.... so my Canon 5d MKII is set to 24p. So I should be shooting with my shutter at 1/48th and then adjust aperture to taste? I like 24p as I like that "film" look.

 

 

You can buy Continuous studio lighting kit. These are easy to operate and useful for both beginners and professional photographers. These continuous lighting kits are light weight and easy to set up. These kits are ideal for studio lighting and are available in different models.

You can purchase it from : http://www.photostudiosupplies.com/continuous-lighting.php

[Toby Orzano]

If I were to buy one and only one fixture for a reasonable budget I would consider a couple options: 1) a 2k open face such as a mighty mole. 2) a mole 9 light fay http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/191873-REG/Mole_Richardson_5541_Molefay_5_85KW_Tungsten_Par.html. This allows you to split almost 6kw worth of tungsten light over three circuits so that you can run off ordinary house power. The barger light is a similar option http://www.barger-baglite.com/buzz.htm . Guy might be onto something with the parabeams but myself i would prefer tungsten. Hmis would probably be your best unconditional bet for the situation mentioned but yes very expensive to buy.

 

However, even with the tungsten units i mentioned, you will probably need some sort of diffusion and control, either a chimera or 4x4' open frame which you can skin with any diffusion gel and a couple 4x4 floppy flags (they flop down to become a 4x8 flag). You would need the latter if you were going with the fay because it can't be fitted with a chimera.

 

Of course none of the options above would work for exterior locations without a generator, in which case i want to point out the option of using relector boards and/or mirror boards (or even 8x8 or12x12frames with a reflective material) to bounce the sun onto the subject.if using a hard bounce such as a mirror board, you can shoot that through an aforementioned 4x4 open frame to diffuse and soften it. This will not usually be necessary if you bouce with a larger frame.

[Toby Orzano]

And yes, forgot to mention that you wouldneed to gel tungsten lights to match daylight which no is not at all efficient in terms of light for the amount of power you are drawing but i think a good option when you consider the original stipulations of wanting to purchase the lights on somewhat of a budget. Daylight balanced sources are absolutely ideal if money is not a problem.

 

Also want to add that bounce may be a viable option even for interiors if you have strong sun from behind the subject.