Josh S Wilkinson

One of the thing ive done thats worked pretty well is using an M18 into a 8x8 silver lame with a little haze, the silver even cools the light out a little more.

Stays very directional.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArqoFenw5vOLh9Zcpa92CnWvFGRBrw

I was going to say (hopefully a bit more sympathetically) the same thing. It's incredibly easy to be hoodwinked by LED output claims. They are often absolutely outrageous.

 

That LED is a bit less than 600 watts' worth. LED and HMI have broadly similar luminous efficacy (very recent, high quality LEDs may be fractionally better, but not enough to make a worthwhile difference in this comparison.) It is not plausible that a 600-watt LED has the same output as a 2.5KW HMI.

 

P

That was true maybe 3 years ago, not so much now. I have used them side by side with a Joker 1600, the output is very similar across the lens range.

I haven't used it personally next to anything bigger than that, but its suited me well for similar night exterior work

The fact that you can plug 2 into a wall/putt putt was the main reason for my suggestion. Rents the same as a 1600/2500 as well, at least here.

Tried the app...

Arri 2,5 fresnel at full flood - 6000 lux @ 4,5 meters

"Punch Plust" with a 55 deg diffuser - 1830 lux @ 4,5 meters

And that's a fresnel which's the least efficient of them all. In a narrow-beam application (like firing into a mirror) this LED is more than 20x weaker than a PAR with a safety glass (no lens) and 2-5x dimmer than a lensed par.

 

 

You're comparing apples to oranges.

For 1, an M40 puts out 2800 FC at a 38 degree beam at 10ft. Thats the widest the app shows.

The Punch Plus's normal beam is 19 degrees with no "lens". The lens are just plastic diffusion panels, they're terrible, they easily eat 1-2 stops of light. If you're pushing this through a silk or bouncing it there is no reason to use them.

An M40 puts out 7000 FC at 18 degree at 10 ft, Punch plus puts out 6000 FC

And thats basically the best par fixture in production.

You can not like LEDs, thats cool. Don't go putting out false info though.

Look at the photometrics - it's weaker than a 1200 SE PAR, let alone a 2,5K.

"Brighter than a 2,500 watt HMI", they say. Maybe, brighter than a 2,5 softlight made in '70s.

 

 

I have and I use them frequently. Based on Arri's App, its pretty spot on to a 2.5k bulb in an M40, within a 1/5 of a stop. Compared to any cheaper fixture, its usually brighter.

Not sure if budget or power is more the concern. But you could look into aadyntechs punch plus, better output than a 2.5k and only runs at 5 amps. Could potentially double them up into a 12x12 or space them out.

They have become my favorite for budget exterior stuff.

Your best bet under $1000+ is the Deep Parabolic Umbrellas from Westcott, Impact, Inter fit (theyre all the same). Has to be the Deep ones though, the regular "Parabolics" arent really parabolic

Edit: Wont let me embed, here is what those umbrellas look like.

https://1drv.ms/i/s!ArqoFenw5vOLh48vVm4691N8NimlfQ