25May 508 LED Sony Battery Powered Light
When these 508 LED video lights
While they can still be found on eBay for over $400 (seen here), and from retailers for over $460 dollars+, I just noticed that right now Fotodiox is selling the dimmable 5600K version of the 508 LED video light for $279 via Amazon.
Fotodiox 508 LED Video Light Panel Sony Battery
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May 25th, 2012 at 9:13 pm
Hey Guys,
I’m a big fan of the 312 bi color and the 209 bi color.
there pricing is right on. but These units are way to pricey.
When the 508 bi color and 876 bi color come down to a reasonable price say 250 and 300 bucks i’ll be in the color rendition/build does not justify it.
But at the price of 209 and 312 the guys get used quite a bit even did a whole
spot with them and a few LitePanels 1×1 for the skin tones,in the rain.
Bring down that price.
Gustavo
May 25th, 2012 at 10:15 pm
Provided that the output dictates the need for the 508 led’s, great. I have a handful of the 312’s and they’ve worked quite well. I think that the $280~ price is more than fair. The blatant copy,rebrand, and 300% markup from Ikan is appauling, but what else is new with them…
May 26th, 2012 at 7:34 am
This price for the 508 LED lights is reasonable and has me considering a purchase.
May 26th, 2012 at 7:40 am
@Dollar Bob – In the past I would have rather purchased (2) 312 LED Video Lights, but the price went back up! So purchasing (2) 312 LED Video Lights is just about the same as purchasing one of these 508s.
May 26th, 2012 at 9:18 am
I like the 312 LED lights and have one myself, as well as a pair of CN-600s and a CN-900. Good lights all, and you’re right about the rough equivalence of 2x 312s and 1x 508. For the sake of simplifying things if we assume each LED throws as much light as the next,* 2x 312s (i.e. 624) will be brighter than the 508 too. So you’re right that there is likely more bang for the buck with two smaller lights.
*All LEDs don’t all throw the same light, but without accurate specs on LEDs we have to make some assumptions or we can’t compare them.
Regarding 2x 312 vs the 508, I hope to put together a light kit that will allow me to set up the fewest number of lights that will still get the job done. Putting up and taking down extra lights is a hidden cost. I’d rather have those couple minutes back, plus I don’t need to purchase an extra light stand (or other support equipment).
Currently, these lights are all competitively priced in relation to one another and their proportional light output. Sure, you can still save a few dollars by adjusting your production routine to accommodate a the tightest budget. I just object to the suggestion that the 508s were pricy. They simply aren’t. Pricy is that announced $500 cost you noted. $280 is a good deal — not the best out there — but still a good deal.
Finally comparing these with the CN600, the 508 is again roughly the same price, though perhaps a bit more expensive considering 15.3% fewer LEDs. However, the 508s appear to be substantially more compact, which means a smaller kit to drag around. For me, compactness might be a feature worth a few extra dollars.
My two-cents.
May 26th, 2012 at 9:54 am
@Dollar Bob – Hopefully I can get one of these to run some comparisons and see how well they perform against the 312 and whether it’s worth the extra cost. I did a shoot with 3 900 LED panels (not even at full power) and that required three power cords, surge protectors, extension cords, etc. A set can get pretty messy after everything else is setup, so I like using batteries when possible.
It’s also handy when you’re in remote locations and need some quick lighting without an AC outlet. Unfortunately the 600 and 900 LED lights require a V-Mount or Tekkeon battery that will add another $140+ dollars /each light. If the 508s perform well, it could be a nice portable solution because the generic Sony NPF Style that I use for the other 312 LED lights can be found for just $5-$20 dollars depending on capacity.
May 26th, 2012 at 10:04 am
Since the 508 doesn’t look like it mounts vertically, where two 312s might be better is mounted one over the other as a key light to illuminate interviewees from the waist up. Not hard to do if you have a superclamp.
May 26th, 2012 at 10:38 am
@Rob S. – Good idea with mounting the 312s. The 508 may not cover as much area, but it is on a ball head and can be tilted sideways (vertically) if needed.
May 26th, 2012 at 10:46 am
Agreed on battery power. My CN lights have Anton Bauer gold mounts (I am old school in some of my preferences), and I am saving to get a full set of batteries. Dropping $200-300 on each battery isn’t fun. Cheaper batteries (e.g. Sony NPF style) are always a good thing, assuming they last long enough to complete a shoot.
Consolidating under fewer battery standards is another concern of mine. I love the Sony NPF batts, but I have a Canon XF so that means I have Canon BP batteries too. AB gold mount adds uptime, but another permutation of battery standards too. If this keeps up, I’ll need a room just to charge all the different sorts of batteries.
You had a good video post a while back on how well the CNs threw light, included in that was a brief bit about your battery charging shelves. I found that very helpful.
I’ve periodically considered the Tekkeon batteries. Still undecided on that.
[Add to all this the complications of different media CF for the XF video, SDHC for XF stills and settings, Micro SDHC for my tablet. PITA! Too many similar but unnecessarily different things to track -- ugh! Consolidation seems the sanest route.]
May 26th, 2012 at 10:55 am
@Dollar Bob – That’s one reason I went with Tekkeon. Multiple voltage options allows me to use the same batteries on several different accessories from cameras, lights, audio, monitors, wireless video transmitters, etc. Problem is that i’m only getting about 1:20 run time on each light. Buying another set of three batteries will cost me about $350 dollars.
I noticed that i’m not always using my lights at full power, so I could go with a smaller set. That would also trim down the bulk of my gear, and reduce weight. The 508s are lighter so I can go with lighter stands too. It might work for a good percent of the small projects i’m doing remotely. Sony batteries are cheaper, and I can still use my Tekkeon’s with them if I really had to. Dilemma….
May 26th, 2012 at 9:23 pm
I just saw these: http://www.ephotoinc.com/1152-led-photograpy-video-softbox-light-p1152.html
Anyone tried them out? Design looks interesting with a hole so you can use like a ring light (?) Plus an octa softbox attachment.
October 6th, 2012 at 6:52 pm
I just got one of the 508A LED panels. With the pair of supplied NPF-style batteries it ran for around 2.5hrs at full power. Nice.