Tag Archives: 312 LED

Independent LED Video Light Test Project – Teaser • 26 Comments

Emm • May 28, 2013

Ever wonder how your LED light compares to others on the market? 600 LEDs? 1200 LEDs? Adjustable Color Temp? 5600K? CRI? 2200 Lux? Yadda Yadda Yadda... There's a few dozen LED video lights on the market, but i'm not sure if there are true standards in which they are being tested before the specs are listed on the packaging. Light output can be measured at different distances, and if the rating on the box seems pretty high it's possible it was tested at a distance of 1 foot while another may have been tested at 4 feet away.

LED Video Lights Cheesycam

There are just too many variables, so I finally decided to run a few tests of my own in a more standardized fashion. I'm starting out by placing various lights at a distance of 4 feet. I'll be able to compare the spread (diffusion) of each light with this method. I'll be using the Sekonic C-500 Color Meter to take a few LUX readings to see which has the highest light output. I'm also able to take color temperature readings and check for color bias (green/magenta cast).

[Note: The readings on the C-500 may not be accurate with LED lighting, but should provide a baseline for comparison between the lights. Do not accept my readings as an accurate source for each manufacturers specifications]

Cheesycam LED Video Light Test Sekonic C500 C-500 Color Meter
Sekonic Prodigi Color C-500 Color Meter

A few things to keep in mind about the various LED lights on the market. Higher output doesn't necessarily make a better LED light. It could just mean one is more spotty instead of diffused. Bi-Color LED lights have much less light output than LED video lights with only one color, but the Bi-Color light can quickly adjust to match ambient lighting as opposed to a light that may be stuck at 6000K and require you to carry filters. An LED light might look great at full power, but adjusting the dimmer or adjusting the color temperature can introduce color shift, color cast, or sometimes banding or flickering.

Not to mention the physical qualities like size, weight, power requirements like battery type, AC/DC adapters, build quality, remote capabilities, available light modifiers, and finally pricing. Some people may want a harsh spot light while others may want a very soft diffused source. Some will request the biggest and brightest, while others will require something more portable. There are many LED video lights on the market, each with their own pros and cons. My goal with this project is simply to set a benchmark test that can compare and contrast side by side a few of the lights available today.

CN600-FVK4000
(above) CN600 vs K4000

BTW, If you're wondering what my preference is between the two lights I just tested, I prefer the F&V. Although the CN600 had a stronger LUX reading it is mostly concentrated in the center. The K4000S diffuses better (even without the diffuser on), can maintain better color (less greenish tint compared to CN600), and can quickly be dialed in to match other lighting without carrying around additional filters.

Sure there's a bit of green on the K4000S, but only when it gets down to 3200K. A simple minus green filter or WB shift in-camera can easily correct this. I feel the K4000S pros outweigh any of the cons compared to the CN600 and the F&V K4000 lights are also a bit cheaper for each piece if you opt in for the 3 pc Studio Kit (found here).

img_6679_k4000_front_600x600 img_6694_k4000_back_basic_600x600 k4000_3-light-kit_img_1735_k4000_front_angle_600px_2-1
K4000 Single Color / K4000S Bi-Color LED Video Light Kits

600 CN600 CN600 LED Video Light
CN-600 600 LED Video Light

Sony Battery powered 876 LED Panel and 411 LED Ring Light • 11 Comments

Emm • June 18, 2012

411 LED ring light review

Earlier this year at NAB2012, we took a look at some new lights that were powered by common Sony camcorder batteries. One interesting light was the larger 876 LED Light Panel which is very similar to the popular 312 LED and 508 LED panel. The other light shown at NAB was the 411 LED Ring Light. You'll see a bit of this covered at about 7:20 into the NAB video below with Olivia.

Both lights are just hitting the market starting at $325 for the LED Ring light and $600 for the panel. Popular LED Ring lights require your own 12V battery or AC power, and Large LED panels are usually based on expensive V-Mount batteries. I like the fact that these use very inexpensive Sony NPF style batteries, and while these might be great ideas, I don't think the prices are going to impress today's market. These and other LED lights can be found via eBay (Click Here).

Front 876 LED light 411 LED ring Light
411 LED Ring Right and 876 Sony Powered LED Panel

Tekkeon Battery + 900 LED Test • 16 Comments

Emm • September 22, 2011

This test is in reference to my eariler post (found here). So I charged up the Tekkeon overnight and setup this Timelapse test. The reason I used a Timelapse method was to determine if the light output would change during the duration of battery use. I locked the exposure on the camera to 1/25th F/4 and ISO 100 to see if the light output would dim towards the end. The big 900 LED light was set to full power.

It was interesting to see that the Tekkeon remained at a full 14 Volts during the entire test, and when the indicator was down to the last bar, the battery just shut off instantly. If there was a voltage drop during the test, the 900 LED light would start to dim (it didn't dim). Total run time in this test was about 1 hour 6 minutes (1:06). Keep in mind this is a larger 900 LED light on full. If performed at lower output, or for smaller lights like the 600 LED, or 312 LED at only 12 Volts, it would probably run for several hours.

tekkeon-3450i
Tekkeon myPower All Plus Battery 5V-19V DC

600 LED 900 1200 Video Light Panel
Dimmable LED Video Light Panels

12V DC Battery with 5V USB Port • 88 Comments

Emm • July 12, 2011

A while back I posted about some available 12V DC batteries you can use from Ryobi. They've been working great and many people have adapted them on Timelapse rigs and motion controlled sliders. Here's another option. Now I'm fairly weary about posting no name battery packs, so i've been testing these for a few weeks now before I decide if they are any good.

12V DC Battery Pack Screen shot 2011-07-07 at 11.19.55 AM
CCTV 12V DC Rechargeable Li-iON w/ 5V DC USB Port

I originally purchased two of these CCTV Battery packs because of the 5V USB option. These little batteries hold quite a charge and i'm able to fully bring my dead cell phone or iPad back to life (charging through USB) several times over before needing to recharge the Pack again. These USB chargers are the most handy thing when you can't be tied to an outlet (like when traveling).

They also come with a double sided barrel connector to power up 12V DC items, and those have been coming in quite handy as well. The connector fits most standard Camera accessories, but you can always get additional ones to power up other accessories that will run on 12V or 5V DC. [Note] At Radio Shack it's 'AdaptaPlug Size N', elsewhere the common plug is 5.5mm OD and 2.5mm ID Male Plug. The battery uses negative from the outside and sends positive from the inside. Just make sure you have the inside as Positive and the Outside as Negative when making your DIY plug. You can see what that looks like, and find some easy DIY tips here: 5.5mm Male DC Plug Tips

I've been able to power up the Z96 LED light, the 312 LED Video lights, the SmallHD DP6 LCD monitor (and other monitors), the 352 LED Ring Light, and the list goes on and on. So many times you'll catch one of your accessories out of AA's or Sony's, and this backup battery solves them all. [Update] The Zoom H1 can be powered via USB, just figured that out when my AA battery was dying out on location.

I haven't done any real battery testing to see if the 3800mah /12V DC specs they list on the website is actual, but they do hold a charge and power up all my accessories for quite some time. Fairly light weight so all it takes is a bit of Velcro to hang it on the back of your Lilliput LCD monitors, or Portable LED lights that can accept DC in (like the Z96 or 312 LEDs). Unfortunately my 900 LED lights require 14V DC to be at it's 'Brightest' setting, but these little 12V DC batteries will power them up as well. Definitely not a bad price, and I have a few more on order. Trust me, i'm still putting them through the ringer. You can find them (click here).

12V DC Battery Pack Screen shot 2011-07-07 at 11.19.55 AM
CCTV 12V DC Rechargeable Li-iON w/ 5V DC USB Port

[Update] Some of these items might not ship with the correct barrel adapter which is 5.5mm OD and 2.5mm ID. A comment left by Luca has links to some adapter cables. [Thanks Luca]

I found these DC cables that should fit quite nicely. The problem is, they're quite short:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300585910349&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

So here is an extension cable:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390338648476&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_3613wt_1141

312 Bi-Color changing LED light Price Drop • 6 Comments

Emm • June 3, 2011

With a new seller online, there's a huge price drop on the 312 Bi-Color LED video lights. Falling approx. $80 dollars off from the normal pricing, this is an awesome light to use both on and off camera. Come to think about it, this is probably the largest 'on camera' LED Video light - and it's color adjustable. To get the most flexibility on this large light, don't forget about the Variable Friction arms.

flexible-power-arms
Variable Power Friction Arm

Unlike the Socanland 277 LED, this one can adjust and mix between 3200K-5600K, and comes with two Sony compatible NPF550 batteries + charger + Carrying Case + Metal Ball Hot Shoe mount + Diffuser Panel. The lowest price i've ever seen it in the world, no excuses, says a few available. Take a look at the video review above, and find it below.

Screen shot 2011-06-03 at 12.49.56 PM
312 Bi-Color Changing Dimmable LED Video Light

Not quite ready for the big 312? The smaller 144 Bi-Color LED Video light from the same manufacturer uses only one Sony style battery (below).

144 LED Color Changing
144 Bi-Color Changing Dimmable LED Video Lights

312 BI-Color Dimmable LED Video Light • 40 Comments

Emm • May 11, 2011

What can I say, it's a kick ass light that's not too big, and not too small. It's color changing to make blending in with other lighting an easier task. It's dimmable down to 0%. Even with the Sony batteries on low, we didn't notice any flickering. The double Sony battery tray keeps it portable, but could be powered through it's built in AC input. When mixing it in with daylight colored lights, this one is our Hair Light on a long boom stand turned to tungsten to add a bit of warmth. These are one of Olivia's favorite lights so far, so we thought we'd give it a proper introduction on build and features. I'll be doing a side by side test against some other common lights soon too.

dimmable-312-LED
Uni Color 312 LED with only Dimmer

There's actually two versions of this light if you don't care for the Color Changing option. Not many people actually carry the second type. The other 312 uses ONLY Daylight colored LED bulbs, and 'Yes' it's actually much brighter than the color changing version which has to cut the LED count down to half in order to be at one color. You can see in the video that in order to change colors, the Bi-Color version has one set of Daylight and one set of Tungsten colored LEDs. Outside of that, the Bi-Color and Uni Color lights are exactly the same. You can find both versions through the link below.

312 LED Video Light
312 Bi-Color Changing Dimmable LED Video Light

Color Changing / Dimmable – 240 LED Video Light • 11 Comments

Emm • March 29, 2011

Sucks posting this article, especially since the unit is not available for the same price (right now). I posted something about this new light hitting the market a few days ago, and of course it sold out fast. It was the first time a BI-Color Adjustable LED light was available for the price. Hopefully they'll get them back on the market ASAP, because this light makes balancing fill light color so easy. Don't worry i'm on top of this so if I find out updates, i'll get it on this blog for ya'. If you want to check out the original post for these light you can find it HERE.

240-dimmable-color-led
Sony battery Compatible + Panasonic w Adapter