2013-07-01T21:00:00
Rated 4 out of 5
Good for the price
I use the items to light my studio and provide location lighting without the need for a generator. I'm using for time-lapse lighting, green screen lighting, and interview lighting. Going to start making short films soon, so they will be used for that. They only max out at 500 W equivalent though so these are used as a fill light, top light, or bounce light. I have to get them close to the subject for interviews. I'm looking at a potential stop-motion short and anticipate these being very useful.
Pros: Cheap.
Bright, up to 500 W equivalent
Portable (huge plus).
Rechargable with very clear care instructions.
Easy to get a 4-point studio going for less than $2000.
Dimmable.
White ballanced for sun.
Easy to gel for tone and color (Not talking about the ease of actually putting on a gel, see below).
Don't have to worry about excessive heat.
Cons: Have to rig gels differently now due to no clamp capability. You could unscrew the defuser on there (that doesn't defuse too well) and screw in some gels, thus putting holes in them, but this is a timely process. I use tape now that the LED's don't heat-up too much.
The bottom screw that attaches to the stand is very small and fragile. I can easily see this breaking. I'm looking to find a way to rig this to a clamp or my c-stands to prevent a potential break.
Batteries, although portable, are very heavy. Hiking to a location for some outdoor lighting may have gotten easier by not lugging around a generator, but you still have to carry around some lead blocks. Looking for li-ion alternatives.
Prone to wind and stands aren't very wide. make sure your sand bags are well placed.
Requires alternative light control sources and mounts. No barn doors, no clamp areas, etc.
Robert H.
