CLAR Surface Series 24B Bi-Color On Camera and Studio LED Light

2020-02-23T08:18:32

At 50% off, the 36B is an unbeatable deal. It puts out a decent amount of light, and the light is softened by the design. That makes it good for lighting people without blinding them. On top of that, the light works with the wireless remote so you can control several at once with one controller. Battery power is also a plus. Expect to get about an hour from a pair of NP-F550s.

Patrick K.

2020-02-17T05:42:53

Perfect for fast set up of lighting for interview or product shot. The remote make operation easy for one person crew.

Stewart S.

2020-02-09T08:36:33

Very bright diffuse light, temperatures range from 3200 (tungsten) to 5600 (daylight). Batteries are not included but it plugs in to a regular socket and has a very long lead. It does seem a little flimsy however and I wish it came with a protective case.

CLAIRE C.

2020-01-16T08:13:49

Powerful, portable and easy to set up. I wish this came with a carry case. Unit will not work unless both batteries are inserted.

Sami A.

2019-12-10T18:58:53

I'm new to video production and this looked like a good, economical choice to get me started. I really like that it has a color temperature selector as well as a dimmer. If it works out as well as I think on first use, I will probably order at least one more.

BENJAMIN C.

2019-09-15T20:40:44

A nice and very useful light unit for photographers and videographers at a bargain price. Nice packing. Fast shipping & delivery. Really very happy with the purchase. Before this I bought few unremarkable units from other much published vendors. "ADORAMA" is really the best store for photographers. Now, I only look for marketting emails from "ADORAMA" and ignore other competitors. Thank you "ADORAMA" for making the hobby of photography very much affordable and not sacrificing the quality for economy. Thank you again "ADORAMA"

MAHESWARY S.

2019-05-08T17:24:12

It is advertised as “on camera”. But I do not see how it could be mounted on camera. There is no diagram to explain it.

YUNG C.

2019-04-17T09:02:33

Light weight and nice even lighting.

CRAIG G.

2019-02-22T12:27:18

The CLAR SU-72B is a capable piece of kit. It features two dials, one for color temp and another for dimming. The display on the back reads out color temp, 3200-5600k in 100 degree increments. The dimmer goes from 10%-100%. A small battery level indicator shows the charge level of you’re using the Sony style batteries. I measured roughly 400 lux at 2 meters at 3200k. These units utilize LEDs around the perimeter which illuminate a plastic panel which delivers a decent quality of light sans diffusion. You can add more diffusion to taste but will have to use some camera tape. As the cooling is provided by vents around the perimeter, adhering tape only to the sides would seem prudent. Mounting is by way of a detachable plastic baby receiver with a knob for adjusting the tilt of the unit. On the back of the unit are four 1/4”by 20 threaded holes. I imagine they’re for some accessory, but could possibly also serve as mounting points. CRI is decent with no crazy green or magenta.

CHESTER S.

2019-02-21T04:02:11

I just used the Clar 36B (I have 2) for the first time the other day. I like them very much. I am an amateur photography (stills, not video) enthusiast, and they seem just about perfect to me for someone like myself. They are very bright and compact too. In fact, the small size and easy portability seem to me to be their best points. I carried the 2 lights (with their stand adapters connected) plus their plug-in AC adapters in a Tenba large messenger bag, with room to spare. The units are so THIN that you can maneuver them into places where larger lights would be impossible to use. So if you are going "on location" and might be in confined areas, these lights are perfect. As far as the light output, it seems very uniform and not spotlighty at all - kind of a nice wash. I used one on each side of a glass display cabinet (to photograph the objects inside), at a very oblique angle so the lights themselves would not reflect in the glass. I got a really nice uniform light with seemingly no hot spots even at the ends where the lights were positioned. Very nice! The color temperature control works very well and seems to me to be especially useful if you wanted to use these lights with other lights that don't have such a control. I haven't tried them with batteries, but everything seems well made; the AC adapters have nice long chords, and the controls (brightness, on/off, etc) feel sturdy and smooth. They are definitely a great deal.

Richard H.

2019-01-03T01:17:13

This light is an amazing value. I bought the Viltrox L116T for $. That was also a good deal. I really liked it. I bought the CLAR because I thought it might be better. It comes with a car adapter and an AC adapter, feels less chintzy, and goes brighter. Unless you do not have another $, I highly recommend this light. Very cool.

Jonathan M.

2018-12-03T10:51:15

With new LED fixtures flooding the market, I thought it would be interesting to see how a very inexpensive light would perform. Granted it isn't an Astra or a Litemat or a Skypanel, but at it's price point, it is almost an expendible. So, let's take a look... Indirect LED Bi-Color technology First off, this is an indirect LED fixture. Unlike the Astra, this unit features LED's around the lights perimeter which cause a plastic panel to glow. It isn't as bright. But then, it isn't $1000 plus, either. It is not a remote phosphor, either, for all of you Area 48 fans. The perimeter has both Daylight balanced and Tungsten balanced LED's. These are controlled by a dual purpose dial on the rear of the unit. The color temperature is indicated by digital display with temperatures shown and changed in 100 degree increments. An amber LED shows when you are adjusting color temp. The output/brightness is controlled by the same dial, with dimming from 10% to 99%. A blue LED shows when you are adjusting output level. If you need less than 10% output, strips of 2" black paper tape will probably work fine. Interestingly, if you opt for a color temp of 4100K, the output of the light isn't increased as it is with an Astra or older Lightpanel unit. Small Size=Send it through a frame of diffusion. About the size of a full size ipad, this light is perfect for a small on the go kit. OK. It is... 8 1/2 inches wide by 6 3/8" tall. It is about 1 3/4" deep. At the low price point, I'm tempted to gang four of the units together as one source. I'd just blast (blast being relative here) the thing through a small frame with half diffusion or a silk to make it less sourcey. Mounting Issues...wishing it had a baby receiver. Mounting the thing is problematic. You see it has a 1/4/20 female thread. The unit is supplied with a cold shoe adapter, which in my way of thinking is next to useless. I purchased a small rig mini arm and a baby 5/8 female receiver, as the unit doesn't have a bail for tilting. Battery or AC powered. The AC adaptor features a 12 ft. power cord. Handy. The unit is powered by a brick or Sony NP-F style batteries. The brick has with a standard consumer grade barrel type connector. No fancy XLR connections here. For battery power, the unit features a single Sony NP-F style mount. Unfortunately, the unit does not have a battery power indicator. As such, the unit can shut down without warning when battery powered. It does so when the charge level on the battery reaches 12%. A small NP-F 550 battery runs the unit at full power/5600K for slightly over 30 minutes. The unit is cooled by convection currents through cooling openings on the bottom and top of the unit. The unit weighs in at a 1 1/2 pounds with a small NP-F battery attached. At the time I wrote this, Adorama was offering a free battery and charger with purchase. Color accuracy. The manufacturer claims a CRI of between 95 and 97. The truth is, who the heck really knows. There is no adjustment for green or magenta bias, but it isn't expected at this price point. Bring some minus and plus green gels. Frankly, I've come to expect less in the age of LED's. I say this because, while the units I tested seem to be decent, it doesn't mean that the quality of the LED's used might not suffer from the Chinese issue of "Quality Fade" in future production runs. But then that is a problem with everything. Photon Output 5600K 400 fc @ 12" 109 fc @ 24" 53 fc @ 3 ft. 34 fc @ 4 ft. or for those who think in stops ISO 320 24fps 5600K f 8.0/7 at 12" f 4.0/9 at 24" f 2.8/8 at 36" f 2.8/1 at 48" 3200K f 8.0/3 at 12" f 4.0/7 at 24" f 2.8/6 at 36" f 2.8 at 48" 4100K f 8.0/7 at 12" f 4.0/9 at 24" f 2.8/8 at 36" f 2.8/1 at 48" The unit can apparently be controlled via remote. The units can be ganged together via a code entered on the multipurpose dial on the rear of the unit. I did not test this functionality. • Small size 8 1/2 x 6 3/8. Just over 1 lb. • Claimed CRI of 95 • Bi-Color adjustable in 100 degree increments. • Expendable Affordable Just for the record, I haven't received any payment or goods in exchange for this review. Yep, I dug the cash out of my very thin wallet. While you can spend thousands of dollars on light fixtures, for many people who need a small kit for location work, this unit might be enough--especially if your camera isn't light hungry. It isn't enough to bounce into a piece of foam for a booklight. It will be OK if you can have the unit fairly close to talent. It is a bit harsh and to my eye, it is better sent through a light diffusion. Hey, for $ it is pretty nifty. My best, Chet Simmons Gaffer 702-721-6988 chetsimmons@mac.com

CHESTER S.

2018-11-27T13:55:21

Great quality and easy to use. I’m gonna get another one!

Arnildo M.

2018-11-18T08:41:39

I purchased this Series 24B plus one other different model Clar LED light. This one is very "even" in it lighting. The controls for color temperature and power output are very easy to use. Well made enough. Handle with some care and it should last a while. This one from Adorama even came with a power cord with about a 6' long cord which gives you the option of plugging in instead of a battery. For me, this is perfect for single person vlogs and interviews.

SUNG C.

2018-10-23T09:05:30

Nice and bright and great color rating

Daniel G.

2018-10-10T10:47:31

It is nice LED panel, very bright light. It is also light. There is a diffuser in front so there are no light spots. It run on A/C and also can be powered with batteries (but I haven’t checked it yet). The light brightness can be controlled accurately as well as color temperature. I like it much.

Kris K.

2018-08-23T09:51:51

Got this to do film scanning with the Nikon ES-2 as the Lume Cube seemed small and overpriced. Not sure how they compare power-wise as one uses Lux and the other Lumens. I figured it out when I ordered it, and this Clar unit has more power, and a free battery & charger (Cube didn't include a battery). The charger needed an adapter plate for the Sony type Li-Ion, which is a good choice as it has 2600 mA and they are pretty cheap. Turns out having a bigger panel works well as I get the ES-2 closer I don't have to worry about centering. The unit is plenty bright and lets me digitize at the lowest ISO around F8 at 1/30-1/60, which is optimum. No shake at that shutter speed as the film holder is screwed & secured to the front of the lens. Color adjustment works well, saves me a bit of time in Photoshop. I have studio lights so not much need for this in portraits, but will use it for eBay item photos. The LED has a standard thread for tripod mounting, and its a pretty versatile unit, can be used for video (though haven't tested that yet). The charger's Sony adapter was late as it sat in backorder for a few weeks, but came in today and works fine. The LED does not charge the battery, so I was unable to determine how long the battery can power it, but presuming the batt. came with a 50% charge (no way to know that now), I used the LED continuously for 2 hours on the first run. Its true that the unit has no hot spots, cant see the LED locations, but the edges do have bright/dim ridges, which have no effect anyway. No flicker, no color drift or dimming. When the battery gets low, LED shuts off and a message appears on the back display. I have a 100w equivalent LED in my desk lamp, and this unit seems a bit brighter than that. Overall, flawless for the price. Don't know there is a better buy at the moment.

Chris P.

2018-08-02T13:24:43

A very nice low cost light, the only thing i wish it had is a way to use AA batteries.

WAYNE C.

2018-07-19T15:04:08

I was pleasantly surprised by the substantial size of this panel and the light output. Light quality is soft, as evidenced by the smoothness and softness of the shadows, both close and further away. I plan on using for products and people, and as a quick option, as well as portable in place of larger modifiers and flash. The key for me is the quality of the light. I'm planning on giving it a try for corporate headshots, along with the smaller CLAR. Note to Adorama: Make this in a 30" circular form factor for not more than double the price and you'll have a another winner!

David E.

2018-07-17T12:25:03

Great tool provides just enough light for blogging and quick videos. Good battery life as well! Works better on Tripod then camera!

Arthur T.

2018-07-10T08:31:22

Easy to pack. Nice soft light. Love it.

MICHAEL S.

2018-07-07T12:11:52

A quality product all the way. Very well made with complete control for brightness and color temperature. The AC power supply / charger and battery are a much appreciated addition. Smooth, clean light with no specular hot spots. EXCELLENT VALUE, TOP QUALITY, a great addition to my lighting kit.

Baby G.

2018-07-06T08:49:28

Nice quality - works well

GERALD K.

2018-06-15T09:52:24

a budget led light with battery and a/c operation which works well,has sufficient power for most applications, and at a price wow cheap excellent value and quality

john h.