Over the past couple of years I’ve had a chance to use or take a close look at various LED lighting instruments available in the marketplace. Today you will find lots of inexpensive lights suitable for on-camera use available for anywhere from $50 to $500 from a variety of vendors. And while these little lights are certainly interesting, they are usually not bright enough nor versatile enough for demanding professional users.
Enter the next tier of professional LED lighting in the $500 to $1,000 range. This particular horse race has heated up with the addition of new lights from Sony and Lowel which join Zylight and Litepanels who have been around for a while. Things are sure to get even more interesting as LED price/performance continues to improve and designers incorporate new generations of LED technology into new and updated instrument design.
Based on my experiences shooting run & gun with the LitePanels MiniPlus at the North American International Auto Show last year as well as using it on my previous documentary project, using the Zylight Z90 during a lighting workshop I taught at the Pro Video Show and carrying it with me for several weeks on my current documentary production, messing around with the Sony HVL-LBP at Boston Media Makers, and taking a development prototype of the Lowel Blender out for a spin on a couple of interviews, I’ve come to some conclusions on the strengths and weaknesses of each design. Below is a comparison of the four units I’ve has a chance to work with along with my brief editorial on each. What is most appealing about LED lighting is being able to light using batteries as your power source for run & gun shooting with simplified battery management (using the same batteries for camcorder and light via sleds or D-taps) and the ability to dial in the color you need (using one of the more sophisticated designs) without fumbling with gels.
| Manufacturer | Zylight | LitePanels | Sony | Lowel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Z90 | MiniPlus | HVL-LBP | Blender |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Editorial | My favorite among the four lights. A versatile creative tool with unique special features.
Offers a bright source, creative color control, and a smooth, wide, even beam that can be controlled with barn doors. Excellent build quality, state-of-the art color-changing HD-LED technology from Color Kinetics. One downside is the edge of the beam exhibits color fringing. The ability to set to any color (in addition to daylight and tungsten) and save user presets for instant recall make this a versatile performer and creative tool. The key question: is it worth the cost? From my experience it is, especially when you compare it side by side with the other three lights. |
A solid performer, but not my favorite, , trails behind other contenders in terms of versatility.
The MiniPlus was among the first on-camera LED lights to gain traction in the marketplace, and it helped prove the viability of LED technology in run-and gun shooting scenarios, however, it’s starting to look pretty long in the tooth compared to the Zylight and Blender lights, both of which run circles around the Litepanels in terms of versatility and build quality. Awkward design in terms of how the battery pack attaches to the back of the light, the way gels attach, and the lack of a locking power connector when using outboard power contribute to a lower rating compared to the Blender and Zylight. |
My least favorite of these four lights, trails far behind other contenders in terms of versatility.
Designed as a companion for Sony camcorder owners that use L-Series batteries. Typical Sony move to make a product that is designed to work only with their proprietary batteries. It’s a limited product in many respects. On the other hand, Sony owners who want “Sony Style” will like how it integrates into their existing Sony camcorder infrastructure. With the introduction of the Blender, there is no compelling reason to purchase the HVL-LBP. Look to the Blender or Zylight for a better LED light with more versatile powering options. |
A close-runner up favorite among the four lights. A versatile and cost effective creative tool.
The ability to dial in any balance of daylight and tungsten light on the fly makes this a strong contender for a camera light or versatile problem solving light you can always carry with your camera kit. If you don’t need the flexibility of generating the full spectrum of color, this might be the perfect light for you. Good build quality. Soon to be released and worth the wait. A well thought out design that comes directly out of designer Tom Robotham’s experience as a cinematographer. Information supplied is based on use of a prototype unit, features and specifications may vary from the final production units.
|
| Overall rating | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Beam quality
|
Smooth and even beam with gradual fall-off at the edges. Slight color fringing on the edge of a cut. | Daylight models available in spot or flood, tungsten models flood only. Relatively even spread, but not completely | Very spotty, but a diffuser and spot filter is included | Spotty, but comes with interchangeable diffusers that provides a choice of beams. Cracked ice looks nice. |
| Beam shape | Round and very even. | Rectangular, available in either Flood or Spot models (daylight) or Flood (tungsten).
Diffuson gels available to smooth out beam. |
Round, built-in condenser filter intensifies beam for spot use, built-in diffuser smooths out the bean. | Slightly rectangular, somewhat irregular.
A set of diffuson materials are available to smooth out or break up the beam. |
| Cutability(how smooth is the edge when you “cut” the light with a barn door or other solid?) | Clean cut, barn doors work very well with this light (you can attach optional Arri 150W Fresnel barn doors via optional 3″ Accessory Adapter) | Barn doors (if you fashion them) don’t work well, I would not bother trying to barndoor this light. | The side barn doors are not very effective. | Barn doors (if you fashion them) work somewhat better than the MiniPlus but I would not bother barndooring this light. |
| Dimmable
|
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Color
|
Three color modes:
1: white (3200K or 5600K); 2: color (can be set to any color and saturation); 3: gel (adjustable along tungsten-daylight and/or green-magenta dimensions) |
Available in either 5600K (flood or spot) or 3200K (flood) models
(gels must be attached to change color) |
5500K
(gels must be attached to change color) |
5600K, or 3200K, or a variable mix of the two (via dials) |
| Mounting options
|
1/4″-20 thread on top and bottom
(a variety of mounting accessories are available) |
1/4″-20 thread on bottom
(a variety of mounting accessories are available) |
Aattaches to cold shoe, 1/4″-20 thread on bottom of shoe | 1/4″-20 thread on bottom, production unit will probably come with a 5/8″ baby reciever
(a variety of mounting accessories are available) |
| Special features
|
Can be set to produce any color without gels, easy to match other sources
Wireless control: optional Zylink controller can control up to ten units or groups of units Barndoors actually work, easily fited with 3″ accessory adapter |
Optional remote dimming module | Indicator with remaining battery strength. | Daylight/tungsten color changes without gels, easy to match other sources with a turn of a dial. |
| Power options
|
Can accept DC power from an external battery, D-Tap (Anton Bauer Style), or AC adapter.
Threaded power connector for secure attachment of ourboard power connector. |
Snap-on NiMH battery or power via optional snap-on battery sled that holds two camcorder batteries.
Can accept DC power from an external battery, D-Tap (Anton Bauer Style), or AC adapter. Power connector for attachment of outboard power is not threaded. |
Designed to work only with Sony’s L-series Lithium-Ion batteries (NP-F770, F970, can’t use NP-F500/300 batteries or third-party batteries)
Battery attaches directly to unit or can be stored outboard using the included battery adapter cable.
|
Can accept DC power from an external battery, D-Tap (Anton Bauer Style), or AC adapter.
Threaded power connector for secure attachment of outboard power connector. |
| Power consumption
|
30W (2-1/2A @ 12VDC); works with 9-24VDC | 8.4W (0.7amps @ 12V); works with 10-30VDC | 16W (2.23A @ 7.2 VDC) | 13W (1.8A @ 7.2VDC); works with 7.2 to 15VDC |
| Photometrics(as stated by vendors)
See note below on footcandles required for proper exposure. 1 footcandle = 10.76 lux |
53fc @ 3.3ft.
13fc @ 6.6ft. |
97fc @ 2ft.
24fc @ 4ft. 9.2fc @ 6ft. (flood) |
55fc @ 3 ft.
6fc @ 9 ft. (with lens)
|
45fc @ 3.3ft. (single array)
90fc @ 3.3ft. (both daylight and tungsten arrays)
|
| Lighting accessories
|
Optional accessory adapter allows you to attach standard 3-inch [76mm] softbox or barn doors (which are actually useful on this instrument)
|
Holder for gels, other accesories are difficult to mount (but really not needed since barn doors don’t do much with this design) | A diffuser and spot filter is included and attaches to the light. | Slide in diffusers, gels can be slid in along with diffuser if color correction is needed that can’t be handled in the daylight-tungsten dimension. |
| Size
|
5.3″ x 3.0″ x 2.0″ [135mm x 76mm x 51mm] | 6.83″ x 2.30″ x 1.18″ [173mm x 60mm x 30mm] | 4 3/8″ x 6″ x 5-1/8″ [108mm x 129mm x 150mm] | 4″ x 3″ x 3″ [102mm x 76mm x 76mm] |
| Weight(without cables or power source) | 16 oz. [454g] | 9.6oz [360g] | 14.9oz [420g] | 14 oz. [397g]
|
| Availability
|
Now | Now | Now | Fall, 2009 (estimated) |
| Street price(single unit, without power options) | $985 | $640 | $540 | $650
(includes AC adapter) |
| Kit prices
|
Kits range from$1,180 (ENG kit with mounting hardware and battery tap) to $1,550 (with NP battery power option)
(add $50 for barn doors, add $475 for Zylink wireless controller) |
Kits range from $750 (camera mounting harware and battery sled) to $1,150 (kit with mounting hardware, gels, and snap-on NiMH battery) | $640 with NP-F970 Lithium-Ion battery | $740 for kit with battery sled (Sony or Panasonic or Canon), three front diffusers, handle & stud (estimated) |
| Product page links | Zylight Z90 | LitePanels MiniPlus | Sony HVL-LBP | Lowel Blender |
How much light do we need? All these photometric specifications are great, but in order to make sense of them, we need to know how much light we need for a decent exposure with our particular camera. You can determine this for your camera using a light meter and a white card as a 95 IRE reference or an 18% grey card as a 50 IRE refenence. Based on my own testing, you need about 40 footcandles for an exposure at f/2.8 without gain using a Panasonic HPX170 camcorder. (Note: if your light meter does not provide direct reading of lux or footcandles, you can convert it’s reading to foot candles using the technique described here). This is based on doing a conservative flat-disk light meter reading and setting the exposure so a white card is at 90 IRE (not at 100, you always want a little bit of headroom in the highlights). It’s easy to do these kinds of tests using the Zebra in most video cameras or the spot meter in some of the Pansonic cameras. Of course, if you’re willing to crank the gain, you will need far less footcandles for a good exposure, at the cost of added video noise.
What about cost of LED lighting? One of the issues that constantly comes up in discussons of LED lighting for video production, is it worth the cost? Certainly you can put 40fc on a subject using a 60W soft white household bulb (or a close to daylight GE Reveal bulb) in a white reflector fixture several feet away. This would cost a hell of a lot less than the equivalent LED light. So LED lighting is not about cost. It’s about versatility, control, smaller footprint, and lower power consumption. A professional on-camera LED light is going to use half to one fourth the power of a comparable incandescent lamp, thus providing longer running times when working off a battery. It’s a tradeoff between versatility, form-factor, cool operation, and consumption. In the middle of the mix you will also find flourescent fixtures that have their own unique set of advantages. Another thing to consider is only purchase what you need to use today, as LED production increases and new designs are introduced, you can expect the brightness to go up and the cost to drop over time, since LED technology follows the semiconductor technology curve and increasing demand for LED technology is driving down costs and driving innovation.
Putting the light output, cost, and size in perspective. So how does the output of these LED lights compare to other lights you are using? A Kino Flo Diva-Lite 200 provides daylight or tungsten light with an intensity of 120fc at 3.3′ or 32fc at 6.6′. A tungsten Rifa eX55 (with an EHC 500W bulb) provides a respectable 72fc at 5′ so it provides more than enough light for interviews. This is why a Rifa or Diva lights makes such a good key in a compact inteview kit, you can place either of them at a comfortable distance away from a subject and have plenty of light for a good solid exposure. And because the Diva is fluorescent, it runs cool, however, the Rifa is more compact due to the use of a small tungsten lamp and collapsible umbrella. The Diva is about the same price as the LED lights listed here, the Rifa is somewhat less. On the other hand, these more traditional key lights are much larger, heavier, and they require access to mains power, and they do not fit into your camera bag the way a Z90 or Blender does.
Each technology provides different affordances. Each technology has it’s strengths and weaknesses. When I want the quality of crisp sunlight, I’d use an incandescent Arri Fresnel, when I want something small and versatile for run & gun shooting, I’d use an LED light like the Z90 or Blender, when I want gorgeous soft light, I’d use something along the lines of a Lowel Rifa light or Kino-Flo Diva-Lite, of course, when the subject, location, and my favorite gaffer (mother nature) are all cooperative and in alignment, there’s nothing more beautiful than using skylight though a window as the key light. And in this situation, a little LED light can add that perfect twinkle in someone’s eyes. So an LED light in your camera bag can be there to help solve problems on the spot, with mininal fuss. A versatile LED light like th Z90 or Blender is a lights you will want to have in your bag of tricks in order to pull out when there’s no time to light and to carry with you when there is no space to carry lighting gear.
Did you find anything inaccurate in this comparison chart? Is there something I should include that’s not here? Please contact me and I’ll probably correct it. The information in this table is as accurate as I could determine at the time of writing. Some of the information was provided by vendors rather than determined empirically. The opinions in this table are my own and do not necessarily resemble reality. Your mileage may vary.
Very comprehensive, David, thanks.
I have an IKAN LED light and I love it. B&H actually recommended to me before they even had it in stock. It comes with a case, a NP battery, the light, dimmer, filters – and great service. They were wonderful to deal with and the price was PERFECT.
I looked at all the others but ended up with an IKAN. You should review it.
Jon, I appreciate for your comment. In your experience, what is the color quality of the Ikan? The manufacturer states 60 lux (5.5 fc) brightness, but at what distance?
I did not include any LED lights in the under $500 price range because they are in a different category in terms of brightness and spectral characteristics, they don’t use the same high brightness daylight or tungsten matched (or color changing RGB) LEDs that more expensive units incorporate into their designs. It’s not really fair to compare side-by-side lights that are radically different in both price and design objectives, so I clustered together four lights that were in the same general ballpark in terms of price point and target market.
This is not to say that units like the LightPanels Micro ($285, powered via AA batteries or 5-12VDC source via input jack) and Ikan ($330, powered via snap on Sony L-series battery or 7.2 – 12VDC source) are not very respectable lights in their price/performance category, but they are a different kettle of fish than the four lights I compare in this post.
David, thank you so much for this serendipitous review. Now I don’t have to call you to ask for your advice about buying lights!
Kim, You might still want to call. LEDs are not the catch-all solution, there are still many reasons to use lights based on other lighting technology, my favorite portable key is still the halogen Rifa-55 w/ waffle, and if I can afford the added weight in my kit, the Kino Flo Diva-Lite 400 is gorgeous, bright enough to put at a comfortable distance from the subject as well as bright enough to use as an accent or fill light in the shade outdoors. And some of the lower-cost alternatives to the Diva like the Cool Lights offer incredible value for tight budget producers.
David, great review! Thanks!
This is a topic I’ve been very interested in, so I’ve been saving it until I had a chance to sit down and focus on the products. The Zylight sounds very compelling (as expected). I wish is was cheaper, but c’est la vie.
To Jon’s point, I’d love to see an under $500 review. After emailing a few mass marker LCD manufacturers, one of them pointed me toward a $60 panel from China. I’m sure it doesn’t use high-intensity LEDs, but it does work on batteries. I was also thinking of trying to adapt a few LED work lanterns.
I know raw LED prices are dropping at a rate much more in line with Moore’s Law than with traditional lighting. I hope the professional tools follow suit to the extent that the LEDs themselves are the primary cost, lest the consumer LED products actually overtake them through sheer economy of scale. Either way it’s a win/win for filmmakers.
thanks for your review, very detail
I’ve worked with zylite, rosco lite pads, colortran theatrical and lite-panels lights. I also have built my own custom kit of LEDs that allow me to do quick tape up and super-flat light weight lighting. First and foremost is the issue of color correct. LEDs are by nature a non-color correct source because they must convert green spectrum LED light to white light by illuminating a phosphor coating on the diode. The chemistry required for correct bulbs is either “chance” (pick the ones that look OK throw away the rest) or expensive process control ($6 per bulb bulk Rebel Luxeon from Philips).
There are a lot of tweaks being done to correct the “purple haze” or “green funk” from LED’s but the lights do not have correct colorspace conformity to meet the increasing sensitivity of HD and large sensor formats. The color dimensions are untrue along lines that our color correct system (magenta/green) do no reflect. It is subtle stuff until the light is cold or just not good (Lite Panels are the worst). I’ve talked to Philips and Osram and they are engineering lights for architectural uses that will meet film criteria eventually.
If you are not seeing lighting variations, or haven’t noticed how pink Diva lights are, or haven’t mixed 3 sources in a shot and found each one off in a different direction then none of this matters because you are not shooting something that anyone cares how it looks or you are color blind. PS your meter will not accurately reflect an LED’s color value because it is not a spike green or pink like a fluoro.
Nice review David. I found this on google rather than going to your site. I am looking for LED panels for off-camera. After working recently with Extreme Makeover Home Edition, where Litepanels are preferred I wanted to do some research for a future project. Glad I found you again.
David;
Nice review – very comprehensive and detailed. I’m about to purchase a new light kit to go with the Canon 5D Mk2 kit I’m putting together, and this was invaluable information. Thanks for taking the time to do this!
hi, what a great review…do you know how well the blender works as an on-camera light?
hi again, please scratch that last comment, i found the answer! maybe a review of the microbeam 256?
jerome, the Blender makes a very good on-camera light, however, except for brief experimentation, I’ve not used it that way, I personally don’t like blinding subjects with a light source coming from the position of the camera, I prefer a light that is off axis, for it (a) looks better, nicer facial modeling, and (b) it’s less annoying for the subject. It usually requires a second person to help hold the light, but I usually work with someone else, so it works for me to position the light off camera.
I have no experience with the microbeam 256 and it’s not likely that I will be playing with one anytime soon, however, check this thread out on DVinfo: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/photon-management/237205-microbeam-256-a.html
What about the Dedolight LEDzilla? I can’t seem to find any reviews comparing the Lowel Blender and the LEDzilla. They are both in the exact same price range and offer completely different features. The LEDzilla offers a focusable beam (spot to flood), built in barn doors, and a 1 LED design which prevents that multi-shadow look. The Lowel Blender is a multi-LED design with the ability to change color temperature, but is not focusable and does not come with barn doors.
It’d be nice to see a full review and comparison of those two lights, since they cost the exact same and offer different features.
Sony HVLLBPB and Comer Light (CM-LBPS1800). in your opinion which one is a better option to invest in since they more or less have the similar specs except for the price where there is a huge difference?
is the sony worth the price?
is the come as good as the sony light?
need a comparison inorder to decide which one to buy.
thanks
mahesh