Need a good 3200k LED suggestion at DVinfo.net

Paul Anderegg · October 5th, 2014, 05:22 PM

I am looking for a decent high output 3200k LED light for on camera use. Looking for a standard 16:9 form factor (not the super-wide ones) that preferably uses Sony L batteries, or AA's. This light will be used in a 3200k environment, and I would like it to look as close to tungsten as possible without filters. There are so many brands out there it is hard to find something right for me. Most are bi-color, but obviously, only half the LED's will do 3200k, and the light output will be minimal.

I am currently using a Neewer CN-160 with it's drop in orange filter, but it casts a very magenta glow at 3700k. Great light for the $30 I paid for it though!

Paul

Doug Jensen · October 5th, 2014, 10:11 PM

I have several Litepanels Croma lights that I ocassionally use on-camera. They run on AA batteries, are light weight, can be dimmed, and have a nice even spread that looks very good without any harshness that often comes with other on-camera lights. And don't overlook the benefit of being bi-color. Even if you mostly need tungsten, I'll bet you'll find there are plenty of situations where daylight-fill can be very helpful.

How to Set up and Shoot Awesome Interviews with LED Lights

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Mark Kenfield · October 6th, 2014, 11:29 PM

Look into the Cineo Matchstix. Remote Phosphor technology so the colour rendering is superb, and you can power them directly from your camera/camera battery.

Fred Tims · October 7th, 2014, 06:48 AM

Flolight Microbeam 128

Paul Anderegg · October 27th, 2014, 06:45 PM

Thanks for your suggestions guys. I ended up going with a Neewer CN-304, simply because I wanted a MASSIVE amount of light output. The better CRI 3200k lighting options are just too darn expensive, and my Neewer was only $60. See my secondary post on color correcting the Neewer. :)

Paul

Doug Jensen · October 27th, 2014, 08:10 PM

And now you are suffering the results of buying gear that does not meet professional standards. Good luck.

Trevor Dennis · November 29th, 2014, 07:40 PM

Perhaps that old adage about how folk eventually end up with a decent tripod could be applied to LED light panels. Said the man with a bunch of tripods that are unlikely to ever be used again :-(

Arthur Gannis · February 5th, 2015, 09:16 PM

A light may have that 3200K temp but if the CRI ( color rendering index) is on the low 70 - 85 side, you will be experiencing off color casts more likely in the light greenish tint and will be lacking the proper skin colors as well. Also to be aware of is if the unit has flickering or banding characteristics by many led units that use the PWM scheme of dimming also known as pulse width modulation that varies the length of the on-off cycle of the light. Not noticeable on low shutter speeds but may be problematic if you shoot slo mo frame rates in the 120-240 FPS. I used to custom built my own led on-camera units that have CRI figures in the upper 90's and constant current drivers for dimming. Good quality leds are only half the story, you also may want a sturdy extruded or die cast aluminum frame to last as long as the less do. Like around 50K hours. Quality ain't cheap.

Paul Anderegg · February 5th, 2015, 10:13 PM

This light looks sweet, too bad its not 3200k

Ledgo On-Camera LED Fresnel LG24F B&H Photo Video

Ken Diewert · February 6th, 2015, 12:08 AM

Did you say what you were using it for, and what camera you were using it on?...

Paul Anderegg · February 6th, 2015, 05:47 AM

I use the light for night news ENG work. It is used exclusively on a small Sony X70 Handycam. On my shoulder cameras, I use a Lowel ID light, 100 watts, dimmable, runs off huge Anton Bauer batteries. Obviously I need a self contained unit on my small camera, and 3200k is a necessity unless I want 50% of my visible light objects to be brown/orange, such as car headlights.

I am pretty happy overall with the CN302. The magenta cast is hardly noticeable unless you use a scope.
I mounted the light on a Manfrotto 429LCD shoe/ball head. Looks huge, but is very light, very sturdy, and easy to move the light head around while still "locked" down, just enough friction.

Paul

Gary Huff · February 6th, 2015, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Anderegg

The magenta cast is hardly noticeable unless you use a scope

Until your clients notice it.

Craig Seeman · February 7th, 2015, 11:11 AM

Aputure H198C. Maybe not the brightest but claims CRI95 and the reviews seem to be positive.
http://www.aputure.com/Amaran-H198-Spec

Paul Anderegg · February 20th, 2015, 09:29 PM

Unfortunately, I need a LOT of light. When trying to shoot things at a slight distance at night, ym Sony X70 drops to f4.0, and LED's being fixed wide beam, output is important.

I am just about to drop some dough on a 3200k Microbeam 256. Seems to provide at 3200k roughly the same light intensity figures as my magenta casting Neewer CN302 with CTO. I am a bit skeptical of the CRI93 rating, as pretty much every review I have read on the Microbeams states that they produce a GREEN cast. Right now I am dealing with a magenta cast, wouldn't make much sense to drop $400 on a green light to replace a $60 magenta light!

Maybe someone could recommend a valid and proper way for me to "gel" my bare Neewer, which puts out roughly 5800-5900k light. I have several versions of LEE LED specific gels, but none of them get me better than 3600k, and still have a magenta cast. Maybe the LEE filters are minus green? Are most LED's green casting, and my magenta hued LED is an odd Chinese source?

I have a DSC chart with a true white side, and a broadcast camera with a RELIABLE color temperature readout. Using these is it possible to shoot a clip of the bare light output using my 3200k camera preset, and looking at that clip determine the exact filtering requirements?

Paul

Noah Yuan-Vogel · February 25th, 2015, 09:48 AM

I would highly recommend against gelling LEDs (except for minor minus/plus-green) and against trusting CRI. My understanding is CRI measurements don't do a great job of telling you how sources with discontinuous or spiking spectral response will look on camera. Any spikes in the spectral curve of an LED will be significantly exacerbated by gels designed for lights with a smooth curve.

Definitely go for an LED that has LED emitters designed to be 3200k rather than 5600k that need to be gelled to 3200k. Personally I use the YN300II bi-color panel which I have been pretty happy with the color on. I'd definitely take that over a 5600k panel gelled to 3200k.

The cineo matchstix sounds pretty cool and probably on a whole other level for color rendition and softness, but at 20x the price and way less punch it likely isn't a good fit.

October 5th, 2014, 05:22 PM	#1
Paul Anderegg Trustee Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Diego, Califonia Posts: 1,559	Need a good 3200k LED suggestion I am looking for a decent high output 3200k LED light for on camera use. Looking for a standard 16:9 form factor (not the super-wide ones) that preferably uses Sony L batteries, or AA's. This light will be used in a 3200k environment, and I would like it to look as close to tungsten as possible without filters. There are so many brands out there it is hard to find something right for me. Most are bi-color, but obviously, only half the LED's will do 3200k, and the light output will be minimal. I am currently using a Neewer CN-160 with it's drop in orange filter, but it casts a very magenta glow at 3700k. Great light for the $30 I paid for it though! Paul

October 5th, 2014, 10:11 PM	#2
Doug Jensen Vortex Media Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,442	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion I have several Litepanels Croma lights that I ocassionally use on-camera. They run on AA batteries, are light weight, can be dimmed, and have a nice even spread that looks very good without any harshness that often comes with other on-camera lights. And don't overlook the benefit of being bi-color. Even if you mostly need tungsten, I'll bet you'll find there are plenty of situations where daylight-fill can be very helpful. How to Set up and Shoot Awesome Interviews with LED Lights . __________________ Vortex Media http://www.vortexmedia.com/ Sony FS7, F55, and XDCAM training videos, field guides, and other production tools

October 6th, 2014, 11:29 PM	#3
Mark Kenfield Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 470	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion Look into the Cineo Matchstix. Remote Phosphor technology so the colour rendering is superb, and you can power them directly from your camera/camera battery. __________________ DREAMSMITHS \| SHOWREEL www.dreamsmiths.com.au

October 7th, 2014, 06:48 AM	#4
Fred Tims Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Myrtle Beach, SC Posts: 82	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion Flolight Microbeam 128

October 27th, 2014, 06:45 PM	#5
Paul Anderegg Trustee Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Diego, Califonia Posts: 1,559	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion Thanks for your suggestions guys. I ended up going with a Neewer CN-304, simply because I wanted a MASSIVE amount of light output. The better CRI 3200k lighting options are just too darn expensive, and my Neewer was only $60. See my secondary post on color correcting the Neewer. :) Paul

October 27th, 2014, 08:10 PM	#6
Doug Jensen Vortex Media Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,442	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion And now you are suffering the results of buying gear that does not meet professional standards. Good luck. __________________ Vortex Media http://www.vortexmedia.com/ Sony FS7, F55, and XDCAM training videos, field guides, and other production tools Last edited by Doug Jensen; October 27th, 2014 at 08:40 PM.

November 29th, 2014, 07:40 PM	#7
Trevor Dennis Major Player Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Zealand, Rapaura (near Blenheim) Posts: 434	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion Perhaps that old adage about how folk eventually end up with a decent tripod could be applied to LED light panels. Said the man with a bunch of tripods that are unlikely to ever be used again :-( __________________ Stills at: www.flickr.com/photos/trevor-dennis/

February 5th, 2015, 09:16 PM	#8
Arthur Gannis Major Player Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New Jersey USA Posts: 504	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion A light may have that 3200K temp but if the CRI ( color rendering index) is on the low 70 - 85 side, you will be experiencing off color casts more likely in the light greenish tint and will be lacking the proper skin colors as well. Also to be aware of is if the unit has flickering or banding characteristics by many led units that use the PWM scheme of dimming also known as pulse width modulation that varies the length of the on-off cycle of the light. Not noticeable on low shutter speeds but may be problematic if you shoot slo mo frame rates in the 120-240 FPS. I used to custom built my own led on-camera units that have CRI figures in the upper 90's and constant current drivers for dimming. Good quality leds are only half the story, you also may want a sturdy extruded or die cast aluminum frame to last as long as the less do. Like around 50K hours. Quality ain't cheap.

February 5th, 2015, 10:13 PM	#9
Paul Anderegg Trustee Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Diego, Califonia Posts: 1,559	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion This light looks sweet, too bad its not 3200k Ledgo On-Camera LED Fresnel LG24F B&H Photo Video

February 6th, 2015, 12:08 AM	#10
Ken Diewert Trustee Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Vancouver Island, Canada Posts: 1,200	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion Did you say what you were using it for, and what camera you were using it on?... __________________ C100, 5DMk2, FCPX

February 6th, 2015, 05:47 AM	#11
Paul Anderegg Trustee Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Diego, Califonia Posts: 1,559	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion I use the light for night news ENG work. It is used exclusively on a small Sony X70 Handycam. On my shoulder cameras, I use a Lowel ID light, 100 watts, dimmable, runs off huge Anton Bauer batteries. Obviously I need a self contained unit on my small camera, and 3200k is a necessity unless I want 50% of my visible light objects to be brown/orange, such as car headlights. I am pretty happy overall with the CN302. The magenta cast is hardly noticeable unless you use a scope. I mounted the light on a Manfrotto 429LCD shoe/ball head. Looks huge, but is very light, very sturdy, and easy to move the light head around while still "locked" down, just enough friction. Paul

February 7th, 2015, 11:11 AM	#13
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion Aputure H198C. Maybe not the brightest but claims CRI95 and the reviews seem to be positive. http://www.aputure.com/Amaran-H198-Spec

February 20th, 2015, 09:29 PM	#14
Paul Anderegg Trustee Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Diego, Califonia Posts: 1,559	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion Unfortunately, I need a LOT of light. When trying to shoot things at a slight distance at night, ym Sony X70 drops to f4.0, and LED's being fixed wide beam, output is important. I am just about to drop some dough on a 3200k Microbeam 256. Seems to provide at 3200k roughly the same light intensity figures as my magenta casting Neewer CN302 with CTO. I am a bit skeptical of the CRI93 rating, as pretty much every review I have read on the Microbeams states that they produce a GREEN cast. Right now I am dealing with a magenta cast, wouldn't make much sense to drop $400 on a green light to replace a $60 magenta light! Maybe someone could recommend a valid and proper way for me to "gel" my bare Neewer, which puts out roughly 5800-5900k light. I have several versions of LEE LED specific gels, but none of them get me better than 3600k, and still have a magenta cast. Maybe the LEE filters are minus green? Are most LED's green casting, and my magenta hued LED is an odd Chinese source? I have a DSC chart with a true white side, and a broadcast camera with a RELIABLE color temperature readout. Using these is it possible to shoot a clip of the bare light output using my 3200k camera preset, and looking at that clip determine the exact filtering requirements? Paul

February 25th, 2015, 09:48 AM	#15
Noah Yuan-Vogel Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New York City Posts: 613	Re: Need a good 3200k LED suggestion I would highly recommend against gelling LEDs (except for minor minus/plus-green) and against trusting CRI. My understanding is CRI measurements don't do a great job of telling you how sources with discontinuous or spiking spectral response will look on camera. Any spikes in the spectral curve of an LED will be significantly exacerbated by gels designed for lights with a smooth curve. Definitely go for an LED that has LED emitters designed to be 3200k rather than 5600k that need to be gelled to 3200k. Personally I use the YN300II bi-color panel which I have been pretty happy with the color on. I'd definitely take that over a 5600k panel gelled to 3200k. The cineo matchstix sounds pretty cool and probably on a whole other level for color rendition and softness, but at 20x the price and way less punch it likely isn't a good fit.