Anyone try the Kamerar Brightcast LED Flexible Panel Light Yet?

[Dan Brockett]

I just ordered one today, got a very nice price. I will be using this as a travel light matched with my 12" opening D-Fuse pop open softbox and for illuminating the interiors of cars for night shoots. Water proof, mud proof, dust proof, bi-color, high CRI, SMDs, seems to be a pretty sweet set up. Anyone try one yet?

Kamerar Brightcast Variable 15 Bi-Color Flexible LED Light | CheesyCam

[Dan Brockett]

Update:

I ordered one more Kamerar Brightcast, they are really pretty handy lights. I bought one panel that utilizes V-Mount batteries and then for travel, I bought one that uses Sony BP-U90 pattern batteries that the Sony FS7 uses. The U mount batteries will be much lighter to fly with than V-Mounts. Each panel and control unit weighs just 39oz, the lights are fairly bright and I don't notice much of the multiple shadows from the SMDs that my 5mm LED bulb based panels thrown onto subjects and the background.

Found that the UK importer, MTF, https://www.mtfservices.com/catalog/led-lighting-2 is selling extension cables from the D-Tap battery connection to the control unit and then a separate extension cable that goes from the control unit to the panel, allowing you to affix the super light and flexible panel to the headliner of a car or in a small, out of the alcove or under a cabinet. I spoke with Kamerar, the U.S retailer and they do not have the cables available so I am checking with MTF to see if they want to sell the cables to U.S. users.

I'll be using these two lights as a part of my travel kit for a two week documentary in South America, will report back how they hold up in the field.

[Dan Brockett]

Update:

1. I used the two Kamerar Brightcast lights yesterday on a big green screen shoot. We utilized two of them, along with two Kinos to light up a 10x10' greenscreen. The Brightcasts kind of buried the output of the Kinos, pretty impressive.

2. Ordered two D-Tap extension cables that will us to located the battery to another location instead of fastened to the rear of the panel. Great for car shoots, etc. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

3. Ordered two of the control until to panel extension cables from CVP - Broadcast & Professional Solutions in the UK. Not cheap, £124.00 for the two cables but well worth it to realize the full potential of these lights. Buy - BrightCast Bi-Colour Panel Extension Cable 2.5m (p/n BCEXBIC)

To me, these panels are the ultimate documentary, run and gun lights, team a pair of them with a couple of Nanguang CN-30F fresnels and you have a very small, light and powerful documentary lighting kit that can easily fit into a small and light backpack. The Manfrotto Nano 5001B light stands would fit in as well at only 2lbs each.

[Josh Bass]

How do you think they'd be for more relaxed sit down/talking head interviews? When punched through diffusion or their own softbox (if they make such a thing)? There are so many cheaper options now for LEDs around 1x1 size.

[Dan Brockett]

Originally Posted by Josh Bass

How do you think they'd be for more relaxed sit down/talking head interviews? When punched through diffusion or their own softbox (if they make such a thing)? There are so many cheaper options now for LEDs around 1x1 size.

I may find out in two weeks, I am leaving for a shoot in South America. We have booked a gaffer, truck and actually quite a lot of HMIs and bigger grip stuff but we are bringing these for more location, impromptu work, as well as for run & gun out on the street. I also just found out I have to shoot some green screen down there too so I will probably use them again to light the green screen itself.

I am bringing the two Brightcast, my one large D-Fuse popup softbox and a 42" diffusion disc to key with. I see no reason why with some lighting skills you could not light a good looking interview with these. I've used the D-Fuse with my LS 1S and the only downside is they are relatively small compared to Chimera and the material they use doesn't really diffuse as much as I would like so I clip in some other diffusion to the inside. So if you are keying with the D-Fuse, it's not a large source and really soft, but still useful as long as you understand that it is not going to give that super soft, flattering light with a lot of wrap around the facial features. It's going to be flatter and harder because it's not deep enough. That's why I am bringing a 42" diffusion disc as key and I will use the D-Fuse for fill. I'd rather bring my Medium Chimera Quartz Pro but that takes a huge speed ring, I would have to have a C-stand to support it and the Brightcast doesn't have enough output to use it. You have to work within the limitations of your tools.