THE WINNERS AWARDS
LIGHTING G reat lighting is crucial, so it makes sense if your main unit can be deployed for more than one effect. That’s where the Litepanels Gemini 2x1 Hard comes in – as it does amazing hard and soft lighting. This RGBWW LED panel lets
DOUBLE DOWN The Quasar Science Double Rainbow tube light won the innovation award
In the hard light category, the Astera Pixelbrick came out on top, as readers highly regard its small size and versatility on-set. The 15W RGB LED fixture measures only 91x91x94mm/3.6x3.6x3.7in but has all the quality and control you would expect from Astera – with a colour temperature of 3200-6500K and CRI/TLCI rating of 96. The Pixelbrick’s reduced profile means it can be mounted almost anywhere, or combined with others into creative arrays and shapes. Control remotely from a wired DMX console, or wirelessly via DMX and LumenRadio CRMX. There’s even a Bluetooth app for wireless control with a smartphone. The Pixelbrick has an internal battery that will give you 20 hours of runtime on a four-hour charge – making the possibilities for use almost endless. In lighting innovation, you’d expect the winner to be one of the LED tube lights that’s been taking the filmmaking world by storm. And it is! The Quasar Science Double Rainbow takes the crown this year. It can not only produce over one billion distinct colours, but display elegant, immersive, multicoloured moving displays. This is a high-spec light source for professional use that’s deeply controllable and adjustable. It’s also fairly small and lightweight, so can be hidden away or mounted without masses of rigging.
Quasar Science uses what it calls RGBX technology to enable its LEDs to score an SSI rating of up to 91, and CRI/TLCI scores of 95+ when producing full-spectrum white light from 1750-10,000K and the most intense saturated colours. The Double Rainbow has its pixels organised into 20 groups, allowing colour to be varied along the tube’s length – and there are loads of built-in effects like police car or fire. Control options are top-notch, with an onboard OLED interface including the new Blackout button, allowing you to alter settings while the light output is off. There are also wireless capabilities with CRMX, W-DMX, Bluetooth or Wi- Fi, plus wired RJ45 pass-through ports giving direct data connection for DMX, sACN and ArtNet.
you dial in any colour with full hue, saturation and intensity control. There’s wired or wireless DMX remote control, and the fixture can be battery powered on location – just like the soft version that won this category last year. The 2x1 Hard uses intensifying lenses in front of its LEDs to focus the output into a much brighter, harder-edged, more tightly controlled and narrow beam. A domed and an ultra-light diffuser are included, which can be clipped on separately or together. Weighing only 11.5kg/25.3lb, this hard-hitting, yet versatile panel is incredibly easy and safe to rig.
Light panels Litepanels Gemini 2x1 Hard Hard lights
Astera Pixelbrick Editor’s choice:
Broncolor LED F160 Lighting innovation Quasar Science Double Rainbow
EDITOR’S CHOICE: BRONCOLOR F160
The evergreen Broncolor LED F160 can work for photo or video shoots with a wide range of compatible light shapers – as the legendary brand offers snoots, softboxes, beauty dishes, parabolic reflectors and everything between. There’s a small dial on the side of the unit to control the light’s focus, and a rear OLED panel that adjusts lighting power output, colour temperature and tint. A single button on the rear overrides the settings and toggles between daylight and tungsten, for quick changes. The LED F160 has Wi-Fi integration for use with the Broncontrol app, and there’s an optional DMX control unit. For remote location work, you can get a li-ion battery kit, with a 36v XLR V-Mount battery, stand clamp and charger.
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