GEAR
COOL LED s
SATURDAY LIGHT FEVER
If you want disco-style flashes, super-stylish alternative COBs shaped like Rubik’s Cubes or compact LEDs that break the rules, we have good news for you!
TO INFINIBAR AND BEYOND!
I t seems like COB lights have all but taken over in the world of filmmaking. We’ve seen these LEDs launched with ever-increasing power outputs and colours, from daylight only to bicolour, then RGB to RGBWW– and now RGBLAC, with a twist of added lime, amber and cyan. But more colour and power isn’t the only way LED lights are evolving. From multi-LED arrays, foldable flat-panels and small, trendy COBs to producing moving, immersive colours, there’s so much that’s exciting and worthy of our investigation. So, these are just some of the latest LEDs.
this is not for power and the battery must be charged with the AC adapter. The USB-C is for firmware updates, it seems. Using special joining plates, which also have electrical power-through connectors, you just plug in one light to the mains and all connected lights are run from the single mains lead. That’s a nice feature, saving you from having lots of mains leads and cable hassles. There’s a range of ten different connectors so you can assemble the lights into all sorts of shapes such as triangles, stars and wheels. We just had the two that each panel comes with. The main one is a plate that fixes to the end of the Infinibar, so you can join another on and have one continuous long light. Or, fix it at 90° for an ‘L’ shape. It bolts on with hex-head screws and an Allen key is included in the kit. The other mounting option is a beautifully designed rear clamp with a baby-pin-style shaft. This can slide along a recess along the back of the light to just the right position and then clamps down, ready for use on a stand or another grip. Alternatively, the rear of the light has two powerful magnets at either end, so it can be fastened to any metal object. These magnets are easily powerful enough to
Obviously the light of choice for Buzz Lightyear, the Infinibar is a new concept from Aputure – the high-end Chinese brand that offers powerful, affordable and innovative products at every turn. The latest Infinibars are far more than tube lights, they’re flat, panel-style lights with 48 different pixels that can be used in lots of different colour modes, all while staying true to an accurate 96 CRI and 98 TLCI rating. They come in one-, two- and four-foot lengths; we had a pair of the middle size – the PB6 – which cost £499/$479 complete with fitted case, mains-power block and two different mounting options. As the Infinibars are flat rather than round, they are made to give a look when used in shots that is consistent throughout. And you can see the difference when they are in use. Tubular lights are also notoriously difficult to rig up, which is why the Infinibar has a unique mounting system, allowing several to be joined together to create complicated shapes. Each bar has its own lithium battery that can operate at 100% brightness for 100 minutes, or it can be mains powered. There’s a USB-C connection on the back of the lights, but
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