User test
Last year, Rotolight announced its two lights on Kickstarter – and it turned out to be the most funded photography and video lights campaign in the site’s history. We tried out the new units Rotolight Neo 3&AEOS 2 PRICE: £549&£1199 ROTOLIGHT.COM
PEAKY BLINDER Shot outdoors, model Hamish Scott was mostly exposed to natural light, but a splash of warmth was added by the AEOS 2, set a few feet away. Exposure 1/1250sec at f/1.4 and ISO 200
ACTION MAN Both Rotolight lights can be controlled
wirelessly from a smartphone using the free app. In this instance, I actually moved and used the intuitive touch panel to adjust output and colour
lens aperture. In most situations, the AEOS 2s were supplementing Daylight. Typically, I had them set to around 25% output. Output is just one aspect of the Rotolights. Both can be flash units with a Rotolight trigger and sync up to 1/8000sec, they feature special effects for video use, and there’s potential for adding colour to a scene without needing a stack of filter gels. That advantage came into its own here. When balancing Daylight, it was easy to adjust colour temperature precisely, for a perfect balance. Getting creative with a colour was simple using the touch panel and an app is available for wireless control from a smart device.
I TESTED PRE-PRODUCTION versions of the Neo 3 (issue PN 95) and the AEOS 2 ( PN 96), but recently got the chance to work with the final production samples at an event organised by Rotolight. It had an enjoyable twenties theme in a great location, and we had six pro models and plenty of lights to get to proper grips with. I opted to use a Fujifilm GFX100S, fitted with a Mitakon 65mm f/1.4 manual focus lens, which I used at
f/1.4 for very shallow depth-of-field and lovely smudgy backgrounds. I also engaged Fujifilm Film Simulation modes, Classic Neg and Nostalgic Neg, to enhance the ambience of the era. I am more familiar shooting models with flash, but getting more enjoyment from working with LED lighting. It’s so controllable and versatile, while output levels are also good. Plus, there’s the benefit of seeing what you get. The Neo 3 and AEOS 2 units were fitted with diffuser domes, which absorb roughly one 1EV of output. However, there was still plenty of power for my needs – and I was shooting at a wide
WC
Verdict Having tested the Rotolights previously, I knew how easy they were to use – at least in theory. However, that was in my living room, shooting test charts. With live subjects expecting direction, and me wondering what to shoot, the last thing I wanted was the pressure of fumbling around with the light set-up. As it happens, the Rotolights were a doddle to use. I have to give a shout-out to the touch control panel that made intricate adjustments so easy and both lights were a pleasure to work with.
THANKS TO... Rotolight.com The Creativity Hub, creativityhubevents.com Models: Pippa Gallagher, Lee Hoy, Alexandra McCue, Betsy Rose, Hamish Scott and Simone Stocks
Issue 98 | Photography News 39
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