GEAR
BUDGET LED LIGHTS
COB CHOICE
Creating drama in the studio or on location needn’t cost the earth with the latest LEDs from Neewer and Kenro L EDs have transformed video lighting, making most HMIs, tungsten and fluorescent tubes look distinctly old- GIVE DULL LIGHTING THE BOOT!
These COB lights deliver high power output while remaining compact enough to fit in different places. As point light sources, they work brilliantly with modifiers, from simple reflectors that amp up their hard output to softboxes and parabolic umbrellas that soften and focus the light. Projector units allow creative DOPs to project shapes or cut hard-edged light slashes. As the vast majority of COB lights use the standard Bowens mount, there are lots of modifiers to fit. Smaller lights can use these with an adapter, too. Since prices have dropped, you get more for your money. We explore some of the newest affordable lights and test them on a commercial shoot for motorcycle boots. NEEWER’S NEWEST It was only a few years ago that a COB light rated at 300W was thought to be a cutting-edge piece of electrical engineering, near the top of what LED technology could achieve. Now, we have COB lights that put out much more than that, but at the cost of massive size, weight and price.
school. These technologies used to rule in professional filmmaking, boasting the upper hand in power, reliability and consistency of output. Those early LEDs were plagued with strange magenta-green casts – so much so that many serious gaffers totally snubbed them. Over a decade of development has seen the lights get more powerful, accurate, compact and packed with colour options at lower prices. From daylight to bicolour, then RGB and RGBWW, they now feature two types of white – warm and cool. Some models even include RGBLAC with lime, amber and cyan, or Blair with blue, lime, amber, indigo and red LED chips to produce full white- spectrum light. Not to mention, CCT ranges have widened and dimming has become colour-accurate. For creative lighting experts, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities. LED panel lights, tube lights, foldable flat panels and practicals have all benefited from the latest tech and investment. But for many, the power and ability to modify the light in various ways has helped chip-on-board (COB) lights take off.
Neewer’s latest CB300C costs just $400 – the UK price is yet to be set – and is a typical monoblock-style fixture with the power unit and all controls on the head. There’s no separate power pack or transformer unit to rig up or trip over. Just plug the head into the AC mains and turn it on. What’s not typical at this price point is its full-colour output rather than being limited to bicolour. Although Neewer has offered a 200W colour version of this light, this latest lamp pumps out a massive 300W. When used with the standard reflector, the output is an impressive 29,600 lux at 1m/3.3ft away. Of
“It was only a few years ago that a COB light rated at 300W was a cutting-edge piece of electrical engineering”
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