GEAR NEWS | SET- UP
SPECI F I CAT IONS
CAPACITY: 1TB POWER: 12,000 LUMENS CRI: 97 AVERAGE, 99 AT 5500K COLOUR TEMPERATURE: 2800-6800K IN STEPS OF 50 GREEN/MAGENTA CONTROL: -25 TO +25 ONE-TOUCH SETTING BUTTON: DAYLIGHT/TUNGSTEN CONNECTIVITY: BUILT-IN WI-FI, DMX WITH OPTIONAL CONTROL BOX DISPLAY: OLED
POWER: AC OR BATTERY DIMENSION (WXHXD): 285X160X120MM WEIGHT: 1745G/3.85LB
Produce stills and videos in one go with the latest light from this Swiss company BRONCOLOR LED F160 PR I CE £ 1 469 / $ 1 699 roncolor might not be a well-known name among filmmakers, but for photographers its course, using large softboxes with double layers of diffusion does cut the power down significantly. That’s not a problem when using flash, but for video use it presents limitations,
RIGHT Long- beloved of photography pros, Broncolor’s new LED light aims to please filmmakers and togs alike
products are often very high on the list of dream lighting kit. The Swiss company makes some of the most well-respected lights, many of which have been the backbone of top rental studios or leading professional’s toolkit for decades. Of course, a lot of that reputation has been built on incredibly high-spec flash units. As Bron has seen its customer base move headlong into video, the company has focused on a new sort of LED light that is aimed at hybrid stills and video shooters. The LED F160 is built to allow photographers to produce photo and video shots in one go, using the wide range of Broncolor light shapers that many already own. From beauty dishes to parabolic reflectors, snoots to softboxes, there is a vast array of light shapers to offer far more control than most video-based systems. Of
especially when mixing bright, ambient light with LED lighting. The LED F160 works so well with the Bron light-shaping accessories because it’s designed as a point light source. This is then focused in the light shapers, allowing very precise light guiding. There is a small dial on the side of the unit that allows the light to be focused slightly, giving even more precision control. The light itself has a very high Colour Rendering Index, which is an average value of 97, and at 5500K is as high as 99 (says Broncolor). Using the rear OLED panel, it’s easy to change lighting the power output, increase the colour temperature from 2800 to 6800K in steps of 50, and alter tint from green to magenta. Our tests showed very accurate output. A single button on the rear overrides the settings and toggles
between daylight and tungsten, for quick changes. Overall, the performance was bright, consistent and accurate – as you would expect from such a high-end manufacturer. The light has built in Wi-Fi to integrate with the Broncolor bronControl app, and can be controlled via DMX with an optional control unit. To use it on location – so potentially away from an AC power source – Broncolor also sells the li-ion battery kit, which comes with a 36V XLR V-mount battery, a V-mount stand clamp and a charger. The kit costs £516/$639 and at full power gives around 30 minutes of juice. It can be recharged in around 90 minutes. MORE INFORMATION: broncolor.swiss
SEPTEMBER 2020 | DEF I N I T ION 15
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