GEAR REVIEWS
Astera QuikBeam
A t first glance, I was genuinely surprised by what Astera had packed full of modifiers, diffusions and accessories, it feels like it has made every inch of space count. The kit is compact enough to throw in the back of the car without a second thought, yet comprehensive enough to tackle a surprising range of lighting situations. The QuikBeam punches well above its weight: its 13-60° fresnel zoom gives you everything from a tight, defined shaft of light to a broad, soft wash, while the new HotBeam mode adds even more punch when you need maximum output from such a compact fixture. Despite drawing only 20W, Astera claims an managed to fit into the QuikBeam case. A four-head lighting kit output comparable to a traditional 200W tungsten fresnel, and in practical use it feels remarkably bright for its size. The menu system is relatively intuitive. I would have preferred the screen to be slightly larger, as it can be a little difficult to read at times, but in reality you move through the menus quickly WORDS TIM CRAGG
WELL PACKED IN The QuikBeam case (above) comes fitted with a four-head lighting kit plus plenty of added extras, including filters, cables and a barn door (below)
and will soon have the light configured exactly as you need it. Where the QuikBeam really excels is speed. As documentary cinematographers, we are constantly moving. We rarely have the luxury of building elaborate lighting set-ups, so every second counts. Being able to pull a light from the case, attach a battery, position it almost anywhere and control it wirelessly makes an enormous difference. There is no ballast, no heavy cables and no hunting for power. It feels like a light designed around the realities of modern production rather than traditional studio environments. A four-head QuikBeam kit, complete with modifiers and internal battery power, could easily become the only lighting package many documentary cinematographers need for intimate interviews, observational sequences and fast-moving location work. The QuikBeam’s RGBMA capabilities deliver the colour quality I have come
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