GEAR NEWPRODUCT TEST
HAIL SCION OF TITAN! HANDS-ON EXCLUSIVE The half-size offspring of the mighty Rotolight Titan LED still packs a powerful punch
W hen Rotolight unveiled the very pro-spec Titan X2 LED light panel, it won universal praise, thanks to pioneering technology that no other lights offer. The headline-grabbing advantages are that it is not only the brightest light in its class, but the only one to offer electronically-adjustable diffusion at the turn of a knob, which also affects the light spread of the beam. That means nomore diffusion scrims; you adjust the light quality using the rear controls or by remote control. Then, you can admire the front glass panel as it changes from fully translucent to frosted, softening the light. In an ideal world, everyone would have a whole bank of Rotolight Titan X2s ready to go and a teamof riggers to put them in place at all times. But we don’t live in an ideal world and, if the Titan X2 has any negatives, it’s that at 2x1ft, it’s quite heavy and bulky for single-shooter location use, especially when you consider its large, custom-fitted, aluminium- wheeled travel case. The Titan X2 won’t fit on your typical photo-style light stand, requiringmuch larger cine-style stands. And you’re hardly going to manage to hide one in the corner of a room. Big light equals soft light, but sometimes you need something a bit smaller andmore portable. And the second issue is the cost. At about £4599/$4999 for the light only, depending on which version you buy, it’s not exactly cheap. And if you buy the rental-spec kit
with fitted case, clamps to hold the transformer power unit and a barn door set, then the Titan X2 price is £5524/$5920. Compared to some of the big- name panels from the likes of Arri, it’s not expensive. And, as it also comes with the Lumenradio control inside, it’s better value. But there aren’t many independent filmmakers who could afford to buy a slew of Titan X2 lights. Well, Rotolight has come to the rescue by using the exact same technology and features of the X2 and packing it into the new Titan X1, which is half the size at 1ft square. It costs £2878/$2999 for the basic model. Significantly lighter and cheaper to buy, it fits on conventional light stands. And you can hide it away in corners, where the larger Titan X2 just won’t go. In terms of technology and features, the X1 does exactly the same as the X2 but is smaller and less powerful. Yes, it still has the classy design and tough finish of the bigger unit that just oozes quality. What’s more, it’s made at the UK home of filmmaking, Pinewood Studios, by people who live, eat and breathe cinematography. The Titan has a full RGBWW lighting array, so you can dial in any colour you want, from correction gels to bold colours for creative looks. There are five different coloured LED lights. One set is cool white for daylight colour, another a warmer white to produce a tungsten-style colour temperature. Then, there are red, green and blue LEDs –
“The Titan has a full RGBWW lighting array, so you can dial in any colour”
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