cool key question
 

In our quest for a reasonably portable cool key light for on-location, single person interviews (head/shoulders) I'm wondering if anyone has experience using a 2x55w fluorescent light like Coolights or Alzo sells. If so, Is it enough? (A four-bank light is bigger than we want to carry if we can help it). We're planning to use a reflector for fill. Shallow depth of field is good.

We're also considering the LED256. Had someone comment in an earlier post saying that they had used the 256 successfully. Any thoughts?

Also, any thoughts on which type (LED or flo) would give better soft results but still allowing shadow definition on the face?

Thanks

Of course those two products are worlds apart. The 2x55 is rather large but puts out a very soft light natively without extra diffusion and has less throw because of that diffused nature.

The LED 256 is a bit weaker than a 2x55 but has a longer throw and is harder type light. You may need diffusion for that if you like.

Neither flo nor LED is known for their shadow definition. Both, because of the relative size of the light emanating surface don't do shadows well. Between the two, would be the LED unit to show facial details a bit better. For the best ability to render shadows, much better to use something like our metal halide fresnels if you want both energy efficient as well as good shadows rendering and long throw. And of course you can diffuse a hard light but can't harden up a soft light like fluorescent.

Would you say that the results are the same when using a softbox with hard lights compared to the fluorescent soft lights? Where would the LED with diffusion fit in comparatively? I'm not looking for hard shadows, but would like to have some shadow for definition.

The CL-255 and something like a CDM 150 fresnel with a softbox on it would be about the same type of light which should be very good quality and very soft but both with limited throw because of that diffusion. The LED 256 with diffusion won't be quite the same as it won't be the same "big" source as the softbox or the CL-255. Making a light soft isn't just about adding some diffusion over it, its also the size of light emanating as well. The LED 256 alone or with just the diffusion panel that comes with it would be quite good for facial details if thats what you want. Here's an example someone was posting last year elsewhere using an LED 600 and he commented on how he liked what it did with the facial details. The LED 256 would give similar results given it uses the same basic LEDs but is just smaller in size and output.