Are these LED lights legit?

Mike Watson · October 29th, 2010, 05:40 PM

I think a sheet of opal wouldn't hurt, but you wouldn't need much. Sometimes when you close the barndoors a lot, you do start to see visible lines of LEDs on your subject. Obviously for that, you'd need more. (IMHO the only reason you'd be closing the doors that much would be for a harder edge, and these lights won't really provide that anyhow.)

The 1000 is plenty bright/big for a key light, and it doesn't have to be especially close.

Mark Boardman · October 30th, 2010, 07:46 AM

Thanks Mike,
I get my 1000 next week so I'll try out some opal first. I did some experimenting last night with some of my silks and diffusion from my Lowell Riffas in front of a 6 bank Flourescent. The obvious solution was to use a extra C-stand to create some distance between the source and diffusion. My next experiment is too somehow attach an eggcrate/louvre to the silk frame. I know all this seems a little silly when you can just use a chimera video pro or a riffa as an all-in-one unit. I know CoolLights has a soft box for their LED light.
Mike.. do you have any screen shots of a talking head interview style setup?

Doug Carlyn · November 1st, 2010, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Watson

Used these lights filter-less today for a simple shoot. No noticeable green spike (mixed them with diffused daylight), and everything looked good. They are *really* diffused... going to need 1/4 blue on a hard light for any noticeable backlight effect.

Have used them a few times now, and they get a lot of notice from passers-by. Moreso than the ordinary 1k fresnels do.

I had the opportunity to put the Kill-A-Watt on the 1000 light panel. 44 watts. The 500 is (predictably) 22.

More as I come up with it.

Thanks for the reviews, Mike!
I was looking at these too after seeing them on CheesyCam. Any footage of it in action that you could link to?

Mark Boardman · November 5th, 2010, 02:28 PM

I received my 1,000 LED from ephotoinc today. Seems pretty solid. A whole lot more output than my Lite Panel 1x1. It is much heavier so something to consider if you boom it from a c-stand. I'm going to try some diffusion and see if it will punch thru as a keylight in an interview type situation with some open windows in the background. Too bad it's snowing today.

Mike Watson · November 8th, 2010, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Carlyn

Thanks for the reviews, Mike!
I was looking at these too after seeing them on CheesyCam. Any footage of it in action that you could link to?

Today I shot a couple of interviews, keylit with the 500 LED ePhoto and backlit with a 500 watt fresnel (that I had to knock down A LOT). The sun was shining through some heavily tinted windows that had a cool window-sheer with a crazy pattern that gave a decent cuc pattern on the wall as the sun set. The two practicals, I had dimmers for, but forgot that every hotel anymore uses CFLs and couldn't use the dimmers - so they're a bit hot:

I'm always interested in suggestions.

Mike Watson · November 9th, 2010, 10:22 PM

Two more from today, these using the LED 1000 as key and LED 500 as back/fill.

Mark Boardman · November 10th, 2010, 09:56 AM

Very nice. What was your aperture and ISO?

I am do a talking head shoot tomorrow so I can send some examples as well. I'm bringing some 1650 flos with me just in case. My clients often ask for a super diffused key look. I even considered a ring light at one point. I usually shoot thru heavy diffusion and use egg crates on the key and bounce cards for fill.

Here are just 2 quick examples using the 1000 LED as a key with no diffusion and a 1x1 lite panel as a hair light.No fill. Just letting the sun do it's thing.

Of course this is not a perfect example since the room had many windows and it was backlit by the sun. Also I don't usually shoot my talking heads this way either. But it does show how you can use LEDS to supplement a natural light environment. Canon 5D/50mm 1.8 ISO 320?

Bob Krieger · November 10th, 2010, 10:15 AM

Mike, I like the look of your school shots. Just two lights? 1000 and 500? Were the classroom lights on as well? Any other practicals?

I've seen a lot of examples of people using LED lighting, but I'd love to see a "shootout" using the standard 3 point lighting scheme (key/fill/back) with all of the LED contenders.

I'd like to see a side-by-side comparison, in actual conditions, of the ePhoto 500/1000 vs. the CoolLights 256/600, lightpanels, flolights, etc.

Has anyone done this as of yet? Would anyone else be interested?

Mike Watson · November 10th, 2010, 12:14 PM

ISO was 320 for most of the above. Shutter speed 1/60th, and apertures between f/2.8 and f/4.

For the hotel room shoot it was the 2 practicals, the sun coming from camera left, a 500W fresnel (w 1/4 blue) from camera left, and a 500LED from camera right.

For the school, it was one 1000LED camera left and one 500LED back/fill camera right, overhead lights on (and a disappointing black hole in the background of the man... should have shot a light over there).

I was most concerned when buying new lights not about LEDs or Flos, but about using 5600k (ish) lights as my main kit (after a lifetime of 3200k). So far, it's not been an issue (and in fact, less concern about windows and stray sunlight).

Bob Krieger · November 10th, 2010, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Watson

...For the school, it was one 1000LED camera left and one 500LED back/fill camera right, overhead lights on (and a disappointing black hole in the background of the man... should have shot a light over there)...

Mike, I guess it depends on individual feelings, but I kinda like that darkness in the background, though it doesn't lend the "light and airy" feel I guess a classroom shoot should have.

Mike Watson · November 10th, 2010, 01:14 PM

Thanks, Bob -- I'll spin it that way for the client. :-)

I also thought the desks were a bit too hot for something so prominent in the frame, and so close to the focus distance.

Just nitpicking, as I always do after a shoot. It's how we get better. :-)

Anthony Auci · November 12th, 2010, 04:26 PM

to match the throw of a four bulb 500 watt equivalent flo. Would the 500 watt do it or go with the 1000 ?

Mark Boardman · December 6th, 2010, 05:19 PM

Now that I've had a chance to use the 1000 on a few shoots I have a couple of comments.
I like the output. It is quite a bit heavier than a LitePanel. I'm not crazy about the mounting hardware.
I prefer a u shaped yoke like other units.

Anthony Auci · December 12th, 2010, 01:13 PM

Got two of the 500 watt ones from ephoto. I love them , no heat ,they're build well. Im very happy with my purchase. I just recommend buying a good surge protector for them, one spike and it can be bye bye.

Mike Watson · January 28th, 2011, 03:06 AM

The 500LED is now available in a 3-pack for $670, but the 1000LED isn't available at all anymore. I'm disappointed, I had spec'd them out for a studio I'm working on putting together.

November 9th, 2010, 10:22 PM	#21
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	Two more from today, these using the LED 1000 as key and LED 500 as back/fill. Attached Thumbnails

November 10th, 2010, 09:56 AM	#22
Mark Boardman New Boot Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cadillac Michigan Posts: 11	Very nice. What was your aperture and ISO? I am do a talking head shoot tomorrow so I can send some examples as well. I'm bringing some 1650 flos with me just in case. My clients often ask for a super diffused key look. I even considered a ring light at one point. I usually shoot thru heavy diffusion and use egg crates on the key and bounce cards for fill. Here are just 2 quick examples using the 1000 LED as a key with no diffusion and a 1x1 lite panel as a hair light.No fill. Just letting the sun do it's thing. Of course this is not a perfect example since the room had many windows and it was backlit by the sun. Also I don't usually shoot my talking heads this way either. But it does show how you can use LEDS to supplement a natural light environment. Canon 5D/50mm 1.8 ISO 320? Attached Thumbnails

October 29th, 2010, 05:40 PM	#16
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	I think a sheet of opal wouldn't hurt, but you wouldn't need much. Sometimes when you close the barndoors a lot, you do start to see visible lines of LEDs on your subject. Obviously for that, you'd need more. (IMHO the only reason you'd be closing the doors that much would be for a harder edge, and these lights won't really provide that anyhow.) The 1000 is plenty bright/big for a key light, and it doesn't have to be especially close.

October 30th, 2010, 07:46 AM	#17
Mark Boardman New Boot Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cadillac Michigan Posts: 11	Thanks Mike, I get my 1000 next week so I'll try out some opal first. I did some experimenting last night with some of my silks and diffusion from my Lowell Riffas in front of a 6 bank Flourescent. The obvious solution was to use a extra C-stand to create some distance between the source and diffusion. My next experiment is too somehow attach an eggcrate/louvre to the silk frame. I know all this seems a little silly when you can just use a chimera video pro or a riffa as an all-in-one unit. I know CoolLights has a soft box for their LED light. Mike.. do you have any screen shots of a talking head interview style setup?

November 5th, 2010, 02:28 PM	#19
Mark Boardman New Boot Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cadillac Michigan Posts: 11	I received my 1,000 LED from ephotoinc today. Seems pretty solid. A whole lot more output than my Lite Panel 1x1. It is much heavier so something to consider if you boom it from a c-stand. I'm going to try some diffusion and see if it will punch thru as a keylight in an interview type situation with some open windows in the background. Too bad it's snowing today.

November 10th, 2010, 10:15 AM	#23
Bob Krieger Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Abita Springs, LA Posts: 245	Mike, I like the look of your school shots. Just two lights? 1000 and 500? Were the classroom lights on as well? Any other practicals? I've seen a lot of examples of people using LED lighting, but I'd love to see a "shootout" using the standard 3 point lighting scheme (key/fill/back) with all of the LED contenders. I'd like to see a side-by-side comparison, in actual conditions, of the ePhoto 500/1000 vs. the CoolLights 256/600, lightpanels, flolights, etc. Has anyone done this as of yet? Would anyone else be interested?

November 10th, 2010, 12:14 PM	#24
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	ISO was 320 for most of the above. Shutter speed 1/60th, and apertures between f/2.8 and f/4. For the hotel room shoot it was the 2 practicals, the sun coming from camera left, a 500W fresnel (w 1/4 blue) from camera left, and a 500LED from camera right. For the school, it was one 1000LED camera left and one 500LED back/fill camera right, overhead lights on (and a disappointing black hole in the background of the man... should have shot a light over there). I was most concerned when buying new lights not about LEDs or Flos, but about using 5600k (ish) lights as my main kit (after a lifetime of 3200k). So far, it's not been an issue (and in fact, less concern about windows and stray sunlight).

November 10th, 2010, 01:14 PM	#26
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	Thanks, Bob -- I'll spin it that way for the client. :-) I also thought the desks were a bit too hot for something so prominent in the frame, and so close to the focus distance. Just nitpicking, as I always do after a shoot. It's how we get better. :-)

November 12th, 2010, 04:26 PM	#27
Anthony Auci New Boot Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: New York, New York Posts: 23	to match the throw of a four bulb 500 watt equivalent flo. Would the 500 watt do it or go with the 1000 ?

December 6th, 2010, 05:19 PM	#28
Mark Boardman New Boot Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cadillac Michigan Posts: 11	Now that I've had a chance to use the 1000 on a few shoots I have a couple of comments. I like the output. It is quite a bit heavier than a LitePanel. I'm not crazy about the mounting hardware. I prefer a u shaped yoke like other units.

December 12th, 2010, 01:13 PM	#29
Anthony Auci New Boot Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: New York, New York Posts: 23	Got two of the 500 watt ones from ephoto. I love them , no heat ,they're build well. Im very happy with my purchase. I just recommend buying a good surge protector for them, one spike and it can be bye bye.

January 28th, 2011, 03:06 AM	#30
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	The 500LED is now available in a 3-pack for $670, but the 1000LED isn't available at all anymore. I'm disappointed, I had spec'd them out for a studio I'm working on putting together.