Trending Gear: LED Fresnel Lighting

• • 21 Comments

Jesse writes in and shares some new LED Video lights in the form of Fresnels [Thanks Jesse]. One unit looks to be using the 'As Arri' style housing. To be more accurate, one of these units do not provide an actual fresnel lens, so it would be considered more of an LED spotlight. Both units stuff a 100w High Power LED inside that should offer an equivalent power output of a 300w tungsten bulb.

LED Video Light Fresnel SpotlightLED Fresnel Lighting
find-price-button LED Fresnel Video Lighting

The other more expensive unit appears to offer the fresnel style cut glass to focus the beam. I think it's still too early to invest in such lighting, but hopefully in the coming year we'll see more of these lights being offered bringing prices down and quality up. You can already find some of these LED Fresnels available via eBay (Click Here).

mainPhotoLED Fresnel Lens
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21 thoughts on “Trending Gear: LED Fresnel Lighting”

  1. @Aya you don't want to box a fresnel light (even LED) since it will get hot. It will need at least passive airflow, and at most a fan.
    Use a diffusion scrim or a piece of diffusion on the barn doors to diffuse any fresnel housing light.
    IMO, buying a focusable light and then majorly diffusing it might not be the best approach. If you want a diffuse light, use something broad. You can pick up LED bulbs and fluorescents at 5000-6000K for about $10/bulb and use any generic edison housing or clamp style light for a nice diffuse lighting look.

  4. Ross Yedinak

    OK, this is the scoop on the Chinese LED fresnel (the gold and blue one on Ebay). The quality is pretty good but the light does not come with a Fresnel lens as stated as this can clearly be seen on the the Ebay ad. Order it, and then order a fresnel lens from COOL LIGHTS parts for 12 bucks and it fits perfect. As for the yellow ring of light, you have to take apart the light and do a little painting. With flat black paint spray the lens retaining ring and the front housing that is blue. I just took the whole light apart and painted every part that was blue but all that needs some black paint is the front blue ring that has any contact with the light, including inside and out. This will take care of that yellow /green ring you see that so many people complain about in reviews. reassemble and voila, you are ready to go with a true daylight color light.

  5.

    BTW I also thought I was getting only four rows working because only four glowed after I switched off the light. On further inspection I saw that all five rows were on if I looked at the reflection of the light while it was on in the lens

  6.

    Chris,
    That fringe is either due to the lens (which I was going to test replacing it with a Fresnel) or more likely the fact that the LED source is about 2" in diameter vs a single wire in a standard bulb.

  7. Stefan

    @chris: What do you think might cause the yellow edge? The lense? What about using another LED bulb? Is it VERY bad or tolerable?

  10. chris

    OK,
    So I guina pigged this light (the yellow one).
    Fast shipping (2 days to california).

    Came intact nice packaging.
    It's more than 300 watt equivalent. Without proper testing is feels on par with my Arri 650's. It puts out light.

    Color looks good, maybe a bit greenish, less than 5 points. So a 2.5 or 5 magenta filter might help.

    Magnet 3200K filter is cool.

    The bad: The inside casing has the outside color. So, the outside edge of the light beam is yellowish. I plan on getting into the housing and painting it silver to eliminate this.

    Also, the LED has 5 rows of LEDs. Mine looks as if 4 rows are working. It's made in China, what do you expect. BUT, if the unit had all 5 strips working I would expect 1/5th more power to what I already feel is a 650w equivalent.

    Later I'll pull out my Arri 650's and compare the power.

    If I can cure the outside yellow cast on the beam, I expect to buy more of these. I will not use them as a main light but I will use them as kickers and background spots. LED's are bad on the eyes and just observing this light has my eyes making adjustments. DONT STARE INTO LED LIGHT SOURCES.

    Overall, so far, I give the light a 7 out of 10 with a Chinese allowance.

    If anything, the barndoor is nice and will fit on my Arri's.

  11. Hey there

    Just one thing to note. LED die manufactures have said it is impossible with current technology to sufficiently cool 100W LED arrays. (Like the ones used in these lights) The result will be a shorter life time :-/

    I am very excited about the possibilities LEDs are bringing, but this is pushing the technology a bit carelessly. (In my opinion, of course)

    But thank you Emm for sharing this and all the other great info you give us!

  13. Emm

     Post author

    @NASIR RAHIM - I have a few favorites such as the 312 and the 508 for portable lights, but PhotoPlus is next week. There are more lighting products we will be interviewing with, so I would wait until after PhotoPlus reports.

  14.

    Hello Em, I had a question. I wanted to know what other lights do you recommend, I have the LED 600 and was getting ready to buy another set of lights in which that will be it for a while. Do you have anything you can recommend sir? Thanks in advance.

  18. Steve V

    I am still quite concerned about the CRI and odd color shifts with LEDs. I highly doubt these have fixed the problem.

  20. mike

    I search the web some time ago to find any reviews about the yellow/blue one, and the only 'review' I found was a video showing that the lens unit came to the customer's home damaged.

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