BURY ST. EDMUNDS, U.K.—Videndum will highlight the latest developments from its broad range of product brands, such as Anton/Bauer’s EDEN clean-energy alternative to traditional batteries and generator setups, during IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

The Anton/Bauer EDEN solution is designed for high-performance production environments and integrates seamlessly with existing workflows, offering quiet, emissions-free operation. Well-suited for on-location and studio shoots, EDEN is available in multiple configurations, including standalone units and rack-mounted solutions.

Other Videndum brand developments include:

• Autocue Pioneer, presenting the Pioneer Series of customizable prompting solutions built around speed, simplicity and sustainability. Pioneer Series features an adjustable mounting kit for faster, easier setup and balancing, and high-brightness monitors that remain visible in any lighting.
• Autoscript will feature Autoscript Voice, an advanced voice automation feature for WinPlus-IP. Integrating intelligent speech recognition, it enables hands-free prompting control in studios and control rooms.
• Litepanels will highlight the Astra IP LED panel that combines the signature output quality of the Astra series with IP65-rated durability. Weather-resistant and ruggedized, the Astra IP LED panel is well-suited to exterior shoots and wet locations. Litpanels will also highlight its Gemini 2x1 lightweight RGBWW hard panel and Studio X LED Fresnels.
• Manfrotto will feature the Manfrotto 500X compact, versatile fluid video head designed for smooth, professional camera movement in a lightweight form factor. Manfrotto will also showcase the ONE Hybrid tripod for creators who need to capture both photos and cinematic video on their mirrorless cameras without carrying two tripods.
• OConnor will showcase the 2575E Platinum Edition fluid head with refinements, including a stainless-steel center lock, lightweight carbon fiber cover and redesigned platform release mechanism, and the Ultimate 1040 paired with the Flowtech100 tripod.
• Rycote will showcase the Cyclone microphone windshield and shock mount combining advanced wind-noise reduction with shock isolation; the Modular Windshield Kit, including a Modular Suspension, Windshield, and Windjammer, designed for professionals requiring customizable wind and shock isolation; and Nano Shield Kit in a superior wind and shock isolation in a compact form.
• Sachtler will feature the Ace Mk II, its latest evolution of its lightweight Ace fluid head systems. Available in Ace M Mk II and Ace XL Mk II versions, the range provides smooth drag and reliable counterbalance in a compact package. The Ace M Mk II is suited to cameras up to 8.8 pounds (4 kg), while the Ace XL Mk II supports rigs up to 17.6 pounds (8 kg).
• Vinten will showcase VEGA, its next-generation robotic control system engineered for precision, intelligence and creative flexibility. VEGA combines exceptional on-air motion quality with AI-driven talent tracking and automatic shot reframing as well as integrated speech recognition, which allows presenters and operators to control robotic cameras.

See Videndum brands at IBC2025 Stand 13.A05.

More information is available on the Anton/Bauer, Autocue, Autoscript, Litepanels, Manfrotto, OConnor, Rycote, Sachtler and Vinten.

No matter how good your current gear is, there’s always new equipment that’s better, lighter and easier to use in the field. Today’s gear for news production is lighter and more compact yet more powerful than ever, thanks to an improved form factor and faster processing.

Better Livestreaming via 5G
The quest to improve video transmissions from the field is never-ending and Teradek, a Videndum plc brand, has taken a step forward with its new Prism Mobile 5G cellular bonding unit, the lightest 5G-enabled camera-back video encoder on the market, according to Derek Nickell, Teradek’s technical product manager.

“The system is designed to provide the best possible cellular connectivity for live video streaming without compromising on size and weight, allowing field operators to stay agile for longer while live streaming over public and private networks,” he says.

Nickell says Prism Mobile enables camera operators to stream HD and 4K video over cellular networks and Starlink with latency rates as low as 250 milliseconds. It also allows them to securely share encrypted, color-
accurate live video feeds and recordings with stakeholders globally and expedite postproduction with several natively integrated camera-to-cloud platforms such as Frame.io and Sony C3 Portal.

This last capability lets editors access camera proxies as soon as they’re captured, and allows marketing teams to post highlights and playbacks in near-real time.

Lightweight, Versatile Camera Head and Tripod
As anyone who’s ever shot video knows, a lightweight yet solid camera head and tripod is your best friend on the field. The Sachtler Ace XL Mk II fluid head and flowtech tripod combination is worth inviting into the friend zone. Designed to handle payloads weighing up to 17.6 pounds, the 3.75-pound Ace XL Mk II head adds minimal weight to a tripod, yet can handle most of today’s video cameras. (The Ace XL Flowtech 1016MS tripod weighs 11.7 pounds.)

According to Sachtler Senior Product Manager Barbara Jaumann, the Ace XL Mk II head/flowtech tripod combination was designed in collaboration with TV crews to meet their demands for robust, lightweight, and quick-to-deploy equipment.

“One of its standout features is the placement of brake levers at the top of the tripod,” she says. “This design allows for exceptionally fast setup—just flip the levers and lift the tripod in a single motion. This top-mounted lever system also makes height adjustments quick and easy, even when working solo, such as adapting to different interview subjects on the fly.”

Another key focus in the Ace XK Mk II’s development was ergonomic portability, Jaumann adds. “The tripod is not only quick to deploy but also simple to fold down, with integrated magnets that keep it securely closed during transport,” she says.

Weatherproof Lighting for Tough Environments
Lighting can be a real challenge in field video shoots, which is why Litepanels has introduced the Astra IP line of weatherproof portable LED light panels. The lineup includes the Astra IP Half, 1x1 and 2x1 units, all with an IP65 rating that ensures protection against rain, dust, snow and humidity.

These bicolor LED panels offer a color temperature range of 2,700 to 6,500 kelvin and feature high color accuracy, with CRI/TLCI ratings around 95. They deliver a focused 30-degree beam angle, provide flicker-free dimming and support both Bluetooth and optional DMX control, with an onboard LCD for easy adjustments.

“The standout feature of the Astra IP is its IP65-rated weather resistance, making it ideal for use in challenging outdoor environments where crews often face unpredictable weather such as rain, dust, or snow,” Michael Herbert, head of product management at Litepanels, says. “In terms of performance, the lights are exceptionally bright. The 1x1 model delivers around 3,000 lux, while the 2x1 reaches up to 5,500 lux at 3 meters, ensuring strong illumination in any setting.”

Designed with portability in mind, each Astra IP unit is lightweight—ranging from 6.8-15 pounds, making them easy to carry and set up on the go. Each unit comes with an integrated power supply, and users can choose from optional battery plates including Gold Mount, V-Mount, and BP-U for greater flexibility. Available in Duo and Trio configurations, Astra IP Travel Kits pack multiple Litepanels, battery brackets and support stands into durable Pelican cases for convenient transport and rapid on-set setup.

Compact Tripod for Mirrorless Cameras
These days, many camera operators are using SLR-styled mirrorless digital cameras to shoot stills and video content in the field. Manfrotto is addressing their need for a single compact support solution with the new ONE Hybrid Tripod.

Weighing from 6.9 pounds, “the ONE Hybrid tripod includes XTEND, a patented mechanism that allows all leg sections to be deployed simultaneously in a single action for fast setup and quick adjustment on the fly with no downtime,” says Sofia Braccio, Manfrotto’s senior product manager, video. “It features a modular sliding center column with a removable lower section for ground-level shots and an integrated leveling mechanism for quick framing. The column also features a Q90 mechanism that allows shifts from vertical to horizontal instantly enhancing the variety of shots possible.”

The ONE Hybrid Tripod also comes with XCHANGE, Manfrotto’s new quick-release system that allows users to swap heads, sliders and accessories in seconds. “When paired with the new XCHANGE-ready 500X Fluid Video Head, the ONE Tripod becomes a professional system ready for modern content requirements,” Braccio said. “It includes a Fluid Drag System (FDS) on both pan and tilt, a selectable Counterbalance System optimized at 5.3 pounds and a hinged camera plate, making it easy to switch between horizontal and vertical orientations when supporting social content is required.”

Remote Camera Operations
Shotoku Broadcast Systems has recently combined its TG-27 pan and tilt head with the company’s TR-HP Hot Panel control panel into a powerful package.

“Together, they offer a lightweight and flexible system that’s ideal for mobile production environments such as news, sports or events,” James Eddershaw, the company’s managing director, says. “The TG-27’s compact design and high payload capacity make it suitable for a variety of camera types—including ENG models and small teleprompters—while the TR-HP enables intuitive, direct control without the need for a full-size panel.

This combination delivers Shotoku’s trademark precision and reliability in
a footprint that suits fast-moving news teams, pop-up studio setups and remote
production workflows.”

LOS ANGELES—Litepanels has announced the global launch of its Studio X Fresnel range of high-performance, energy-efficient lights.

The lights, available in six models with sizes from five to 14 inches, offer directional precision spot to flood beam control of white light, offering a solution for lighting studio talent, the company said.

The lights achieve perfect skin tone rendering due to the use of high-output COB LEDs to produce superior white light. There is no variation in the quality of light at any dimming level nor across the adjustable CCT range from 2700K to 6500K, it said.

Studio X Bi-Color Fresnels match ambient and practical set lighting to illuminate talent for a naturally realistic appearance. Daylight and tungsten models are also available, it said.

Already launched in the United States, the lights, which were engineered in partnership with Italian broadcast lighting professionals Quartzcolor, have been installed in several broadcast studios but now are available worldwide, it said.

“Litepanels LED panels are installed into leading studio facilities worldwide, and customers have been asking for a broadcast quality Bi-Color Fresnel series to pair with them,” said Litepanels product manager Michael Herbert. “The Quartzcolor Fresnels bring high quality, color accurate output with matching CCT values in robust, broadcast quality fixtures that complement our panels to provide a complete studio solution.”

The Studio X2 is the smallest model. It is a 60W Fresnel with a 5-inch lens and a spot-to-flood beam angle range of 10 degrees to 49 degrees. It delivers up to 2,300 lux at 10ft/3m (spot). The largest model, Studio X7, is a 360W Fresnel with a 14-inch lens and a spot-to-flood beam angle range of 6 degrees to 57 degrees. It delivers up to 28,116 lux at 10ft/3m (spot). Studio X3, Studio X4, Studio X5 and Studio X6 make up the full range. Studio X3 and larger include RDM-DMX in/out connectors and PowerCON True 1 in/out connectors. All units include four-leaf rotating barndoors. Advanced thermal management ensures more than 50,000 hours of LED engine life, the company said.

“Fixtures in the Studio X range use up to 85% less energy than traditional Fresnels, and because they emit less heat can significantly reduce HVAC costs,” said Herbert. “Broadcasters are increasingly turning to LED lighting to improve their efficiency, and we are delighted to offer a combination of LED panels and Fresnels that can help them to minimize power consumption without sacrificing quality.”

More information is available on the company’s website.  

LEDs have revolutionized lighting in the past 15 years, and that is especially true for television lighting. Lightweight, compact, efficient, bright and cool, LED lights have kicked all other types of television lighting to the curb.

In addition to the LED light attributes already mentioned, there is one other benefit of LEDs that makes the technology seemingly ideal for television. LED’s components come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and emissivity, so they can be packaged in many different ways. Need lights on a car’s dashboard for an action shot? LEDs are the only choice that will fit the space, provide enough light, run all night from a simple battery and not bake your talent.

One other benefit of LED lights is that you can get devices that use red, green and blue LEDs, creating lights that can be adjusted to produce any color—and some pretty impressive lighting effects.

“The ability to produce any color from a light without gels is quite attractive, and using some number of color effects lights often makes a lot of sense,” said Pete Challenger, manager of U.S. sales and support for Lupo Lighting. “Whether it makes sense to use such lights for every fixture is more open to debate.”

LEDs were the overwhelming favorite of the companies contacted for this article, and the fact that LED lights can be configured in so many different ways is an important factor in their popularity.

Light Quality
One of the lingering questions about LED lighting is the quality of the light that the fixtures make. Tungsten incandescent lights made a broad spectrum of light that worked well with camera sensors. The first LED lights targeted at television production did not have this same quality of light.

Today, lights used in television are rated for their color rendering index, which is a measure of the light’s ability to reveal colors in the object illuminated by the light. The higher the number—up to 100—the better colors are represented.

Some early LED lights targeted for television production were rated at 75 CRI, while current technology is 95 CRI and higher.

“The first panels were rated about 70 CRI and tended to be rather green—but that didn’t stop people using them back then,” Challenger said. “Now if they don’t rate in the 90s, no one would consider them.”

Challenger said that Lupo’s latest Ultrapanel series of lights have lower- and higher-efficiency versions, and the lower-efficiency line has a CRI of 98, while the higher-efficiency model has a CRI of 96.

“Either of those would have been viewed as insanely good just a year or two back,” he said.

ENG Lighting
Frezzi has long made lights popular with ENG crews, combining small size, high durability and punchy brightness that makes on-camera talent stand out on murky city streets at night. The company’s tungsten and HMI lights got the job done a couple decades ago, but it is mostly all LED now.

“Our ENG customer’s primary application is live and in-the-field stand-ups, so they’re looking for the highest-output LED in a compact/lightweight form-factor,” said Kevin Crawford, vice president of engineering for Frezzi Energy Systems in Hawthorne, N.J. “Because our Frezzi SkyLight uses a single-source LED element, it provides a smooth, flat optical field with a single shadow and the intensity of an HMI in a user-friendly and small fixture.”

Are LED fixtures good enough to push HMI lights from the market, however?

“We also see the HMIs are being phased out rapidly for LEDs, even though they produce beautiful light,” Crawford said. “The product trend we see is for LEDs to replace tungsten and HMIs, as LEDs are becoming more efficient and continually improving in quality.”

Crawford said that LED is the light technology of the foreseeable future.

“LEDs are here to stay and always improving output, quality of light and efficiency,” he said.  “HMIs have a much higher cost of operation/ownership, plus UV concerns, and lamp life is typically only 200 hours vs. 50,000 hours for LEDs. With new tunable LED single-source elements, we are mapping out adjustable color temperature fixtures [3200-5600K], while maintaining HMI-type output in a compact fixture.”

Form-Factor Finesse
LED lighting fixtures are available in many more shapes and designs than was possible with tungsten and HMI fixtures. One reason why is because of the high-efficiency/low-heat nature of LEDs—you can just package them in many different ways, and use a range of diffusing techniques to get the lighting effect you want.

“For LED fixtures, there are many different types of light modifiers now available, so end users can bounce and diffuse the light to change the size of the illuminated surface area, to get the desired result,” said Michael Herbert, product manager for Litepanels. “What is increasingly important is that the LED light itself has enough output to be used with a range of different modifiers.” 

This is partially why Lietpanels is seeing a trend toward “hard” LED light sources, Herbert added. 

“These high-output fixtures can throw beams of light through windows to simulate midday sunlight, but then can be pushed through multiple layers of diffusion to create a much softer lighting effect,” he said.

One benefit of LED lights is its excellent efficiency: They make a lot of light using a modest amount of power. Will this efficiency continue to improve over time?

“It has been increasing for many years, but we’re starting to see it level off,” Herbert said. “Unlike the general lighting industry, television and film lighting has to pay attention to the color quality of the LEDs. There’s an inverse relationship between color quality and LED efficiency—the more you focus on a broad, full-spectrum LED, the less efficient it’s going to be at converting electricity into light.”

How does the efficiency of LED lights compare with tungsten and HMI lights?

“Film lighting fixtures are now typically surpassing 100 lm/W, which is much more efficient than tungsten, but only about on a par with HMI,” Herbert said. “I think we will continue to see smaller, more incremental improvements in LED efficiency, but with an increasing focus on improving the color quality.”

White vs. Color
As is true for many technical situations, having flexibility is a good thing—if you understand how to use it and keep the parameters of the device in mind. Beginning several years ago, there was great interest in lights that had red, green, blue and white emitters; lights that could create light of any color and even produce effects like ambulance lights or mimic the light from a fireplace. 

Such lights are still popular for many applications, and they can be the right thing for a range of applications. However, the key is that you need to understand what the light can do and how to get it to produce the light you need for your project.

“Just a couple of years ago everyone wanted RGBW lights, but in recent years the market has been asking for high-quality white light in fixed color temperature or in bi-color without RGB,” said Toby Sali, co-owner of BB&S Lighting. “What we hear from professionals is that the option to use RGB is not needed, and most of the time creates issues because of the option to add colors to the white light.”

Although LED components are generally stable, there is a little aging over time and slight variations among similar components.

“The problem with most RGBW fixtures is the calibration of the mixing of the different LEDs,” Sali said. “No LED is the same, and variations from diode-to-diode affect blending the RGBW colors to get the color temperature you want.”

A Match for Cameras?
So just how good are today’s LED lights? Ultimately, a camera has to capture the scene that the light is illuminating, so how well do today’s lights work with today’s cameras? Do tungsten lights still have an advantage in color purity?

“Matching tungsten really doesn’t matter much anymore in most cases,” Challenger said. “The issue is that all LED sources have non-continuous spectra— different manufacturers’ cameras have quite different spectral response, so it comes down to how the peaks and valleys of the LED spectrum align with camera sensors. My personal recommendation is, despite whatever color index is popular at the time, you should test lights you are considering by viewing the results through the cameras you have, or are considering. Anything else opens you up to the risk of unpleasant surprises.”

Frezzi’s Crawford said that modern lights and modern cameras are a good match.

“Today’s cameras can balance to all types of light sources,” he said. “The LEDs we use have a very good broadcast-quality spectrum, and our SkyLight is balanced at 5600K for maximum output to compete with a full-sun day. If tungsten color temperature is required for an indoor shoot, we have a flip-down converter filter that will balance to 3200K without significant loss of output.”

It may sound trite, but in the past 15 years, LED lights have revolutionized television lighting. In addition to being all the good things mentioned above (low-weight, low-heat, high-efficiency and available in a wide array of shapes and sizes), LED lights are also economical. They are no more expensive than the technologies that preceded them, and in many cases are less expensive.

Good-quality lights at common-sense prices is one more tool that the industry has used to drive down the cost of film/video production. It’s a win-win situation for creators—the gear keeps getting better, while the cost goes down.

It’s a great time to be creating content.

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Litepanels has announced a further expansion of its award-winning Gemini RGBWW LED panel range with the addition of the Gemini 2x1 Hard RGBWW LED Panel.

The company is billing the new panel as brighter than any other 2x1 panel, delivering up to 23,000 lux @10ft/3m of output from a lightweight, compact fixture.

Just like the Gemini 1x1 Hard released a year ago, the double-size Gemini 2x1 Hard produces highly accurate full spectrum white light as well as RGB output and a range of creative cinematic effects, the company said. 

It weighs just 25.3 pounds (11.5kg), including yoke and integrated power supply, and has a maximum power draw of just 500W.  Twice the size of its smaller sibling, Gemini 2x1 Hard produces an output that is seven times brighter than the Gemini 1x1 Hard, creating a large volume of punchy light that can be easily softened with a range of diffusers.

“Gemini 2x1 Hard produces a greater volume of light than any other RGBWW LED panel available to gaffers and lighting designers today,” said Michael Herbert, product manager, Litepanels. “No other 2x1 LED panel is this powerful or this versatile. We have combined the latest advances in LED technology with cutting edge industrial design to push the boundaries of what is possible with LED lighting for cinema production.”

Gemini 2x1 Hard can deliver a powerful 20° beam of accurate hard white light, or seamlessly switch to a beautiful soft 100° wash with included diffusion panels. Users can control and modify without compromising on source. The extraordinary output enables users to deploy a wider range diffusion or reflection tools not possible with less powerful fixtures, the company reported. 

With no external ballast, the lightweight fixture is quicker and safer to rig. Ultra-Light and Domed Diffusers are supplied as standard. In addition to its onboard controls, Gemini 2x1 Hard offers a range of wired and wireless control options for easy integration, including integrated DMX, CRMX, and RDM. Like other Gemini fixtures, Gemini 2x1 Hard delivers consistently accurate, flicker-free performance at any frame rate, shutter angle, or intensity with ultra-smooth dimming from 100 percent to .1 percent, the company said. 

Gemini 2x1 Hard is now available to buy, from $6,300 at Litepanels authorized retailers.  

More information about Gemini 2x1 Hard can be found here.  

LOS ANGELES—As a network news photographer, I have found the Astra 6X light panels are small but mighty—punchy, compact and versatile. I’ve been working with a pair of them for nearly three years now in the fast-paced and demanding environment of network news. For a solo run ‘n’ gun shooter, speed is everything and these panels not only keep up, they refuse to compromise on the quality of light.

I got my hands on these lights for the first time in Washington, D.C. where I was running through the halls of the Capitol as a freelance photographer, collecting soundbites from members of Congress and going live in the rotunda with the magnificent dome over the shoulder of a national correspondent.

I have since moved to Los Angeles where the odds are in favor of the sun. A good amount of my shoots happen in the afternoon, fully exposed to the elements, and that burning ball in the sky is very unforgiving. These lights are bright enough to compete, yet easy enough on the eyes to keep talent from squinting on live TV.

The Right Light for the Light
The lights are available in three versions: daylight, bi-color, and bi-focus, with daylight being the brightest of the three. Many of my colleagues run with bi-focus, which offers the ability to adjust the beam angle from 15 to 45 degrees, which is very useful on bright days. 

I opted for bi-color to give myself more versatility with indoor shoots and early morning live shots. The rising sun brings a couple of challenges for brightness and color temperature and being able to adjust both on the fly—from the dial or via the Bluetooth app—is a dream.

I would gladly find a place for all three versions, but space is a premium in my work vehicle. I drive a compact SUV, so every piece of gear that goes in has to count. These small, lightweight panels make them easy to carry and store. 

As I was writing this piece, I was actually sitting in my car waiting for the location of a live shot to be confirmed before I unloaded my gear. When I got the call I was ready to go in 15 minutes and the shot went to air 10 minutes later; the producer, sound tech, and even security commented on the speed. My panels are equipped with a gold mount adapter and there’s hardly any setup time compared to other lights I have in my garage. It’s almost as if they built these lights for someone on the go like me.

There is also more to be said about the versatility of the Astra 6X. My shoots can go from a sit down interview, to a handheld walk and talk, or to a live shot in a matter of several hours. But it’s not a problem with these lights; I’ve had them flying on a C-Stand and could bust them down within seconds to be handheld with ease. 

Mobile and Tough
There are also several choices for modifiers, including barn doors and egg crates. I like to combine these lights with Snapbags for diffusion and this adds little to no weight with significant results. Like the name implies, they literally snap on, which helps even more with setup time.

Litepanels has crafted a light that has become an industry standard. It’s tough enough for travel and mobile enough for an everyday carry. The Astra 6X has earned its place in my kit, and the pair I bought is worth every penny.

Joey Ybarra is a freelance network news photographer with 13 years of experience in broadcast journalism. He can be reached at jowiitv@gmail.com

More information on Litepanels’ Astra 6X is available at www.litepanels.com.

LOS ANGELES—Litepanels has put the spotlight on its newest product, the Apollo Bridge dual-band wireless DMX system.

Apollo Bridge is designed to be used with a wide range of lighting fixtures, including the Litepanels Gemini RGBWW LED panels. When working with the iOS Lighticians Apollo Control app, Apollo Bridge gives operators the ability to control and change lighting settings, DMX addresses and control modes.

Apollo Bridge can also be used with any control software or console including Blackout, Luminar, ETC, GrandMA and Chamsys to send commands, using the sACN DMX protocol, wirelessly or via the LAN Ethernet port. Single DMX512 universe boards can also be connected through the Apollo Bridge five-pin XLR I/O port.

The unit has built-in RF transmission, supporting both 2.4 and 5 GHz, that automatically avoids network interference to create a dependable signal with no latency. With full sACN capabilities, multiple Apollo Bridge units can be added to provide wireless DMX control to as many lights and universes needed for a production. In addition, simultaneous CRMD and DMX output can be used.

For more information, visit www.litepanels.com.  

LOS ANGELES—Litepanels launched its next generation of Lykos mini LED panel lights, the Lykos+ Bi-color LED panel.

While the new LED light panel is one of the smallest in the Litepanel range, it delivers an output that’s 40% brighter than the previous generation. It provides 2000 lux (at 3 feet/1 meter) of accurate white light at any color temperature from 3200 to 5600K.

Lykos+ leverages the advanced LED and lensing technology developed for Litepanel’s Astra range of 1x1 panels. It delivers broadcast-quality lighting with a CRI of 96 for true-to-life color accuracy, the company said.

“The quality of light from our Astra panels has made them industry standard for studios and news crews,” said Michael Herbert, product manager at Litepanels. “Now, with the introduction of Lykos+, that same broadcast-quality level of light is available in one of our smallest, most portable fixtures.” 

Weighing 1 pound, Lykos+ is well-suited for remote locations and tight spaces. The new light operates for more than two hours with its built-in L-series/NPF battery mount, it said.

Multiple mounting options are available. The LED light can also be handheld with a sturdy hand grip. Stand-mounted, taped or tied, Lykos+ is designed to integrate into any lighting scene.  Brightness and color temperature are controlled by two dials or via the Litepanels SmartLite Director iOS app with an optional Bluetooth dongle, the company said.

Lykos+ is available now from Litepanels authorized retailers as either an individual fixture or as a flight kit incorporating three lights, stands, filters, softbox and a Peli rolling flight case, it said.

More information is available on the Litepanel website.

ONTARIO—TV engineers in charge of older broadcast studios know that they have to replace their aging incandescent (e.g. tungsten) lighting some day, and that the popular choice is LED (light-emitting diode) fixtures.

That said, LEDs are so technologically different from incandescent lamps, developing a transition plan can be daunting for engineers schooled in the older tech. To ease the task, TV Technology has compiled this list of “must-knows” and myths about LED studio lighting.

COOLER AND CHEAPER

When the AT&T Entertainment Group decided to move their syndicated Dan Patrick sports radio/TV show into a new 20,000 square foot facility, they opted to illuminate using Litepanels’ Gemini and Astra soft LED panel fixtures instead of incandescent lamps.

“The decision came down to the temperature of the lights,” said Eric Jones, associate director of creative operations for AT&T Mobility & Entertainment Group. “The talent always complained about the heat of the old incandescent lights and how hot the studio was. In contrast, the Litepanels run cool, which keeps the talent comfortable and saves us money on air conditioning.”

The reason tungsten lights are so hot is because up to 94% of the electricity they consume is released as heat rather than visible light, according to Pat Grosswendt, co-founder of Litepanels (now owned by The Vitec Group).

“LED lights don’t emit this kind of heat; they use their power to generate visible light,” he said. “This is why LEDs need much less power to generate the same amount of illumination as incandescent lamps.”

SAVING MONEY

The cost savings from using LEDs in-studio, rather than incandescent lamps, are significant. “You can count on cutting your lighting power consumption by two-thirds, and your air conditioning costs by two-thirds as well,” said Randy Read, specifications lighting sales manager for ARRI. “You’ll also save money not having to change burnt-out bulbs or gels, because the LED lights are color-adjustable.”

“In fact, the ROI from installing LEDs is three years or less, based on money saved due to reduced operating costs,” said Grosswendt.

In the early days of LED lighting, there were some issues associated with color stability.

“As the LEDs aged, the color temperature would sometimes drift towards the green end of the spectrum,” said Rich Pierceall, vice president of Cineo Lighting. “This shift was due to manufacturing issues that have since been resolved. Today’s LEDs hold their color temperatures reliably year in, year out; allowing stations to ‘set it and forget it’ once they get their new LED lamps and lighting boards installed and calibrated.

ADVANTAGES FOR MULTISTATION BROADCAST STUDIOS

In a bid to cut operating costs, TV group owners are using one common studio to produce newscasts for two or more of their stations. This is why Emmy-award-winning lighting designer Nicholas Hutak—who has designed more than 130 news sets since 1995—chose LED lighting for these multinewscast studios.

“In Florida, I designed a news set that was shared by three different stations,” said Hutak. “Thanks to our multicolor LED light fixtures, I was able to preset three distinct lighting looks for each of these broadcasts. Going from one station newscast to the next is as easy as pushing a button; covering for the lack of lighting directors in today’s lean TV operations.”

Hutak uses the same approach to differentiate programs shot in one of his other client’s studios. “This degree of color control could not be achieved with conventional lighting,” he said.

In theory, it is possible to swap LED lamps for incandescents on a one-to-one basis. But doing so is inefficient because A) one LED can often do the work of two or more incandescents, and B) using LEDs effectively requires installing a lighting panel tailored to work with this technology.

This is why broadcast engineers who are new to LEDs would be wise to hire a qualified lighting designer to design and install this new technology.

“In reality you should do this, because LEDs and incandescents are two totally different kinds of light,” said Toby Sali, co-owner of BB&S Lighting. “If you personally don’t know LEDs, you need to use someone who does.”

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES

In the old days of “hard” incandescent lighting, it could be difficult to make anchor people look good on air. The hard lights generated shadows in anchors’ eye sockets and under their chins; accentuating the appearance of aging over the years.

“The ‘soft light’ generated by LEDs can smooth out these shadows, creating a more subtle and youthful look for on-air talent,” said Frieder Hochheim, president of Kino Flo Lighting Systems. “This is a particular benefit in HD today and going forward as broadcasters move to 4K, where every pore is visible on camera.”

Marc Story. It’s an accurate name for someone who makes a living telling stories on behalf of his company, Firstline Creative & Media and its many clients. Firstline is a full-service broadcast, media relations, video production, and creative services company based in Atlanta.

Over the last ten years, the company has carved out a niche creating content for medical and pharmaceutical companies all over the world. That often means traveling and productions where a “one-man band,” would be the norm.

To help tell his stories, Marc always packs the three light Practilite 602 LED Fresnel kit from Kinotehnik. “Many times these shoots are at a doctor’s office or a patient’s house,” says Marc. “It’s a confined area, and in a medical office setting, you don’t want a light that’s going to generate heat and set off the sprinkler system.”

The Practilite 602 LED Fresnel from Kinotehnik is a small, lightweight light source that offers variable color temperature from 3000 to 6000K and is color-true with a CRI of 96. The LEDs don’t generate heat. Each Practilite 602 weighs approximately two pounds. “One person can easily manage getting all of the equipment off a plane and into a rental car,” says Marc.

“I am a shooter and an editor at, and I’m always on the lookout for things that will upgrade the quality of our productions and keep us on the cutting edge of what we’re doing,” says Marc.

“There are a lot of LEDs on the market, but they were just these flat panel LEDs with a bunch of little LEDs in it but with no way to control where the light goes or how intense it is,” says Marc. Being able to shape the light was something Marc didn’t want to give up, and other Fresnel LEDs were too large and prohibitively expensive.

The search for an LED package led Marc to a trade show in Charlotte, North Carolina where the Practilite 602s were mounted on track lights. “I got to play with them a little bit and began thinking the 602s would be a really good investment for us to make,” says Marc.

The Practilite 602 has a 3.2" borosilicate Fresnel glass lens capable of an impressive spot-to-flood spec of 15-75 degrees for variable field coverage.

So getting to a shoot is now much easier and the lightweight cylindrical construction allows for a quick set-up easily managed by one person. The Practilite 602 is compatible with almost any other modifier a creative shooter might wish to add.

But where the Practilite 602s really shine for a one-man band or two-person crew is the ability to control the lights using a smartphone interface. Except for the spot-to-flood knob, the intensity and color temperature levels of up to six Practilites are smartphone-enabled. That kind of control is absolutely essential in a one-man band situation.

“Really the Bluetooth was just the cherry on top,” says Marc. “It wasn’t something I wasn’t even looking for and when I saw what it could do at the trade show, there was nothing out there that was doing something like that.” Now, it’s a function that Marc uses all the time.

The intensity of the 602s is also up to the task in the kind of personal interview shooting Marc does all the time. “Camera sensors have improved and they don’t require as much light as they used to and for the purposes of the interviews that we do, it works out great,” says Marc.

The Practilite 602 LED Fresnel from Kinotehnik is proving to be an important part of the stories Marc is illuminating for the patients and medical professionals served by Firstline Creative & Media.

Manios Digital is the exclusive US distributor of Kinotehnik Bluetooth-enabled LED lights.

SEATTLE—When a news photographer jumps out of a vehicle to cover a breaking news story, the last thing they need is a science project when putting together the video gear. Makers of camera support, portable lighting and battery packs go to great lengths to make their gear on the go quick and easy to deploy.

CAMERA SUPPORT

Tripods have always been important for steadying the camera shot, but they’re even more important now to support the camera while the video journalist also reports the liveshot.

Miller Camera Support addressed the need for one-handed tripod deployment with its Sprinter tripod. “We have a dual, independent locking system with two levers that are side-by-side at the top,” said Miller Regional Manager Gus Harilaou. “That allows opening the tripod with one flip of the lever, and it deploys both the bottom and the top stages of the tripod. The tripod is opened in a few seconds.”

The Sprinter tripod is paired with Miller’s Compass X18 fluid head. “This is basically for any newsgathering where guys have little cameras, whether that would be handheld or full-blown shoulder-mount cameras,” Harilaou said. “CX18 has a capacity range to take any payload from zero to 35 pounds.”

Vitec brands Vinten and Sachtler co-developed the flowtech tripod family designed for fast moving news coverage. “What makes it so appealing to the news folks is the speed of deployment, which can determine whether you get a shot or not on a breaking news story,” said Tobias Keuthen, director of global product marketing management.

Keuthen noted that the flowtech’s unique clamping mechanism was placed on top of the tripod where the head fits, helping news photogs deploy more quickly. “You don’t have to bend over; you can open the braking clamps for all three legs from the top of the tripod and extend the legs easily,” he said. “You can close the clamps also without bending over, and you can adjust the legs for working on stairs or uneven ground.” The company just added a 100mm bowl version of the flowtech for larger payloads.

Several years ago, Libec launched its Hands Free Monopod (HFMP) designed for free stand operation, according to Jose Larios, manager of sales and marketing for the company. “Our monopod is different by the fact that the base is wide, and it allows the user to put it into a vertical position just by simply stepping on the base,” he said.

The HFMP can stand on its own on the wide base to allow a oneman- band photojournalist to securely position the monopod then step in front of the camera for a liveshot standup. Libec conducted some focus groups to determine what users wanted from a monopod, Larios said. “And when we found out what were the best features, applications and benefits that are going to our product, we put that into place when designing the Hands Free Monopod.” This included placing a fluid head on the top.

Shotoku found that stringers and news departments at smaller stations were turning to lower cost camcorders and even DSLRs to capture video, which opened its market to lower cost, simpler tripod systems. “Our tripods for these customers vary from the SD 20 with really basic level features like fixed drag and counterbalance,” said Graham Ramsey sales director, manual and robotic products for Shotoku.

Two slightly higher level versions—SD 80 and SD 150—can handle higher payloads of 8 kilos and 15 kilos, respectively, and feature a step counterbalance system, and step drag system. To keep things simple for working faster, “with the SD 20 you can leave the balance and drag settings exactly where they are,” Ramsey added. “You don’t have to change anything, take off tensions or lower drag settings, or anything like that.”

LIGHTING

Lighting equipment has come a long way since the introduction of LED fixtures, with time-saving features like dimming without color shifts and the ability to dial in a desired color temperature.

Video journalists are not necessarily lighting experts, according to Kevin Crawford, vice president of engineering at Frezzi in Hawthorne, N.J. “A lot of these people don’t really know about how to light up a scene, so our Skylight product provides a wide, flat, optical field,” he said. “This thing is brain-dead simple to use, and throws a lot of light.”

For working fast in the field, the Skylight can be powered by a broadcast brick battery pack or off AC. It provides high CRI single source 5600K daylight light without pixelation or color fringing.

Fluotec’s StarMaker color-tunable panel fixture has found a home in ENG vans for a number of years, and the company’s upgrade to the StarMaker HP model will make it even more desirable to news crews said Fluotec Chief Marketing Officer Jose Maria Noriega.

“The StarMaker HP now has the same technology as our Cine Light, so it has a much better CRI of 97.7, and it now delivers an output of 37 percent more light than the previous version,” he said. “Incorporating our NEBULA Diffusion Chamber Technology makes a 70 degree throw and softer light than when it’s used without this attachment. And this allows you to use barn doors. Although most panel manufacturers put the barn doors on the light, but they throw a multi-shadow on the background. Our diffusor attachment behaves as a single source point of light, which is very controllable by barn doors.”

With the built-in battery attachment, there’s no need to run cables.

Litepanel’s most popular ENG light is its Astra Bi-Color, according to Byron Brown, program product manager for parent company Vitec Videocom. “It can be easily hand held or put on a stand, it can be installed with a battery adapter, you slip the battery on it and you’re ready to go.”

The color agility of the Astra Bi-Color is another feature that allows for working fast, Brown added. “What we find oftentimes is that guys out in the field will start off with the light dialed in to daylight, and then warm it up to taste,” he said. “The color temperature dial on the Astra also has color temperature readings, so if you know your favorite reading is 4500K, you just dial it to that number and you’re there.”

For situations where a photographer needs a longer throw of light, Litepanels also has the Astra Bi-Focus, with lenses to narrow and intensify the light.

Tama Berkeljon, managing director at Outsight in Australia, said its most popular light for ENG shooters is the bicolor Creamsource Micro. “It’s punchier, and you’ve got more options for diffusing it or softening it back,” he said. “It’s extremely flexible and can be deployed in seconds with a battery attached.”

Accessories include diffusion and lensing, Berkeljon added. “Dropping in lenses changes the beam angle from 30 to 60 to 100 degrees,” he said. “Unlike most bi-color fixtures, the Micro maintains constant power output across the whole CCT range, so users always get the unit’s full potential. There is no reason to have to choose between a bi-color or daylight system. And because of the Micro’s wide 10-32V operating voltage, users can power the fixture from a single 90WH battery, or directly from a car.”

Zylight spotlights its F8 200 LED Fresnel as its most popular with ENG camera crews for its durability and outdoor IP protection. Charlie Collias, director of fixture sales for the Cypress, Calif.-based company.

It’s also very quick to deploy when breaking news is happening. “Its 5 inches thick and packs into a milk crate, pelican case or in padded travel cases we sell,” Collias said. “In other words, the F8 200 is easy to find space for in a van to bring it along, and doesn’t take up much room. The camera person can pull it right out of the bag, place it on a stand and throw a camera battery on the rear and it’s good to go.”

BB&S Lighting recommends a pair of fixtures for speedy ENG work, one for closer work and a second when some throw is needed. “Our Reflect 1-foot or 2-foot wedge-shaped LED fixtures feature an internal reflector system that spreads a 160 degree beam angle,” said Toby Sali, partner in BB&S. “They can be used singly or ganged up in banks. They give you instant and soft lighting.”

Where the subject is some distance away, he points to their Compact Beam Light. “the front is 6 inches, and it’s 5 inches across. It is a 40W draw, like the other one, and it is a 7 degree, 11 degree, 14 degree or 17 degree beam light. So it isn’t a hard light. It doesn’t give you a ridge like a LEKO ellipsoidal profile light. It’s got 15 percent roll-off on the edges.”

During the fluorescent lighting era, Kino Flo sold a lot of its Diva lighting fixtures to news shooters who liked the soft modeling light it produced. “As LEDs took over, we developed a fixture called the Diva Light 21, which is the latest version of our LED Diva Light,” said Scott Stueckle, who handles sales and public relations for the Burbank, Calif.-based company. “It’s lighter weight from any other Diva Light we’ve had. It still has all the functionality. You can pull it out of the case and you can run full daylight and tungsten.”

One high-end feature of the latest firmware for the Diva 21 is the ability to color match the light to a particular camera. “Cameras have different sensors, different spectral curves that they use to see light—they don’t all see light the same way,” Stueckle said. “We’ve pulled out all those spectral sensitivity curves of those cameras, and we’ve downloaded them onto our software profiles. You can also go in and pull up a Panavision or Panasonic or Sony or Canon camera, and lock those color profiles in.” If a news shooter has to change cameras, it’s easy to change the Kino Flo fixture’s color properties to match, Stueckle added.

POWER SUPPLIES

A news shooter can have everything else going fine, and when the power runs out the shoot rudely and quickly comes to an end. Battery makers have gone to great lengths to provide high-capacity battery packs that are also feature rich.

Anton/Bauer unveiled its Dionic XT battery family last year and it’s found a quick market for news photographers, according to Chris Gaughan, product manager for Vitec Videocom’s Anton/ Bauer brand, who said Dionic battery packs are designed to live on the back of a camcorder “and you’re ready to go at a moment’s notice. You pick up your camera, push a button, and it’s running.”

Another feature that assures the shooter isn’t chasing a news story with a nearly empty battery pack is a fuel gauge display. “When the battery’s not under load it tells you how much battery is left, gives you a percentage,” Gaughan said. “When the camera’s running, it gives you the run time you have left, based on the load. And by touching the back of the battery you can cycle through and see what kind of current you’re drawing and temperature of the cell pack.”

Jet-hopping news crews were the focus of IDX System Technology when it designed its Dual C 98 battery packs. “Because it’s at 98W—under 100W—you could carry 15, 20, 25 on the plane,” said Jun lshizekai, associate manager of marketing & regional west sales. “It features two D-taps and one for USB, so it has enough accessory ports to fill all of a camera guy’s needs.”

Dual Cs have a five LED fuel gauge on the side, and because the individual LED is either fully lit, blinking or dark, it actually indicates battery power remaining in 10 percent increments, lshizekai added. “There’s also an LED on the Vmount side, and if you’re in total dark and it’s hard to see to change batteries, you can turn this LED on. It stays on for 30 seconds to let you maneuver around when remounting a battery pack on the camera.”

PAG’s PAGlink batteries provide the ability to gang several battery packs together on the back of a camcorder, creating a number of advantages, according to John O’Keefe, marketing consultant for PAG. “Unlike the conventional Gold Mount batteries, a single battery with a single capacity, PAG makes 90Wh and 150Wh battery packs that can be linked together,” he said. “For most guys who are shooting news, they would probably want just two, and that would let them shoot for eight hours without having to change batteries.”

PAG’s Power Hub sandwiches between two battery packs, and will let the shooter power a light, wireless microphone, small monitor and similar accessories off the camera when both batteries are linked. “The battery closest to the camera acts as your hot swap and the camera drains from the rear battery,” O’Keefe added. “That power hub is in the middle, and you can remove the rear battery without interrupting power to the camera and accessories.”

Frezzi’s FLD 100 battery packs are 100 Wh capacity, the company’s largest legally transportable battery. “It’s got a push to test fuel gauge, so it doesn’t drain the battery when it’s not being used,” said Crawford.

“It’s weatherproof, fully sealed. It can be charged with our existing desktop chargers; and it has a small port that’s used with a portable power supply to charge it, like a small desktop charger, a single channel. So if you have a little go bag and you don’t want to bring a desktop charger, like a four position station, you could use this little power supply to charge it that way.”

WASHINGTON--The Vitec Group has announced its product lineup for the Government Video Expo, Nov. 27-29 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Highlighting the company’s booth will be the Vinten/Sachtler flowtech100 Carbon-Fiber Tripod, the newest addition to the company’s flowtech carbon-fiber tripod range. Compatible with all major 100mm fluid heads, flowtech100 supports a payload of up to 30 kilograms (66 pounds), making it the ideal tripod for electronic newsgathering, field production, and a wide range of commercial, educational, and documentary productions.

Like its predecessor, flowtech75, flowtech100 is based on an exclusive carbon-fiber technology that includes the world's fastest-deploying tripod legs, according to Vitec. With unique quick-release brakes conveniently located at the top of the tripod, the flowtech100 legs can be deployed simultaneously and adjust automatically to the ground's surface—saving operators from having to bend over and manually adjust multiple brakes on each leg. The exceptional torsional stiffness of flowtech100 ensures that the tripod will not twist during camera-panning movements.

For power solutions, attendees can check out the Anton/Bauer Dionic XT Battery Series, available in both V-Mount and Gold Mount. The high-performing and compact Dionic XT is a 14V Li-ion battery that delivers up to 12A of continuous power. It’s available in two models — the Dionic XT90 and the Dionic XT150 — and features ultra-high-strength ABS and rubber construction that cushions and protects the battery and ensures industry-standard performance. Dionic XT batteries work with Anton/Bauer's complete line of battery charging systems and are also cross-compatible with competing brands' charging systems and offer superior performance for powering accessories such as portable LED lighting.

For lighting, the company will highlight its Litepanels Gemini 2x1 Soft Panel, that allows for quick setup to produce true, flicker-free, full-spectrum white light for any frame rate, shutter angle, or intensity, making it ideal for live broadcasts.

Gemini enables lighting professionals to "go bold" by lighting with any color in the 360-degree color spectrum. The light's most recent firmware update includes new special effects, new gel modes, and advanced fan operation. An all-new lighting effects mode offers dynamic effects ranging from emergency lights, lightning, and fire to pulsing, square, and strobe. Gemini eliminates the need for color correction by offering full-spectrum white light that's perfect for lighting public speakers and on-air talent. The versatile Gemini's lightweight design allows the light to be rigged virtually anywhere, requiring less cabling because the power supply is built in.

Also from LitePanels is the Astra LED Panel, the company’s next gen version of its original 1x1 panel. The Astra 3X and 6X models feature a 50 percent increase in output, making them three and six times brighter than the original Astra. The Astra Soft Bi-Color provides flattering, diffused lighting for a soft, wraparound light quality.

The Astra Bi-Focus Daylight is the newest addition to the popular Astra family, giving users the ability to adjust from a 48-degree flood to a 15-degree concentration of light with the turn of a dial. Astra's high-performance LEDs and optics provide professional lighting designers with accurate color temperatures, high CRI/TLCI color rendering, and beautiful light quality. The Astra family's modular design features optional DMX and Bluetooth communication modules, along with V-Mount or Gold Mount battery plates for mobile power when AC power is not available.

Attendees can also check out the latest developments in Autoscript’s Intelligent Prompting range. The industry's first teleprompting system designed around an IP-enabled workflow, Intelligent Prompting can also accommodate video workflows. These developments include additional features within Autoscript's premier prompting software, WinPlus-IP, that build even greater redundancy and reliability into Intelligent Prompting deployments.

Also at GV Expo 2018, Autoscript will highlight its IPS range including the all-IP prompting monitor, EVO-IPS, andWinPlus-IPS software, a simple but powerful prompting application for smaller productions. The combination of WinPlus-IPS and EVO-IPS packages the power of Intelligent Prompting into a cost-effective, easy-to-install, and easy-to-use solution that's perfect for smaller IP-based studios, corporate and educational productions, and government-sponsored broadcasts.

“We look forward to showing GV Expo 2018 attendees how all of our lighting, camera support, prompting, and mobile power solutions can help them create and capture the video content they desire while giving them the flexibility and durability they need," said Paul Dudeck, Vice President, Sales, Americas, Vitec Production Solutions.

Vitec Group will be in Booth 691. Click here to register for the 2018 GV Expo. 

SEATTLE—Light emitting diodes (LEDs) were invented in the early 1960s, and have been used in television and video lighting for about the past dozen years. Advances in LEDs have prompted the technology to go in a variety of new and interesting directions.

“What we’re seeing is definitely a move to RGBW [red, green, blue and white] LED lighting that allows for a fully tuneable fixture,” said Mike Wagner, senior product manager with the lighting division of ARRI.

ARRI has been making nothing but RGBW LED fixtures since they introduced their first LED light, the L7 in 2011. That and subsequent ARRI lights like the Skypanel not only are able to match ambient light temperature, “but also are able to set the magenta point or select vivid colors that will allow more versatility in the studio, whether that be different types of setups during their day, or one-time-only special events,” Wagner said.

Another trend Wagner sees is firmware updates for light fixtures. “These aren’t just updates that fix bugs or something like that,” he said. “We are adding new functionality to our lights. That has been our commitment to our customers.”

ARRI’s latest firmware provides the ability to create professional level lighting effects without the need of a lighting console, and adds different kinds of communications control as well.

DYNAMIC LIGHTING EFFECTS

Rich Pierceall, CEO of Cineo thinks the trend building color into LED fixtures is not going to go away. His company has built a number of fixtures that include both tuneable white light and saturated colors, including the Standard 410, just released at the recent Cine Gear Expo.

Pierceall thinks the next wave is dynamic lighting effects. “What’s now happening is that a lot of larger fixtures are made capable of being carved up into small fixtures,” he said. “In other words, I can actually get light movement across the face of the lighting fixture.”

Cineo has developed the LightBlade fixtures in partnership with NBCUniversal. The larger LightBlade fixtures utilize Cineo Zone Control technology, which provide for 10 zones within the fixture being independently controlled. This gives users the ability to change color and intensity between LightBlades simultaneously.

Another area to watch is lighting control. “People are going to be branching away from traditional DMX universes and getting into far more elegant, far more advanced control systems,” Pierceall said.

LIGHTING DESIGN

Not everybody is climbing aboard with RGBW light fixtures yet.

“I’m not too sure that trend is right,” said Ing. Jose Maria Noriega, chief marketing officer for Fluotec. “And as with every trend, sometimes it stays and sometimes it goes away.”

Noriega doesn’t think talent should be colorized. “You colorize the set, or you colorize the background, the stage,” he said.

And while he says it might be convenient having saturated color capability in every fixture, “I don’t know if all TV stations would be willing to just follow that trend, especially the cost, if they are going to use this feature 2 percent of the time they’re going to use it for pure white light. Can you imagine 30 years ago that you would look back on the television industry and say ‘Hey, let’s have some lights that cost $17,000?’”

There is one trend in professional lighting for broadcast that Noriega is noticing.

“Lighting designers for cinema are now getting into lighting design for television,” he said. “These people are asking for pure white light, they are asking for reliability, they are asking for power, and they are also asking for a good price.”

LESS POWER

Litepanels’ Gemini 2x1 soft panel fixtures provide RGBW capability in the fixture, and the company sees more of that in the future. In addition, LEDs are getting more power-efficient, according to Byron Brown, product manager for Litepanels.

“Our LED technology today is roughly 30 to 50 percent more efficient than it was even three or four years ago,” he said. “The technology advancement of LEDs gets us even more efficiencies and better brightness per Watt in the LED world, let alone compared to tungsten and other sources.”

Because the company’s first 1x1 LED panel lights were introduced 10 years ago, a direct efficiency comparison can be made to its current Astra 6X, which is 6x brighter than the original 1x1. Complicating the math in this comparison is the fact that the Astra 6X uses 50 percent more, so the efficiency itself is about double.

Brown also notes that although the Astra 6X fixture is 6x times brighter than the original 1x1, it sells for about half what original 1x1 did.

[Read: Despite The Hype, LEDs Haven’t Revolutionized Broadcasting]

“So it’s 6x brighter for even less money than we were selling the 1x version 10 years ago,” he said.

Brown credits a number of factors for the lower cost: “All manufacturers have needed to find better ways to manufacture the product more efficiently. I think the volumes have also gone up, not just in terms of components, but also manufacturing processes. The number of units we sell today is substantially higher than the original 1x1 panels as well, so I think volume, efficiencies, component costs, all of those have contributed to the lower prices. And obviously competition has played a part.”

MORE FEATURES

Similarly, Scott Stueckle, sales manager at Kino Flo Lighting Systems sees the industry pressing to offer more features in their lighting fixtures for less money.

Kino Flo is a pioneer in fluorescent television and motion picture lighting equipment. They’ve transitioned their fluorescent fixtures such as the Diva and Celeb into LED lights, retaining the features that made them popular.

“Kino Flo is still focused on the white space, shooting in the color space that cameras can see, the full color spectrum, trying to keep our color on the black body curve,” Stueckle said.

And just as the company worked with fluorescent tube makers to optimize color rendering for their original light products, they’ve done the same thing with its LEDs, working with LED suppliers on both the design and manufacturing process, so that the LEDs perform exactly as the company specifies. “And we have proprietary technology to actually apply a spectrometer that reads a camera’s color sensitivity,” Stueckle added.

Stueckle says the combination of software and hardware has changed the development of professional lighting technology.

“In the old days we just used to make lights,” he said. “We’re now basically designing and programming computers that have lights on them. And I think you’re seeing more of that, and more people are getting involved with that, and things are getting better and better and prices are dropping more over the next few years.”

Professional lighting manufacturers are betting their companies on their ability to chase the right trend.

LED lighting is the new wave in studio and location lighting. With this technology, we no longer have to worry about the heat on the set, having to wait until the lights cooled before striking them, changing color temperature when diming, replacing bulbs frequently and high energy consumption. Litepanels Gemini Bi-color LED Soft Panel could be the perfect light to use on the set or take to your location—it is that versatile.

FEATURES

Considered a portable LED unit, the 22 pound Gemini Bi-Color 2x1 light is truly 2 feet across (actually 25 inches) by 1 foot high (12.5 inches). Powered by AC or DC (more on that later), you may mix daylight and tungsten color temperatures by dialing in a specific Kelvin temperature; add any Rosco or Lee gels internally without physically attaching them to the light; dim the fixture from 100 percent down to 0 percent; change the hue, saturation and intensity of a specific color; control the greens by addition or subtraction; add a fire, flashing light or strobe effect; utilize six presets for user-defined color control; and operate the unit through its built in DMX or Bluetooth control.

My students used a daylight color with a grey background for Alex.

The first thing notable about the light is its solid construction. Aluminum rather than inexpensive plastic means the Gemini is built to last. The yoke is adjustable and attaches with a female junior pin than may be converted to a baby pin for C-Stand usage rather than on a lighting grid. Drawing merely 325 W, the user has ultimate control over the light’s output.

The rear of the Gemini allows you to control all of the magic. Directly below the quiet, centralized cooling fan and slightly to the right are the Gemini’s inputs: “Mains In” and Through ports, a three pin 28-volt DC input, a male five pin DMX in and female output, and an Ethernet DMX in and out. Directly across from the Litepanels logo is a 2-inch LCD display screen that indicates: which mode you’re in; the color temperature source; the level of brightness listed as a percentage; the gel manufacturer, number and name; how the unit is controlled; the fan’s status; and AC or DC power indicator.

A row of six presets with an A/B switch allows you to activate six color temperatures (2700K, 3200K, 4000K, 5000K, 5600K and 6000K) as well as preset your own settings. Three rotary dials give you total control of: Plus or minus green and hue (push for menu access), Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) and saturation, and dimmer respectively. A green LED illuminates when the power is on when activated by the adjacent power switch.

IN USE

The Litepanels Gemini was put to immediate use in our university’s TV studio. While wanting to mount it on our ceiling grid, the students preferred to have it on their level on the floor in front of one of our many backdrops.

Arriving with a yoke and junior pin meant for grid use, we adapted it for placement on a C-Stand with a junior to baby adapter. Sandbagged and powered through AC, we placed the Gemini 5 feet to the right of our talent and used a Mole-Richardson 650 W Tungsten Tweeny as her backlight to further enhance her naturally red hair. Color balanced to tungsten, we dimming the light to 35.6 percent and utilizing a Lee 147 Apricot gel, we had the desired look. Having control over the intensity of the light, as well as adding filters internally, kept our set time to a minimum and gave Nikki (our talent) the look she was after. You can see the final result here. Having access to gels greatly aids in selecting one that will flatter the talent’s skin tone.

Moving on to Alex, a student with blonde hair, we selected a cooler daylight color temperature, dimmed the light to 89.3 percent and utilized a Lee 103 Straw gel. Alex’s lighter skin tone was enhanced with the daylight balance and the addition of the slight warmth of a straw gel. Having designed the black dress, Alex wanted to showcase the design by posing against a gray backdrop. The end result may be seen here.

The Gemini may be powered by AC or DC. In the near future, the units will be available to accept either Gold or V-mount batteries. Effects like fire and flashing lights may be programmed in if those effects are desired.

LED light panels, by their design, still have a more rapid light falloff than Fresnels. Although the Gemini is extremely bright, the farther you move from your subject, the more dramatic the light loss. In our initial set-up, I used our foot-candle meter and the specifications were similar to those Litepanels publishes. Because no heat is expelled from the front of the panels, they may be moved in very close to the talent without discomfort. In our situation at 5 feet, we had to drastically lower the output. Adaptable to any situation, the Gemini would be a welcome addition to your lighting arsenal.

Summary: One light that can do anything several different lights and gels could do—but in one package. No AC, no problem.

Application: Grid mount in a studio, use it on a set, take it to your location—even if it is where no AC power is available. Programmable, so it would be indispensable to your production.

Key Features: Modular; may be grid or stand mounted; DMX and Bluetooth capable; Bi-color; dimmable, full color control over hue and saturation; built in gel mode; programmable; AC or DC operation.

Price: $4,400.00

Contact

Vitec Videocom, Inc.
14 Progress Avenue
Shelton, CT 06484
203.929.1100
Email: Salessupport_USA@vitecgroup.com
Website: www.litepanels.com

Chuck Gloman is an Associate Professor and Chair of the TV/Film Department at DeSales University. He may be reached chuck.gloman@desales.edu.

BURBANK, CALIF. — Bexel announced that the company is upgrading its lighting inventory with the addition of 300 brand-new Litepanels Astra 6X LED panels— turnkey lighting for outdoor sporting venues.

As announced at the 2017 NAB Show, the next-generation Litepanels Astra 6X LED panel is 50 percent brighter than the first-generation Astra light and six times brighter than Litepanels’ original 1 x 1 panel, which broke new ground in the lighting industry when it was first introduced. Even with its greater intensity, the Astra 6X draws less power than its predecessor, which allows for longer battery run time. In addition to delivering higher-quality color rendering, the panels can be powered by professional camera batteries, making them ideal for productions looking to save power and reduce costs.

Bexel’s new inventory of Astra 6X lights will arrive just as the company’s sports-broadcasting clients gear up for the college and pro football seasons and head into baseball playoffs.