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In Review: Litepanels LP-1x1
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By Chuck Gloman, November 19, 2007
Litepanels delivers the power of LEDs.
The LP-1x1 from Litepanels is just small enough to carry around, but big and bright enough to provide the lighting you need on the set.
Weighing in at around three pounds, you won't get fatigued lugging this instrument to your shoot. Framed with a yoke (an adjustable tilting holder), it fits easily on a standard light stand. The LP-1x1 measures 12 inches square (as you'd expect) and is less than two inches thick.
The back of the Litepanels LP-1x1 is pierced with 23 rows of 23 holes, which you can look through to aim the light at its intended target. A nice feature - you can't do that with a tungsten light without damaging your eyes in the process. Also on the back is a remote port, DC input, power switch, and dimmer, which goes from 0-100 percent.
An AC adapter is included, but if you want to power the LP-1x1 with batteries, a 10-foot cord is provided with a four pin XLR connector on one end and a plug that fits nicely into the unit. Any battery from 9-30 volts should work, though Litepanels offers an optional battery that screws to the back of the LP-1x1 for $795.
Litepanels offers three LP-1x1 models: a 5600K flood (the unit I used), a 5600K spot, and a 3200K flood. An optional six-piece filter and diffusion set with carrying bag is available for $195 and includes four color temperature orange (CTO) filters. If you have the 3200K flood light, its kit has color temperature blue (CTB) replacing the CTO gels.
These gels slide easily into a grooved panel on the front of the LP-1x1 and I believe are necessary on every shoot. The groove is only large enough to hold two gels at one time, but you probably won't need more than one filter and one diffusion gel at a time
. Even though the LP-1x1 is daylight balanced, I prefer using the lesser CTO filters to add warmth to the shot.
Everything is packaged in a foam-lined cardboard box with a carrying handle, which should last for some time if taken care of properly, according to Litepanels. At our university, this means it will not last a week. A molded plastic carrying case will be available in the near future as an option, but I used a laptop carrying case for improved protection.
Before my students got their hands on the LP-1x1, I used it on several interviews. Placed six feet from my seated subject, it provided "too much" light. The talent complained of the brightness even after I dimmed it to about 50 percent, but was fine after I inserted a half CTO to diminish the light and warm the environment.
I used the LP-1x1 for six hours of interviews in an 8x10 room without air conditioning. And the director, talent, and I were comfortable. In fact, my client couldn't believe that the LP-1x1 was only slightly warm to the touch after being in use for so long. In contrast, I had done a 20-minute interview in that room two months earlier with an Omni and umbrella and we needed to turn on the AC.
There's very little negative I can say about these lights. They are small, have a bright output, give off no heat, and last a long time. Listing for just under $2,000, the LP-1x1 is slightly expensive, but considering the expected longevity of its LED light source, consider it a long-term lighting investment.
Chuck Gloman is an awarding-winning producer/director of photography with more than 900 commercials to his credit, and is director of the TV/Film Department as well as an assistant professor at DeSales University. Contact him at chuck.gloman@desales.edu.
MORE INFO
www.litepanels.com
| COMMENTS (1) | | 05/01/2009 | | I have 3 of these units, 2 older and one newer. The older ones tend to turn themselves off or just dim on their own. I blame a cheap dimmer wheel on the side of the body. the newer device has a different wheel with a more solid feel and the problem does not exist on the new model. Make sure to check this out when buying. |
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