By David E. Williams, March 27, 2008
While most NAB attendees will budget plenty of time on the floor to check out the latest HD cameras, the more savvy of the bunch will spend a comparable amount of their much-sought-after attention span on the latest lighting gear. While spec sheets are helpful, nothing can really give you the feel for a new--or long-drooled-over--luminaire quite like an in-person experience. And isn't that what trade shows are all about?
While ARRI introduced the ARRIMAX 18/12 and MaxMover automated stirrup at NAB last year, some of their latest products include the ARRI X Ceramic 250 and ARRI Studio Ceramic 250 fixtures, which are designed, respectively, for location or studio use.
Both ceramic fixtures use the Philips ST 250 HR discharge lamp, which produces 3,200K tungsten-equivalent light with an expected lamp life of 4,000 hours. (The new lamp from Philips provides almost the same light output as a 1kW halogen lamp, but with a quarter of the power consumption.) For added versatility, the integrated flicker-free ballasts allow one to swap that lamp out for an MSR 250 HR--offering you the choice of a daylight or tungsten source. Upgrades for all ARRI kits include redesigned cases, which offer wheels and extra internal padding protection for your investment.
BALCAR has made a name for itself with innovative fluorescent lighting options including Monolite, a dimmable, compact strip light designed for ENG setups and low-ceiling studios.
The French company recently debuted an "intelligent" option for its Fluxlite fixtures (including the Duolite, Quadlite and Octalight models): the Fluxlite "i" series, which is designed to control a full DMX studio lighting set from a computer connected to an Ethernet network using proprietary software supplied with the "i" fixture. This makes the "i" lamps controllable through an Ethernet network from a virtual DMX console and linkable to other fixtures via a DMX protocol. To achieve this, only one "i" fixture is needed per studio.
Throwing their hat into an already crowded "ring," Balcar also announced a 40-watt Roundy camera-mounted ring light, which is fully dimmable without any change in color temperature.
BRON KOBOLD introduced the DW 200 all-weather HMI at NAB last year, which surprised some users with its versatility and punch. The company subsequently introduced an adapter for use with the ETC Source Four Jr. Zoom. This adapter unit utilizes three custom components to create an even, controllable daylight source: an adapter plate that attaches to the Jr. Zoom; a ceramic socket extension that allows the use of a 200-watt HMI SE lamp, placing it in the optimal position for the Jr. Zoom's reflector; and a focus mechanism in the DW 200 lamp base, allowing one to further control the fixture's output. This daylight option for the Source Four Jr. Zoom offers two-thirds more light output than one would get with a standard 575W tungsten lamp and consumes one-third of the power. Pretty smart.
Bron Kobold's introduction of the DW 200 also made possible the Sub 50 200W/400W, all-weather HMI kit, which weighs less than 50 lb. (By keeping the kit under that weight, airline company "overweight" fees will not apply.) Available in three configurations, each Sub 50 features the DW 200 and DWO 400 open-face HMI systems, including the fixtures, ballasts, cables, lamps, barndoors and case.
DE SISTI LIGHTING has made solid inroads into the fluorescent lighting market, most notably with the compact, dimmable De Lux fixtures (featuring two, four or six 55-watt lamps).
Adding to this are the Tintoretto 4x36W and 4x58W color-changing fluorescent fixtures, which offer multiple functionalities in color design, color changing, mixing or cross-fading between daylight- and tungsten-balanced lighting, and blue or green backlit chroma key work. The Tintoretto fixtures are DMX-controlled and feature in and out connections to permit power and control daisy chain of adjacent units.
If the Tintoretto is used as a backlight source, its four separately controllable T8 fluorescent tubes -- colored white, blue, red and green -- allow a virtually unlimited combination of colors. Compared to a conventional front-lit tungsten cyclorama lighting system, the Tintoretto offers an energy saving of almost 80 percent, exact control of the color spectrum and an extremely even distribution of light -- without the hassle of changing gels or lamps.
As the popularity of LED lighting has expanded, so has ELEMENT LABS (opening new home offices in Austin), which demonstrated its Kelvin line of fixtures at this past year's Lighting Dimensions show. The Kelvin lighting system provides unlimited variable color temperature, maintaining a color-rendering index between 2,200K and 6,500K, resulting in extremely high-quality light. The color temperature remains consistent throughout the full range of intensity variation.
The Kelvin TILE is a professional lighting unit developed to adapt to the dynamic requirements of film and video shoots. Users can connect several TILEs (each measuring 300x300mm) to build a single large softlight source. These LED-based fixtures operate with a fraction of the power required by traditional professional lighting and with little to no heat emission.
Element's Kelvin line fixtures also include the Brick (measuring 6" x 1.5" x 2"), the Stack (6.25" x 6.5" x 6") and the Stick (18.25" x 2" x 4.5"). Each is programmable using DMX or infrared remote control.
It was announced last summer that Element Labs had struck a strategic partnership with KINO FLO, the now-venerable firm whose brand name is nearly synonymous with fluorescent lighting.
Kino's most recent releases include the redesigned BarFly 100 (one-tube) and 200 (two-tube) fixtures. Brighter, smaller and lighter, these next-gen BarFlys reportedly deliver more lumens per square inch than any other full-spectrum fluorescent source on the market. Compact and controllable, the slimmer and trimmer BarFly 100 (measuring just 2" x 5.5" x 15") can squeeze into tight spots for difficult shots. The BarFly 200 is just another 3.5" wider. Accessories include several mounting options, honeycomb louvers and a dedicated snoot.
Kino Flo has also expanded its line of full-spectrum fluorescent lamps to address the growing demand for high-color-rendering lighting in energy-conserving T8 commercial and residential fixtures. The company's T8 tubes deliver the same broad color spectrum that has become the mainstay for the motion picture and photographic industries. Corporate teleconferencing or simple video chatting at your computer will benefit from the natural light quality not found in off-the shelf fluorescents. These T8 lamps are available in daylight and tungsten, and come in four-foot lengths. The KF32 model is a warm tone lamp designed to match incandescent light. The KF55 model is designed to match daylight.
A leader in the LED lighting arena, LITEPANELS arrives at NAB with possibly one of the lightest and least expensive pro units currently available: the LP-1 Micro.
Designed as a camera-mounted fixture and running on four AA batteries, the 5,600K LP-1 measures just 3.3" x 3.3" x 1.5" and features an integrated on/off dimmer switch, providing instant dimming from 100 percent to 0 percent with minimal color shift. The output is soft, directional, flicker-free and heat-free. A flip-down filter holder for the included color and diffusion gels offers additional control.
NAB 07 saw the introduction of LOWEL's Rifa eXchange System (Rifa eX), a set of four updated Rifas that replaced the older models while greatly expanding their versatility. Each new model of Rifa comes with a standard lamphead that uses the same Rifa lamps as always. The twist, literally, is that the lampheads can quickly swap for accessory heads. The lampheads take screw-threaded daylight fluorescent lamps, single or in cluster, as well as lower-wattage and lower-voltage tungsten-halogen and incandescent lamps. It will be interesting to see if Lowel can top this great release, which has gained a lot of fans among the indie video set, especially on-the-go documentary makers.
MOLE-RICHARDSON's latest additions to its wide-ranging lighting lineup include the 2.5/4K HMI DayLite PAR and 1.2K DayLite PAR. Both feature the company's renowned ruggedness and a compact design. The 2.5/4K has a line of accessories including a four-leaf barndoor with a built-in spill guard and a set of diffusion lenses that can be rotated 360 degrees while mounted. The 1.2K PAR was designed with ENG/EFP use in mind. The solid-cast aluminum construction features improved ventilation and cooling and eliminates unwanted spill light. The parabolic reflector provides 96 square inches of reflective surface. Contained in a low-profile trough, the electronics have been isolated from the main housing and feature a swing-out trap door for easy access to the igniter and safety switch.
ROSCO returns with its LitePad lineup -- a specialized softlight solution that can be used in tight spaces or easily built into scenery -- along with a few other new items. The company's X-Effects projector has undergone an engineering overhaul to drastically increase both its durability and lifespan in 24/7 operating environments. Addressing both moving parts and optical components, engineers have retooled guides, idlers, drive assemblies and motors, and even tweaked the lamp and power supply of the previous X-Effects. The result is the X24 X-Effects.
ZYLIGHT made quite an impression last year with the Z50 and Z90 compact, "intelligent" LED fixtures for film and video production. The units are palm-sized and switchable between tungsten and daylight output. The Z90 has a dial allowing the user to adjust the color temperature without using gel or filters. There is also a selector to pick a color matching any filter in Lee's inventory.
The Z90 is camera- or stand-mountable and may be powered by a battery, the camera battery or an optional AC adapter. Several units may be linked wirelessly via the ZyLink wireless option. When linked, all units are controlled from a single unit. There is no master-slave relationship; whichever unit is at hand will control all other units linked in the series. The optional accessory adapter snaps on the front of the fixture, allowing the use of any standard 3" accessory, such as barndoors or a softbox.
Last September, Zylight announced a partnership with Lamina, a developer and manufacturer of high-power LED light engines. The companies collaborated by integrating Lamina's Titan LED, the highest-output LED light engine available, into Zylight's Z50 and Z90 units. One hopes that this relationship will result in something new (and equally impressive) this year.
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