By Chuck Gloman, August 25, 2008
With the current focus on the environment, broadcasters need to begin going "green." (I'm referring to energy efficiency, of course, not color temperature.) Production technology has advanced enough that we have lighting instruments that consume very little power and therefore should be considered "green." Let's take a look at four products that emphasize energy efficiency: Rosco LitePad, Anton/Bauer UltraDAYlight, IDX System Technology X5-Lite and Litepanels 1x1.
Rosco LitePad
Rosco's LitePad is available in six sizes: 3x3, 3x6, 3x12, 6x6, 6x12 and 12x12 (in inches). LitePad uses super-efficient LED technology in a lighting "pad" that is less than one quarter of an inch thick. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) consume very little power, are dimmable, give off little heat and last upwards of 100,000 hours. The LitePads function by bouncing light from a few LEDs off a reflective surface, creating an extremely soft light source.
In the photo to the right, three LitePads were use to illuminate our subject in three-point lighting. (Two lights are visible; the third is just out of frame.) The key source on the left, is a 6x6-inch, daylight-balanced (6,000 K) light consuming 3.6W or 0.3 amp of AC power. That's not a great deal of light, but it is soft and gives off virtually no heat.
This size LitePad can be used effectively as dashboard lighting. Mount the light over the speedometer and it looks as if the light is coming from that source (because it is). With its 6,000 K color temperature, LitePad's light is much whiter with a slight green cast at night--much like that of an actual dashboard.
Without dimming and keeping both lights at the same distance, there's a 2:1 lighting ratio, consuming 7.2W or 0.6 amp. A nightlight uses almost twice this amperage.
If AC isn't your bag, the LitePads run on a 12V battery or via the cigarette lighter in a car.
Anton/Bauer UltraDAYlight
Anton/Bauer's UltraDAYlight is an HMI (5,600 K) delivering 350 footcandles (fc) at a distance of 3 ft--all from a 25W lamp and ballast in the same unit. This light consumes half the power of a conventional tungsten lamp and is daylight-balanced. Roughly 5.5 in x 2.5 in, the 1 lb HMI mounts to a camera and can draw power from the camera's battery. If tungsten is preferred, the head modules can be changed between daylight and tungsten (although the conversion kit is not included). The UltraDAYlight will also adjust color temperature as the bulb ages so that light output remains consistent.
"The UltraDAYlight was developed in 2000 as an economical and portable solution for HMIs, which works with existing lights and consumes only 25 watts of power," says Paul Dudeck, director of the products specialist group for the Americas for Anton/Bauer
. "This quick, small light is ideal in the field and is powered off the camera battery. The head module swaps in about three seconds."
IDX X5-Lite
IDX System Technology has unveiled the X5-Lite, whose LED technology consumes only 13W but outputs 50W. Also mounted on the camera, the daylight-balanced LEDs expel little heat and last up to 10,000 hours. Weighing little more than half a pound, the built-in dimmer allows softer light without changing color temperature.
Any colored gels may be taped to the lights to create the same effect, and one piece of gel goes a long way.
More Is Better
If more output is desired, the Rosco LitePad 12x12 has 2.3 times the output of the 6x6 (113 fc vs. 48 fc at 1 ft) but consumes four times the power (1.2 amp vs. 0.3 amp). Where else is there a light source that uses less than 15W? An incandescent 15W nightlight pulls the same wattage and gives far less light for a shorter period of time.
These three examples are not the only "green" lights available. Florescent light has been a close second choice. Though the units are much larger, consume more power and may last just one-tenth the time of LEDs, lighting larger areas requires more punch, and fluorescents have a slightly longer throw.
These lights consume little power, last a long time and are beneficial to the environment with nothing to "wear out or throw out." If more lighting is needed, simply use more. A bank of five 12x12s may be powered from the same AC or battery source; they consume less energy than a 100W incandescent light and provide up 565 fc.
Diffusion is rarely needed, and often it is used on larger lights to give texture, soften, or reduce the light's output. When a tungsten light is dimmed, it becomes warmer (more orange). An LED keeps its color temperature constant, even when dimmed.
Seeing the LED Light
Litepanels' 1x1 is basically a 1x1-ft square bank of LEDs consuming 45W at 12V. Daylight-balanced, this unit is less than two inches thick and weighs in at 3 lb. Heat- and flicker-free, the tiny LEDs are dimmable without changing the color balance and have a 100,000-hour lamp life.
What sets the LP 1x1 apart from the pack is its view-through capability; the user peers through holes in the back of the panel to aim the light. No other lighting instrument allows the user to "point" the light in this manner, viewing the subject being illuminated from behind the unit.
With 500W of light output (and 45W consumed) at a distance of 4 ft, 130 fc of light provides more than enough coverage.
Help save the environment and leave a small electronic footprint--beginning with your lights.
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