PIXAPRO LED100D MKII Review by Lewis McGregor
"Often you can be placed into a location where Fresnel lighting isn’t an option. This is usually as a result of limited space and an extensive heat output from tungsten lighting. Unfortunately, on a DIY and/or budget film shoot, it’s unlikely you’re going to be able to extend the space available or find another location. In such a time, it’s great to have a continuous LED light option.
Recently I’ve been using the Pixapro LED100D MKII daylight light which is priced at £239.99.
The light itself is very robust and encased in a metal casing. Unlike the compact shape of a Fresnel, the LED100D MKII has an oblong shape which has made most of my carry cases redundant as the light won’t fit in them. It looks like it would work well as a laser blaster in a sci-fi movie, nonetheless, it definitely holds the power of a laser blaster as it has a massive illuminance rating of around 15,00 lux at 1-meter and up to 42,000 at 50cms.
Whenever the light has been in use, I’ve always decreased it to the lowest setting. The brightness of the light is truly outstanding. You can dim the light down to 10% of its power allowing for a more varied lighting option.
The light uses an integrated LED chip over the conventional housing of multiple LEDs. As I previously stated, the light has a very robust casing, this leaves very little to be broken or damaged. I would imagine it could endure quite a lot of stress before it would become unusable.
The light itself has a frontal S-Type fitting which is how the reflector, amongst other accessories, is fitted. I’ve been using the light in conjunction with the 90cm Easy-Open Octagonal Softbox, also from Pixapro. The soft incandescent light is perfect for when I do product reviews or close up shots, in which other lights in my kit would be too harsh for. I do have the option of setting up a diffusion sheet in front of the Fresnel, but with limited space, it’s not always an option.
The light has a CRI rating of ≥94 which is going to dramatically help reproduce accurate colour in your video photographs. A problem I’ve always had with tungsten and other LEDs is the flicker you encounter as you start to increase your frame rate and shutter speed for slow motion. With the Pixapro LED100D MKII you can work up to 900fps before you start to see any flickering. Along with the Illuminance, this light provides its great tool for slow mo.
As for of the overall consistency and brightness of the light, it’s been a great tool for green screen work. Although the beam angle at 45° doesn’t make this the one-stop-shop for light coverage. For those who are looking to use this light for video and are worried about possible fan noise, rest assured that there’s virtually little to no fan noise produced from the cooling system. The updated version of the light which is being released this week also allows for a v-mount battery to be attached.
Direct from Pixapro, here are the specifications.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model LED100D MKII
Power Output 100W
Luminous Flux 10,000 lm
Brightness/Illuminance 42,000 lux @ 50cm (15,000 lux @ 1m)
LED Type Integrated LED Chip
Colour Temperature 5600k
Beam Angle 45°
CRI ≥94
Power Range 10-100%
LED Life Approx. 50,000 Hours
Remote Control Yes (Sold Separately)
Dimensions 275mm x 130mm x 220mm
90cm Easy-Open Octagonal Softbox
Diameter 90cm
Shape Octagonal
Layers of Diffusion 2
Gris size 4cm
Fitting S-Type (Interchangeable)
260cm Stand
Min. Height 111cm
Max. Height 260cm
Max. Load Capacity 5kg
Tube Diameter 30cm/25cm/22cm/19cm
Spigot Size 5/8”
Air-Cushioned Yes
Material Aluminium
I think the light definitely works best when equipped with the softbox, and while the design is robust, I do find that the size of the light is also quite bulky, but I would suspect the internal fan is responsible for that. The light has quickly jumped rank in my kit, and will be used for all future product reviews."
Credit: Lewis McGregor Website: http://www.indietips.com/author/lewismcgregor/
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