![]() If you don’t have one, here are several recommended options:įlashpoint Cool Light Kit with 2 Reflectors ($169.96) consists of two lighting units (with stands), each with a 16-inch reflector and four sockets. If you already have a hot or cool light kit fixture, just swap bulbs and you’re ready to go. I recommend daylight, but be sure to use a colorchecker and the eyedropper tool in post-processing to establish accurate color balance. Since most standard LED bulbs come in daylight or warm output to emulate incandescent light, you need to choose one or the other. The downside: no variable color temperature option. The advantage? The cost of an continuous light system designed for older light tech is generally lower than all-LED systems, so you can save money by taking this route. Simply remove the old bulb and replace it with an LED bulb that provides a similar amount of light output, and you’ll get the same light while reducing your electric bills. Systems meant for CFL or tungsten can therefore be easily converted. Both are budget-friendly ways to get into LED lighting for your studio.Īny fixture that will take a standard screw-in lightbulb will take LEDs. A 100 watt version is also available for $279.95. The SP Studio Systems 50W LED Studio Light ($199.95) looks like a studio flash, but contains a 50 watt LED light source with a 5600K color temperature and a dimmer. This is a low-cost way to get into LED continuous-light photography. ![]() The Savage 500W LED Studio Light Kit ($135.99) consists of two lamp holders, stands, umbrellas, and a pair of 250 Watt bulbs that consume only 30 watts of power. ![]() Other LED light kits use special bulbs designed for photographers that put out the same kind of light you used to get from tungsten lamps. That’s sufficient for product photography and head shots. It consumes 35 watts, but gives off 3,600 lux at 3.3 feet, the equivalent of a 60-watt lamp. The Flashpoint CL-500R LED Circular Light Kit ($400 shown at the top of this article) follows a traditional photographer-friendly circular dish design that emulates reflectors, but is constructed with 500 LED lamps in the panel design. (The Bescor comes with a battery kit so you can take it on location without worrying about where to plug it in.) The advantage of LED lights made for video in a still photography studio is that many of these units let you dial in the color temperature you desire, typically ranging from daylight to tungsten, while others let you switch from one to the other. Some models, such as the Bescor LED-500KB Twin 500W($499) offer higher wattage and provide a lot of light for studio work. Many LEDs are relatively low-output affairs, since video work is done at closer range and less light is needed. This is especially true with lights that are made of panels that house dozens of small LED bulbs. Most LED-based studio lighting is designed for video use-but can also be used for still photography. And, with their more environmental-friendly parts, LEDs are quickly replacing fluorescents as well. And even if they cost more, you won’t need to replace them for years.įor these reasons, photographers rarely use finicky, hot halogen or power-hungry tunsten bulbs any more. ![]() The cost per bulb is higher than the other alternatives (a 250-watt LED lamp costs $36, while an equivalent tungsten flood lamp only costs $3.10), but prices are coming down. The big advantage of LEDs is that they tend to stay relatively cool, they last a really long time, and use a fraction of the energy of CFC, incandescent or tungsten bulbs. For still photographers using continuous studio light (or thinking about it), you, too can join the LED revolution by simply swapping out your existing bulb for a similar color balanced LED, or by purchasing an LED light kit. If you’ve replaced a lightbulb in the last couple of years, you’ve probably considered an LED instead of a traditional bulb or even a CFC.
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