Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights  (Read 6308 times)

HSakols

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1239
    • Hugh Sakols Photography
Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« on: January 10, 2018, 06:17:54 pm »

I've seen a number of LED set ups with soft boxes etc.  Does anyone use LED lighting for portraiture?  Of course mono lights are more powerful.  What is the role of LED lights in the photo studio? 
Logged

BobShaw

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2218
    • Aspiration Images
Re: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2018, 06:32:26 pm »

I would like to use LED modelling lights but have no little luck sourcing them.
As for LED as continuous lights they will surely replace CFL etc  lights for that purpose as they are brighter, whiter and use less power.

However as for those that use flash (like me) will probably continue to use flash as continuous lights have a poor range of modifiers and I feel close up the models eyes. Flash is reliable and has consistent colour through the brightness range.
Logged
Website - http://AspirationImages.com
Studio and Commercial Photography

DP

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 727
Re: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2018, 12:49:38 am »

Flash is reliable and has consistent colour through the brightness range.

that depends on the strobe of course ... cheap models can have "K" swing +/- ~200...~300K based on power output... decent strobes specifically those with constant color/temp options might be just +/- ~50K (may be even better) based on power output
Logged

DP

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 727
Re: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2018, 12:51:37 am »

Does anyone use LED lighting for portraiture? 

decent power output for low ISO/fast enough exposure time will strain the eyes being constant, no ?
Logged

DP

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 727
Re: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2018, 01:01:25 am »

continuous lights have a poor range of modifiers

you can get a LED "strobe"-like device with native bowens mount for example ...
Logged

HSakols

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1239
    • Hugh Sakols Photography
Re: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2018, 12:48:30 pm »

Thanks for the replies. 
Quote
you can get a LED "strobe"-like device with native bowens mount for example ...
I didn't know this.  Yes, I guess I can't imagine using continuous lights without blinding someone but for still lifes, it might work. 
Logged

DP

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 727
Re: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2018, 12:58:06 pm »

Thanks for the replies.  I didn't know this.  Yes, I guess I can't imagine using continuous lights without blinding someone but for still lifes, it might work.

Godox for example



or



or just screw in some big bad ass LED medium base socket bulb (google for "corn bulb") into this one

« Last Edit: January 11, 2018, 01:07:09 pm by DP »
Logged

BobShaw

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2218
    • Aspiration Images
Re: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2018, 04:00:46 pm »

Thanks for the replies.  I didn't know this.  Yes, I guess I can't imagine using continuous lights without blinding someone but for still lifes, it might work.
Probably not except for video.

I have a few Godox soft boxes that I bought and now regard as a waste of money. They are difficult to put together, leak and foul the speedring which itself it a real pain.

I would only recommend Broncolor or Profoto as tier one for serious pros and the second tier Elinchrom which I use and is also very good. if you live in the US then you can get Paul C Buff which reportedly are good also but they are not sold in Australia at least. (Maybe they only make low voltage?)  Bowens was good and similar quality to Elinchrom but they are no longer made so I wouldn't go there now.

Note that you can not mix and match heads and modifiers. They are all different fittings. It is like trying to put a Nikon lens on a Canon body.

This stuff is good for 20 years or more and you can get it serviced.

Also the lights you have depends on what you shoot. If you shoot "still life" then what are you shooting? Food, frosty cold beer, perfumes, etc? You need huge amounts of power (> 1000W/S)  to shoot some of these properly as you are shooting at f18-20 to get the entire product in focus. Most product photographers use pack and head systems for this reason.

So if you are buying lights probably one good one is better than 5 bad ones.
Logged
Website - http://AspirationImages.com
Studio and Commercial Photography

smthopr

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 612
    • Bruce Alan Greene Cinematography
Re: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2018, 12:49:10 pm »

I’ve been using LEDs from various manufacturers on a movie and I can say that color rendition is quite poor. I’d avoid them for portraiture. Use strobes or tungsten lamps for best color and skin tones.
Logged
Bruce Alan Greene
www.brucealangreene.com

T1MC0LE

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 27
  • Tim Cole
    • Tim Cole
Re: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2020, 04:43:54 am »

I would also suggest flash, if you need to throw light further than a few feet. Continuous is great if you working in a small space or don’t mind lighting your subject and letting the environment behind drop off. Flash is so much more controllable for larger fields of view lower iso settings and higher shutter speeds.

Peter McLennan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4690
Re: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2020, 12:05:54 am »

I’ve been using LEDs from various manufacturers on a movie and I can say that color rendition is quite poor. I’d avoid them for portraiture. Use strobes or tungsten lamps for best color and skin tones.

Nice reel, Bruce.
Logged

LeonardMartin

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3
Re: Continuous LED lights vs Mono Lights
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2020, 02:26:36 pm »

I might be able to help. I am a professional photographer, and I can say that I am very well versed in lighting. I know that led lighting is used to increase the significance of the person, so all the attention is focused on him. The lamps themselves are also important, their quality is important, and of course their durability. For my photo Studio, I order the best on https://lightingandsupplies.com/, because the quality of my work directly depends on it. Thanks to the fact that everything is well-chosen, I became a popular and in-demand photographer.
« Last Edit: October 28, 2020, 05:39:19 pm by LeonardMartin »
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up