Building an LED panel, please advise!

[funkyou86]

Hey!

I'm about to build my first LED panel, and I need some advices.

My problem starts with choosing the right LED for the job. The one I choose is CRI > 95, 6000K, 12V, 4,8W/m. It's almost perfect but I'm affraid of the color temperature. 

My questions are:

1) Is 6000K okay for video productions? I'm not sure about the compatibility with other 5500K devices. 

2) Should I combine the 6000K leds with 4000K leds to achieve 5500K? I never saw something like this before so I'm not even sure if it'll work.

Thanks for your time and answers!

Alex

[Jonesy Jones]

I've actually tried to build a few of these myself. 

I don't know that you'll really see a difference between 6000 and 5500. If you do you can buy a filter to shift it slightly, but you probably won't need that. I eventually built some lights that were 5000K and they match with 5500K perfectly, at least I can't tell. 

I'm sure you've heard of Aputure, but for the amount of the quality light they produce for the price, I feel it would have saved me a ton of time and even money to just go with them. Aputure makes amazing lights. They just weren't making lights when I started my projects. 

Here's a link a thread I started about my homemade lights. 

 

[funkyou86]

2 hours ago, Jonesy Jones said:

I've actually tried to build a few of these myself. 

I don't know that you'll really see a difference between 6000 and 5500. If you do you can buy a filter to shift it slightly, but you probably won't need that. I eventually built some lights that were 5000K and they match with 5500K perfectly, at least I can't tell. 

I'm sure you've heard of Aputure, but for the amount of the quality light they produce for the price, I feel it would have saved me a ton of time and even money to just go with them. Aputure makes amazing lights. They just weren't making lights when I started my projects. 

Here's a link a thread I started about my homemade lights. 

 

Thanks for your reply! Now I remember your post from the past  It looks great!

Yep, I like aputure products, however, currently I'm trying to avoid spending 800 euros for two lights. The LED strips cost 2x40 euros, the voltage regulator 2x 10 euros, and that's it. I'm trying to build a 50x40cm which is smaller than yours, any idea where to get proper filters? 

I think that I will go with the 6000K LEDs than. Thank you once more.

[Jonesy Jones]

In the US I purchased Lee or Rosco filters from an online dealer. 

Your comparison of what you are building to what Aputure sells is not apples to apples. I think projects are good though. Good learning experience. 

[Luke Mason]

This is currently the best LED manufacturer:

http://store.yujiintl.com/collections/frontpage/products/vtc-series-smd-5730?variant=1428396033

the violet chip products easily beat everthing else on the market right now including ARRI in terms of light quality and color accuracy.

[funkyou86]

So, I have finished the building of my two LED panels. And they work pretty good! I have used 6000K leds, and each got a luminance of 4000 lumen. Here are some screengrabs from the music video I shot few weeks ago (not graded, only the scr1.jpg).

All shots by GH4, the first one with tokina 11-16, the rest with Pentax 50mm SMC + Sankor Cinemascope Anamorphic, ISO around 400.

 

[buggz]

I remember this being a really good video on DIY LED panels.

The material list is probably dated by now....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlMtakaa7u8