Portable LED light comparison test

[salim]

I've been looking to get a set of LED lights that I can travel with (fly around the world) that are versatile, high quality, powerful, not heavy and not too expensive. In this test I was comparing lights that I want to mostly use as a kicker/practical or maybe key (if I need to). 
The lights tested are: 
Boltzen bi-color 30W (3200k - 5600k), Aputure LS-mini20d (7500 k), Aputure F7 (3200k - 9500k), Luxli Viola (3000k-10000k/RGB)

Test methodology: I placed all lights 3 meters from a gray card. I set my camera to center/spot meter at auto ISO. 1/50 and F/4 (this is for my needs) and then I read the iso meter. I repeated the reading a few times to ensure there are no strange anomalies. The Aputure LS-mini20d (7500 k) is lighter than the Boltzen. It has much better spot focus ability. But it has two big issues. Just during this simple testing the fan came out. Not loud but audible. However, more importantly I place the 3200k soft gel inside the slot (I guess the slot was for the 5600k hard gel) and it burned. I heard Kaleb talk about the 5600k gel bleaching. Still makes the LS-mini20d a useable kick/accent light. Since I'm planning to shoot tungsten WB and it will give me a nice shade of blue. But it makes it not as versatile as I had hoped. Otherwise it's a perfect light. The Botlzen on the other hand gives you pretty much the same output in 5600K as well as 3200K. It's more powerful on paper, but not having as good as a spot as the Aputure makes the same power but for more weight. On plus side it has not fan, but it uses a heavy heat sink which is why it's heavier. 

 

@IronFilm and @HockeyFan12 as promised here is my quick test so far. 

Boltzen spot:
3200k ->  iso 320

5600k -> iso 250

Boltzen flood: 

3200k iso 1000-1100

5600k iso 640-800

------------------------------------------------------------

Aputure spot

7500k iso 140 

5600k gel iso 250 

+1gel 3200k iso 400

Aputure flood

7500K iso 640 

5600k gel iso 1100 

+1gel 3200k iso 1250-1600

---------------------------------------------------------

Aputure F7

5600K iso 1000

3200k iso 2000

7500K iso iso 1100

9500k iso 1250 

 

Luxli viola 

5600k iso 2500

3200k iso 2500 

 

2 Luxli viola 3200k iso 1250 (I did this, because I'm looking at a Luxli Cello as a possible key and Cello is essentially has 2x the LEDs of the Viola). 

 

Here are some images of the shape of the light on the bookshelf where I have my gray card

 

Boltzen full spot 

 

Boltzen flood using the barn doors to shape the light to around the book case 

 

Apurture full spot 

 

Apurture full spot with a 3200k gel on 

 

Apurture F7

 

Luxli Viola

 

So this was my bad, I put the flexible 3200k conversion gel (this is for the Apurture to convert the 7500K light to 3200k) in the slot where the hard gel goes (the hard gel is to convert the light to 5600k).  I only had get there long enough to do a flood and spot mode a couple of times. Maybe 5 minutes and it practically burnt right away. I'm not sure if the hard gel for the 5600K would do any better or as Kaleb Pike said in his youtube channel they got bleached. I can see that happening. Which really makes this like a 7500k light that you can use as accent/hair light etc. 

 

[Mmmbeats]

I've actually gone with the Stella 1000 for this purpose, because of weight. I had originally gone with the boltzen, but it's just a bit too heavy, especially when you add on batteries.

The Stella was a pricey buy though.

[kye]

12 hours ago, salim said:

So this was my bad, I put the flexible 3200k conversion gel (this is for the Apurture to convert the 7500K light to 3200k) in the slot where the hard gel goes (the hard gel is to convert the light to 5600k).  I only had get there long enough to do a flood and spot mode a couple of times. Maybe 5 minutes and it practically burnt right away. I'm not sure if the hard gel for the 5600K would do any better or as Kaleb Pike said in his youtube channel they got bleached. I can see that happening. Which really makes this like a 7500k light that you can use as accent/hair light etc. 

Perhaps there's a way to rig up a gel that spaces it a bit from the light?  It looked like it only burned in one place and if you can get a few inches between the gel and the light then you'll get a bit of cooling airflow over the gel.

It might be a bit of a PITA but if the light has other advantages maybe it salvages it as an option for some situations?

[docmoore]

'

[salim]

12 hours ago, Mmmbeats said:

actually gone with the Stella 1000

@Mmmbeats - Thanks, I'm looking at them and its CRI does not seem very high. I'm also not that crazy about internal batteries. Also, I think I saw an interview the CEO and he seemed rather snobby and turned me off toward his brand. But I'll take a look at them again. 

 

 

3 hours ago, kye said:

the light has other advantages maybe it salvages it as an option for some situations

@kye - It makes a great accent, hair light, kicker, etc. Especially if you're shooting Tungsten as  key and you want a cooler color for separation. It's very light and the spot is cleaner than the Boltzen. Thanks for the thought. 

 

[docmoore]

47 minutes ago, salim said:

@Mmmbeats - Thanks, I'm looking at them and its CRI does not seem very high. I'm also not that crazy about internal batteries. Also, I think I saw an interview the CEO and he seemed rather snobby and turned me off toward his brand. But I'll take a look at them again. 

 

 

@kye - It makes a great accent, hair light, kicker, etc. Especially if you're shooting Tungsten as  key and you want a cooler color for separation. It's very light and the spot is cleaner than the Boltzen. Thanks for the thought. 

 

Stella recently upgraded their lights CRI is up 93 and light is much closer to 5600K ... also controllable from an Elinchrom remote ....rather than hijack this discussion I 

started a new one about the SP 8000s .... snobby or not ... buy what works for you.

 

Bob

[Mmmbeats]

52 minutes ago, salim said:

@Mmmbeats - Thanks, I'm looking at them and its CRI does not seem very high. I'm also not that crazy about internal batteries. Also, I think I saw an interview the CEO and he seemed rather snobby and turned me off toward his brand. But I'll take a look at them again. 

 

 

@kye

 

I think for a kicker / accent light the CRI (90) is fine. The thing about the internal battery is that it's so light you can almost forget about it's existence. I haven't verified this, but I imagine the Stella with internal battery is lighter than the Boltzen even without an external battery attached!

As to the personality of the CEO, I couldn't comment. These things put me off companies too from time to time, so I can sympathise. As you may know, they are bringing this all to film from their origins in scuba lights, and I think there are some innovations emerging as a result.

[docmoore]

Agree ... and the truth i that the CEO could be history tomorrow.

If the product meets your expectations and desires .... ignore the internal hype.

If you stay with a series of lights that have similar CRI and output ... your ability to

adjust WB and color in post is simplified.

 

Bob

[Mmmbeats]

13 hours ago, Mmmbeats said:

The thing about the internal battery is that it's so light you can almost forget about it's existence. I haven't verified this, but I imagine the Stella with internal battery is lighter than the Boltzen even without an external battery attached!

I did some measurements that confirmed this.  The Stella 1000 is significantly lighter.

Stella 1000 :

Fixture alone (including internal battery) - 310g

With Fresnel and AC power supply - 530g

 

Boltzen 30W (Daylight) :

Fixture alone - 990g

With AC power supply - 1550g

With Sony battery also (NP-F770) - 1770g

 

However the Boltzen is a much more powerful light, so perhaps the comparison is a bit redundant.  Except that people are using them for a kicker / accent light, so if weight is a major concern (as it is for me) then you might find yourself looking at these two units in competition.

Lux at (1m / 3m) :

Stella 1000 @ 25˚ - (1000 / 113)

Boltzen 30W 15˚ - (18784 / 1889)

I've used the manufacturers claims for the output, rather than my own measurements.