writing with a camera

Lighting Instruments Available from the CAMD Media Center

Title Slide

This presentation introduces some lighting instruments available from the CAMD Media Center,  together they make up a versatile lighting kit suitable for working indoors under controlled lighting conditions. For outdoor work one would need significantly more powerful units.

This presentation was last updated on 2024-10-11, availability of equipment is subject to change.

See also: Lighting and Storytelling and Lighting and Color.

Versatile small lighting gear for indoor use, the gear includes: 

(1) Aputure MC, a small RGBWW LED panel available in a travel kit with four units, the case doubles as the charger for the units.

(2) Intellytech Pocket-LiteCloth — a foldable bi-color LED panel, good as a broad source. It can be fitted with the Softbox for Pocket-LiteCloth (layer of diffusion softens the light and evens out the beam and the box helps reduce spill; the spill can be further reduced with the addition of the 45°grid.

(3) Light stands, small and medium available, the medium stands are more stable

(4) Reflector, available in several sizes (there are many variations including five-in-one reflectors are versatile as they can serve many purposes; otherwise, one with a matte silver side and matte white side as a minimum is most versatile)

(5) The Intellytech Pocket Cannon Mini 3-unit kit provides small, hard light sources, requires special permission for use, talk with your instructor or Media Center Staff for permission to use this kit (only two are available).

(6) There are also other units available from the Media Center, consult with their staff on availability of other units.

Aputure MC RGBWW LED (1/4)

Aputure MC is part of Aputure’s M-series of lights, featuring a mix of RGB LEDs as well as tungsten-balanced and daylight-balanced LEDs for better color rendition and higher brightness. It offers 360° hue control and emits up to 95% of the BT 2020 color gamut. Good color rendition (96 CRI and 97 TLCI). Performance: 100 lux (9.3 foot cancles) at 1 meter.  

You can control it directly or remotely using the Aputure Sidus Link app svailable for iOS and Android that can control up to 100 units remotely via Bluetooth.  Color Picker function in the Sidus app allows you to point your smartphone camera at a color and capture it, and the light will reproduce that color instantly. Visit http://sidus.link/app/help for more details on using the app to control the Aputure MC.

Modes:  HSI (360° of hue control, 100 to 0% brightness control, 100 levels of color saturation adjustment);  CCT (3200 to 6500K in 100° increments); and  FX (it offers some cheesy effects).

Aputure MC RGBWW LED (2/4)

A small multifunction LED panel measuring only 3.7 x 2.4 x 0.7 inches. It can be mounted via the built-in 1/4-n.–20 thread or attached to various metal objects with its built-in magnets. Make sure to check out light stands or other grip gear to position these units where you want them. The units have a built-in battery providing  just under two hours of use.

Aputure MC RGBWW LED (3/4)

Aputure MC — CCT Mode: dial in color temperature and intensity

Press and hold the control wheel for 2 seconds to access the system menu. Rotate the control wheel to select CCT and press the wheel to enter CCT mode. In CCT Mode, rotate the control wheel to adjust the color temperature between 3200-6500K. “Short press” the wheel to select intensity (INT) control, and turn the wheel to adjust the brightness level from 0-100%.

Aputure MC RGBWW LED (3/4)

Aputure MC — HSI Mode: dial in hue, saturation, and intensity (a.k.a. brightness)

Press and hold the control wheel for 2 seconds to access the system menu.  Rotate the control wheel to select HSI and press the wheel to enter HSI mode. In HSI Mode, “short press” the control wheel to toggle between HUE/SAT (saturation)/INT (intensity) controls. When controlling HUE, rotate the control wheel to adiust the hue color from 0-360°. When controlling saturation (SAT), turn the control wheel to adjust the color saturation between 0-100%. When controlling intensity (INT), turn the wheel to adjust the brightness level between 0-100%.

Intellytech Pocket-LiteCloth (1/5)

The Intellytech Pocket-LiteCloth foldable bi-color LED panel is good for use as a key, fill, or background light; The kit includes the following:

  1. Intellytech Pocket-LiteCloth 40W Bicolor LED unit
  2. Two NP (L-Series) batteries
  3. Adapter 1/4-20 stud to accessory shoe
  4. Adapter 1/4-20 stud to 5/8 in. receiver
  5. AC adapter with mains cord
  6. half lantern for soft, diffused illumination
  7. soft box for soft, directional illumination
  8. (if you want a grid with your soft box, you might need to ask to  have it added to your kit, not all kits come with the grid at this time)

Intellytech Pocket-LiteCloth (2/5)

Folds for compact storage, connect to light stands with adapter (included)

Attach the 1/4-20 stud to 5/8 in. receiver to mount on a light stand. // Use Baby pin adapter to attach the unit to light stands with 5/8” baby pins (all of the light stands from the CAMD Media Center have 5/8” baby pins on their ends).

Attach the 1/4-20 stud to accessory shoe adapter to mount on an accessory camera cage.  This unit with batteries might be a bit heavy to put on a camera accessory shoe; I would only put it on a cage accessory shoe, not a camera accessory shoe.

Intellytech Pocket-LiteCloth (3/5)

Inserting/removing batteries and operating controls

The 40W Intellytech Pocket Lite-Cloth uses two NP-Series batteries or may be powered with the AC adapter (included in the kit). Supports both dimming and color temperature adjustment. Without soft box) it provides 1,320 lux (127 foot candles) at 3 feet with the color temperature set to 3000K and 1,430 lux (133 foot candles) with the color temperature set to 10000K.

INSERTING BATTERIES: Gently PLACE the battery in the slot (not directly over the contacts) then once seated slide the battery towards contacts and you should hear a click. Be gentle with battery insertion to avoid damaging the contacts.

Intellytech Pocket-LiteCloth (4/5)

Intellytech Pocket-LiteCloth — Softbox and 45˚  Grid

The kit comes with a Softbox and 45˚  Grid. The kit also comes with a half-lantern attachment. 

Note: if you want a grid or half lantern with your soft box, you need to ask to have it added to your kit, since many of the grids have gone missing for some mysterious reason, please, if you are ever in the Bemuda Triangle and see some free floating Pockey-LiteCloth grids, please grab them and return them to the CAMD Media Center.

Intellytech Pocket-LiteCloth (5/5)

Why is the grid such a big deal? 

The panel alone provides a broad, somewhat harsh beam. Add the soft box with diffusion (the box attaches to the panel with velcro and the diffusion attaches to the box with velcro. The soft box with diffusion provides a wide, soft beam. Add the 45˚  grid to the soft box and diffusion to reduces spill, providing a narrower beam that is still soft.

Intellytech Pocket Cannon Mini 3-light kit 

Note: requires special permission for use, talk with your instructor or Media Center Staff

NOTE: Barn doors accessories is friction fit, sliding on and off (the lens is on a screw mount, leave on and tight, if you turn the barn doors you’ll end up unscrewing the front of the unit, avoid please).

The Intellytech Pocket Cannon Mini is a Fresnel unit available as a 3200K unit or 5600K unit. All of the units in the CAMD Media Center are 5600K daylight units. This unit produces a smooth, easily cut beam well suited for use as a back, kicker, accent, or background light. Also excellent for casting shadows using a gobo. Given the design incorporating a lens, it offers longer throw and higher intensity compared to a panel-style LED, and the shadows it casts are crisp and clean.

Available from the CAMD Media Center as a 3 unit kits with accessories, batteries, chargers, and AC adapters in a compact case.  The kits includes barn-doors for spill control and includes accessories for mounting on a 1/4-20 stud or cold-shoe mount or on a light stand with a 5/8 inch pin. Add a color diffuser to soften the illumination and change color of the source. Add diffuser to soften the illumination. Add soft box to transform into a larger, softer source. Add snoot for use as an accent light on a specific area of the scene. A couple of grids are available for use with the snoot. Add the grid to reduce spread.

Essential lighting accessories   

5-in-one reflectors are very versatile for softening light, bouncing light, or providing negative fill.

Various sizes available from CAMD Media Center.

Small Grip Gear (not currently available from the CAMD Media Center) like Gorillapods and other gear can be handy for attaching small panels to other objects

Expendables (not available from the CAMD Media Center;, you are expected to purchase your own expendable items if you need them).

Foam core (use as a bounce card)

Silver card (use to create a cove light or use as reflector)

Gaffers tape has many uses including attaching small panel lights, taping down AC adapter cables and extension cords (avoid use of duct tape due to residue issues). Hundreds of uses. 

Black paper tape has many uses including attaching gels to lighting instruments that do not get hot.

Gel kits for matching the color of sources or creative effects

And more…

CAMD Media Studios has a variety of lighting and grip gear available for use in the Green Screen Studio and TV Studio including lights stands, lighting units, C-Stands, flags, nets, reflections, consult with Shillman Media Studio Staff for more information).

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