By associate editor Elliot Smith:
Litepanels have announced a robust new on-camera light. Called the Brick, it offers up to four times the output of their previous Miniplus model (100W equivalent with a power draw of 16.5W) and a design that’s IP65 water and dust resistant.
It’s a bi-colour fixture with a built-in P-tap connector, and can accept either AC or DC power. When bought as part of a kit it comes with a Manfrotto articulating arm, honeycomb and diffusion filters, mains power adapter and a hard case.
Litepanels describe it as a ‘high CRI and TLCI’ fixture and claim colour balance won’t change with dimming.
It’s a crowded marketplace for on-camera lights at the moment as our technical editor Matt Allard’s recent roundup showed, but the Brick looks like a worthwhile upgrade to the Miniplus. It could certainly be a good option if your camera’s battery has an integrated P-tap socket.
Litepanels will be showing the new light at this year’s IBC expo, and Newsshooter will be there to get a closer look. It has a recommended retail price of $399 US and you can find out more on the Litepanels website.
This from Litepanels:
CHATSWORTH, Calif. (September 1, 2015) – Litepanels, a Vitec Group brand and premier provider of LED lighting for the broadcast and production industries, is excited to announce the launch of their new Brick and Brick One Light Kit. Now more robust, the Brick Bi-Color provides the perfect on-camera solution for on-the-go ENG cameramen, especially for those in wet conditions.
Building on the legacy of the revolutionary MiniPlus, the new Brick Bi-Color’s high CRI and TLCI surface mount LEDs with custom-designed optics provide superior color reproduction that delivers accurate color temperature adjustability. These tightly binned LEDs also produce a light output that is up to four times brighter than the original MiniPlus, resulting in a longer throw that effectively allows the Brick to illuminate a larger area. By having a comparable luminance output of 100W, it offers up to 1060 LUX (98 Footcandles) at 5ft (1.5M) while only drawing 16.5W.
The Brick can also adapt to any situation by providing both daylight and tungsten lighting. And with its ultra-smooth dimming from 0-100%, it is not only flicker free at any frame rate or shutter angle, but the Brick also has no noticeable color shift throughout its entire range.
Alan Ipakchian, product marketing manager for Litepanels, commented on the advancements behind Brick, “Incorporating the Brick with the latest in LED technology led to extremely positive preliminary feedback. Just like the MiniPlus, the Brick is designed to be a versatile on-camera LED, so I am eager to see what creative uses cameramen find for this product.”
With an IP 65 rating, the Litepanels Brick offers an innovative passive cooling system and a dust tight design with water protection, providing excellent durability in harsh weather. For ultimate convenience, Litepanels has also included a 3ft (0.9m) Power Tap cable to connect the Brick to cameras that support D-Tap connections.
The Brick One Light Kit consists of a half white diffusion gel, a Manfrotto 244 Micro articulating arm, a 6ft (1.8 m) international power supply, a 60° Honeycomb frame, a soft diffusion frame, and a waterproof hard case with custom foam for safe transportation. Optional accessories for the Brick include an Anton/Bauer QRG-LG plate and an Anton/Bauer Power Tap extension.
The Brick Bi-Color and Brick One Light Kit is available at the end of October and will be on display with other Litepanels LED lighting products at IBC, booth 11.E55.
