Creamsource showed the C3 publicly for the first time at IBC 2026: a 3000W full-color LED Fresnel and the first new fixture line since the Vortex. It’s still a preliminary unit, not a finished production fixture, but Creamsource had it running on the show floor. We talked to Creamsource’s Jim Amorosino, the Technical Director for the Americas at Creamsource about the design.
What it is
C3 is built to give the beam control, roll-off, and shadow quality of a traditional tungsten Fresnel, using a full-color LED source. Rather than moving the lens away from a fixed source (how most LED Fresnels handle zoom), C3 keeps its square Fresnel lens fixed and moves the light engine behind it instead, from an 18-degree spot to a 60-degree flood. Jim said this was a deliberate choice to feel familiar to anyone who has run a tungsten Fresnel, and the spot/flood adjustment is exposed as a DMX channel as well as a physical control on the back of the fixture, so it can be built into cues alongside dimming and color.
Featured Specifications
- Power: 3000W
- Light source: BCGLARD 7-color LED engine (Blue, Cyan, Green, Lime, Amber, Red, Deep Red)
- Color gamut: Over 92% of Rec.2020
- Beam angle: 18 degrees (spot) to 60 degrees (flood)
- Illuminance: 10,000 lux @10m (spot), 1,500 lux @10m (flood)
- Weight: 45kg / 99.2lb (head only, excluding yoke)
- Protection: IP65
- Warranty: 5 years
- Starting price: $18,800 USD (per Jim, not yet listed on Creamsource’s site)
Specifications
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Power | 3000W |
| Light source | BCGLARD (Blue, Cyan, Green, Lime, Amber, Red, Deep Red) |
| Color range | CCT 2200-15000K, +/- green, HSI, xy, gels, calibrated RGBW, effects |
| Color quality | CRI 98, TLCI 98, TM-30 Rf 96, TM-30 Rg 100 |
| Color gamut | Over 92% of Rec.2020 |
| Beam angle | Spot 18 degrees, flood 60 degrees |
| Illuminance | Spot 10,000 lux @10m, flood 1,500 lux @10m |
| Control | On-board interface, DMX (5-pin XLR), wired remote accessory, integrated LumenRadio TimoTwo with BLE, 2x etherCON, USB |
| High-speed capability | Flicker-free past 5,000fps |
| Sync | Camera shutter sync input |
| Protection class | IP65 |
| Head weight | 45kg / 99.2lb (excluding yoke) |
| Dimensions | 855 x 515 x 500mm / 33.66 x 20.28 x 19.69in |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Color engine and matching
C3 runs on Creamsource’s existing Color Management System (CCMS), the same factory calibration and color algorithm system used across Vortex and Micro, so a C3 can be matched to a room full of Vortex fixtures rather than treated as an odd one out. The new BCGLARD engine adds cyan and deep red to the RGBW-based system used in Vortex, which Jim said is roughly a 20% gamut increase over Vortex8.
Cooling
Jim said C3 uses liquid cooling, the same approach Creamsource used on Sky, the company’s fixture ahead of SpaceX, rather than the fan-based cooling on Vortex. Pushing 3000W through a compact housing needed it, and Jim said the goal is for C3 to hold the same output consistency in hot or cold conditions that Vortex owners already expect, backed by the same 5-year warranty as the rest of the line.
The cage and arrays
The square Fresnel lens is designed to minimize gaps between fixtures when several C3 units are arrayed together, unlike a circular lens. The integrated cage Creamsource showed at IBC is still a prototype, but the intent is for cages to interlock (Creamsource’s LNX system) so multiple C3 units can be rigged into a single array. Jim also said some rental houses and truck-based gaffers have already asked about mounting the fixture cage-first, skipping a case entirely.
What’s next
Jim confirmed this is a preliminary, pre-production unit. Between now and launch, Creamsource is targeting reductions in weight and cooling-system noise, informed by ongoing customer feedback. He also said the core technology developed for C3 is meant to scale, larger and smaller Fresnels are expected to follow in the same C-series line, positioned as the Fresnel-side counterpart to Vortex’s panel lineup.
Price & availability
Jim quoted a starting price of $18,800 USD for the fixture, with kit options to follow. Creamsource’s own site lists November 2026 as when ordering opens, with Jim’s on-camera target of Q2 2027 for actual delivery, so orders open well ahead of units shipping. Creamsource is positioning C3 primarily at high-end studios and rental houses given the price point, though Jim noted interest from independent gaffers as well.
