I may have seemed a bit quiet over the past few weeks. but believe me I have been flat out developing new product lines and preparing for our biggest Focus show ever. One of these product lines is the definitive collection of continuous lighting equipment.
The Lowel id-light out on location
Why work with continuous light? Well, all pro DSLRs seem to have HD video shooting capabilities these days and they are being used in many ways. From the basic shooting of promo clips for blogs right up to the production of hybrid wedding multimedia products. When it comes to shooting video alongside stills continuous light is a must.
Another reason we like continuous light is ease of use. What you see is what you get. There are no complicated exposure calculations or ratios to dial in. It’s just a case of switch on, point it in the right direction and shoot. If it looks good, it is good.
Mains versus battery: Where mains power is available and you have time to set up lights on stands nothing quite beats the Arri Fresnel range of lights. They are compact, powerful, well made and very good value for money. The light they produce is legendary. But when you need continuous light on the street or hand held in fast moving shooting environments battery lights are the way to go. There are several ‘video light’ solutions on the market. 100w is a must for most stills work ,so that rules out most on camera lights. In the 100w market there are three main players: Sachtler, Dedolight and Lowel. The Sachtler 100h and Dedolights are larger, less compact units and it is for this reason we started the Lovegrove collection with the Lowel id-light. Dedolights will be next because their unique lens system produces a pure beam of light like no other. Dedolights can be mains or battery powered too.
The Lovegrove kit includes the id-light with an XLR plug system, a set of barn doors, an extension lead, a 10Ah battery pack, a Ctek charger with XLR output lead, and a telescopic ultra light handle.
Lowel id-light: The Lovegrove Lowel id-light kit is finally here. We had to work hard to put together the right package and now we believe we have the ultimate combination to offer photographers and videographers alike. I had my first Lowel light while I was at the BBC many years ago and I am delighted to say in film and television circles it is still a market leading light today. Compact, lightweight, and powerful, the 100w id-light is a perfect unit for continuous lighting where no mains power can be guaranteed.
The Lowel lens is slightly frosted and the barn doors have quite a complicated 8 blade system.
Plug type: Some suppliers couple the id-light with a car accessory cigarette lighter style plug. We have found this to be unreliable and not up to the job. So fo the Lovegrove kit we have opted for a 4 pin XLR system that is standard across the TV and film industry. Upon request we can supply cigarette lighter style connectors to those photographers with legacy systems.
Lead length: The id light comes with a short power lead that is the perfect length when used hand held with a shoulder mounted battery but as soon as the light is used on a stand an extension lead is needed. We supply a 2m XLR extension that will allow the battery to sit at floor level and the lamp to be at the top of a regular lighting stand at just over 3m up.
Battery: I’ve always used a Lowel light in the past with a compact 7Ah battery pack. This has lasted about 30 minutes at best with the 100w bulb. I found this not quite enough and the constant high current drain meant the battery got quite hot at times. I recommend 7Ah for use with a 50w light. For the 100w Lowel we decided to go for a small increase in the battery size to give a greater capacity. At 10Ah you can expect your Lowel id-light to last for just over 40 minutes. Long enough for a wedding ceremony for instance. For a Church ceremony it will light a bride and groom right up until they go off to sign the register. That is the time to switch it off, then your assistant or second shooter can pack it away while you do the signing pictures.
With a good charger, an SLA battery should last about 5 years. At this point you can replace the cells yourself in a Lovegrove supplied pack without resorting to soldering as we use push type Lucar connectors to make our connections. A Lovegrove battery pack also has a user replaceable fuse rated a 10A to protect the cells and leads.
Battery Charging: This has always been a hit and miss affair with SLAs (Sealed Lead Acid batteries). The cheapest chargers pump in power and never stop, so you have to switch them off after a set number of hours or suffer a knackered battery. The next grade of charger uses a switch mode power supply to deliver a three step system. These chargers are far better than the basic ones but on float charge they often fail to maintain the battery at the right voltage level. The charger system we opted for was one from Swedish manufacturer Ctek. Our Ctek charger is slower than most but is brilliant at looking after the battery. Expect an overnight charge to bring the battery back to a fully charged state. Ctek have their own patented inline connector system so one charger can do many applications. We can supply additional output leads for legacy systems and Broncolor Mobil packs.
Virtually every car made since 1967 is negative earth and is equipped with a really good, well regulated lead acid battery charging circuit. So to make use of this we have produced a range of in-car charger leads that can be used whilst driving to and from a shoot.
Top tip: Never let an SLA battery go completely flat as it may well never recover from the deep discharge state. The Ctek charger has a really effective anti Sulphation pulse that can revive batteries that other chargers can’t. but even the Ctek charger has it’s limits, so when you see the Lowel light go dim switch it off and charge the battery as soon as you can.
Bulbs: The Lowel id-light cleverly uses automotive bulbs of 100w that last for ages. They are made to take the knocks and bumps of vehicle use and are available from any car accessory shop.
On the down side: Lowel kit is rugged and will last for many years however the id light has a floating circuit board with the dimmer switch attached and a bit of movement can be expected in operation. This in no way affects the light or its use and is just one of those things.
Have your say: Have you been using a Lowel id-light? If so how have you found it? Feel free to comment below.
Hi Damien, I’ve owned a Lowel id for a couple of years now, and cram it all into an old Lowepro camera bag.
Can you suggest a better bag or case that would accomodate all the Lowell id equipment, and a supplier of a battery case.
Thank you.
Hi Randell,
I’m not sure what battery, lead and handle combination you have. The one we supply here has it’s own battery bag that we have custom made. It is a Li-Ion battery, super lightweight and lasts for 4 hours not the 40 minutes of the big old Lead-Gel batteries some companies supply. I suggest a simple camera bag from Ebay. Pop your kit in an old box, cut it down to size and tape it up. Measure the internal dimensions needed then buy a bag that is big enough. I hope this helps. Damien.
Where can I buy the complete set of lowel id light like you have post……… The Lovegrove kit includes the id-light with an XLR plug system, a set of barn doors, an extension lead, a 10Ah battery pack, a Ctek charger with XLR output lead, and a telescopic ultra light handle.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Best regards
King Phan
Malaysia.
Hi King Phan,
Our Lowel iD lighting kit has now been updated to the Lithium ion battery pack model shown here. Unfortunately we cant send these abroad due to the new restrictions on flying Lithium batteries.
Lowel in the US might be able to point you in the direction of an Asian supplier. I’m sure one of the Singapore stores can help you.
Kind regards,
Damien.
Hi Damien, are these Lowells usable as a main light on their own for portrait/boudoir? or do you recommend a little more power?
Also will they be at Focus, as I’m interested in picking one up!
Pete
Hi Peter,
I reccomend a little more power. Anything is possable but it depends what ISO you want to be working at etc. Boudoir by candle light is fabulous but limiting. I use a Lupo 800. A Lupo 400 would be perfect too. I just don’t have my 400 yet ;) Kind regards, Damien.
I’m aware that this light does give off heat and shouldn’t be covered, but do you ever use this with a light modifier, such as a shoot through umbrella, to increase the overall size of the light source and generally diffuse?. Or have you not found that necessary?.
Hi Simon,
I like to keep the Lowel as a hard light. You can clip a frost gel to the barn doors or attach it to an umbrella as you describe with this simple bracket. I hope this helps,
Damien.
Got it, love it! never really use it as the main light but use it a hell of a lot as a kick light or accent light in the background.
Its a beautiful little tool that I am glad I bought.
Quick question – if you are shooting with a long lens do you tend to go for a faster shutter speed in the scenarios you talk about in this post ? (ref. 60th, f4, ISO 800)
Thanks
Clare
Wonderful product your offeing. I’ve used on for the ring shots with a macro lens and live view and it works great
Excellent stuff. Cheers, Tobiah.
yes I have brought a similar light a R-3 it has all the above but a smaller battery , more like for use with a camcorder, brought so i could take it abroad with me, have used it and and happy with it, but would like to know what setting you can use the lowel lite , I am debating to buy this, just the battery puts me off as i work on my own and being small , my camera bag alone weighs me down without a added wieght, please advise, in what strenght this is and what distance i can use it please
Hi Wendy,
The Lowel is 100w, We can supply it with a 7Ah battery in a shoulder pack that is just 2550g. The exposure is always set by the ambient light level you are working in usually ISO800, 1/60th at f/4 or something like that. The light is then rigged on a stand or held by an assistant between 2m and 4m from the subject to be illuminated. The flood and spot control and the barn doors are used to shape and control the light. The dimmer is used if the shoot location is a little darker, like a dimly lit restaurant etc.
I hope this helps. Damien.
the secret is out, now everyone will have one….they do have limitations though.
Love my Lowel id Light and Bescor battery!
Hi Fergus,
Just the sort of question we should all be asking. I’m currently reviewing an exciting new panel light from a company called Brightcast.
Having disregarded one of their units as unsuitable for stills photography (perfect for colour washes on stage etc) I’ve been drawn to another with a fantastic feature set: the LR432-345 is a 15 degree spot light with variable colour temperature. This is also available in 60 degree flood.
There are two sets of LEDs in the one lamp. one with a correlated colour temperature of 3200k and the other with a correlated colour temperature of 5600k. The great thing is the colour temperature is completely variable between the two sets of LEDs by means of a cross fader. There is also a dimmer and the unit runs off 12v or mains.
I have the spot version on trial and I can say that the beam in 3200k setting is similar to a Lowel 100w lamp in full spot. The light level and beam pattern are nearly identical.
At the 5600k setting the light panel is as powerful as my 300w Arri with a Lee 401 full CTB gel. Very impressive indeed especially as it will run for several hours when powered by our 10Ah battery pack.
So what are the pros and cons:
Pros:
1. Low voltage, low wattage take anywhere
2. Cool running
3. No spare bulbs needed
4. Variable colour temperature
Cons:
1. Expensive at £1400+ per light
2. Delicate, needs its own custom case
3. Not perfect spectral response
I have yet to put the light through its paces but I will have it on our stand at Focus for you all to see. Just come and ask for a demonstration. You won’t find this light anywhere else, it’s a Lovegrove exclusive (for now).
Cheers, Damien.
How do these compare to the range of multi LED lights that seem to be proliferating?
Hi Damien,
I have been using this bad boy for the last 2 years ever since seeing Jerry Ghionis in action..i have the push in connecter a spare bulb and a spare battery i leave in
the car…i do like the idea of your telescopic handle great
for added height…great marketing just in time for Focus
Hi Phil,
As you know the light fall off is inverse square law governed. So if you double the distance between the light and the subject you get just one quarter of the light. Having said that it is nearly always at 1/60th second, ISO 800 and @ f/4 that is used with this light. It is most common to have to expose for the ambient then add the light from thew Lowel to taste. There are 4 ways to control the light quantity from the Lowel:
1. The built in dimmer
2. The flood and spot control
3. The barn doors
4. Move the light nearer or further from the subject.
I hope this helps.
Damien.
Damien
Approx what exposure are you getting using this light, with reference to ISO, shutter and aperture
Thanks Phil
I have championed the lowel id light for sevral years now. I’ve found it invaluable for candlelit wedding ceremonies, first dances, urban portrait shoots, twilight street fashion shoots and of course my cherish the dress shoots. Its also brilliant for adding a backlight or kick light to portraits. Because of its portability you can hide it in your shots to produce fab images. One of our best selling shots was a couple in passionate embrace in front of a grand piano in a victorian hall. We hid the lowel under the piano so it lit the couple. The piano was in front of a huge stained glass window. Warm light from the lowel, cooler daylight thro the window. Winning shot set up in a couple of minutes. Shot taken within 30 secs. iso 800 60th @ f4.
Look at our chrish the dress website and the novembr december weddings on our 2009 blog to see just how great the lowel can be. Well worth having it as part of your kit.
Claire will be on Damiens stand at focus, ask her about the lowel, as it is Claire that operates it on all our shoots.
Hope this isn’t to rambling and is useful feedback.
Cheers, Chris.
The Lowell id light has been with me for nearly five years and it us still going strong! Even working alone this light has been easy to use and your battery idea will help to keep it very portable. Great kit spec – it should be a winner. Will you be showing this off at Focus?
Hi Ian, Thanks for your valuable feedback. Yes, I will have our Lowel kit at Focus. Do come and say hello.
Regards, Damien.