LED Studio Lights by Lupolux

Jul 20, 2012 | Continuous Lighting, Location, News, Studio | 34 comments

The new LED Fresnel spotlights from Lupo deliver unrivalled levels of power, quality, efficiency and control in a unique lightweight compact lamp housing.

Fresnel lenses have been at the heart of the best spotlights for decades. The dimpled surface on the back of the lens delivers a delicate soft edge. Other lens systems claim a more accurate beam pattern but none create the beauty of fresnels. Lensed lights are here to stay.

The Lupo LED lights have the same beautiful fresnel lenses with a flood/spot control and high quality build construction as the Lupo HMI family of Fresnel spotlights. The daylight balanced (5600°K) light produced is from an array of power LEDs. The LEDs have instant restrike capability and are fully dimmable from 0-100%. The high colour rendering index of this latest generation of LEDs makes them perfect for photographers and videographers alike.

“These Lupo LED luminaires perform extremely well. Their TLCI* scores run from 92 right up to 98, and 98’s the best score I’ve seen from any LED source.” Alan Roberts, January 2015

Both the new Lupo DayLED fresnel spotlights side by side. The 1000 on the left is ⅔ of a stop more powerful than the very capable LED 650 on the right.

These LED spotlights are DMX (remote) controllable making them the ideal choice for video and theatre productions. They are silent and flicker free up to and above 12,000 frames per second. You will also never have to think about changing the bulbs as the LEDs have an expected life span of more than 50,000 hrs. This makes these lights much more cost-effective than other continuous lighting options.

The difference in case size of the two luminaries is small but significant. The cases of Lupo Fresnel spotlights are made from a carbon fibre reinforced polymer giving them super strength and lightness.

Due to their very low power consumption LED lamps are much more suited to run on battery power making them a great choice for wedding, portrait or commercial photographers.

The soft edged spot of light is from the DayLED 1000 on the left. Both lamps have a standard 16mm socket to attach to lighting stands or rigs. They will fit on all lighting stands with a universal 16mm spigot including those from Bowens, Elinchrom, Calumet, Manfrotto, Lastolite, Arri, Matthews and Lowel.

The Lupo LED 1000 spotlight comes with barn doors as standard. The doors have clips to allow gels or diffusion material to be easily attached. The barn doors can be used to shape the light or to flag unwanted spill light from areas of a scene. The lamps run cool, very cool. You can’t cook sausages on these lamp housings like you can with the tungsten equivalents.

The Lupo fresnel 1000 lens is 150mm diameter and the 650 lens is 120mm but the beam pattern is similar due to the increased LED size in the 1000 lamp. The 1000 lamp has a 90W LED and the 650 lamp has a 50w LED. The notation 1000 and 650 refers to the equivalent tungsten lamp for the same light output. Bear in mind these lamps are 5600k (daylight balanced).

This shot shows the layout of the rear of the DayLED 1000 lamp. As of August 2015 the lamp housings have been further improved but the layout remains the same. The lens has been set to partial flood mode showing a fine gradient from the lit to unlit area on my studio wall. The colour rendering index of the LED spotlights is superb. This latest generation of LEDs completely redefines the quality of light available from such devices.

The DayLED 1000 above has the same 50,000 hours run time as the Lupo LED 650. In essence that means this is a lamp for life. With no fragile bubbles or tungsten filaments this new rugged dependable technology is the future and it’s here right now.

There are three buttons on the digital control box. DMX/ Manual control switch, plus Power increase and power decrease buttons. This lamp is set at 12% and the colour temperature remains constant throughout the full range of dimming.

On the back of the 1000 lamp there is a convenient carrying handle. Below the handle from left to right there is the 14.8v DC input via a 4 pin XLR then there is a DMX control in socket via a 5 pin XLR and a DMX loop out via XLR. Below that is the mechanical Flood / Spot control knob. This drives the LED forwards and back inside the housing. All Lupo lamps are available from stock with optional pole operated yokes.

The Lupo LED 650 is a fabulous light. Smaller than its big brother the 1000 and still packing a punch. It is the perfect carry everywhere lamp.

On the back of the Lupolux DayLED 650 there are the same sockets and controls as the 1000 but in a slightly different arrangement. This lamp is a perfect lamp for video makers and photographers alike with its silent running and battery power options.

This portrait of Henri was lit with a Lupo LED 1000 as her key light and a Lupo LED 650 as the backlight. I used a Lupo 1000 through a gobo to light the grey paper background.

The LED continuous lighting solutions from Lupo are available for delivery right now. We ship them straight from the factory in Italy fitted with a UK plug and supplied with barn doors ready to go. Just plug and play. These lights would be great to light exhibition stands too and I expect some owners will rig them in their homes as ornaments. Because they not only look great they are fully dimmable, maintain a constant colour temperature and deliver beautiful light. Put some Hollywood glamour into your shoots with the LED fressies from Lupolux.

Please feel free to ask questions, request a demo or comment on how you would use these amazing new lights from Lupo. Contact the team at LovegroveShop.com on 01275 853204 today.

34 Comments

  1. Richard Goring

    I’m happy to say I’ve finally used them and very impressed I am too.
    Very simple to use and portable.
    This is my first attempt at Hollywood lighting and the Lupo’s made it very easy.
    I’d appreciate a bit of input on this Damien and see if there’s any ways I could improve next time.
    Thanks.
    http://purpleport.com/portfolio/holmax/image/3045321/photographer/?referrer=holmax

    Reply
    • Damien

      Hi Richard,

      Your shots look fab and I’m glad you are finding the Lupos a joy to use. Stay inspired and have fun.

      Kindest regards,

      Damien.

      Reply
  2. Richard Goring

    Hi Damien,
    I’m thinking of getting either a pair of lupolux 2000 dual colour and a 650 for using as a background light.
    Or the 1000 dual colour (2 of) and a 650.
    I enjoy doing portraiture but also shoot boudoir around my large home.
    What sort of f-stop can I expect at say 1/60 sec from 4-6 feet away with each version of light?
    Also, is there any way to use my elinchrom modifiers such as softboxes etc on them.
    Thanks,
    Richard.

    Reply
    • Damien

      Hi Richard,

      I’m on location this week in NYC so please excuse my delay in replying. The 2000 is not ideal for you because it is big and is not available in dual colour. A pair of Lupo 1000 lights is fine in dual colour and a Lupo 650 dual colour too if you wish but I would use just the pair of 1000s. You can always dim a 1000 to give the light of a 650 but not the other way round.

      I always shoot with fast primes wide open to give that certain look. I also never have my light 4ft from my subject but with a light to subject distance of let’s say 10ft and a Scattergel you can probably get ISO 200, 1/250th f/1.4 or if you use zooms with OIS ISO 200, 1/60th at f/4.

      You can get a softbox for the Lupo 1000 but you can’t hang an Elinchrom fitting on the lamp and to be fair there would be no point.

      I hope this helps,

      Damien

      Reply
      • Richard Goring

        Thanks for the info Damien, they sound like they would be just the job as I only ever use primes, which is a bit ridiculous really as I’m in a wheelchair, so if zooms would suit anyone it would be me, lol.
        Do you have the 1000 dual colour in stock?
        If not, what’s the sort of waiting time for them?
        I’m not after the kits as I have plenty of light stands etc. Just looking for a pair of the lights and some of your patterned gels.
        Also, do you do a remote for them similar to the latest elinchrom one so you can alter the brightness on them without having to keep moving from the camera?

        Reply
        • Damien

          Hi Richard,

          Sorry for my delay in replying. I’ve been shooting on location in New York. Yes we keep stock of the 1000 dual colour and it is available for immediate dispatch. Here is the product page. We have shipments every few weeks so the stock level is replenished often.

          In practice there is no need for a remote as unlike with the Elinchrom you can see the light output in real time. What you see is what you get. You can just trim your exposure in camera. When using two lights you typically set the level of the main light to full and trim the second to taste. With flash you need to take a picture first before making adjustments etc. All Lupos do come with remote dimmer modules called DMX but need to be cabled to a remote fader. This gets used in TV studios, theatres etc.

          I hope this helps.

          Kindest regards,

          Damien.

          Reply
          • Richard Goring

            Thanks Damien,
            I went and bought three last week, 2×1000 1×650 dual colour.
            Very impressed with the service, I got them the very next day along with some scatter gels and a black pro 1/4 mist filter. Blimey, those filters ain’t cheap!
            Might have to have Carla Monaco back to my place soon and try some Holywood lighting style stuff. I read your guide how to do it in amateur photographer magazine and it was well written and easy to follow.
            As for the lights themselves…
            Wow! Very impressed with them. Loving the fresnel lens and the ability to change the colour temperature on them.
            Yet to do a shoot with them as I’ve a big editing job on at the moment but can’t wait to give them a whirl :)
            Just one quick question.
            I have a godox lp800x 240v portable power pack that I use for my elinchroms.
            Do you know if the lupo’s will work with it, and if so, how much run time can I roughly expect out of say one of the 1000 units running on full power?
            Thanks Damien and thanks for the great service and answering my questions.

          • Damien

            Thank you Richard,

            Working with crisp, pure hard light is wonderful. You will have no problem powering your Lupos from the Godox but I suggest just two lights at a time. Plug them in and time how long they last. I’d be interested to know your findings. My guess is two lights, a 1000 and a 650 on full power for 1 hour. Let me know how close I am ;)

            Kindest regards,

            Damien.

  3. Clive Jeffery

    Hi Damien
    I’ve started using a Lupolux Dayled 1000 for still photography combined with a LightPro DN-600SC. The Lupolux is about 3 years old but as had next to no use. Both lights are daylight balanced but there is a distinct Yellow cast from the Lupolux when I use the lights together. When I do an in camera white card color balance using a Nikon D800 I get a good match with the LightPro but the camera can’t balance the lupolux. You would except when you white balance 2 lights independently of each other the results should be similar however the lupolux has a yellow/green cast. If I just use the Lupolux I can correct the color balance in Light Room but I can’t use the 2 lights together short of measuring the color difference and filtering the Lupolux. A bit of a pain. I’m wondering if you have any insights to offer.
    Regards Clive

    Reply
    • Damien

      Hi Clive,

      The situation you describe is quite normal. That’s why it is good to get lights as a kit at the same time so that they all match. LEDs don’t deteriorate with time so the ones you have will stay their respective colours for life. There are about 1 or 2 LED upgrades per year for the light manufacturers as LED quality continues it’s fast paced development. The LEDs come from the far East and continual improvements are being made. The Lupo 1000 in stock today uses completely different LEDs and has different specs as a result. Matching different Luminaires usually involves a colour gel like a 1/8th CTB or a 1/8th minus green etc. These cost very little and are a good way of matching different makes of light.

      I hope this helps. Kindest regards,

      Damien.

      Reply
  4. Alice

    Hi Damien,

    Thank you for this article. Could you kindly recommend or suggest diffusers to use on a lupo dayled 1000? This is because apart from being able to simulate sunlight, it would be great to soften the shadows every now and then, or even try to simulate a cloudier day.

    Regards,
    Alice

    Reply
    • Damien

      Hi Alice,

      I use Lee or Rosco frost gel available in sheet form online, on ebay etc. You can then cut it down to size. I suggest you get a pack of three strengths. 253 and 404 are good starting points. Companies like these sell gel: https://www.stagedepot.co.uk/lighting/lighting-gel

      I hope this helps,

      Damien.

      Reply
  5. Violeta Brown

    Hi Damien,
    My name is Violeta Brown.first of all I’m apologize for my English my native language is Russian .Thank you very much for sharing your talent and knowledge with public I love your work especially a boudoir pictures they are amasing.
    I’m starting boudoir photography business now in process of building a studio there is going to be a large window and french glass door. Would you tell me please which light is be better to use Lupolux DayLED or Lupolux HMI, and what the difference between them
    Thank you .
    Violeta

    Reply
    • Damien

      Hi Violeta,

      Sorry for my delay in replying. Thank you for your kind words and your English is fine :) The HMI 800 is my personal favourite light. The quality of light is wonderful and the shadows it can create are very clean. The downside is that you have to wait a few minutes for it to cool down after switching it off before you can switch it on again. The LED 650 is a slightly smaller light with all the convenience of LED. It can run on battery, has a dimmer and is near instant start. The LED 1000 is bigger again. As big as the 800 but a fraction heavier. You choose. I’ve said what my favourite is ;) I can send you any of the lights

      I hope this helps,

      Damien.

      Reply
  6. Randall Smith

    Good morning.

    My name is Randall Smith and I’m the Production Manager at KVOA News 4 in Tucson, Arizona.

    We are looking to replace our traditional halogen back lights with LED fixtures.

    I would appreciate it if one of your representatives would contact me regarding putting together a package of 1K and 2K equivalent LED fixtures.

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Damien

      Hi Randall,

      One of my team will be in contact with you on Monday. Our Lupolux LED fixtures have Fresnel lenses and are direct replacements for Arri, Desisti or Mole 650w and 1kw units. They are available in 3200k or 5600k models and have full DMX control. They are flicker free up to 11,000 FPS and are used by broadcasters everywhere where energy saving and maintenance free systems are needed. A 2k model may well be with us soon. Here is a link with more information: http://www.lovegroveconsulting.com/shop_by_brand/lupolux/lupolux_led_lighting_for_video.aspx

      Kind regards,

      Damien.

      Reply
  7. Phill Adams

    Hi Damien, thank you for your reply back in July about event lighting. These babies are sorely tempting me!

    I had one other question. Are these the units of choice for the majority of your portrait work or are there other units that you can recommend? The reason I ask because many photographers, here in cyprus at least, still use Flash units of the bowens kind. These of course have the benefit of modelling lights and the ability to use a range of diffusers and dishes to model the the light. If I need this kind of ability should I plumb for this kind of lighting or do the Fresnels offer a way of achieving the same adabtability? Portraits are new territory to me and I would like to start out with kit that is appropriate for my skill level but also advanced enough to see me through the next stage of my skills development and creativity.

    One last question, if I may, the batteries that these may run from are hefty things or are they of a portable nature like the Quadra batteries?

    If this is too general a question to ask here I apologise but any opinion would be useful to me! My email is philladams@shoot studio.com if you prefer to answer by this way.

    Many thanks

    Reply
    • damien

      Hi Phill,

      Good questions. Flash and Fresnels are different animals. Flash freezes action and give high f numbers. Fresnel spot lights give 1/125th and low f numbers f/4 typically. It is a case of using the right light for the right job. For environmental portraiture inside during daylight hours the LED or HMI Lupolux lights are perfect. In the studio or outside locations the Flash type lights are better for most applications.

      Our new inverters are super portable like the Quadra packs you mention and we have them in stock.

      Kindest regards,

      Damien.

      Reply
  8. Bob

    Nice lights but wow are they expensive for continuous lights
    I think I will stick with my Elinchroms.
    There is always something new on the market these days and photography kit never stays the same but having spent a small fortune in recent years it is time to stop now and get the best from my investments.

    I have enjoyed the blog in recent times but I am beginning to feel you are using it market new kit a little too much these days

    Sorry Damien

    Reply
    • damien

      Hi Bob,

      You don’t need to apologise. Our circumstances are always changing, mine especially. I’m just finishing off a 30,000 word ebook on building a first class wedding photography business and I have had less time to write for the blog as a result.

      It’s interesting to see the readership figures of Prophotonut and how they are affected by the type of posts. Posts containing a set of images get the most initil hits, sometimes as many as 50,000 while posts containing pillar articles of over 2000 words get constant daily readers because of SEO etc. Then there are posts about kit, these get an entirely different audience again.

      I’ve posted about the Lupolux lights because I am the UK distributor for them and it seems only right that I should introduce them to my blog audience. I use the Lupolux lights for about half my work and the Elinchroms for the rest. So those readers wishing to recreate the kinds of lighting styles that I’m shooting will have an interest in seeing how the lights work.

      I agree that you should be getting the most from the kit you have. A part of my role as an educator and trainer is to realise the potential of innovation and the new products available to image makers. I will always strive to be creative and utilise the tools at our disposal. I do hope you stick around because when my ebook is finished in a couple of weeks or so I’ll be posing new pictures and features.

      Kindest regards,

      Damien :)

      Reply
  9. damien

    Hi Phill,

    Yes these lamps have just what you need with an even illumination of about 50 degrees in full flood. Keep the barn doors in a horizontal letterbox mode and you will have the perfect light with a beautiful pool on the baptism party. It will be like a ray of gentle sunlight striking through the chancel window. The 1000 is the best light for you as you can dim it right down as required but on full power gives you quite a bit more throw.

    I hope this helps. Damien.

    Reply
  10. damien

    Thanks for your order Marc :)

    Reply
  11. Marc

    Hi Damien,

    thanks alot for your reply. So I’m gonna order in a couple of minutes. More lights to follow in case I am happy with it :)

    Cheers,
    Marc

    Reply
  12. Phill Adams

    I’m just thinking at the moment of a versatile solution for both studio and event photography and these seem like a wonderful solution. In Cyprus it’s common for the videographers here to light a baptism or a wedding with floods of light(‘Horror!’); if I can provide a daylight solution in place of their stone-age tungsten then perhaps i might get some good rendering on my images! Can you tell me the coverage of these in flood-mode, are they suitable for this kind of use Damien?

    Reply
  13. Marc

    Excellent stuff! Do you also offer them with mainland EU Plug as used for Exempel in Germany?

    Reply
    • damien

      Hi Marc,

      Yes we do we supply them with the plug of your choice. All non UK orders are supplied with the plug of choice just request the type you want in the notes box at the checkout. The lamps will ship directly to you from Italy with the correct plug fitted.

      Kind regards,

      Damien.

      Reply
      • Graham

        Damien, are the Lipo’s available in the USA ?

        Reply
        • Damien

          Hi Graham,

          We can ship Lupos to the USA with USA plug ready to go. The LED Fresnels are auto voltage sensing and are fully compatible with all global regions. We accept USD $ too. Just select that currency from the drop down menu. The link you need is here: http://lovegroveshop.com/product-category/lupo/ just select the products you are interested in. Drop my office an email laura(at)lovegroveshop.com to get an accurate shipping quote. We will not charge you UK sales tax (VAT). I hope this helps,

          Kindest regards, Damien.

          Reply
  14. Martin

    Look great! Does 1000w tungsten equivalent mean unfiltered ie same exposure as a 1k arri or 1000w tungsten with a ctb ie one stop less?

    Reply
    • damien

      Hi Martin, yes unfiltered equivelent. Just as a light meter would measure. If you had a 650w Arri alongside a DayLED 650 and shot on monochrome the light output would seem the same. Lee 201 Full CTB has a 1.7 stop light absorbsion so an equivelent geled tungsten lamp would have to be a 2k or more.

      Reply
  15. Howard Lucas

    That’s some forward thinking right there….well done Mr Lupo

    Reply
    • damien

      Indeed Howard, Innovation is the currency of survival in a recession and Lupolux are excellent innovators.

      Reply

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