Anyone try the new Arri LED Fresnels yet?

[Isabelle Landers]

I have been reading about the new Arri L-Series LED Fresnel lights at http://www.screenlightandgrip.com/html/emailnewsletter_generators.html#anchorHigh Output AC LEDs. Has anyone had the opportunity to try them yet? If so, are they everything they are cracked up to be in the demo video?

Isabelle Landers, Gaffer, Nashua, NH

 

[Guy Bryan Holt]

Has anyone had the opportunity to try them yet? If so, are they everything they are cracked up to be in the demo video?

I haven’t seen the actual fixture yet (all the prototypes are in Europe and we won’t see them till NAB), but I had the opportunity to speak to Ryan Fletcher, the LED Project Manager for Arri, this last Friday and was able to glean new information from him since my last posts.

When I asked Ryan Fletcher how they achieved the excellent field homogeneity and Fresnel quality light demonstrated in the IBC 2010 show video and evident in the pictures I have posted here, he demurred that, for obvious reasons, he could not divulge that information until the official product release at NAB 2011. But, as you can see from the pictures below, that compare the output of the L-Series Fresnels to the Arri ST-1 Quartz Fresnels, Arri is the first manufacturer to come up with a true LED Fresnel.

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As you can see from the photos above, the L-Series Fresnels have clear and defined shadow rendering capability like that of the ST-1 Quartz Fresnels. And, the pictures below show that the L-Series Fresnel have a spot to flood range similar to that of the ST-1 Quartz Fresnels and excellent field homogeneity in both flood to spot.

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And, just like the ST-1 Quartz Fresnels (pictured below), the beam of the L-Series Fresnel (pictured above) is easily controlled with barndoors - enabling the light to be precisely cut to set pieces and talent (see far right photos above & below.)

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And, given the discernable amount of light the L-Series Fresnel prototypes throw in the show demonstration video, on what appears to be a 6x6 Ultrabounce rigged 20’ overhead, and under the high ambient light levels of the show hall, seems to suggest that L-Series Fresnels have more than enough output to waste some to diffusion and color gel if one so desires (use this link to see the IBC 2010 demonstration video of the new Arri L-Series LED Fresnels.)

I also learned that Arri is using color blending with a multi-emitter LED engine to overcome the generally poor color rendering capabilities of LED fixtures (use this link to see how poor the color rendering capacity of LED fixtures has been.) In our conversation Ryan Fletcher confirmed that they will achieve full spectrum 3200 and 5500 Kelvin color output with CRIs in the 90s. There is no reason to doubt that they can’t do it; after all Gekko has made great strides in that direction with their color tuneable ”Kleer Colour” multi-emitter LED light engine.

As far as power quality issues using LEDs on portable generators, Ryan says they are acutely aware of the benefits to be derived from Power Factor Correction when it comes to operating LEDs on portable power generators (use this link for more details.) Since the first LED Fresnel they will release will be a 200W lamphead (with the output of a 1000W Fresnel) it will most likely have to incorporate Power Factor Correction to meet EU guidelines. Litepanels has been able to use less expensive power supplies because their lampheads (including the Sola 6 “Fresnel”) are 75W or less and so are exempted from this requirement under EU guidelines. The technology is out there, it's just a matter of finally bringing it all together in one fixture. To my mind, the Arri L-Series Fresnel may be that fixture.

Given the output demonstrated in the video, the clear and defined shadow rendering and excellent field homogeneity evident in the pictures above, if Arri does in fact deliver on their promise of broad spectral output, so that skin tones, costumes and scenery will appear vivid and lifelike, they will have engineered the first true production LED Fresnel light. And, since their 200W LED Fresnel will use 80% less power than their comparable ST-1 Quartz Fresnel fixture, the 200W L-Series Fresnel will be a real game changer when it is released this summer. For one thing, they will take what can be done with a portable generator to a new level.

Imagine what you will be able to accomplish with a 200W LED Fresnel, that has the output of a 1000W Quartz Fresnel. With digital SLR camera systems that have a sensitivity of ASA 1000, in many situations you won’t need any more lights than can be operated on the enhanced 7500W output of a modified Honda EU6500is Gen-set, or on wall outlets (use this link for more details.)

Guy Holt, Gaffer, ScreenLight & Grip, Lightng & Grip Rental in Boston

In the interest of full disclosure I should mention that we sell and rent Arri products along with the products of most major manufacturers of lighting and grip, and Honda portable power generation equipment.

 

[Clint Lealos]

Guy, I 'm glad you are here on RedUser

 

[Ken Willinger]

Very interesting Guy. I look forward to seeing these lights at NAB.

 

[Peter Mosiman]

Excellent. Thanks for addressing the issue of Power usage in the L-series Fresnel fixtures. I have been curious about that ever since you wrote about the Sola-6 using SMPS in their fixtures (which I would assume would make the small Honda genny's cry).

Thanks for the information, and I look forward to your breakdowns as NAB arrives and these fixtures come out to the public.

Cheers!

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Just missed this thread and wanted to revive it, as KETCH ROSSi STUDIOS in Italy will be the first Studios to fully integrate the entire
illumination on LED Fixtures and Briese HMI/Flash Lighting.

I give my CUDOS to companies such as LED-Z, COOL LIGHTS and now ( Finally ) ARRI, if we don't leave for Italy first will look forward to see them in action at NAB.

We will have many of this new L-Series (no I am not talking about Canon Lenses he he) LED Fresnels in our lighting Arsenal