Interested in going light and portable? I have something for you! Rotolight RL48! Small, round and super light LED set. It is simply perfect for close-up work, both for video and field portraits.
A single light weights mere 90 g (60oz) and is equipped with 48 ultra-bright LEDs. The outer diameter of the light is ~ 140 mm (5.5 inch). Every unit runs on 3 x AA batteries. I haven't tested yet the battery life but with my Eneloop XX I can easily shoot for 2.5h with ambient temperature of 5C. Super cool feature of RotolightsRL48 are CTO gels shipped with every unit.
You can find them after dismantling the cover (very basic screw-lock mechanism). The RL48 kit comes with simple yet useful storage and carrying bag + cold shoe adaptors. All of the elements are very simple to assemble and easy to operate with gloves.
I had a pleasure to experiment with RL48 at home. I have used 2 kits = 4 units! I am very happy with the results. A single RL48 generates very bight and pleasantly homogeneous beam of light. The feature that I pleases me the most is a wide assortment of gels. CTO number 184 is the winner for me. I have used it 80% of the time. It diffuses the light, yet creates very warm, milky glow on the skin. As you can see on the photographs below, we have experiment with RL48 as back-lit units. It also works well! All with a total weight of 360g (240 oz.).
After playing around with Rotolight RL48 I consider it an essential part of my kit. Especially useful for quick field portraits and invaluable as a on-location ultra-portable video light!
I want to greatly acknowledge Corrado Cabras, the exclusive Italian distributor of Rotolight systems ( www.photofuture.it / www.rotolight.it ) for introducing to us this amazing product and providing access to test units. Grazzie!
The image with the model in the green parka is awful! She looks like she's suffering from jaundice.
Posted by: Cheese Doodle | 16 January 2013 at 19:44
Cheese Doodle, thank you for the comment. The perception of color depends heavily on your screen calibration. Indeed, there is a yellowish tint in the skin tones, yet it doesn't look so dramatic on my screen.
Posted by: Kamil Tamiola | 16 January 2013 at 20:04