Re: Video RGB LED lights for still macro photography?
Rod McD wrote:
Hi,
A question please...... I've seen retail ads for cheap small rechargeable LED video lights with variable color temperature. About the same size as a phone. The output looks high and the variable color temperature would be a benefit. They appear to me to be potentially good, portable, even lighting for macro for stills in the field - at least at first glance.... but I don't do video at all and know little about them.
Is this in fact the case? I know that LED lights pulse - you can see it with LED head torches when you move a hand rapidly in the beam. Do these video lights work for stills when camera shutter speeds are just a fraction of a second? Or do they impose limitations on shutter speed? And therefore on shooting living/moving subjects? Anyone tried them for still macro images? Any good?
Many thanks.
Rod
Yes - the small LEDs cubes & panels seem preferable for macro still life by far,
In reviewing many macro still life photography sites and vids , esp. the toy - sci fi genre,
this LumeCube brand is very popular and the LED panels are adjustable and very bright.
I plan to get the pro kit and an assortment of panels come NOV, after a few years with DIY and smaller figure s- I'm ready to graduate to LumeCube and a few Star Wars figures with more complex set ups.
Check YouTube - there are some really nice lighting schemes and I think they would work wonders in the terrarium setting too - with a rail for a vid shoot.
I have used single LED diffused coils but the Lume Cubes , matrix LED always seems to cast a better light for still life and their small size & shutter flaps allows far more precise allows of light paths for a still life set.
Here are some examples of my direct light / flash problems
Worked ok - but not cinematic at all, compare this vibe to the LED panels on a simple black surface:
> harsh
Pretty sure this is flash below - rogue Bruin fab,
I found its very hard to create the " London fog vibe" or a memorable lighting scheme with human sized lighting - it has to be reduced to scale or very modified with diffusers and gobos etc for great still life.
blown out city
This is diffused Sun from the window - stil harsh and lacks the Jurassic Pork feel:
better but still way harsh - I think the dual LumeCube LED panels would eat subjects like this for breakfast.
The dinosaur action photography is another genre of toy shooting - some unbelievable shots out there - including self made mass extinction events.

So in summary use the right tool for the right job and IMHO for still life macro - a smaller lighting set up with the more flexibility in luminosity, colors and placement
is the RX required,
May the photons be with you.
Lume Cube lights & LED Panels:
https://lumecube.com/collections/dslr-photo-video
Jared Middleton on Toy Photography Lighting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFkqe_K59JM&t=799s
Here is another guy with much to say on still life lighting
Adam savage Tested
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYb84RjpudE
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Best Regards, Rodger
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