RGB LED lights for outdoor photography?

[ufodisko]

I know that RGB LED lights as mainly used for video and studio photography but just wondering has anyone tried using them for outdoor portrait photography?

Are they powerful enough?

At the moment I only have Godox AD600BM and I was thinking of getting the AD200 Pro Kit to experiment with gels.

But I really like the idea of RGB LED, which makes it easier to see what I'm shooting in real-time.

I did some googling and found the "GVM RGB LED Video Lighting Kit, 800D" - it looks pretty neat but I'm not sure how powerful the lights are.

I know the lights can be powered by batteries for outside use, but how useful are the lights outside? Can they overpower the sun and light my subjects properly?

If this kit isn't enough, which LED lighting kit do you recommend?

 

[Ellis Vener]

I know that RGB LED lights as mainly used for video and studio photography but just wondering has anyone tried using them for outdoor portrait photography?

Watch this first:

Are they powerful enough?

Generally no, unless you are filming after dark.

At the moment I only have Godox AD600BM and I was thinking of getting the AD200 Pro Kit to experiment with gels.

That is a better idea.

But I really like the idea of RGB LED, which makes it easier to see what I'm shooting in real-time.

While more efficient than "hot lights" which have to heat up a thin metal wire until it glows to produce light, LEDs are still significantly (by several stops) less efficient than electronic flash at turning electricity into light.

Also as the video I posted a link to demonstrates, unless you are willing to pay lots of money for a very high end RGB or RGBW array and have the infrastructure to support it, you are can run into problems with color produced by those types of array. As the video points out, it is better to stick with high quality daylight balanced LEDs and use gels.

I did some googling and found the "GVM RGB LED Video Lighting Kit, 800D" - it looks pretty neat but I'm not sure how powerful the lights are.

That's interesting! I did some google searching and I can not find an output rating either..

I know the lights can be powered by batteries for outside use, but how useful are the lights outside?

Maybe if you are working at night

Can they overpower the sun and light my subjects properly?

Not even close.

If this kit isn't enough, which LED lighting kit do you recommend?

How much money do you have?

 

[ufodisko]

it is better to stick with high quality daylight balanced LEDs and use gels.

Such as the Aputure 120d II? It's pretty expensive for a single light.

I'd rather get the AD200 Pro kit as I've been getting some good results with the AD600BM outdoors. I think the AD200 will complement the AD600BM.

And maybe I can still get the GVM LED Kit for studio photography.

So if I understood what you're saying correctly, I should stick with Godox lights, and use gels?

 

[robertfel]

As Ellis wrote, LEDs are not nearly remotely comparable to similarly priced strobes.

You would need a $1,700 Aputure Nova and be about 6 inches away from your subject to compete with the sun. Add in $600 of batteries, which would last <1 hour.

Definitely go with a strobe like the Godox AD600 (or Pro version). You can save some money by not getting the TTL option. No idea what filters would do to TTL metering.

 

[ufodisko]

I already have the AD600BM and it's perfect.

I think I'm gonna get the AD200 Pro Kit with gels.

Thank you.

 

[Ellis Vener]

it is better to stick with high quality daylight balanced LEDs and use gels.

Such as the Aputure 120d II? It's pretty expensive for a single light.

The Godox VL 150 looks to be a much better deal than the Aputure 120 D II

https://www.adorama.com/govl150.htm...D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&utm_source=nmpi-google-dsa

according to the comparisons in these reviews:

I'd rather get the AD200 Pro kit as I've been getting some good results with the AD600BM outdoors. I think the AD200 will complement the AD600BM.

And maybe I can still get the GVM LED Kit for studio photography.

So if I understood what you're saying correctly, I should stick with Godox lights, and use gels?

--
Ellis Vener
To see my work, please visit http://www.ellisvener.com
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