Photography lights- tint and brightness ramping

[mr_magoo]

I’m needing a better photograpy fill light.

I dont have much time to get on the forums these days (happy to still be working through this corona virus stuff) so I haven’t seen what all new offerings are out there.

Currently I’m using a noctigon m43 mule with cree xpl2, s3-3d emitters. The tint doesnt photograph that well, and getting the right brightness setting is tough with the clunky U/I.

What I’d like is something similar in form factor, but with:

1- more heat dissipation ability without being too much bigger- I.E. a little longer with much more fins.

2- 1/4” tripod socket

3- tint ramping from 2700k to 5000k just like my BLF-LT1.

4- Anduril, or a stripped down version of it with stepped and smooth ramping, tint ramping, electronic lockout, and not much else.

5- Anti/roll design.

6- auxillary threads on the front bezel (internal? External?) to give the ability to attach a filter, or a large diffuser of my own design.

7- minimum 6000 lumens

8-USB recharging and power bank function would be nice especially for when I’m packing light.

9- 4x 18650 or 21700 cells.

10- Very durable. I dropped my noctigon m43 from about 3 feet onto a wood floor and it landed on the bezel. The glass shattered even though it didnt take a direct hit. The bezel on those is VERY thin and it bent enough to shatter the lens.

New light would need to have o-rings on both sides of glass for cusion, and a nice thick bezel.

11- needs to be very efficient. Buck-boost driver?

12- this is most important needs to be 95+ cri throughout the tint ramp. What is the best emitter for this? E21? LH351d?

Surely a light like this doesnt already exist (under $200) does it?

Discuss.

[D_AVerk]

Вы есть много кушать.

[polarweis]

I dont think this exicts and if it did it would be a lot more then 200 dollars. Is would be quite hard having a compact light with such a amount of lumen for longer than couple of minutes.

[Hikelite]

“this is most important needs to be 95+ cri throughout the tint ramp. ”

You know most LEDs will have a tint shift from low current to high current, especially current controlled, not PWM.
So that might be a problem, a solution is the sue of tons of LEDs that are softly driven, but won’t see that in flashlights as it is costly. It is so much cheaper to get 3-4 LEDs and blast them with overdriven current to each a certain impressive brightness, especially if they are low CRI when they have higher brightness per the same current.

Then again 95+ CRI. It completely ignores R9 which is very important. I have some 95+CRI LEDs which are greenish, which for me completely kills the 95+CRI rating.

Have you looked into non-flashlight LED fill lights? There are quite some options these days.

[mr_magoo]

@Hikelite

“this is most important needs to be 95+ cri throughout the tint ramp. ”

You know most LEDs will have a tint shift from low current to high current, especially current controlled, not PWM.
So that might be a problem, a solution is the sue of tons of LEDs that are softly driven, but won’t see that in flashlights as it is costly. It is so much cheaper to get 3-4 LEDs and blast them with overdriven current to each a certain impressive brightness, especially if they are low CRI when they have higher brightness per the same current.

Then again 95+ CRI. It completely ignores R9 which is very important. I have some 95+CRI LEDs which are greenish, which for me completely kills the 95+CRI rating.

Have you looked into non-flashlight LED fill lights? There are quite some options these days.

No I havent yet- honestly I’m more than a little suprised that flashlight enthusiasts with access to the most up to date tech and LEDs have not already filled this portable lighting need but it makes sense if said need has already been provided for at reasonable cost by something else as you mentioned.

Link to said non flashlight fill lights? I’m a photo/video newb honestly and havent even walked into a camera store yet.

What leds do you like? I had a foursevens light with a 219b, think it’s 4000k, that is very pleasing to my eyes but it seems like they are not making new lights with led much anymore and a suitable replacement hasnt come up in my radar.

Also, if $200 is not enough for such a light what does one have to spend to get what I’m looking for?

[mr_magoo]

@D'AVerk

Вы есть много кушать.

Yes. I’m probably asking in the wrong place.

[aswang]

I’ve been looking for something similar for the past year or so to no avail. In the meantime I just use my MK34 with e21As from clemence I modded along with some other lights for photogrammetry. I use Lee filters to adjust CCT but not ideal. Superb tint and color rendering though. Anduril UI with tint ramping would be great with this form factor for photo lights. Something like a D18 or Rot66 with tint ramping would be nice. Or maybe a bigger sofirn IF25.

[Lexel]

Technically its not so much of a problem modding a MF01 or MF01S the way you need

MF01
MCPCB changed to 2x9 LEDs with different tint SST-20s
the main change would be on the driver side

My MF01 Buck driver uses for example 2 buck steps to achieve the total current, now modding the MCPCB from 6S/3P to 2x 3S/3P with different LEDs and use the 3. PWM output instead 2 analog dimming on the same Pin with a modified BLF lantern Firmware would work

MF01S
similar MCPCB split up wiring it different
Driver would need 2 FETs instead of one and the low current side ignored
but that’s PWM on all brightness levels

[D_AVerk]

@aswang

Something like a D18 or Rot66 with tint ramping would be nice. Or maybe a bigger sofirn IF25.

Yeah, i use ROT66 II for photography purposes.
But IF25 is not well at all because of awfull CRI in cold SST20 and awfull PWM and low power and spotted beam

[Lexel]

MF01S modded by me with Buck driver

Things it would match
2- 1/4” tripod socket
3- tint ramping from 2700k to 5000k just like my BLF-LT1.
4- Anduril, or a stripped down version of it with stepped and smooth ramping, tint ramping, electronic lockout, and not much else.
5- Anti/roll design.
7- minimum 6000 lumens
9- 4× 18650
11- needs to be very efficient. Buck-boost driver?
12- this is the most important needs to be 95+ cri throughout the tint ramp. SST-20

Things not
1- you won’t find such an ultra finned design
6- auxiliary threads on the front bezel (internal? External?) to give the ability to attach a filter, or a large diffuser of my own design.
8- USB recharging and power bank function would be nice especially for when I’m packing light.

depends on
10- Very durable. I dropped my noctigon m43 from about 3 feet onto a wood floor and it landed on the bezel. The glass shattered even though it didnt take a direct hit. The bezel on those is VERY thin and it bent enough to shatter the lens.
this light is very heavy, but got a SS bezel and massive tailcap

New light would need to have o-rings on both sides of glass for cusion, and a nice thick bezel. You can add a 2. O-ring between TIR and glass

There is no way such a light already exists, you can customize a few to get close but to fit all points you would need to design a new light and have it built with prototype costs and paying people to draw 3D design ect.

[mr_magoo]

This sounds like something that could work for me other than the heat dissipation. For that, I could make a new larger, heavy duty, finned bezel out of aluminum that would be octagonal for anti-roll.

Would you want to produce another driver like this for sale?

@Lexel

MF01S modded by me with Buck driver

Things it would match
2- 1/4” tripod socket
3- tint ramping from 2700k to 5000k just like my BLF-LT1.
4- Anduril, or a stripped down version of it with stepped and smooth ramping, tint ramping, electronic lockout, and not much else.
5- Anti/roll design.
7- minimum 6000 lumens
9- 4× 18650
11- needs to be very efficient. Buck-boost driver?
12- this is the most important needs to be 95+ cri throughout the tint ramp. SST-20

Things not
1- you won’t find such an ultra finned design
6- auxiliary threads on the front bezel (internal? External?) to give the ability to attach a filter, or a large diffuser of my own design.
8- USB recharging and power bank function would be nice especially for when I’m packing light.

depends on
10- Very durable. I dropped my noctigon m43 from about 3 feet onto a wood floor and it landed on the bezel. The glass shattered even though it didnt take a direct hit. The bezel on those is VERY thin and it bent enough to shatter the lens.
this light is very heavy, but got a SS bezel and massive tailcap

New light would need to have o-rings on both sides of glass for cusion, and a nice thick bezel. You can add a 2. O-ring between TIR and glass

There is no way such a light already exists, you can customize a few to get close but to fit all points you would need to design a new light and have it built with prototype costs and paying people to draw 3D design ect.

[Lexel]

@mr_magoo

This sounds like something that could work for me other than the heat dissipation. For that, I could make a new larger, heavy duty, finned bezel out of aluminum that would be octagonal for anti-roll.

Would you want to produce another driver like this for sale?

@Lexel

MF01S modded by me with Buck driver

Things it would match
2- 1/4” tripod socket
3- tint ramping from 2700k to 5000k just like my BLF-LT1.
4- Anduril, or a stripped down version of it with stepped and smooth ramping, tint ramping, electronic lockout, and not much else.
5- Anti/roll design.
7- minimum 6000 lumens
9- 4× 18650
11- needs to be very efficient. Buck-boost driver?
12- this is the most important needs to be 95+ cri throughout the tint ramp. SST-20

Things not
1- you won’t find such an ultra finned design
6- auxiliary threads on the front bezel (internal? External?) to give the ability to attach a filter, or a large diffuser of my own design.
8- USB recharging and power bank function would be nice especially for when I’m packing light.

depends on
10- Very durable. I dropped my noctigon m43 from about 3 feet onto a wood floor and it landed on the bezel. The glass shattered even though it didnt take a direct hit. The bezel on those is VERY thin and it bent enough to shatter the lens.
this light is very heavy, but got a SS bezel and massive tailcap

New light would need to have o-rings on both sides of glass for cusion, and a nice thick bezel. You can add a 2. O-ring between TIR and glass

There is no way such a light already exists, you can customize a few to get close but to fit all points you would need to design a new light and have it built with prototype costs and paying people to draw 3D design ect.

Making the drivers is no problem
I have also some 3S /9P MCPCBs

There is still quite a lot of modification to be done with the flashlight host