Low budget studio :D

I am not sure, but would CRI matter in case the light is to be used as/for “a spot background on a black wall”?

Direct lighting maybe, indirect, maybe not so much, but I don’t know enough of photography.

Also, in case you chose Convoy lights, it is better to go directly to the source in Convoy Store at AliExpress:
https://convoy.aliexpress.com/store/330416?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000002.2.5a0041ea72mOCq

Wow! It is impressive how detailed your answer is! Thank you so so much. :+1:
I will go into a deep reasearch with your examples. I am curious what flashlight it will be. I let you know. :laughing:

Best wishes :blush:

No… thank you! I have been meaning to get an S2+ for about 2 months, and you helped me off the couch. I ordered the AliExpress grey Convoy S2+ in 2700K and 2.8A, plus other stuff.




God, I hope those KeepPower IMR18650 3500mAh are legitimate. Best price I have seen, and I need these for another light, 3x18650 Leef KT4 G4 halogen bipin build I am expecting in the next 6 weeks.

Oh, yes, she will be mine.



AliExpress drives me crazy. First transaction purchasing all in one declined by my credit card fraud protection. Had to order each separately using PayPal, then cancel the original order 4 times, then deal with the fraud protection agency to let them know the transaction (which I had to cancel for each item) was legit so they don’t cancel my card. I also wanted to order 1x5mm neodymium magnets, but AliExpress seller wouldn’t accept PayPal, so I found a competing Chinese seller on eBay that would. One simple transaction turned into a 4 transaction nightmare plus fraud protection annoyance. I don’t expect everything to finally get here until the first week of December. [sigh]. YMMV

If you want just a sharply defined spot, you need an aspheric light (lens, no reflector).

A powerful mule plus aperture might be a solution, too. Difficult to find a reflector that’s really heavily structured to allow for an even and wide hotspot.

Edit: Astrolux FT03S, open bezel, take reflector out, put bezel back on and ready it is.

IMHO, either a TIR or reflector will give a nice spot and useful spill. I prefer a reflector with a glass lens, which I expect to be more durable and resistant to scratches and abrasions than a plastic TIR. I also find it easier to understand what is occurring with a reflector: the spot is light coming off the reflector, and the spill is light coming directly from the emitter. But I do think it is about time manufacturers offered glass TIR.

You want to avoid reflectors because in all but the most impossibly-best LEDs, you will get a fried-egg beam, yellower hotspot and bluer spill. Worse if you get a hideous urine-yellow corona around the hotspot.

Aspherics can (most do) have a yellowish ring around the periphery, but TIR lenses are a good compromise.

If getting an S2+, ask Simon to stick in a 30° TIR lens, maybe 60° if you want it wider.

An orange peel reflector (which I believe I saw were available separately for S2+) will mitigate your complaint of a flat reflector, something that anyone can swap out, and then retain decades of scratch-less durability with a glass lens. My favorite TIR flashlight is only 4 years old, was only pocket carried, and the entire thing looks like it is suffering from cataracts. Plastic simply is not durable, even wiping it with cloth will damage it. If it must be TIR, solve this issue with a glass TIR, if it exists.

I think a glass fresnel lens would be pretty cool to run, but there’d probably be complaints about artifacts. But still…

A custom light, or a modified light, is the only way to get a light that has everything you want and nothing you don’t. Starting from a light that has most of the features desired then makes the mod less complicated and less expensive.

I've been into photography for more than 15 years, albeit amateur. High CRI can be useful in the high end photography industry, but the average Joe doesn't need or use it, especially not for a highlight in the background ;) And most photographers use Lightroom and other software to post process images anyways. I would keep it simple, get one that works well and forget about the flashaholic details, like High Cri, BBL, FET, 7135's, etc :D

Just get a popular flashlight with a good beam profile and start with that. They can always upgrade

a fair point, spot on a background is probably going to be a solid color or without color rather than a busy thing with details and all colors

I feel like sometimes we complicate things a bit too much :D (including myself of course)

That happens in every hobby, and sometimes it's good to step back and see how much information a newbee really needs :)

Many people tend to go too deep which makes it much harder to make a decision. Sometimes it's better to just start... and then upgrade if it doesn't work as expected.

Oh damn! :weary: That sounds… adventure-filled :person_facepalming: :wink:
I am still check your suggestions :student:

Yes, a defined spot, thank you! :blush:

Yea very good ideas, thank you! :wink:

Okay, answer to everbody: Many thanks for your ideas and suggestions. :blush:
I think it will be funny to try out some stuff. Thats why I like studio photography :smiley:
A flashligt is a originally light spot. I am very exited :smiley:

Best wishes!! :blush:

How is avoiding a high color rendition light source KISS? It's exactly the opposite.

A camera will register all the subtle variations from whatever enters its lens. To make an easy to understand example, just get an extremely low CRI emitter and take photos or film with it. The photos will be poor and any filmed video will be poor, comparatively speaking that is. And while you can edit photos and videos this is an unnecessary and time consuming additional work, particularly the latter. Crap in, crap out.

It is absolutely advisable to get a light source with high CRI or color rendition, the higher the better.

Speaking of lenses, nothing beats the wonderfully uniform blanket of light coming out of an aspheric or plano-convex lens (zoomies), or the beam from a nice medium or wide beamTIR lens. The aim is to get a light source with a uniformly illuminated beam, without radical tint or intensity variations. This does not mean a reflector light source couldn't be used, but as a rule it would only be really useful to film or shoot anything strictly inside its hotspot at the proper distance.

If you don't like the above, it's fine. You just will have to deal with the consequences.

Yongnuo YN360 are my favourite studio lights. I have used XM-L2 Convoy S2+ for portrait lighting too!

Maybe because you have no idea about photography :p

The next silly advice would be to tell a lay person to buy an LED above BBL etc..

There is no good point in trying to judge anyone in any way, you should know.

While I don't consider myself an expert in photography, I am far from a layman and know about related stuff.

If a proper light source doesn't really matters, you could also use something like a white flat green and get more lumens/throw or biased efficiency in exchange. I am sure any work done with it will require some additional postproduction work.

If you wanna me take that to the extreme, go with a monochromatic led.

Versus ideal light sources leds still need to improve quite a bit, imho. People too.