Zylight F8 LED Fresnel Delivers Reliable Performance, ROI for Lightworks.TV

Through his London-based company, Lightworks.TV Ltd., lighting cameraman Scott Munro shoots and edits a variety of projects, from U.S. network news packages to corporate videos and documentaries. While he does not own a professional HD camcorder, he has invested in an extensive collection of production accessories and lighting instruments, including the Zylight F8 LED Fresnel.

Its hard to keep up with camera technology, he explained, but you can own lights these days and make them work for all sorts of projects. If you buy good products, like the Zylight F8, youre going to get a good return on your investment. Good lighting never goes out of fashion.

Munro appreciates that battery-powered LED lights allow cameramen to bring lights to locations where HMI lights are not an option. That said, he has not converted his entire lighting arsenal to LED, because most instruments he has tested only deliver soft light. The Zylight F8 LED Fresnel was a notable exception, which is why he purchased one in late 2013 and has used it for a variety of projects this year.

There is a need for hard lighting sometimes, Munro said. LED is an evolving market. There have been improvements, and I think Zylight is one of those big improvements.

Through its eight-inch SCHOTT glass lens, the F8 maintains single shadow traditional beam shaping, while its patented focusing system allows spot and flood operations. The fully dimmable F8 has a high CRI (color rendering index) and offers an adjustable beam spread (16-70 degrees). Its LED engine with quantum dot technology draws only 100 watts, but delivers close to the light output of a traditional 1000-watt Fresnel.

With such varied shooting assignments, the daylight (5600K) balanced F8 was the obvious choice instead of tungsten (3200K) for Munro, because he needed the higher output for outdoor shots. Inside or out, he uses barn doors with a soft box and honeycomb grid to shape the F8s output. You can always make a big light smaller, he noted, but you cant make a small light bigger.

Munro praised the F8s build quality and compact storage, both important factors for shooting on location. The F8 proved its worth during a recent shoot at the Farnborough International Airshow outside of London in July. Munro only had a short window of time, and external power for HMI lights was not an option. He powered his Zylight with an IDX battery and got the shots his client needed.

Working quickly and efficiently is a great way to please a client and bring them back, Munro said. I feel the Zylight is an efficient light. Its just great. Its focusable, controllable, affordable and incredibly reliable.

www.zylight.com.

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