HUGE Video LED Panel Review
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- We take a look at the massive Falcon Eyes 27” LED Video Light!
This edge light outputs tons of soft light without the space needed for soft boxes. Check it out on Amazon ► geni.us/fe68td
Light Specs:
68W Output
3000-5600K Bi-Color
V-Mount, NP-F and AC Powered
Beam Angle: 65°
Falcon Eyes SO-68TD on Amazon
US: amzn.to/2tVWuhH
US: amzn.to/2sKkZye
EU: amzn.to/2uHdbK0
UK: amzn.to/2te0sR1
CA: amzn.to/2snpkTy
V-Mount Battery on Amazon (PAID LINK): amzn.to/2DSxYRR
My Thoughts:
Great light for anyone looking to save on physical space but who want soft light output. This light gives us the same light qualities as a softbox but without the bulk!
Only downside is the weight. You will need a pretty study light stand to mount this beast. Don't rely on your $20 stands!
DISCLAIMERS
Some of these links have an affiliate code, if you purchase gear with these links I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
The light reviewed in this video was shipped to me free of charge.
This video and my thoughts were not paid for or scripted in anyway.
Ideal for creating the Bat signal ;-)
Haha!
Caleb, why aren't we seeing more lights in this style? Most of the reviews are several years old, and only a couple of companies are making them. They seem like the perfect solution for those of us who don't have the room for a giant softbox and don't want to set one up for every recording.
i think it may be because of the lack of flexibility in adding modifiers....did you see at 7:37 what he had to do just to add a layer of diffusion to it? I'm still interested in a light like this as well, but I can see why they wouldnt be preferred in a professional space where manual customization is key
That's an epic light, I'm so glad more manufacturers are getting into soft lighting built in which means faster setup when I want soft lighting for interviews.
Not only size is the issue with softboxes, it is transporting and putting the damn thing up for location work. I like this thing!
I love these style of lights, they’re so helpful and futuristic!
I love my 18" edge-lit panels. Might wanna snag one of these too. Looks awesome.
Snazzy Labs you are here?!
I bought a similar LED by another Chinese company called Lishuai, as well as a smaller one. They last forever on battery power, put out tons of light, and are great for shooting in small rooms. Build quality of these is also amazing. Thanks for the review.
I had to do some research after some confusion. The 68-TD is not the 27" version-- which is the Falcon Eyes SO-108TDX at 28". The SO-68TD that you are review in this video is 21". Which makes the Fotodiox Pro (C-700RSV) at 18" the closest comparison. Which I would love to see more of some comparison videos between all the different flapjack, edge light style lights ( Falcon Eyes, Fotodiox, Viltrox, Neewer, etc.) because the price difference of these brands are drastic and it would be good to know if the bang is worth the buck. You have some of the best comparison videos around, can't wait to see what you put to the test in 2020. Cheers!
It's a brilliant light. You don't need any softbox, you don't need to have loads of room, you have the light dome quality without the footprint. Perfect for interviews and head shots. Powerful enough for that. Also as it is thin the weight is far more balanced through the center of the lightstand unlike the 120d and dome which ends up being very front heavy. It's no where near as powerful however outside of that it's brilliant.
Thank you for bringing this light to my attention. I'm anxious to try it out.
Used to be totally against LED lighting and kept with Tungsten, but man my mind is changing! Between this and what Aputure and Arri are doing I want to switch to all LEDs!
Yeah LED lighting for film/video is getting really interesting! So much better than the first gen options!
I don't know when I would ever need a light like that, but I WANT IT SO BAD!
Haha!
Actually, almost all the time
Love when us reviewers point out our failures. Good job Caleb xD.
whoa....another one from Falcon Eyes. Thanks for this.
Thanks for watching Ry!
"Happy 4th of July"...
(You can see what I'm doing for the 4th...) watching your great videos...
"Thank YOU" for sharing these... Love all of them... ;)
Thanks Judi! Happy Independence Day!
I would have loved to see your light dome vs this new light on video and shots comparisons. Is there any way you can make this happen before I go and purchase this light set up please . Thanks
Probably not quickly, Just watch a few of my older videos and compare.
DSLR Video Shooter thank you , so I assume this will be your principal light moving forward on your UA-cam video production? Thank you for your input.
I know it's a small detail but round catch lights are the best. Just looks natural in IMHO.
Another awesome vid. Caleb! Love your lighting vids! A video I would love to see in the future is one detailing flagging! What to use and the how and why to use them! Thanks!
Hi, I really enjoy your videos, Caleb. Question: You stated the light is 27" however, on Amazon (via your link) the light is 21". Adorama has this light available in a 14, 21 and 28" light. Is it possible the one you reviewed is an older version? If so, have you used any of the other sizes and/or updated models? Thanks very much!!
Great video Caleb!! Thank you for all your hard work!!
Thanks for the review, but from a lighting perspective having the silver bounce makes judging the light a bit more difficult due the added variable.
Thank you so much! It would be great if you could provide the lux at 3ft, 5ft and 9ft from the subject. All the best,
When using 'feet', that measurement should be in FOOT CANDLES of power/coverage at the point of arrival (the 'talent'). LUX is that same kind of power/coverage, but, in METERS.
Nice light, and nice review. Curious what you were using for "diffusion" over it when it was farther away. That was a nice look.
Would love to know that too. Looks like a bedsheet or something?
If i´d ever need a light to light up an entire planet, I would go to your channel
I love this light. I can't see transporting it from location to location in a small-isn vehicle. It's where small can lights or small panel LEDs with soft boxes have an advantage.
best accessories for the G85
Love the quality of your videos man… really well done. Thanks!
The mount seems kind-of wobbly in the video. Did you find it to be lacking in security, or was it something else (weak stand, etc.)? Thanks
You've probably already figured this out by now, but for anyone wondering: I have one, and it isn't wobbly at all. You can loosen/tighten the screws on the side in order to make it more stable.
These guys tests daylight balanced led lights and I'm here sitting with my halogen.
Absolutely!!...
Thank! you.
this channel are going the best channel for the lighting review
Thank you so much for always bring us beautiful stuff!
Thanks Kenny!
Is the 120d with light dome "a little brighter" than the Falcon Eyes 27", or "A LOT BRIGHTER?" If that is even an answerable question, haha...
Same question
Given that the 120d is 120 watts and this one is 68, if the power pack efficiency and led efficiency is about the same I’d expect the 120d to be about twice as bright
why on Earth did you not test how Far! AWAY you can have it from the subject and its effective usable light at its farthest distance with the lens aperture wide open.
Now that would really be useful information and a very interesting demonstration test to see, because no one would shoot interviews with a light two or three feet away from the subject. Because that is very intimidating and uncomfortable to the subject being interviewed.
good review anyway. just a thought.
Thanx.
D.
Good points!
DSLR Video Shooter that is a really good question. I think a light like this one deserves a second video covering an even broader spectrum of possibilities.
Inverse square law is universal.
$695 Aputure Light Storm COB120 6000K Daylight = 135 watts of light = 8100 Lumens
$510 Falcon Eyes SO-68TD BiColor 3000-5600K = 68 watts of light = 4000 Lumens
This assumes there is no light loss due to the Falcon Eyes being a BiColor light. But there is no information about its Lumens of output.
For the money, the Aputure is cheaper for the light output it gives you. The Aputure Light Storm is also far more flexible a lighting solution. You can use it with many other softboxes - such as the $45 Neewer 55" Octogon Softbox for an even larger and softer lightsource or the $45 Fomito godox 37" Octagon softbox if you want something cheaper than the Aputure Light Dome.
The Aputure loses some light with the use of a softbox such as the $150 36" Aputure Light Dome.
But the Falcon Eyes also loses light output if you have to use a larger diffusion panel and distance to create a larger light source to further soften the light to the quality achievable with the Aputure Lightstorm + Lightdome combination.
Or for $1000, you can use TWO Falcon Eyes in combination to create the larger lightsource - albeit with a weirdly shaped light reflection from the model's eyes.
I'm not saying you should never use a light dome (love mine so much) or that this light is better in all ways. But if you want a large soft light in a slim package this definitely wins.
is this easier to travel with that the 120d with light dome?
Thanks for this, Caleb. Do you have a video focused on avoiding reflections on eyeglasses?
It's nice that you can mount the power supply, but if they were slick they would have made the power block plug into the battery connector and not had any external wires after the brick.
what light stand are you using for the 68-TD, or do you recommend any other good budget friendly light stand that will hold the 68-TD?
I think you could get the same effect by using an old led tv or something of that nature. They have a white back light and diffuser screen. I think there are YT videos of people creating fake skylights like that.
Great video! This light seems great, but I have a question!
I'm a guitarist and I need to light up a 15 m2 room for tutorial videos. I hesitate between several choices:
- buy 1 Falcon Eyes SO-68TD to have a big powerful lighting (but only one light)
-
buy 2 Falcon Eyes SO-48TD to have a big lighting with 2 lights (but
maybe it's not useful to have the model 48 just for a fill light)
- buy 1 Falcon Eyes SO-48TD (key light) + 1 Falcon Eyes SO-28TD (fill light)
- buy 2 Falcon Eyes SO-28TD (but will it be enough in terms of power?)
Can you enlighten me? (Oh oh oh)
Thanks for the help!
Is there any general guideline about how many watts of LED lighting you need for each square foot of target space you want to cover, for the key and fill lights?
If the Falcon Eyes 27" was your key light, what square footage area could it cover, and at what distance would you place it? Very approximate answers are okay!
You've mentioned that this is 27 inches. Are you talking about the frame and yoke, or the light diameter itself. What size is the actual light? Thanks.
Are you only using the 120d with Light dome ? Or something else to fill it ?
Would love to see comparison of this and RX-18TD
Same here!
Hey Caleb --
I recently bought the falcon eye RX-18t after watching your video highlighting that light. This light by them seems really amazing. I just discovered they also sell fresnel lights. They have several models that are 160watt all the way to 480watts. They seem to vary a little of CRI the lower powered one is at 95CRI and the 480watt one is a 92CRI. They seem like a very underrated reputable company.
I'm debating buying one of these lights, but there's zero reviews on Amazon. I was wondering/hoping you would review a couple of these lights. I like to know what I'm getting into before making an investment.
Wow. How did you do that smoky effect? Really cool.
Is there a way to transport this light to shoots? Or is this... once it arrives in the studio, it's never coming out?
Caleb any thoughts on the Drascast 500 bi-color silver series. Don't see any of your videos on this product. Thanks
Watching this in Dec 2020. With the advancements over the past 3 years, would you still recommend this or are there better LEDS for you? I don't think I want a COB yet ... too bulky.
nice Video Caleb, I'm liking this new light. How many Lumens is this rated?
I'm noticing a lot of wobble. Did you not have it mounted tight or is that just the way it is?
Which are the best of these slim lights with *_the most light output?_*
Now that's handy
Very cool. Does it come with a case? If not, what's your transpo solution for this if you want to take it out on a location? Thanks for your review as always.
Thank you for the info. After watching this you really helped me out, so now im going to buy one. I just have a question; Do you recommend buying two Falcon Eyes So-48td or one Falcon Eyes So-68td ? Its almost the same price. Looking forward for your input
I'm currently using umbrella lighting that has two 85 watt CFL bulbs per umbrella... 170 watts per umbrella 5500k 110v (equivalent to 300 watts of incandescent light per bulb... 600 watts per umbrella). Would the Falcon Eyes give me as much light as the umbrella lights I’m currently using?
Thanks for your helpful videos & info Caleb!
Their frame mount looks so flimsy, holding in that one single screw on the tripod. I would have preferred something more solid and stable that can withstand winds when filming outside, or that will not fall down if someone trips over the cable and drags them down.
Any idea if they make a remote for this bad boy? I'm loving mine, but i miss being able to control it remotely.
Thanks for your video. I am looking for a grid to put in front of this model . Do you Know if it exists? Thanks
You could mount it to your ceiling and flip it up when not in use.
Would you recommend a cheaper version of these? neewer or gvm?
Amazing video! And amazing light. Are you aware of anything like this light but a little more budget friendly?
love it .I want it
OMG! I'm in love. Need!!
Does this light need a diffuser? Thinking of getting it to film "sit-down" style UA-cam videos
lol nvm I should have watched before asking...haha he answered the question pretty quickly, thank you! :)
Thank you for the video ? what is better this light or godox LED1100 ??
Would you use this for your key light and then aputure LEDs for your fill and hair lights ? - thanks for all your help
Thanks Caleb for reviewing this light. Is it necessary to buy two of these for basic lighting or is it's sole purpose to work mainly as a key light? I also want to light printed material for still photos but use for video when needed.
I just picked the 68-TD light from eBay (used). The seller said it was just a return. The packaged was pretty worn and the light has some shadow/uneven quality inside the light.
@DSLRVideoShooter Did yours have shadow like artifacts inside the light? I’m worried I have a potential dud in the making and might return it. And pick up a new one with a good warranty.
Always love your videos. Top quality.
Late reply, but I have one. Mine has 0 artifacts. Hope you got it figured out by now though!
Something far softer than a light dome is just the aputure shooting into a 6x6 lastolite scrim.
great video Caleb, I always watch your content here from Brazil. It´s been very helpful for some solutions, not every single one really works because there is no way for us to get some cheap stuff that are available out there in US, but those who came from china it´s very good =D hehe Keep doing this great job!
Thanks Carlos!
Caleb, do you think this would be a good option for an overhead room light/hair light? I love how flat it is so it could almost be flush with the ceiling.
If you had a strong enough mount I don't see why not. The said, the yoke mounted to the ceiling would lower the light a lot. One of those flex mats would probably work better.
Great looking product and cool video 👍🏻
Hi Calib you are my go to video guy for all things lightning. Do you have or plan to make a review of the ICE Light by Wescott? I’d love to see that reviewed in detail.
Holy crap lol was gonna buy a 300D or aputure tri8 but this is def changing my mind... especially since it takes up a 10th of the space...
Yeah I can't get over how much bigger my studio feels with it!
300D will be much more versatile. If you will never need a hard light, sure but in any other case its great to have options.
I think the 300D is much more flexible than this light. I'm under the impression that this light would only be useful at a rather specific distance from the subject, fairly close, in which case you would not be able to have it in a traditional interview, where you would occasionally cut to a master shot of both interviewer and interviewee.
Hey man what mic do you use? It sounds great. Thanks!
120d vs this light. what is the best for outdoor shooting
whoa yes, have seen these. Add it to my lighting lust list. :)
That looks interesting. Good review. Love the accessories. How do you handle light spill from these big soft sources? Flags ... really big flags?
How does it compare with the Fotodiox FlapJack lights? A quick look at the Fotodiox web site prices: 30" FlapJack is over $1K. The 18" is $450. The Fotodiox Pro FlapJack Studio 1.5x1.5 with barn-doors for spill control is $650. But that's only price. I feel a FlapJack shootout comin' on. :)
thanks for sharing buddy!
hi, Caleb. Thank you for the video. Did you test how long those two NPF batteries would power the light for?
Would you still recommend this option?
So...you've done numerous reviews of possible "key" lights. Q. How does the Aputure 120 plus the 2'x3' light dome compare with using any of the newer LED edge-lit round lights like this Falcon Eyes 27?
Caleb, What kind of extra diffusion did you use on this? Where did you get it, and did it fit well?
Is it super bright?
Just what i was looking for. Was saving for that 1000$ dollar ringlight.....
Bam!
The Amazon.com link works ($500 US) but they don’t ship to Canada. Amazon.ca has it for $1,100 US. I found it for the right price in Europe, but it’s 220-240V. Too bad! It’s simply out of my reach.
Do you feel that this type of light might have a rather limited use? Here's what I mean by it. Since it's edge-lit and soft, it probably does not have enough throw to use it either in an event, wedding, etc, to light a dance floor, small ballroom, like either traditional LED panels or even the new generation of COB lights which are much more directional. On the other hand, in other to achieve this softness you'll have to put it very close to your subject's face, and in this sense it's unsuitable for a traditional interview, where the interviewee and the interviewer are sitting across from each other in a master shot. So, based on what I see here, it seems to me that this light would have a rather narrow set of uses, like for example lighting a single camera blogger. Thoughts?
Should be usable for an interview where the subject is lit by this, just move the interviewer position so it doesn't block the light.
Great video! how would this light perform outside shooting against the sun? Is there a light that would work better in that situation? Thanks again!
Best,
R
How did you diffuse it? Did you put it in the Softbox dome?
Can you help me choose the right light? I am shooting in a spin studio, fitness studio and pilates studio all dark and filled with fast action from my subjects. I have very little space for a light and so I am looking for a battery powered flex LED I think. Money is not really an issue. I need at least two probably three, but they need to be effective and go the distance.
This does not come with stand and at this price I wish it did... I read online that this light is very heavy? So what light stand would you recommend?
Excellent video! I have a question for you, between this Falconeye and the Aputure 120d Mark II with its dome, which one would you recommend for a one bedroom apartment with no dedicated area for recording?
Hi, love your videos, very detailed explanation. I will be filming recipes videos. Which light do you recommend me to use?
Thank you,
Have you tried the SO-28TD (smaller version by the same company)?
Dumb question (possibly)... Is there any issue with the mount to the stand? It seems to rock quite a bit when you move it around.
I had it all the way loosened so I could turn it around easily. Once snugged up, the light is quite steady.
Hi Caleb, love all of your videos especially the most recent on the ultimate desktop setup. Looking for a solution for a soft light where the desk is up against the wall. Would the 1x2 led panel in a softbox solution be softer than this light. Even at 1%, found this light still too hard. We did try the 28 inch version, but don’t think there is a tolerance for a larger setup. Any thoughts you have would be great ! Thanks.
Dude... I am in love. Hold my backpack while I take my wallet out! 💵✌
How do you transport this sucker, with a cymbal type case (ala for drums)? Does it come with a case or bag?
I just purchased this light and love it so far... although I wish it was even a little brighter. Questions for anyone here... does anyone have an idea what the single slash toggle on the on/off switch is meant to do? The double slash turns it on. The middle/neutral position is off. What’s the double slash for? Thanks!
Ben Parco The 3rd position is battery power.