Slowly, but surely, LEDs have taken over the production lighting world. From one-man bands to huge commercial sets, the 1×1 LED panel is ubiquitous among large and small productions alike. From its ability to run battery-powered, to the ability to fine tune brightness and color output, 1×1 LEDs have made lighting accessible for every filmmaker. It’s impossible to talk about 1×1 LEDs without talking about Gemini, and today Litepanels released their most powerful version ever, the Gemini 1×1 Hard RGBWW LED panel.
Litepanels Gemini 1×1 Hard RGBWW LED ()
Key features:
- The most powerful 1×1 panel
- Over 3,000 lux at 10ft/3m (Daylight) with a 46° beam angle
- White color temperature range: 2,700-10,000K
- TLCI/CRI 98 color accuracy
- 0.1 – 100% automatic flicker-free dimming at any frame rate or shutter angle
- Full RGBWW color gamut mixing
- Hue, Saturation and Intensity control
- Full plus/minus green color correction
- Wired or wireless DMX & Bluetooth remote control options
- Multi-voltage 100-240VAC; DC Input 13-33VDC
- Optional mobile battery power with 100% intensity output
- Lightweight: 13.2 lbs, 6.0kg including yoke and power supply
The 1×1 LED panel is arguably the most versatile lighting tool in a lighting tech’s arsenal. It can fit almost anywhere, produces very little heat, and can accept both battery and AC power. Historically, the only sector in which they trailed their HMI counterparts was power output— but no longer. The Gemini 1×1 HARD has an output of over 3000 lux at 10ft/3m. In other words, it outputs 20% more light than a 200w HMI! Being able to output this much light is especially important when using different modifiers, and Gemini offers a whole range for you to choose from. Just like with its previous units, Gemini also offers both V-mount and gold mount adaptors for those times when AC power isn’t an option.
Having to rely on gels to add some color to your set is now a thing of the past. Where, in the pervious generation, you were limited to just white balance adjustment, with the new Gemini 1×1, you’re now in full control of the over 16 million colors in the RGB spectrum. Gemini has also taken the guess work out of trying to recreate difficult real-world lighting situations and includes 11 different customizable special effects to really bring your project to the next level. With nearly perfect TCLI/CRI ratings of 98, the 1×1 is extremely accurate throughout the color spectrum. Meanwhile, it experiences zero flicker at any frame rate. Not only can you choose any color you want, but the Gemini 1×1 HARD gives the operator full control of settings like hue, saturation, and green balance.
What makes 1×1 light panels so indispensable on set is their portability and versatility. At just 13.2 pounds and a square foot in size, you can squeeze one just about anywhere. Gemini definitely doesn’t compromise on build quality in order to get the weight down. The 1×1 HARD is super solid and was designed to hold up to the stresses of production life. One of the most frustrating things about rigging a lighting setup is dialing each individual light. If a light is in a place that is difficult to reach, even the smallest adjustment can sometimes cause huge backups in production.
To solve this, in addition to the DMX controller included in the pervious models, Gemini lights now come with Bluetooth functionality. This makes a huge difference for lower budget productions. While DMX controllers are great for lite panels mounted in long term positions in places like music venues, DMX controllers were rarely found on smaller productions. Now any DP is able to take full control of their lighting setup right from the palm of their hand.
With the 1×1 Hard, Gemini took an already amazing product and made it even better. Just the RBG and Bluetooth control alone make this a worthwhile upgrade from the previous model. But when you factor in the huge increase in brightness, it’s a no brainer. Even with so many 1×1 panels on the market today, the Gemini 1×1 HARD is truly the one to beat in this category.
Shop the Litepanels Gemini 1×1 Hard RGBWW LED at Adorama now.
Feature image via Litepanels
