A Comparison of Light Fixture Output and Photometrics (Part Three): LED Daylight Fixtures

In Part One we compared light outputs or photometrics of various tungsten fixtures. In Part Two we looked at HMI lights.

In this part we’ll compare LED lights. The following manufacturers are represented:

• Arri
• Mole Richardson
• Litepanels
• Dedolight
• DeSisti
• Zylight
• ikan
• Fotodiox Pro
• Lowel
• Fiilex

If I’ve left out your favorite manufacturer or fixture, please forgive me. As far as I know there isn’t a similar comparison anywhere on earth, so I’m entitled to the most amount of mistakes.

Clarifications and caveats

Such a comparison cannot be completely accurate. There are too many types of fixtures, modifiers, bulbs and situations to make this scientifically accurate, so don’t expect it. Furthermore, nobody has the money to buy each and every fixture and modifier and subject them to controlled testing. Therefore, take note of the following caveats:

• Information in the chart might be inaccurate or plain wrong. For correct data, refer to the manufacturers’ websites.
• The ratings and figures are taken from the manufacturers’ websites, and no other sources. These ratings are as published by the manufacturers and might not factually bear out.
• When more than one bulb-type is available, I’ve chosen the one with the greatest output.
• Many models are left out because I don’t care about them!
• The red letter in the chart means the distance is below safe limits
• Do NOT make decisions based on this chart. Perform your own research. You are solely responsible for your actions.
• Just because some fixtures don’t show 120 V or 220V doesn’t mean the manufacturer doesn’t make them for those voltages. I couldn’t find info on it, that’s all.
• The voltages are gross averages. They can range between legally acceptable values, and this will slightly affect photometrics, as I’ve written in How to Estimate if your Lights and Gear will work on Portable Generators and the Mains Power Supply.
• LED lights can vary color temperature, so I’m only comparing daylight fixtures since they tend to deliver more light output.
• Small LEDs and knock-offs are not compared because photometrics are unreliable or unavailable. There are several LED fixture manufacturers, including well-known brands, who are shy to publish photometric data. Screw them.
• The Red boxes are warnings – the data might be incorrect or misrepresented. Please check reviews before proceeding.

The chart

I hope by now you know how to read the chart. I’ve divided it between manufacturers and fixtures. I’ve tried to find the footcandle and lux values at 20 feet, but some manufacturers prefer to rate their fixtures at different distances. Therefore, I’ve ‘normalized’ the reading to what it would be a 20 feet. I’ve included both numbers so you can make your own judgements.

Each light is compared to the Arri 650 Plus tungsten fresnel fixture, and the difference is written in stops. Negative stops means lower light output.

The final column lists the total lux output divided by the wattage, which gives us a pretty accurate indication of whether we are getting enough light by increasing wattage. Great comparison (if I say so myself), so I hope you find it useful. Here’s the chart (click to enlarge):

That’s it for LEDs. In the last and final part, Part Four, we’ll look at Plasma and Fluorescent fixtures, and try to make sense of it all.