Litepanels Gemini vs Kino Flo Celeb vs Arri SkyPanel: A Real-world Comparison Review

Over the last few months, I’ve had occasion to use three major LED lights, the

• Litepanels Gemini 2×1 (Amazon, B&H)
• Kino Flo Celeb 250 (Amazon, B&H)
• Arri Skypanel 60-C (Amazon, B&H)

The common factor among these three are:

1. They are all 2×1 panels, generally speaking.
2. They are industry heavyweights, and have been around for long.
3. They are available for rent in India, where I work!

I wanted to share my experiences, thoughts and comparisons between these three LED panel lights for cinematography. Usually I call for two LED panels in my kit. I speak more from a user’s perspective rather than owner’s one.

I’ll be focusing on:

• Size, weight and price
• Power
• Type and quality of light
• Color
• Special effects
• Accessories and modifiers
• Range of lights in the family
• Best light for cinematography trucks
• Best light for an owner (for high-end commercials or corporate videos)

Let’s get started!

Size, weight and price

Here’s a chart comparing the size, weight and price:

Model	Price*	Size (inches)	Weight (kg)	Weight of Power Supply (kg)
Skypanel 60-C	$5,850	25.4″ x 11.8″ x 5.2″**	13 kg	4 kg
Gemini 2×1	$4,655	25″ x 12.5″ x 6.5″	10.1 kg	Built-in
Celeb 250	$2,330	24″ x 14″ x 5″	6.8 kg	Built-in

*For light, mount (stand or center yoke) and power supply only. With the 60-C you get a standard diffuser, and with the Celeb you get a 90° honeycomb grid

**Excludes the power supply and mount. With it the Skypanel is deeper than the Gemini.

The Arri Skypanel (Amazon, B&H) is not light (pun intended), and with the power supply it’s not exactly a run-and-gun situation either. Think more of a flat HMI.

For size, weight and price, the Kino Flo Celeb 250 (Amazon, B&H) can’t be beat. But there’s always a catch. Read on!

Usability

Model	Temperature	IP Rating	Lamp Rated Lifetime	Rear LCD
Skypanel 60-C	-20 to 45° C	IP 20	50,000 hours	Yes
Gemini 2×1	-20 to 45°C	N/A (Dry only)	N/A	Yes
Celeb 250	N/A	N/A	N/A	Yes*

It is amazing these lights are built to last, and the Arri Skypanel 60-C (Amazon, B&H) and Litepanels Gemini 2×1 (Amazon, B&H) are both designed to work in the extreme cold – but not when it’s snowing or raining.

In fact, moisture is a major problem for all three panels. I would only recommend them in totally dry environments. There are several cities where the humidity levels reach 100%, and I’m not sure about the long-term durability of these lights under such conditions.

The rear LCD story

Regarding the rear LCD, I find the differences fascinating. So from a user’s perspective, having watched light men struggle:

1. The Arri is the worst positioned. You can’t see it from below if you want to do a quick check. I guess that’s why they have remotes.
2. The Gemini is better, but the LCD is too small. I had trouble reading it when the light was at 8 feet on a stand. Also, when the orientation changes you lose the LCD.
3. The Kino Flo Celeb 250 (Amazon, B&H) has the best position, because the back is flat and the rear LCD is visible no matter what the orientation.

Power options

Model	AC Voltage	Power Draw	Connectors	Battery Solution
Skypanel 60-C	100-250V	420 W Nominal, 450 W Maximum	3-Pin XLR – 15 Amp	23 to 36 V DC*
Gemini 2×1	100-240V	325 W Nominal, 350 W Maximum	3-Pin XLR	28V DC**
Celeb 250	100-240V	150 W Maximum	3-Pin XLR – 6.25 Amp	18 to 36 V DC

*50 % of total output with battery | **100% output with battery

I told you there was a catch, and this is it. The Celeb is less than half the power of the other two. That explains the price and weight difference.

Between the Arri and the Litepanels, the Litepanels Gemini 2×1 (Amazon, B&H) wins, because it gives you 100% power in battery operation, while the SkyPanel only gives you 50% power. It’s clearly not at its best battery operated. Imagine having to carry around that beast for just 50% power! “Why didn’t you just get a Celeb instead?”

Of course, this is not the whole story.

Type and quality of light

Model	Beam Angle	Tilt Angle	Dimming
Skypanel 60-C	115°	+/- 90°	0 to 100% continuous
Gemini 2×1	90° to 93°	N/A	0 to 100% continuous
Celeb 250	N/A	N/A	1% to 100% continuous

I’m assuming these lights don’t shift colors when dimming – at least I didn’t see any. I didn’t see any green color casts either.

The all-important photometrics data:

Model	Lux at 10 feet (5600K)	Lux at 10 feet (3200K)
Skypanel 60-C	1195*	1216*
Gemini 2×1	1079	906
Celeb 250	488 (color unavailable)	488 (color unavailable)

*With standard diffusion.

Let’s compare the lux/watt:

Model	Lux/watt at 10 feet (5600K)	Lux/watt at 10 feet (3200K)
Skypanel 60-C	2.66	2.7
Gemini 2×1	3.1	2.8
Celeb 250	3.25	3.25

There are differences, but they are negligible for a regular-size film operation. If you’re stacking together hundreds of these lights then the power draw makes a difference.

What’s instructive is the ratio between the Celeb 250 to the other two. E.g. to get 1100 lux you’ll need 2.25 Celebs, at $5,252. So from a purely light output standpoint the Arri Skypanel 60-C (Amazon, B&H) and the Litepanels Gemini 2×1 (Amazon, B&H) are neck and neck.

Why? This data is using a standard diffusion on the Arri vs the regular Gemini. You can change that for even more power on the SkyPanel.

What I’ve seen in practice is, as far as light output is concerned, the Arri Skypanel 60-C (Amazon, B&H) wins.

Color

Model	Hue-Saturation	White Balance	Green-Magenta Control
Skypanel 60-C	Full RGB+W Color Gamut	2800K to 10,000K	Fully Adjustable
Gemini 2×1	Full RGB+W Color Gamut	2700K to 6000K	Fully Adjustable
Celeb 250	Full RGB+W Color Gamut	2700K to 6500K (2500K to 9900K*)	Fully Adjustable

*In the extended Gel mode

The Arri Skypanel 60-C (Amazon, B&H) leads here as well. The range is just incredible.

Model	CRI	TLCI	Gels
Skypanel 60-C	> 95 Average	> 90 Average	Yes
Gemini 2×1	97 @5600K, 99 @3200K	97 @5600K, 99 @3200K	Yes
Celeb 250	N/A	N/A	Yes

At this level it’s pointless to look at CRI/TLCI levels. Cinematographers can see if something’s wrong immediately. I’ve lit faces with all of them and have had no green casts.

All three lights have options for gels. Whatever differences there are between the gels supported is not something I should be complaining about at my level.

Here are a couple of ungraded stills from Man May Love using both Celeb and Gemini (but not together!):

Man May Love was shot on the Red Monstro with Arri Master Anamorphic Primes. Read my review here.

Special effects

Model	Fire/Candle	Emergency (Blue-Red)	Other Notable
Skypanel 60-C	Yes	Yes	Paparazzi, Party Lights and more
Gemini 2×1	Yes	Yes	Paparazzi, Party Lights and more
Celeb 250	Yes	Yes	Paparazzi, Lightning and more

They all have special effect presets. I’ve only used the one on the Arri Skypanel 60-C (Amazon, B&H) and the Litepanels Gemini 2×1 (Amazon, B&H) and they work fine. Watching videos of the Celeb I have no doubt it works great as well.

Who dare complain? What’s the alternative?

Accessories and modifiers

All lights have remote control, DMX and wireless features. This is beyond my range of experience.

When it comes to mounts we have a clearer picture of why the light was made:

Mounting

Model	Mounting Options
Skypanel 60-C	28 mm Spigot (Junior Pin), Pole, Center-mounted yoke, Side handles, and more
Gemini 2×1	Junior Pin, Pole, Floor Standing
Celeb 250	Junior Pin, Pole, Center-mount (interchangeable, with offset), 4-point rope hanging, and more

The Litepanels Gemini 2×1 (Amazon, B&H) is clearly the weakest here. The Kino Flo Celeb 250 (Amazon, B&H) has its standard (and world-loved) center-mount lollipop system. It’s light enough to be hung from the ceiling.

The Arri Skypanel 60-C (Amazon, B&H) has all the options as well, though I’m skeptical how the center-mount works. Imagine adjusting it!

As far as mounting is concerned, the Kino Flo Celeb 250 (Amazon, B&H) wins. It’s really a great option for low-budget filmmaking or run-and-gun work.

Modifiers

Model	Grids	Diffusion	Softboxes
Skypanel 60-C	Yes	Yes	Yes
Gemini 2×1	Yes	Yes	Yes
Celeb 250	Yes	Yes	Yes

They all have proprietary modifiers. The grids and egg crates are extremely useful. I’ve used them often. The softboxes are only really useful in large sizes.

And Arri has multiple diffusion options, and for this reason I give this round to the Arri Skypanel 60-C (Amazon, B&H).

Range of lights in the family

When you have an entire product line to scale up or down to, you know the manufacturer has really thought this through.

And more importantly, they are committed to the line.

Model	Range in size (feet) and power (watts)
Skypanel 60-C	30-C (1×1, 220 W) to 360-C (4×3, 1600 W)
Gemini 2×1	Gemini 1×1 (1×1, 200 W)
Celeb 250	To Celeb 850 (4×2, 575 W)

The Litepanels Gemini 2×1 (Amazon, B&H) has just one sibling, the 1×1, and by far this is its greatest weakness. I can fully understand it, of course. They have just entered this highly competitive space.

But, as a rental solution, they were my last choice, and will remain so unless I have a family I can depend on.

The Kino Flo Celeb 250 (Amazon, B&H) has two bigger siblings. The 850 is particularly interesting. At 575 Watts the power is good enough for any AC outlet worldwide, and the size (4×2) is great for lighting faces. At about $7K the price is amazing as well.

Overall though, I’ll pick the Arri Skypanel 60-C (Amazon, B&H) and it’s extended range. I get 1600W in a 4×3 size. Not only can I light a face, I can light a face against a window!

Best light for cinematography grip and lighting trucks

The Arri Skypanel 60-C (Amazon, B&H) wins here. Arri’s commitment to this system has helped its adoption in the cinema market. Everyone else will have to just play catchup.

Here’s a short film shot using one Skypanel 60-C and a couple of 1.2K HMIs (Red Dragon, Arri Master Primes):

And here’s another one, where the night forest and candle scene at the end were keyed using 60-Cs; HMIs for the ambience (Arri Alexa LF, Zeiss Supreme Primes):

Best light for an owner (for high-end commercials or corporate videos)

I would not hesitate to recommend the Kino Flo Celeb 250 (Amazon, B&H) to the serious non-fiction filmmaker.

For these reasons:

1. Kino Flo lights and accessories are available worldwide for rent or purchase. If you need something, you’ll probably find it easiest and fastest.
2. The power output is good enough for interview setups, except when you have windows and need to match.
3. Great as hair lights or rim lights.
4. It’s lightweight. Easy for one-person crews, flying, transportation and mounting.
5. That center-mount system is fast and painless to reposition your light in any orientation.
6. The lower power helps in battery operation. It becomes practical.
7. Every accessory you can think of is already available. The system just gets out of your way.
8. You can buy two of them!
9. Easier to recover your investment when budgets are going south.
10. Because I told you so.

I hope you found this comparison useful. I do realize there are other options in the market – some cheaper and some not so cheap. These are the ones available to me, and the ones I would trust with my career.

That makes all the difference.