by Mitch Gross

Even with the fast pace of technical innovation seen in many areas of the motion picture industry, there still exists an underlying craftwork apprenticeship system that favors traditional methods and tools imparted over generations. This has been particularly true in the realm of lighting, where technological progress has been relatively slow and conservative. Many professionals still prefer to light exclusively with traditional tungsten fixtures, thanks to the quality and control of light they provide. Recent developments in LED technology, however, are beginning to change this. More »

Every manufacturer has a unique approach to building lighting units. Each chooses to favor certain aspects over others: low power use, maximum brightness, beam control, ruggedness, weight, color accuracy, weatherproof, price. Depending on your needs, Abel has the lighting gear that’s most appropriate.

What’s so special about the products from each of our manufacturers?

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Interpreting a spec sheet can be a daunting task. With lighting instruments it can be particularly difficult, as the primary question always comes down to “What does the light look like?”

For this comparison Mitch Gross, used three light fixtures that are similar in size and wattage, and all use tungsten quartz bulbs: Lowel Pro, ARRI Junior 150 and Dedolight DLHM4-300.

First, he compiled the specs into a comparison chart (see below). To get the full story, Mitch then set up the three lights side-by-side to see what kind of light they actually put out. Different technology in the reflectors and lenses makes for very different performance at different prices. More »