As LED lights get more powerful, they are nearly rivaling cameras for space at trade shows. With super bright arrays that can cover nearly the entire color spectrum and have app-controlled visual effects, these lights are a benefit to any content creator. Throw in the ability to change color shades to millions of different colors via a mobile app, and you'll save thousands of dollars and countless hours for a gaffer.
Let's take a look at what was shown at CP+ 2022.
Casting Colorful Shade
Not only is brightness an important feature of a content creator’s lighting package, but a colorful array of lights can create the necessary mood, providing an additional layer to set the scene. Since RGB LEDs can now be computer- and app-controlled, these low-powered diodes can be adjusted to create millions of colors.
Godox’s new TL 120 RGB Tube Lights can be deployed all over a scene to set the tone of the story and make the lighting tell part of your image instead of just illuminating it.
Showcased at CP+, the TL 120 line can be found in various lengths from 11.8” to 46”, and can be controlled via remote or through the Godox app from up to 164 feet away.
Godox TL KitsCredit: Godox
The TL 120s are 100% dimmable and enjoy a color temperature range of 2700-6500K, and a CRI/TLCI rating of 96/98. Effects include RGB, HSI, CCT, Gel, and FX controls for a vast array of multi-color options.
If the TL120 has a wrap against it, it would be its limited battery life of 150 minutes before needing to swap out its lithium-ion batteries. So if you're shooting a long day on set, connecting via AC power cord will solve that problem.
Godox TL RGB Tube Light
- olor Temperature Range: 2700-6300K
- RGB, CCT, and HSI Color Modes
- Full Gamut Color Mixing
- Hue and Saturation Control
- Advanced Green/Magenta Control
- 13 Tunable Effects
- 0-100% Dimming, Bluetooth Control
- Integrated Li-Ion Battery, USB-C Port
Double Rainbow All the Way
Quasar Science showed off its Rainbow 2 and Double Rainbow RGBX LED Tube Lights at CP+, and these lights take the tube LED design to the next level. Originally announced in December 2020, these super colorful rainbow tubes had to wait for Vitec to complete their acquisition of Quasar to make it to the market, and it’s easy to see that it has been well worth the wait.
Coming in three different sizes from two to eight feet in length, the Rainbow 2 offers between 10, 24, and 48 pixels. The Double Rainbow is twice this and comes in two different lengths of 2 feet and 4 feet, with up to 48 individually addressable LEDs for minute control of how much light and color you want to cast on the scene.
Quasar says that its RGBX Spectral Science Color Engine is the lighting industry’s most advanced color science and offers more than a billion unique colors making it ideal for “the entire array of filmmaker needs, from small independent setups to big studio lighting systems.” And we wouldn’t presume to debate them.
The lights also work in either wired or wireless configurations and support RJ45 and wireless control protocols including DMX, CRMX, W-DMX, Bluetooth, sACN, and Art-Net. This translates to control via app, but with any networked lighting system currently in use without having to purchase any intermediary gear.
The Rainbow 2 is available starting at $625 for two feet, with a four-footer for $850 and a lengthy eight-footer for $1,400. The Double Rainbow is also available for preorder for $1,000 and $1,400 for its two and four-foot sections respectively. Both models also come in two- and four-light kits with hard cases and additional accessories.
Quasar Science Rainbow 2 Linear RGBX LED
- 1750-10,000K Color Temp, 95/95 CRI/TLCI
- 100-0% Dimming, Flicker-Free
- RGBX Spectral Science Color Engine
- Full Gamut Color Mixing
- Hue and Saturation Control
- Ossium Mounting System Compatibility
- Local, Bluetooth, Wired & Wireless DMX
- Multi-Voltage AC, Optional Battery Power
Which One to Get
Between Godox and Quasar Science, the only difference seems to be budget.
But we'd be wrong to think that. While both provide some strong color options and sizes, one is not like the other. The Godox TL 120 RGB Tube Lights are a great solution for budget productions and content creators. You can use these lights in a myriad of different ways and control them from a single source.
The Quasar tubes, on the other hand, are overdesigned fixtures for productions with advanced needs such as DMX. You unfortunately also have to pay for it, even if they are a bit dimmer than their Godox cousins.
If budget is no problem, you might still have to use the Godox tubes. It all depends on the needs of your production. While both lights might look the same, they're a little different under the hood and fit slightly different workflows. Test them both to see what your production needs.
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