LED lights

Fixture type. A COB point source in a Bowens mount is the most flexible: bare it is hard, in a softbox it is soft, in a Fresnel it throws. Panels (Aputure Nova P300c, Nova P600c) are soft out of the box but hard to control. Tubes and bars — INFINIBAR PB6 and PB12, Ulanzi LA30 — are for edges, practicals and colour. Flexible mats fit where nothing else does.

Output and how it is stated. Compare lux at a fixed distance with the same reflector, not watts. Two 300 W fixtures can differ by more than a stop.

Colour. CRI and TLCI above 95 are the working minimum; the SSI figures on Aputure's datasheets are the more honest measure. Bi-colour tunes between tungsten and daylight; RGB adds hue and saturation for practicals and background.

Power and mount. Mains, V-mount battery or both decides where the light can go. Bowens is the modifier mount most of this shelf shares.

Aputure and Godox make most of the range, with SmallRig's RC series and Ulanzi's portable COB lights covering the value end. Most models show a price; where one says Request price, we confirm price and lead time on your quote.