IBC 2017 News: ARRI’s All-New SkyPanel S-360-C
ARRI’s New SkyPanel S-360 is a large-scale LED light that outputs enormous amounts of light with new advancements in LED lighting.
Cover image via ARRI.
In just the last couple of years, we’ve seen drastic improvements in light quality and output with LED fixtures. The latest ARRI SkyPanel S-360 will be one of the most powerful and controllable LED fixtures on the market.
Output
The ARRI SkyPanel’s light output is enormous. SkyPanels already have a reputation for the great amount of light output they’re capable of — coupled with a soft light quality. The S-360 is a giant step forward in the advancement of LED technology. If you’ve worked with a SkyPanel before, you’ve seen how great a tool it can be. The SkyPanel 360 offers more output than four SkyPanel S-60s. Check out this statement from ARRI:
At over 120,000 lumens, the S360-C is one of the brightest LED soft lights on the market. Compared to the S60-C, the S360-C is more than four times brighter and maintains excellent color quality and tunability. Consuming only 1500 watts, the S360-C is twice as bright as a 4,000-watt tungsten soft light and over three times as bright as a 12,000-watt tungsten space light. Achieving an energy efficacy of over 80 lumens per watt, the S360-C is also one of the most eco-friendly LED soft lights available while also being one of the brightest.
Quality
Soft lighting works on the idea that the larger the aperture, the softer quality of light. Inherently, the SkyPanel S-360 features a much larger aperture, thus providing a softer quality light to wrap more around faces and cast softer shadows. The light will also feature a much longer throw than its predecessors. According to ARRI,
Soft lights are all about size, the larger the aperture the better. With the S360-C, size has not been compromised. The surface area of the S360-C is over 5.8 times larger than the S60 and produces beautiful soft light in a wide 105º beam angle. The light will wrap around large objects and throw much farther than the smaller SkyPanels.
Image via ARRI.
Tuneability
The SkyPanel S-360 features all the same controllability and tuneability that we love from the original SkyPanel line: fully dimmable LEDs, color tunable lights, and the same range of diffusion panels from previous lines. Although this light weighs a hefty 90lbs, with its natural, soft source, it leaves a smaller footprint on set compared to a heavily diffused HMI source.
SkyPanel is one of the only LED soft lights to allow for the changing of diffusion panels in front of the LEDs. This feature is also offered with the S360-C. The diffusion panels are exchangeable and come in Lite, Standard, Heavy, and Intensifier. The Intensifier increases S360’s brightness by 50%, allowing the light to be thrown even farther.
Carbon Fiber Yoke
One of the unique and exclusive features of the SkyPanel S-360 is the carbon fiber yoke. The carbon fiber yoke features a 50% reduction in weight of the previous stainless steel yoke and provides more strength to the lighting unit.
The SkyPanel S-360-C is one of the most exciting lighting fixtures to come out in recent years. With its versatility, functionality, and output, it’s bound to become a staple on many sets.
