{"id":92897,"date":"2017-07-27T06:00:50","date_gmt":"2017-07-27T11:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=92897"},"modified":"2017-07-27T09:14:04","modified_gmt":"2017-07-27T14:14:04","slug":"tungsten-lights-still-vital-filmmaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/tungsten-lights-still-vital-filmmaking\/","title":{"rendered":"Are the Days of Tungsten Lighting Over?"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the introduction of the Arri Skypanels, the Digital Sputnik, and many others, is\u00a0LED lighting the future of filmmaking?<\/h2>\n

Cover image via Shutterstock<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a big proponent of LED lighting<\/strong>. I use LEDs on nearly every shoot. However, I also have tungsten fixtures<\/strong> wherever I go. Yes, tungsten lighting does have some drawbacks. They’re\u00a0hot. They’re\u00a0power-hungry, and they’re\u00a0not daylight-balanced. However, tungsten lighting is still (and will remain) a vital tool in the filmmaker’s arsenal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/a>Image via B&H<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

There are certain things that a tungsten light can do that modern LEDs just can\u2019t. For these reasons, I still continue to use these invaluable tools on set. I\u2019m going to break down the four reasons why I think we\u2019ll still be seeing tungsten lighting on sets for many years to come.<\/p>\n

Light Quality <\/b><\/h3>\n

The quality of light from a tungsten source\u00a0simply outperforms LEDs. They’re color-balanced perfectly at 100 CRI<\/strong>. I also love how much control a good fresnel light<\/strong> offers\u00a0with the beam of light. Yes, there are fresnel LED options out on the market. However, they don\u2019t have the same sharp quality to their spot or smoothness to their flood. LED options simply can\u2019t match this feature quite yet. The fact that the fresnel lenses are so great inside tungsten fixtures<\/strong> means this light will be around for years to come.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0tungsten source can also be about as raw as you can get \u2014 especially with open-face options. This gives you more control as a cinematographer<\/strong> to shape the lights for the scene.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/a>Image via Resolution Rentals<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Price<\/b><\/h3>\n

Quality LED lighting is expensive. Tungsten lighting is less expensive. It\u2019s as simple as that. You can look at any rental house’s pricing list, and tungsten fixtures will always be cheaper than LEDs<\/strong>. For budget shoots, tungsten packages are great way to go because they will give you the most raw and punchy output that you could want. LED prices have become more affordable over the years, and they may even catch up at some point \u2014 but not yet.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve even seen many rental houses offer discounts on their tungsten packages<\/strong>. Also, when looking to purchase your own set of lights, tungsten sources are usually still cheaper than LED sources<\/strong>. I always find it wise to have a good mix of LED and tungsten sources as each type of lighting is its own paintbrush. Different scenes require different approaches.<\/p>\n

\"Are
\n<\/a>Image via B&H<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Build Quality<\/b><\/h3>\n

Tungsten light sources are built like tanks. I\u2019ve used Mole Richardson<\/a> heads that are older than I am. These lights were built to last<\/strong> through years of hard work on sets, and those same lights are still ready to work today.<\/p>\n

While tungsten lights may be power hungry, hot, and raw, they are still fantastic tools<\/strong> that help filmmakers tell our stories. I still plan on using tungsten lighting in the years to come.<\/p>\n

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Do you only used LEDs now or are you using a mixture of light sources?<\/strong> Let us know in the comments.<\/p>\n

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For more information on LEDs and tungsten lighting, check out these articles.<\/p>\n