I just came across this lighting option last night. https://www.lumecube.com/
I tried fruitlessly to find reviews and/or articles on using this item with macro photography, but there was nothing,,, seems to be popular with street sports and street portraits...
Wondering if anyone has had any experience using this item as macro lighting. It seems like it should be a killer option. All the power you could want, stupid small, no wires (so good for on the go). Of course you loose some of the pros of using a strobe, but gain the pros of using constant lighting (and again,, rediculously small) ... no reason I couldn't attach diffusers to it easily as well,, could even mount it in a softbox if so desired.
Would like to hear opinions before I purchase in case someone sees a serious issue that I have not thought of.
Lume Cube for Macro? Pros and Cons
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
I saw them on Kickstarter a while ago. They seemed to delivered the products without problems:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/11 ... a/comments
Don't know how well it works for macro. Maybe look into its CRI value and if there is a zoom function (sorry, I cannot remember).
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/11 ... a/comments
Don't know how well it works for macro. Maybe look into its CRI value and if there is a zoom function (sorry, I cannot remember).
Selling my Canon FD 200mm F/2.8 lens
The kickstarter aspect is long gone. They sell them all over now.
1.5" CUBE
150 LUX @ 9FT. (3M)
FULLY WATERPROOF UP TO 100 FEET
1/4 20 MOUNT ON BOTTOM
RECHARGEABLE VIA USB CABLE
BLUETOOTH CONTROL
30 MIN. @ FULL POWER 2HRS AT 50%
I'm not concerned about the product... just wondering if it seems like a good option for macro lighting.
1.5" CUBE
150 LUX @ 9FT. (3M)
FULLY WATERPROOF UP TO 100 FEET
1/4 20 MOUNT ON BOTTOM
RECHARGEABLE VIA USB CABLE
BLUETOOTH CONTROL
30 MIN. @ FULL POWER 2HRS AT 50%
I'm not concerned about the product... just wondering if it seems like a good option for macro lighting.
I am aware that it is now a commercially available product with good specifications. Just saying, you may want to look into color fidelity (CRI value). If CRI is over 90, it zooms and focuses well, and durability is fine, then I don't see why it would not work well for macro.
I use two of the following LED headlamps for casual macro, but their color is too blue (one can do camera white balance in custom kevin color temp though, say at 5000k): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SW ... UTF8&psc=1
I use two of the following LED headlamps for casual macro, but their color is too blue (one can do camera white balance in custom kevin color temp though, say at 5000k): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SW ... UTF8&psc=1
Selling my Canon FD 200mm F/2.8 lens
Zoom probably only matters for extreme macro with short working distance, say on-sensor magnification of over 5x, especially at 20x on-sensor where WD is short and light requirement is high.
If your subjects are big and never move, then you probably don't need zoom to concentrate all the lumens into a tight spot.
If your subjects are big and never move, then you probably don't need zoom to concentrate all the lumens into a tight spot.
Selling my Canon FD 200mm F/2.8 lens
This looks very neat. I just made my own sort of portable LED light, but which is a lot bulkier. The photo gallery on their website has a number of macro shots, so it seems entirely suitable for that purpose. Their technical specs don't list the CRI, though. I just wrote them an email and asked about it.
zzffnn wrote:
Without zoom you have to use snouts or masks to make a smaller spot of light on your diffusor. So both light and zoom adjustments are usefull. Unfortunately the Lume Cube has no zooming facility.
Troels
I would say that zooming capability of your light source can be convenient in any macro setting. It can make a great difference if you hit your diffusor with a big spot of light or a small one.Zoom probably only matters for extreme macro with short working distance, say on-sensor magnification of over 5x, especially at 20x on-sensor where WD is short and light requirement is high.
Without zoom you have to use snouts or masks to make a smaller spot of light on your diffusor. So both light and zoom adjustments are usefull. Unfortunately the Lume Cube has no zooming facility.
Troels
Troels Holm, biologist (retired), environmentalist, amateur photographer.
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