Powered by LiteGear 24×24″ Lighting Kit

Review by Michael Corsentino

I’m always on the lookout for high-quality tools that do double or even triple duty. One tool that can do multiple tasks means more bang for your gear buck and less equipment to buy and lug around. As much as I love strobes, they’re single-purpose tools confined exclusively to still-photography applications. On the other hand, LEDs provide continuous light that can be used for both video and still photography. The LED space has been heating up with some compelling introductions, LiteGear’s light panel technology chief among them.

Industry-leading, light bank manufacturer, Chimera Lighting, and LiteGear have joined forces to bring the new Chimera Lighting Panel Lantern Kit 1850 to market, a combination that delivers the best both companies have to offer.

This portable LED lighting kit has been designed around Chimera’s collapsible panel frame system. Its 2×2′, 5/8″ aircraft-grade aluminum tube frame is not only robust enough to stand up to rigorous daily use, but also very compact. It folds down to just 24″, and stores inside a 16x28x3″ ballistic nylon bag (included), making it perfect for smaller studios or on-the-go field use. The entire kit weighs less than 6 lbs! (My back is thanking me already.)

The LiteGear LED engines in the foldable panel lantern deliver high-quality, white light adjustable from 2600–6000K with a CRI and TLCI >95, which means accurate color across its power range. Fully dimmable and CCT-adjustable using LiteGear’s flicker-free dimmer control, intensity and color temperature can be easily adjusted with a finger roll or thumb swipe along the dimmer control unit.

A portable and durable, half gridless fabric lantern is included to soften and diffuse illumination. The Panel Lantern can also be combined with an optional skirt panel kit—ideal for downlighting.

Mounting options, ranging from a standard grip head, specially designed Matthews 2.5″ grip head, or the panel clamp’s 5/8 baby pin, make it easy to attach to a light stand or boom arm. The power supply pouch (included) and magnetically backed dimmer control unit can be joined and hung, wherever needed, for easy access.

The Chimera Lighting Panel Lantern Kit 1850 is the perfect multipurpose tool for electronic news gathering, video interview lighting, still photography, and portrait photography. ■