videodan

I'm going to share an e-mail I received from Paul at Light & Motion regarding two new LED lights. The first one should be available in December. Remember, L&M is a leading producer of bike lights, which is where they got their start. One thing not included in this message but they told me previously is that they are expecting about 6 times longer burn time compared to the HID's. Just don't quote me on that. They have been experimenting with these for a while and have said the higher lumen LED light penetrates the water much better than any other type of light. Again, please don't quote me on this yet either. These were mentioned to me over the phone a few weeks ago, and I'm relaying this to the best of my recollection. With all the advantages of these, and being only $400 more than the HID's, I think they will be a great addition to anyones housing. They should have some on display at DEMA, October 31-November 3. I'm going to be there and will take pictures of all the new gear that's coming out. Here's the e-mail:

Hey Dan,
Attached is photo of the new Sunray LED video light. This is a tight shot so you can see the peened reflectors.
Our 21w HID output is 1302 lumens. The new LED light will produce 2000 lumens. That’s a 35% increase in light output. The beam angle is the same.
There are 18 LEDs in this head. It’s the same body as the current 21w HID but with a new bezel.
The bezel will feature a 52mm thread system so a user can attach filters to change the color temperature.
The batteries are Li-ion and will burn for 90 minutes on high.
One of the cool things about LEDs are that they are “Instant On”. You can turn them ON/OFF like a light switch, unlike HIDs which of course take time to warm up.
Also cool, LEDs are solid state. Customers will NEVER replace a bulb again. Compare that to the cost of a replacement HID bulb ($350).
A dual light system is anticipated to sell for $3,799 retail.
We are also making a 9 LED version for around $2,999.
The 9 LED version will ship in December. The 18 LED version will ship around March/April because we have to make a new battery pod.
Feel free to post this if you want.

Best Regards,

Paul Barnett

Light & Motion

831-645-1525

http://www.joby.com/...llapod/slrzoom/
I just ordered one of these for myself, and thought others here might be interested also. This looks like it would be very useful for underwater macro shooters. I ordered the heavy duty model (SLR-Zoom) that supports 6 lbs, which should be plenty underwater. Also view the Joby home page to see the other uses for this product.
Dan