So you’re an aspiring photographer who stumbled upon LED COB lights along the way, and you want to find out if these bad boys are good for studio photography, huh? Well, you came to the right place.
Today, we’re going to take a deep dive into the world of LED lights and try and figure out whether LED COB is good or not (although we have a clue already) for your studio environment. Sounds good? Let’s get to it then.
What Are LED COB Lights And Are They Right For Your Studio?
As you already know, LED COB lighting or lights with chip on board LED are tightly packed LED chips that produce a much more powerful and uniform light beam compared to traditional DIP LEDs. Why? Well, they’re built directly onto the circuit board. So, you’re essentially eliminating a lot of other components of a diode which is why you can solder more of them onto the same surface.
This means that if you’re looking for a more powerful light source for your studio, COB LEDs are the way to go.
Do LED COB Lights Run Hot?
COB LEDs generate up to 25% less heat than regular LEDs. However, there are more of them occupying the same space. So, when you add those numbers up, you get a hotter piece of tech. This can be problematic if you’re not using the light correctly. If you’re not careful, you might end up damaging your equipment.
Now, to be fair, they’re nowhere near as hot as incandescent or other lights, but since they’re so tightly wound up – they run hot.
This is why it’s essential to use only the best LED COB lights with a proper heatsink and cooling system in place. Otherwise, you’re risking ruining your photoshoot.
So, with that being said, are these good for studio photography? Absolutely! Here’s why.
Advantages Of LED COB Lights For Studio Photography
Since you’re already familiar with this technology, and quite frankly, getting too technical with it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t look at practical use, we’ve decided to go straight to the point – the advantages you get from these lights.
So, we’ve said that these are great for studio photography, and now it’s time for us to show you why. Here are five reasons why!
Compact Design
COLBOR develops and offers a line of LED COB lights for both studio and home recording that are both powerful and small! These lights are densely packed, meaning that the gap between diodes is fairly narrow. Therefore, the size of the actual piece of equipment is compact, too.
How does this translate to an advantage? Well, you can easily carry it around with you, set it up quickly, and most importantly – save a lot of space in your studio. What once was an array of chunky key lights and other equipment is now a single light source that is as powerful as your whole previous setup.
Cost-Efficiency
As we’ve mentioned before, these lights produce a much more potent (you can easily find a COB LED lumen 100 gear) and uniform light beam. This means that you can get away with using fewer of them while still getting the same, if not better, results.
This is perfect for those who are just starting out with photography because let’s face it – studio equipment is expensive. So, by investing in only a couple of these bad boys, you’re saving a lot of money that you can put towards other necessary photography gear.
Uniform Light Beam
As we’ve said, one of the main advantages of these lights is that they produce a powerful but uniform light beam. This means that there are no hotspots or dark areas (unless you want them) in your frame.
This is extremely important because it allows you to get the perfect exposure and crisp shadows every single time without having to worry about those pesky hotspots ruining your photo.
RGB Capabilities
Another great advantage of LED COB lights is that some of them offer RGB capabilities. This means that you can change the colour and temperature of the light, which gives you a lot more control over your photography.
For example, if you’re shooting a fashion photo, you can easily change the colour of the light to match your model’s clothing and create a cohesive look – if that’s what you’re going for. We’re just spitballing, after all.
Or, if you’re shooting a food video, you can make the COB LED video light warmer to make the food look more appetizing.
The possibilities are endless!
Scene And Mood-setting
As said previously, one of the most significant advantages of these lights is that you can change the colour temperature and create different moods and scenes, whether you’re shooting stunning portraits or filming a commercial.
For instance, if you’re shooting a romantic scene, you can make the light warmer to create a more intimate feel.
Or, if you’re photographing a dark scene, you can make the light colder to create a more eerie atmosphere. Intense and horror-like photography is pretty popular these days, so setting the mood with the lights can really come in handy.
Of course, you will do colour correction in the post, but it helps when you start on the right foot.
Longer-lasting
Last but not least, these lights have a longer lifespan than traditional incandescent lights. In fact, they can last up to 10 times as long. This means that you won’t have to replace them as often, which will save you time and money in the long run, even if you have to spend a bit extra in the beginning.
Conclusion
Studio photography can be expensive, especially when you’re just starting out. However, by investing in a couple of these COB LED lights, you’re saving yourself a lot of money in the long run.
Not only do they produce a more robust and uniform light beam than traditional incandescent lights, but they also offer RGB capabilities, which allow you to change the colour and temperature of the light to create different moods and scenes. Plus, their longer lifespan means that you won’t have to replace them as often – meaning that you’ll save even more in the long run.
All in all, these lights will be a perfect addition to your photography studio, and we can’t wait to see the stunning photographs you’ll produce under these new lights!
