Light your photos, videos with Fotodiox Pro compact FlapJack LED panels
The new edge-lit circular and rectangular panels are thin and light enough to stick in your bag and let you put light where other panels might be just too big.
- More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
Fotodiox Pro's FlapJack Edgelight series of LED lights are capable of lighting scenes in ways you never thought possible.
Unlike the forward-facing LED panels you're probably familiar with, the edge-mounted LEDs in these panels are aimed in toward the center and fired through diffusion materials. The company says this provides soft, even light without hotspots. (It likely helps keep costs and power demands in check.)
The LED design allows the panels to be super-compact -- just 0.5 inch thick (1.3 cm) at their thinnest point -- so you can slip one or two in your camera bag.
The lights are dimmable from 10 to 100 percent, with no change in color temperature (5500k). They're available in four sizes, two round and two rectangles, and can be powered by either the included AC power or a rechargeable battery.
You can see them in action in the video above or head to Fotodiox's site for more details. Also, the company is keeping an eye on the YouTube comments, so you can ask questions about the lights and get them answered.
Prices for the circular 7-inch and 10-inch panels (17.8 and 25.4 cm) are $300 and $400, respectively; that converts to about £185/AU$345 and £250/AU$460. The 8-by-5-inch panel (20.3 by 12.7 cm) is $250, which converts to about £165/AU$285, and the larger 11-by-4.25-inch panel (28 by 10.8 cm) will set you back $300. They will soon be available in the UK through Amazon and ProAV, and Fotodiox also provides international shipping through its site.