Creamsource makes a splash with soft-hearted hard light

The Vortex8 is a 650W high-power LED in a 2x1 form factor. It is built to survive rough handling, especially in the rental market, and is a bit of a heavyweight at 13.7kg (excluding the removable quick-release yoke – which weighs an additional 1.98kg), although as its power supply unit is built in to the light, simplifying rigging and cabling, that’s still reasonable.

It is built using precision-machined aluminium extrusions and high-strength die casting using technopolymer components and aerospace-grade sealing technology, with an IP65 water-resistant rating. Indeed, Creamsource is so sure of its rugged build that it offers a five-year warranty.

It is designed to produce a narrow beam angle and high light output. Its narrow source is concentrated with a precision lens array to provide a 20° beam angle, which yields 13,900 lux at 3m in 5600K, with “a dollar per Watt ratio of $7.69 per Watt making it a high value, extremely versatile lighting system”, according to Creamsource CEO, Tama Berkeljon.

“When you need to light large areas, you may have tens to hundreds of fixtures and costs can quickly climb as higher illumination levels or larger coverages are required,” he said. “In terms of dollars per Watt, the narrow beam angle of the Vortex8 and the high wattage design is able to cover more area with fewer units.”

The Vortex8 panel design can be adapted from punchy to soft light, allowing users to bring the fixture closer to the subject without the loss of space. “Point sources are great, but they require more room for diffusion, whereas a panel design like Vortex8 is already spread out so you can get it closer to your subject and diffuse it right there and still use it in tight spots where other fixtures would have an overly deep footprint,” explained Berkeljon.

The light has a TLCI rating of 94 at 3200K and 96.4 at 5600K. It uses a RGBW LED system with correlated colour temperature from 2200K to 15000K and can become a creamy soft light with either a Creamsource Dome or DoP Choice Snapbag. There are two filter rails for secondary lenses, diffusers and accessories. For more versatility, the Vortex8 macro-level controls let users manipulate up to eight individual zones, which can each be a different colour, using effects and colour gels built into the latest CreamOS architecture.

Dimming is 0-100% with a high resolution, super-smooth low-end mode and high-speed capability of over 5,000 frames per second flicker free in high-speed mode. There is a sync input for triggering and syncing to the camera shutter.

The Vortex8 also uses a novel eight-point attachment system, with two points on each corner, for rigging, allowing a multitude of safe mounting configurations, including linking multiple units. The fixture uses “an ultra-quiet fan-based system with optimum thermal efficiency”, while the placement of the variable speed fans and heatsink allows for core electronics to be sealed and isolated.

For power, the unit can take in 48v DC (max 13A) and can run at 100% brightness from DC. It can also take 100-240v AC, 50/60Hz, max 8A, via a Neutrik PowerConTrue connector.

The Vortex8 is due to ship in the Autumn for $4,999.