This is a new improved version of Rosco's DL Litepad...

Product Overview

Overall rating:

86%
Overall score:86%

Pros:

  • A bright, heat-free light source

Cons:

  • Quite pricey for amateurs, restricted to indoor use by plug

Product:

Rosco Litepad HO

Price as reviewed:

£70.00

This is a new improved version of Rosco’s DL Litepad and is designed specifically for film, video and stills photography. The HO (high output) Litepad claims to be 33% brighter than the original and has a true daylight colour temperature of 6,000K.

Continuous tungsten and fluorescent lighting has been popular with digital photographers for a while but the latest LED versions have allowed units to be more portable and remain completely cool – which is very handy for product photography, or frozen subjects. Continuous lighting has seen further benefits as DSLR users start to experiment with the latest HD movie modes on their cameras and means that subjects can be properly lit for video to the same degree as for a still.

Rosco is a big name in the film world and its Litepads are already popular on film sets, and are also used on a larger scale to light the White House press room. This new range includes smaller units from just 6 x 3in in size that are more affordable for the photography enthusiast and also suitable for close-up and fill-in use in tight spaces.

The version tested was the 12 x 6in panel (retailing at around £200). At close proximity it gave a boost of around three stops and at one metre provided similar light levels to a 200W tungsten bulb – pretty impressive seeing it is only drawing around 12W. Unlike other LED solutions it uses mains power rather than battery, but this isn’t a problem for indoor use.

Verdict

Overall, this is a great solution for product photography and even portraits and, though it is a little on the pricey side, is definitely worth considering for studio use.