Difference between revisions of "Lighting Equipment in the Lynda Lab"

Revision as of 14:15, 6 January 2025

Lights

Nanlite MixPanel

What’s included in the Nanlite MixPanel bag:

• Nanlite MixPanel 60
• Power cable
• DC15 Adapter
• Barn Doors

Instruction Manual

The Nanlite MixPanel fits on all the stands found in the Lynda Lab. The wheel located on the base of the MixPanel when loosened allows for the base to fit over the stud on each of the stands, tighten said wheel to lock it back in place.

If using the adapter: Plug the power cable into an outlet on the wall, the other end of the cable plugs into the adapter itself. This adapter plugs directly into the back of the light, and there is a v-mount on the back of the light above the inputs to attach the adapter to the MixPanel itself. This is recommended to allow for the cable from the adapter to not be strained, and to save some space on the floor.

If using a battery: That’s right, there are batteries! Found on the bench in the back corner, these batteries can simply slide into that v-mount on the back of the MixPanel. Make sure to put the batteries back on the charger when you are finished using them.

The back of the Nanlite MixPanel has 3 dials and 8 buttons on the back. Here is a quick overview as to what they do:

• CCT: This is your basic white light. Pressing the button allows you to switch between a hard and soft light. The left dial dims and brightens, the middle dial adjusts warmth, the right dial adjusts tint.
• HSI: This is your color light. The left dial dims and brightens, the middle dial adjusts hue, the right dial adjusts the saturation.
• RGB: Another color light. This one allows you to adjust the color using RGB values. The right dial allows you to select between red, green, blue, and white percentage. The middle dial allows for you to adjust those values.
• Gel: Another color light. This one is based around gel presets. The left dial dims and brightens, the middle adjusts warmth (3200k or 5600k), the right dial adjusts the color.
• Effect: This setting allows you to switch between different flashing and looping light effects. The left dial dims, the right dial allows you to select which setting you want to change, the center dial adjusts the setting selected by the right dial.
• Preset: This button allows you to save lighting presets. This makes it easier if you need to move the lights around and need to go back to previously used
• Menu: Allows you to adjust the general settings of the light itself. Most of the time this option will not be necessary for Lynda Lab use.
• Lock: Allows for you to lock in whatever light setting you have enabled. Long press the button lock/unlock. This setting ensures that even if a light gets bumped or moved, the setting won’t accidentally change.

For more specific guidance on the different settings, consult the instruction manual found in the Nanlite MixPanel bag.

A set of barn doors can be found in MixPanel case. These clip into the brackets on the edge of the front of the MixPanel. These allow you to change the direction of and shape the light.

Nanlite Tubes

Two sizes of Nanlite Tubes can be found in the Lynda Lab, 2 feet and 4 feet. Both sizes operate the exact same way. These lights are rechargeable, meaning you do not need to worry about placing them near outlets. However, before leaving the Lynda Lab, please make sure that Nanlite Tubes that have been used get plugged in, so they are ready for the next user. One end of the Nanlite tube has the input for the charger. The other side has two knobs, the on/off switch, a screen on the back of the light, and two buttons. These buttons are labeled ‘Mode’ and ‘Lock’. Long pressing the lock button allows you to lock or unlock the settings you have in place, this makes it so the settings won’t get accidentally changed if you need to move the light. The mode button switches between these 4 modes that the Nanlite tubes offer:

• CCT: This is your basic white light. Offers a range of warm to cool tones of light.
• HSI: A colored light. This light also has adjustable hue and saturation.
• Effect: This mode lets you switch between multiple different looping and flashing effects.
• Menu: This mode allows you to adjust the general setting of the light itself. You should not need to change these settings for general lab use.

There are a few accessories in the Lynda Lab that are exclusively used with the Nanlite Tubes. The smaller 3’ Black Impact Stands are outfitted with clear brackets designed to hold onto one tube. Found on the rack in the back of the room are larger brackets designed to hold more lights. These can be screwed onto any of the stands found in the Lynda Lab. The smaller clear brackets have a clip built in them to make that the light is secure. The other, larger brackets do not have clips and require a small amount of extra force to be put in and removed from the bracket.

Nanlite Forza 60C

Here in the Lynda Lab, we have a set of 3 Nanlite Forza 60C lights with some accessories. These can be found in the larger black hard case. These lights are a bit more directional than the other lights mentioned previously. Despite this, they are still highly versatile. Each light can be screwed on to any of the stands that are in the Lynda Lab. They each have a protective cap on the front of them. This cap also acts as a mild diffuser. To remove this cap as well as any other attachments, press the button found directly above where the light comes out of. This is the release, which will allow you to screw out the attachment. This cap must be removed to put on other attachments like the softboxes or the projection attachment. When putting on attachments, you should hear a click when it is in place. The Nanlite Forza 60C lights have 4 modes that can be switched between using the ‘mode’ button:

• CCT: This is your basic white light. Offers a range of warm to cool tones of light.
• HSI: A colored light. This light also has adjustable hue and saturation.
• Effect: This mode lets you switch between multiple different looping and flashing effects.
• Menu: This mode allows you to adjust the general setting of the light itself. You should not need to change these settings for general lab use.

To adjust these settings, each of these lights has two dials on the back of them, right below the screen. The dial on the left, with the blue accent, is used to adjust whichever setting you have selected. The dial on the right changes which setting you have selected.

If you would like to add more shape or texture to the Forza 60C we have a projection attachment, the PJ-FMM-19! This lens screws onto the front of the Forza and allows for the use of 4 different gobos. These add different textures to your light like a foliage or blinds effect. Each gobo can be slid into the mount, and the mount can slide into the slot just in front of the cutters. The gobos are labeled with their effect and can be found in the same bag as the lens. This attachment comes with built-in cutters which allow you to shape the light for whatever your shoot needs. The black knob towards the front of the attachment allows you to focus and unfocus the light. When using this attachment, it is recommended to mount the attachment to the stand rather than the light. This should help with balance, as this attachment will make it front heavy.

Nanlite PavoBulb 10C

The Lynda Lab has a set of 4 Nanlite PavoBulbs. These lights are quite a lot of fun, but more situational than some of the other lights in this space. The easiest way to power these lights in this space is by using their magnetic bases (AS-MBA-E27) and a power cable. This way these lights can stick to anything magnetic in the lab, or anything that you potentially bring with you for shooting. The lights can also be powered through a USB-C connection. A few USB-C cables are included in the kit.

Three buttons can be found on the PavoBulb itself. These buttons (Dim, Mode, CCT/hue) allow you to change the brightness, and color of the lights. If you want a bit more control over the settings and feedback from the light, use one of the controllers found in the kit. The controller allows for exact control over the PavoBulb like you would get from any of the other Nanlite options:

• CCT: This is your basic white light. Offers a range of warm to cool tones of light.
• HSI: A colored light. This light also has adjustable hue and saturation.
• Effect: This mode lets you switch between multiple different looping and flashing effects.
• Menu: This mode allows you to adjust the general setting of the light itself. You should not need to change these settings for general lab use.

The PavoBulbs also come with some plastic diffusion disc which has a suction cup that can be applied directly to the bulb. You can spin the topmost disc to adjust the diffusion and tighten the central knob to stop the disc from accidentally moving.

Here is an in-depth tutorial as to how our PavoBulb kit works.