Westcott’s Skylux LED light brings powerful light into a studio without generating heat, and right now it’s nearly half price right now on B&H.
B&H is selling the kit at $450, a 44 percent decrease from their $799 price. This means that you can make use of the Bowens S-Mount and pick up a modifier with your savings. If you buy Westcott’s Rapid Box Octa XL you’ll still have $100 left over. Bear in mind that this package already comes with an umbrella.
In 2014, Dave Dugdale from “Learning DSLR Video” concluded in a video that while he loved the Westcott Skylux lights, $1,000 was too high for him. He compared it to the Alzo 3000, which was only $300 at the time but wasn’t perfect. So for $150 more you can now get the Westcott version.
The light has a CRI of 94 at 5,600K daylight. This is in contrast to some of Aperture’s latest lights that annoyingly have a 6,000K white balance and cost $650. Unfortunately the latest batch of LED lights have gotten some upgrades that the Skylux won’t have. Westcott’s version is only dimmable to 30 percent, and you can’t power them with a battery like some newer lights.
Nonetheless this could be great for photographers and videographers that are thinking about upgrading. These lights won’t make any noticeable noise, nor will they get too hot. As such they’re perfect constant lights for a small studio, especially if you’ve already got expensive Bowens mount modifiers.
Word up to VIDEOGRAPHERS wanting to use this. I bought the Skylux when it was first out (at $1K). I loved the quality of light, and it tested as very clean. BUT the "nearly silent" fan was picked up in EVERY shot by my shotgun mic. Yes. Regardless of whether the mic was pointed toward the light or away from it. Not until I got the light about 10+ feet from the mic did the noise get hard to hear. I corresponded with Westcott about this and they said they'd work on it. Don't know if they ever did. But "almost silent" is not "silent." Take note.
And RE the dimming to only 30%... Nothing that a Rosco ND gel can't handle!
Interesting! The general consensus from YouTube reviews was that noise wasn't an issue. I don't own the light myself though so can't vouch for that.
I'd love to see a noise comparison test between the Skylux and some newer equivalents.
Damn good price for this