Warning dont order from these people
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400492854370?var=670096208542&ssPageName=STRK These people are less than honest in there dealings. They sent me the wrong product and they know it and dont care. They went...
Forum Discussion
Hmmm... three panels not EVEN as bright as a single 18-watt bulb - that is indeed a serious shortfall in performance. I wonder if the panels you received are either wired for a different (i.e., higher) voltage or perhaps even a constant current power supply.
Since the panels you have are pretty useless as-is and returning them to China isn't really practical due to the cost, perhaps you ought to experiment with one of the panels and try a higher voltage - 18 or even 24 Vdc if you have the capability. You could even try interconnecting several 9V batteries; internal impedance of the batteries will likely cut down the effective voltage substantially, but there may be enough power to at least briefly test the panel.
I've been experimenting off and on for the last year or so to find suitable LED lighting for indoor photography. The technology is getting there, but hasn't quite made it into commercially packaged products. Nearly all LED lighting systems for photography consist of large panels populated with dozens or even hundreds of low-to-medium power LED elements.
A few months ago, I bought bits and pieces from several China-based eBay suppliers and was able to construct a 100W "single" element LED that generates 16,000 lumens. It requires a constant-current power supply, liquid cooling, a fan, reflector and focus lens... but boy does it put out the light! The light itself will actually warm your hand if you place it a foot or so in front of the beam, it's that strong. I still haven't figured out how to package the parts for use as a photo flood, so it's still sitting in a cardboard box. A metal cylinder in between the size of a 1-pound and 3-pound coffee can would probably do the trick, but the metal would have to be slightly more substantial to handle all of the mounting hardware and to dissipate heat effectively.
Anyway, the point is that I know it is very much possible to squeeze inordinate amounts of light out of these newer LEDs and there must be some way to (literally) make your 5050s shine... you just have to be willing to blow some of them up in the process.
Since the panels you have are pretty useless as-is and returning them to China isn't really practical due to the cost, perhaps you ought to experiment with one of the panels and try a higher voltage - 18 or even 24 Vdc if you have the capability. You could even try interconnecting several 9V batteries; internal impedance of the batteries will likely cut down the effective voltage substantially, but there may be enough power to at least briefly test the panel.
I've been experimenting off and on for the last year or so to find suitable LED lighting for indoor photography. The technology is getting there, but hasn't quite made it into commercially packaged products. Nearly all LED lighting systems for photography consist of large panels populated with dozens or even hundreds of low-to-medium power LED elements.
A few months ago, I bought bits and pieces from several China-based eBay suppliers and was able to construct a 100W "single" element LED that generates 16,000 lumens. It requires a constant-current power supply, liquid cooling, a fan, reflector and focus lens... but boy does it put out the light! The light itself will actually warm your hand if you place it a foot or so in front of the beam, it's that strong. I still haven't figured out how to package the parts for use as a photo flood, so it's still sitting in a cardboard box. A metal cylinder in between the size of a 1-pound and 3-pound coffee can would probably do the trick, but the metal would have to be slightly more substantial to handle all of the mounting hardware and to dissipate heat effectively.
Anyway, the point is that I know it is very much possible to squeeze inordinate amounts of light out of these newer LEDs and there must be some way to (literally) make your 5050s shine... you just have to be willing to blow some of them up in the process.
