Lume Cube for Macro? Pros and Cons

[gtewks]

I just came across this lighting option last night. https://www.lumecube.com/

I tried fruitlessly to find reviews and/or articles on using this item with macro photography, but there was nothing,,, seems to be popular with street sports and street portraits...

Wondering if anyone has had any experience using this item as macro lighting. It seems like it should be a killer option. All the power you could want, stupid small, no wires (so good for on the go). Of course you loose some of the pros of using a strobe, but gain the pros of using constant lighting (and again,, rediculously small) ... no reason I couldn't attach diffusers to it easily as well,, could even mount it in a softbox if so desired.

Would like to hear opinions before I purchase in case someone sees a serious issue that I have not thought of.

[zzffnn]

I saw them on Kickstarter a while ago. They seemed to delivered the products without problems:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/11 ... a/comments

Don't know how well it works for macro. Maybe look into its CRI value and if there is a zoom function (sorry, I cannot remember).

[gtewks]

The kickstarter aspect is long gone. They sell them all over now.

1.5" CUBE
150 LUX @ 9FT. (3M)
FULLY WATERPROOF UP TO 100 FEET
1/4 20 MOUNT ON BOTTOM
RECHARGEABLE VIA USB CABLE
BLUETOOTH CONTROL
30 MIN. @ FULL POWER 2HRS AT 50%

I'm not concerned about the product... just wondering if it seems like a good option for macro lighting.

[zzffnn]

I am aware that it is now a commercially available product with good specifications. Just saying, you may want to look into color fidelity (CRI value). If CRI is over 90, it zooms and focuses well, and durability is fine, then I don't see why it would not work well for macro.

I use two of the following LED headlamps for casual macro, but their color is too blue (one can do camera white balance in custom kevin color temp though, say at 5000k): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SW ... UTF8&psc=1

[gtewks]

Where does zoom come into lighting for macro?

That's an example of something that it cannot do that may be an issue. I've not done much macro lighting so what is the benefit of zoom for macro?

[zzffnn]

Zoom probably only matters for extreme macro with short working distance, say on-sensor magnification of over 5x, especially at 20x on-sensor where WD is short and light requirement is high.

If your subjects are big and never move, then you probably don't need zoom to concentrate all the lumens into a tight spot.

[jnh]

This looks very neat. I just made my own sort of portable LED light, but which is a lot bulkier. The photo gallery on their website has a number of macro shots, so it seems entirely suitable for that purpose. Their technical specs don't list the CRI, though. I just wrote them an email and asked about it.

[Troels]

zzffnn wrote:

Zoom probably only matters for extreme macro with short working distance, say on-sensor magnification of over 5x, especially at 20x on-sensor where WD is short and light requirement is high.

I would say that zooming capability of your light source can be convenient in any macro setting. It can make a great difference if you hit your diffusor with a big spot of light or a small one.

Without zoom you have to use snouts or masks to make a smaller spot of light on your diffusor. So both light and zoom adjustments are usefull. Unfortunately the Lume Cube has no zooming facility.

Troels

[jnh]

Just heard back from them. They state their LED has a CRI of 95.
That's very good. I wonder what LED they are using, since high power, high CRI and high color temperature in one LED are very difficult to find.

[axle01]

I have 3 of them and in the process of setting up a new setup using them.

Alan

[cmagno]

Hi Alan,

I have 3 of them and in the process of setting up a new setup using them.

Did you have the opportunity to finish your setup?
What feedback can you give regarding the use of lume cube in macro photography?

Regards,
Carlos Magmo