Northlight Sunspots (part III)
After using Dedolights for over a decade I decided to change to SunSpots from North Light Products. Main reason was that one kind of Dedolight caused defects when used with tri-linear scan backs such as Anagramm, BetterLight or Kigamo. Another kind of Dedolight evidently can be used with digital scanning backs but since we do not have the improved Dedolights, we have no way to judge or compare them. But we do have North Light Sun Spots and have seen other North Light products in action too.
The nice folks at NorthLight Products have been enthusiastic and cooperative. Calumet (Calumet Photographic and Calumet Digital Solutions) sent a complete set of NorthLight Product Sun Spots to the FLAAR photo studios for evaluation.
The Sun Spots come as a set of three. You need to order the barn doors separately, and select your preferred method of attachment. The review units came with Mathew's grips, the kind professional film studios use.
These are tungsten lights, but are not hot like Dedolights and other tungsten lighting.
Many companies send demo units, a polite way of saying old, beat-up equipment. Calumet realized that brand new equipment would make a better impression. Besides, one of the first tests is to see how the equipment is packed at the factory. When the evaluation unit is used, its original packing has usually long ago disappeared.
The North Light SunSpots came well packed.
Today (2006) Sun Spots are available exclusively from the manufacturer, North Light Products. We use them with the new Better Light model Super 6000 on a Cambo Ultima 4x5 camera . Our institute, FLAAR, evaluates each item of equipment.
For further information on North Light Products, Tel. 650 366-5483 FAX 650 366-1676 e-mail contact: david@northlightproducts.com
North Light also makes fluorescent lighting for professional studio photography. These large banks of fluorescent lighting are not yet available to us for review, so we review Balcar and Videssence fluorescent lighting instead. But this other industrial-strength North Light equipment is presented on northlightproducts.com.
North Light has now added continuous discharge lighting. These HID lights are ideal for use in museums that do not allow the heat of traditional tungsten lights.
Most recently updated January 19, 2006.
Previously updated Feb. 26, 2000; last edited Aug. 5, 2001, Updated Nov. 8, 2004.