Hands on with Hive Super Hornet 575-C: Big Output Color Light Source

by Graham SheldonJune 3^rd, 2019

After a successful Kickstarter to fund the 100-C, Hive Lighting is expanding their LED lineup with the 575-C. In terms of output, the light is roughly a 1 to 1 (in terms of watts) equivalent to a 575 watt HMI (or a 2,000 W Incandescent), and is compatible with all C-series accessories. This is welcome news for those who look to the Hive Lighting LED line for quality single point hard color fixtures. Details below: 

While RGB panel lights are certainly having their moment, Hive Lighting occupies a unique segment within the LED community of lights. Previously the drawback to these lights was that their output ceiling was the equivalent of a 1K tungsten fixture (with the Hornet 200-C) and that makes lighting large multi-subject scenes tricky.  At 5 ft, Hive Lighting rates the 575-C at a 4,500fc or 51,667 lux — which is a ton of punch and roughly 2.5 times brighter than the 200-C.

Even at 575 watts we still don’t have quite the punch needed for placing these lights outside of windows during a daylight scene. For that, you’d want a 1600 or an 1800 watt+ HMI or something in the realm of a 4K or 5K+ tungsten unit. However, the fact that Hive Lighting has continued to push the output envelope while remaining compatible with their full line of accessories is welcome news.

Here is a list of technical highlights from the 575-C:

4″ x 11″ and 5.5 lbs. Head
10″ x  9″ x  4″ and 9 lbs. Power Supply
550 Watts
90 – 264 VAC
Profoto Mount Compatible (just like other C-Series lights)
Hive C-Series Accessories Compatible
0-100% dimming
Wired and Wireless DMX (Lumen Radio/CRMX)
Bluetooth App for iPhone and Android increased range.
Preset Effects

Planned Price Point: Somewhere in the realm of $5,000 depending on the retailer.

What do you think? Does the increased output make the Hive Lighting range more attractive for your next project? Let us know in the comments below!