A Look at ReLamp – An LED Replacement for Halogen Lights

by Nic DivischekMay 7^th, 2017

At NAB 2017 we took a look at the Visionsmith ReLamp system. An ingenious idea: use your old light fixtures, and upgrade them with LED replacement bulbs!

Courtesy Erik Naso – Showing ReLamp LED replacement for ARRI 650

ReLamp LED Replacement Lights

ReLamp allows you to replace old halogen lights, such as ARRI fresnels, and upgrade them with an LED component – a great idea for those who have would like to give a new lease of life to their old fixtures. These revamped versions that Visionsmith showed off at this year’s NAB now feature 90V – 250V compatibility and offers LED replacement units for a wider variety of housings.

While many cinematographers have complained that LEDs don’t render perfect colour, I believe the game has changed significantly. Visionsmith claims their LEDs have a CRI of 98, and apparently there are no colour shifts during dimming.

The benefits of using LED include being eight times more efficient, meaning you can save a whole lot on your electricity bill. Additionally, there’s no heat to worry about: a halogen grid is like a grid of industrial space-heaters, compensated by heavy-duty air conditioning. If you’re running lights for 12 hours a day, the numbers add up fast.

The new VisionSmith ReLamp will be available in various versions. Here are some of the prices:

• ARRI 650W LED replacement: $495
• ARRI 1k LED replacement: $695
• ARRI 2K LED replacement: $995

For more information please have a look at Visionsmith’s website.

What do you think of ReLamp? Has the time come to move over to LED? Please let us know in the comments below.