SUMOLIGHT SUMOMAX Explained – Hexagonal LED Light for Large Arrays

by Francesco AndreolaApril 28^th, 2022

We stopped by the SUMOLIGHT booth at NAB Show to ask a few questions about their latest lighting product release, the hexagonal-shaped SUMOMAX. With a vast range of applications, this fully-controllable 19-pixel RGBWW fixture is ideal for building large honeycomb lighting arrays. It is now available for pre-order for $5,475.

A few weeks ago, we covered the release of the SUMOMAX, the latest addition to the lighting product lineup of German manufacturer SUMOLIGHT. If you want to have a complete overview of what this fixture has to offer, make sure to read this article here.

SUMOLIGHT is well-known for developing unusual lighting solutions and the SUMOMAX is no exception. Upon release, a few key pieces of information about this bizarre hexagonal light were still missing (such as pricing). So we made sure to visit the SUMOLIGHT booth at NAB Show to understand who this product is actually for. Let’s take a closer look.

SUMOLIGHT SUMOMAX: a quick recap

Let’s do a quick recap. The SUMOLIGHT SUMOMAX is a 700W RGBWW fixture that stands out from the competition due to its peculiar hexagonal shape. This unusual, modular design enables filmmakers to combine multiple SUMOMAX units into large, scalable lighting walls and honeycomb arrays.

At the core of the bright-output SUMOMAX (20,000 lux at 3 meters) are 19 individually-controllable pixels. The light offers built-in, DMX/RDM, Ethernet, and Wi-fi control, a passive cooling system, and IP65 rating for outdoor use. Moreover, it sports an extremely wide color temperature range: from 1,800 up to 15,000K!

Another newsworthy feature is support for interchangeable optics that go in front of the unit. They can modify the beam angle from 20 to 30, 60, 90, or 120°. According to SUMOLIGHT’s managing director Tim Zur, users can also combine these modifiers so that different areas of the fixture can output different qualities of light.

Who’s the SUMOMAX for?

Although this product can serve as a regular space, key, or backlight, Tim helped us better understand what this light is used for. Indeed, he confirmed the company has thought of a wide range of applications for the SUMOMAX. These obviously include lighting large areas in big studios and virtual production stages, but the company is also trying to target individual gaffers and filmmakers.

Interestingly, use cases go even beyond the filmmaking industry to embrace the world of events and entertainment. This is made possible by the high degree of interactivity and control that this unit offers thanks to its 19 individually-controllable pixels and built-in effects.

Price and availability

The SUMOLIGHT SUMOMAX is currently undergoing the production stage and should start shipping in the next 6/8 weeks. Moreover, the company has now revealed the official retail price of this product: $5,475.

For more information, please visit SUMOLIGHT’s website here.

Disclaimer: This article and the video were made in cooperation with SUMOLIGHT.

What do you think about the peculiar shape of this fixture? What use cases can you think of for the SUMOLIGHT SUMOMAX? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section down below!