First Look At The Westcott Flex LED

Last year Westcott announced Flex LED – a new type of lighting system which brings flexible high power led unit to the world of photography. It took some time, but we finally have the first video from B&H in this case which shows the technology in action.

So what is the Flex LED? Well, the Flex is a fully bendable 10” x 10” surface with 166 LED diodes and outlined with a 1⁄4” black frame with a really minuscule form factor and weight (only 5 ounces) – great for taking anywhere with ease.

Westcott Flex LED

There are two version of the Flex – tungsten and daylight. Although it is extremely compact, the output from the LED is an impressive 1,600 lux output at 1 meter with a 98 CRI, while the daylight balanced model offers a slightly brighter 1,900 lux output at 1 meter with a 95 CRI (if you prefer this in Watts – the Flex packs a punch offering 55 watts of pure continuous power, compared to many traditional LED panels offering only 40 Watts). Each unit will include a dimmer (from 5% to 100% which is a really nice addition).

High power bendable 10” x 10” surface with 166 LED diodes

There are two drawbacks to the flex in our view – the first is that it is currently only an AC version (you can’t really use it in the field with AA or other similar batteries. The second problem is the price – it is a pretty expensive unit – just under $500 . Still this is a pretty unique offering and if it will be successful there is a good chance that Westcott will come out with other solutions (smaller, larger, battery powered etc.).

You can find many more previews and reviews on our Photography review section here on LensVid.

Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.