Hands On with the Litepanels Gemini 1×1 Hard RGBWW LED Making the brightest 1x1

Litepanels announced earlier this week a new high-power 1×1 light panel called the Gemini 1×1 Hard which is significantly more powerful than the company’s previous-generation 1×1 panel and said to be the brightest of its kind at the moment.

Above you can see the official Gemini 1×1 Hard RGBWW LED video (one of the best we have seen in a long time created by cinematographer Joe Ransom) and shot with Gemini 1×1 Hard lights.

A harder light

One of the key questions we asked when we looked at the Gemini 1×1 Hard is how it differs from the existing Gemini 1×1 Soft and is this a true hard light source. Here is how Litepanels describes the Gemini 1×1 Hard on their website:

Gemini 1×1 Hard uses non-diffused, lensed LEDs to cast an intense beam of light further than any other 1×1 RGBWW panel. Because it uses multiple LEDs over a larger surface area, it will cast a different, slightly softer shadow to a single source light such as an HMI. However, its output is greater than a 2K HMI and this allows it to be used in a similar way to many hard lights that are then diffused, plus it has the added benefit of being useable on talent even without diffusion where necessary.

We also asked our colleague Tommy Callaway who tested both the soft and the new hard versions of the Gemini 1×1 (see the video below) to explain where he sees the differences and here is what he has to say:

The hard panel has lenses on the front of the LEDs with a tighter beam angle, so filling diffusion further away from the fixture (or lighting a subject further away) is much easier with the Gemini 1×1 hard. It’s also the brightest full-color 1×1 measured at 1 meter away that I’ve encountered, so far. The 1×1 hard also comes with the “ultralight” diffusion and the dome diffusor.

At the end of the day, it seems that while this is certainly a HARDER light than the original Gemini 1×1 soft (and certainly much brighter) it won’t necessarily replace true hard sources in every possible situation but it does give users a lot more creative freedom.

The Litepanels Gemini 1×1 Hard RGBWW LED

Gemini 1×1 Hard features

The Gemini 1×1 Hard RGBWW LED brings with it several advanced features including a very wide color temperature of 2700K to 10,000K, plus and minus Green/Magenta shift change and official specs of 98 CRI/TLCI, 300 digital gels, and several user programable presets (in the buttons in the back of the unit.

The light has wireless control via an optional BT unit as well as wireless DMX and can be powered via AC or Gemini 1×1 14.4V Battery Plate (which fits directly to the fixture or the yoke, but you will need to purchase it separately)

When it comes to power, the light can reach an outstanding output for a panel of its size at over 27,000 lux at 1m. For even more output users can create a dual or quad array of the Gemini 1×1 Hard panels and reach very high output in a setup that is still pretty portable and battery-powered.

Gemini 1×1 hard RGBWW main Specs 

  • 200W RGWW LED panel.
  • CRI 98
  • TLCI 98
  • 46-degree beam angle (or around 100 degrees with the included domed diffuser).
  • Color temprature range – 2700K-10,000K
  • Over 27000 lux at 1m (5600K).
  • 0.1 – 100% automatic flicker-free dimming at any frame rate/shutter angle
  • Optional battery power (V-mount/gold mount) with 100% intensity output.
  • 6KG/13.25lbs.

Pricing and availability

The Litepanels Gemini 1×1 Hard RGBWW LED sells for $2137.

Litepanels Gemini 1×1 Hard RGBWW LED Videos

Our colleague Tommy Callaway was fortunate enough to be one of the first people to test the Gemini 1×1 Hard RGBWW LED panel and seems to be pretty impressed by its performance:

YouTube player

ProAV TV look at the Gemini 1×1 Hard

YouTube player

CVP look at the Gemini 1×1 Hard

YouTube player

If you don’t want to miss any new photography product be sure to check out our product photography section.

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.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *