Today we are taking a look at a recent 80w panel developed by iFootage called the iFootage Anglerfish PL1 80C. This new RGB LED panel is part of a new family and it incorporates the company’s advanced highly accurate color technology.
Concept
The PL1 80c is a panel with individual LEDs that maximize the output of each chip with a special lens that focuses the light. The panel produces a hard light, but iFootage includes a diffusion screen with a sensor to control color rendering.
iFootage Anglerfish PL1 80C
In the box
iFootage ships this panel in a soft carrying case. The kit includes the light fixture, a power brick and cable, barn doors and diffuser, and a DMX to USB-C cable.
Design and build
The fixture of the PL1 80c is a metal frame with plastic panels and a metal modifier slot and rails. The bracket comes with a single metal friction-hold handle.
The LEDs on the front are covered with a focusing lens tray. The diffuser drops in from the top by unlocking the modifier bay and lifting up the cover.
There is a tiny switch on the bottom that gets activated when the diffuser is installed. The panel is programmed to adjust for the color deviation created by the diffuser.
The back of the unit features a plastic cover with two vents on the sides, a battery mount on top, and a screen with controls on the bottom. This menu screen is probably the only part of this light that’s not great. It lacks contrast and depending on the angle, it can be hard to see the info displayed.
A separate mention of the power brick is included in this kit. For easy mounting, iFootage included a V-mount release plate on this brick together with a cable, giving the option to attach the brick to the back of the light or hang it off the stand.
iFootage Anglerfish PL1 80C – smart power brick implementation
Controls
The panel color temperature ranges from 2,700K to 10,000K, but there is also an option on the main screen to turn on extended mode from 1,400K to 20,000 K. There are also 12 RGB customizable effects.
Among other useful menu options are the fan settings. The two fans are pretty quiet and by default are set to auto mode. The other 2 settings are quiet and ultra quiet modes that limit the panel output [50% and 70% respectively] You can also control the panel through the iFootage Lumin app. It allows you to create projects, save presets, and offer multiple color selection modes. Fine-tuning the light settings and gradual changes in color and intensity are also supported. The app works with all of the iFootage light fixtures, but we did have to reset the BT on the older lights for them to show up in the list.\
Working with the app for the iFootage Anglerfish PL1 80C
There is a new lighting diagram feature in the app that allows one to take a photo of a scene drag lights from a list of connected lights and drop them into position on the photo. This is really useful when operating multiple lights since the diagram helps the operator keep track of what light needs to be adjusted.
The panel on the iFootage Anglerfish PL1 80C
Power options
One of the main selling points of this panel is its battery option. We tested it with our 230Wh battery, and we got over 2.5 hours of runtime at full power. Our 99Wh battery gave us about 1 hour.
There is another portable power option through USB-C with power delivery. We tried it with multiple powerbanks, and it worked seamlessly. Now somebody needs to come out with a V-mount power bank or figure out some generic mounting solution for different-sized power banks.
Since this is a portable light, we thought we’d test how it does in a daylight shoot. It’s not very powerful, and usually, we would opt for a COB light with a reflector to get the most output, but iFootage claims their lens design projects the light, increasing the output up to 3x.
The PL1 80 is small enough to keep pretty close while keeping it out of the frame. For tight shots without the diffuser, it does a really good job as a fill light.
Tests
We tested the Anglerfish PL1 80C intensity at 3200K and 5600K from 1 meter away, and we got some really good results.
Results for the iFootage Anglerfish PL1 80C LED at 3200K @1m:
- Color temperature: 3196K.
- Output: 1930 Lux.
- CRI: 95.9 (R9 – 92; R12 – 97).
- TLCI: 97.
- TM-30 RF: 96; TM-30 Rg – 102.
- SSI: 87.
Results for the iFootage Anglerfish PL1 80C LED at 5600K @1m:
- Color temperature: 5359K.
- Output: 2090 Lux.
- CRI: 97.6 (R9 – 98; R12 – 89).
- TLCI: 99.
- TM-30 RF: 96; TM-30 Rg – 102.
- SSI: 76.
We also tested the output for a few HSI RGB colors:
Results for the iFootage Anglerfish PL1 80C LED HSI, HUE = 0 at@1m: 506 Lux.
Results for the iFootage Anglerfish PL1 80C LED HSI, HUE = 240 (purple) at@1m: 276 Lux.
Results for the iFootage Anglerfish PL1 80C LED HSI, HUE = 170 (blue) at@1m: 770 Lux.
Our RGB tests also showed that this little panel gives plenty of light. Our readings weren’t that much lower than the CCT output, which is better than some of the other RGB panels we’ve worked with in the past.
Conclusion
In conclusion, true to iFootage fashion, the PL1 80c is a very innovative panel. It’s lightweight, well-built, and gives off plenty of light in the studio and even in daylight. The only thing we could ask for is a better screen, but being able to adjust the light settings in the app, the screen is not a dealbreaker.
More output from the LEDs on the iFootage Anglerfish PL1 80C
Pricing
As for pricing, iFootage sells the PL1 80c for $330.
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