Fotodiox Brings Focusing to a High-Powered LED [Tech Tuesday]

March 14, 2017

By Theano Nikitas

Fotodiox Pro PopSpot J-500 Focusing LED Light may be a big name for a relatively compact product, but you get the gist of the J-500’s capabilities just by reading it.

Photos courtesy of Fotodiox

New from Fotodiox, the high-power 50W J-500 provides a dense matrix of LEDs in a body that weighs just two pounds and measures 3 ¼ x 3 ¼ x 8 ¼ inches (you add a little extra weight and almost 3 inches in length if you use the optional battery module). Because of its compact size, it’s easy to transport and use on location, whether you’re shooting video or still.

What’s very cool about this LED is that it can be focused from 25- to 55-degree angles without any additional gear so you can go from spot to flood with little effort. It’s daylight-balanced at 5600k, with a CRI of 95. If your lighting needs change, no worries—the J-500 comes with a tungsten (3200k) color filter.

The most affordable model ($275) is AC-powered, but for another $125 (total of $400), you can get the optional battery pack to free you from needing an electrical outlet. Pump up the adjustable levels to 100 percent and you’ll get a run time of about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Dim it to about 50 percent and a fully charged battery lasts about 3 hours and 45 minutes. With the rear LCD display, you can easily check the power level and battery life status.

The basic kit comes with the J-500 light head, a removable barn door, the tungsten color filter, a ball head mount, AC adapter and cord, and a convenient carrying case.

Need more light and versatility? Check out the three-light kit, which is bundled with three of everything—including the battery add-on module along with six (yes, six) rechargeable batteries and a hard rolling gear case. If you do the math, the $1,100 price tag is pretty reasonable for the triple kit.