Film lighting can be hard to compare because the numbers do not always mean what people expect.
Wattage tells you how much electricity a light uses. Brightness tells you how much light reaches the subject. Those are related, but they are not the same thing. A light can use a lot of power and still be less useful for a certain shot than a smaller fixture that is shaped, placed, or softened in the right way.
This guide compares common film production lights in plain terms. The goal is not to rank every light from best to worst. The goal is to explain what each type is generally good at, how much power it tends to use, and why brightness numbers need context.
A few lighting terms in plain English
Before looking at the table, these are the main terms worth knowing:
- Watts: how much electrical power the light uses.
- Lux: how much light lands on a surface at a stated distance.
- Spot: a narrower beam that concentrates light.
- Flood: a wider beam that spreads light over a larger area.
- Soft light: light that spreads gently and creates smoother shadows.
- Hard light: light that creates sharper, more defined shadows.
Brightness numbers can change a lot depending on distance, beam angle, and whether the light is used directly, bounced, or through diffusion. That is why a single lux number never tells the whole story.
Quick comparison table
The table below uses representative fixtures with published manufacturer or retailer photometric data. These examples are useful for comparison, but a real set may use different brands, modifiers, distances, or settings.
| Light type | Example fixture | Power use | Published brightness reference | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tungsten Fresnel | ARRI 650 Plus | 650W | 5,861 lux at 3m spot / 1,194 lux at 3m flood | Small warm key lights, backlights, accents |
| Tungsten Fresnel | ARRI T1 1K | 1,000W | 16,211 lux at 3m spot / 1,889 lux at 3m flood | Stronger warm light for interiors or background shaping |
| HMI daylight | ARRI M18 | 1,800W | 22,950 lux at 7m spot / 2,245 lux at 7m flood | Bright daylight-style light for windows, exteriors, and larger spaces |
| COB LED | Aputure LS 300d II | 350W max | 3,500 lux at 3m reflector / 9,500 lux at 3m Fresnel spot | Interviews, small sets, bounced light, softbox use |
| COB LED | Aputure LS 600d Pro | 720W max | 8,500 lux at 3m reflector / 29,300 lux at 3m Fresnel spot | Higher-output LED key light, daylight-style setups, smaller exterior fills |
| LED soft panel | ARRI SkyPanel S60-C | 400W max | 553 lux at 5m, 5600K with standard diffusion | Soft key light, fill light, color effects, studio work |
| Fluorescent softlight | Kino Flo 4ft 4Bank | 4 x 40W tubes | 356 lux at 3m | Soft interview light, fill light, low-heat location lighting |
| LED tube | Astera Titan Tube | 48W LED draw | 708 lux at 1m, 3200K | Practical lights, accents, hidden lights, color effects |
The table shows why wattage alone can be misleading. A 1,000W tungsten light uses more power than a 720W LED, but the LED may publish a higher brightness number in a narrow beam. A soft panel may publish a lower brightness number, but it spreads light in a way that is useful for faces and controlled interiors.
Tungsten Fresnels
Tungsten Fresnels are traditional film lights. They produce a warm-looking light and can be focused from a narrow beam to a wider beam.
They are common for:
- Warm interior lighting
- Backlights
- Background accents
- Small key lights
- Controlled beams through windows, blinds, or set dressing
The main trade-off is power and heat. A 650W or 1,000W tungsten light uses more electricity than many modern LED options and can make rooms warmer. That can affect comfort, circuit capacity, and safety around gels, diffusion, or nearby materials.
ARRI 650 Plus
The ARRI 650 Plus is a smaller tungsten Fresnel. Published data lists about 5,861 lux at 3m in spot and 1,194 lux at 3m in flood.
It is often used when a crew needs a compact warm light that can be aimed and shaped. For power planning, three 650W fixtures add up to almost 2,000W before any cameras, monitors, chargers, or other equipment are included.
ARRI T1 1K
The ARRI T1 is a 1,000W tungsten Fresnel. Published data lists about 16,211 lux at 3m in spot and 1,889 lux at 3m in flood.
It provides more output than the 650W class, but it also uses more power. A few 1K tungsten lights can quickly require careful circuit planning or a separate power source.
HMI daylight lights
HMI lights are used when a production needs a strong daylight-colored source. They are often used to push light through windows, fill outdoor scenes, or create a bright directional source.
The ARRI M18 is a common example. ARRI lists it as a 1,800W light with published data of 22,950 lux at 7m in spot and 2,245 lux at 7m in flood.
This brightness number is measured at 7m, not 3m like several other examples in the table. That makes direct comparison harder. The simple takeaway is that an M18 is built for larger setups where a smaller light would not have enough reach.
HMI lights are useful for:
- Daylight through windows
- Outdoor fill light
- Larger night exterior setups
- Lighting through larger diffusion frames
- Scenes that need more reach than smaller LEDs or panels can provide
They usually require more setup knowledge than small LED fixtures because they involve ballasts, heavier cables, and specific safety practices.
COB LED lights
COB LEDs are now common on many productions. COB stands for "chip on board," but in everyday terms, these are LED lights that produce a strong beam from a single main source.
They are popular because they offer good output for their power use. They can also be used with reflectors, softboxes, lanterns, Fresnel attachments, and other accessories, which makes them flexible.
Aputure LS 300d II
The Aputure LS 300d II uses up to 350W. Published data lists 3,500 lux at 3m with the Hyper Reflector and 9,500 lux at 3m with the Fresnel 2X in spot.
This kind of light is useful for:
- Interviews
- Smaller indoor scenes
- Softbox lighting
- Bounced light
- Locations with limited available power
It is not as powerful as a large HMI, but it gives strong output for a relatively modest power draw.
Aputure LS 600d Pro
The Aputure LS 600d Pro uses up to 720W. Published data lists 8,500 lux at 3m with its Hyper Reflector and 29,300 lux at 3m with the F10 Fresnel in spot.
This is a higher-output LED option. It can be used for stronger interview keys, daylight-style lighting, smaller exterior fills, and scenes where a crew wants more light without moving into much larger HMI equipment.
For temporary power planning, fixtures like this are important because they can provide a lot of useful light from less power than many older lighting packages.
LED soft panels
Soft panels are designed to spread light over a larger area. They are not usually chosen for long-distance brightness. They are chosen because the light is soft and easier on faces.
The ARRI SkyPanel S60-C is a common example. ARRI lists it at 400W maximum, with published data of 553 lux at 5m at 5600K with standard diffusion.
That brightness number may look low beside a focused Fresnel or COB LED. But the SkyPanel is doing a different job. It spreads light widely, which can be useful for:
- Interviews
- Beauty lighting
- Fill light
- Colored background light
- Studio and controlled interior work
- Product or tabletop scenes
For close-range work, a soft panel can be more useful than a brighter hard light because it creates a smoother look with fewer harsh shadows.
Fluorescent softlights
Kino Flo fluorescent lights were widely used before LED panels and tubes became common. They are still a useful reference point for understanding soft production lighting.
A 4ft Kino Flo 4Bank uses four 40W tubes. Kino Flo catalog data lists 356 lux at 3m for the 4ft 4Bank reference.
These lights are generally used for:
- Interviews
- Fill light
- Small studio work
- Low-heat location lighting
- Green screen or blue screen work
Many crews now use LED panels or tubes for similar jobs, but the basic idea is the same: moderate brightness, broad light, and less heat than tungsten.
LED tubes
LED tubes are not usually meant to be the main light for a large scene. They are most useful because they are small, light, easy to hide, and often battery powered.
The Astera Titan Tube draws 48W LED power and publishes 708 lux at 1m at 3200K.
Tube lights are commonly used for:
- Lights that appear in the shot
- Color accents
- Car interiors
- Hallways and tight spaces
- Eye lights
- Background separation
- Hidden light behind shelves, furniture, or set pieces
Their value is placement. A tube light can fit where a larger fixture cannot.
Which light is best for each job?
There is no single best film light. The best choice depends on the scene.
| Goal | Common choices | Why they are used |
|---|---|---|
| Warm controlled light | Tungsten Fresnel | Focusable beam and warm color |
| Bright daylight-style light | HMI or high-output LED | More reach and daylight color |
| Interview key light | COB LED with softbox or LED panel | Good balance of brightness, softness, and power use |
| Gentle fill light | LED panel, Kino Flo, soft fixture | Smooth light with softer shadows |
| Accent or practical light | LED tube | Easy to hide, low power draw, useful color options |
| Lower-power production setup | LED fixtures | Useful output with lower electrical demand |
In many modern productions, the lighting package is mixed. A crew may use a large daylight fixture outside a window, LED panels for soft fill, tube lights for accents, and smaller LEDs for interviews or mobile setups.
Power planning takeaway
When planning power for film lighting, start with a few simple questions:
- How many lights will run at the same time?
- How many watts does each light use?
- Are the lights hard, soft, direct, bounced, or diffused?
- Is the scene indoors or outdoors?
- Is there enough wall power available?
- Will noise, heat, exhaust, or cable distance create problems?
- Would battery power or hybrid power make the setup easier?
For example, a small tungsten kit can draw 2,000W to 3,000W and add heat to a room. A small LED interview setup may draw under 1,000W and be easier to run from standard circuits or battery storage. A large HMI may still be the right choice for a bigger scene, but it needs more planning.
Source notes
The comparison above uses published specs and photometrics from ARRI, Aputure, Kino Flo, Astera, and B&H listings that identify manufacturer-supplied standardized measurements. Key references include ARRI data for the M18 and SkyPanel S60-C, Aputure photometrics for the LS 300d II and LS 600d Pro, Kino Flo catalog photometrics for the 4ft 4Bank, Astera Titan Tube specifications, and B&H photometric listings for ARRI 650W and T1 1K tungsten Fresnels.
Final takeaway
Watts explain how much electricity a light uses. Brightness numbers explain how much light reaches a surface under a specific test setup. Neither number fully explains whether a light is right for a scene.
The practical choice depends on the look, distance, softness, color, heat, available power, and setup time. For production planning, modern LED lights can reduce power demand in many situations, while tungsten, HMI, soft panels, fluorescent lights, and tubes all still have roles depending on the shot.