Today we writing about our experiences with Litepanels’s new Gemini 2×1 Hard, their update to the Gemini 2×1 using the same tech that they updated their 1×1 with just over a year ago now which makes it an incredibly bright and capable 500 watt 2×1 LED fixture.
Just over a year ago, we were introduced to the Gemini 1×1 Hard and we were impressed with its performance and boasted 3,000 lux @10ft/3m and a narrow 46-degree beam angle, it’s certainly an impressive bit of kit, but how does this new larger solution compare to say Litepanel Gemini 1×1 or Aputure Nova P300c
The provided specs for the 2×1 Hard from Litepanels are pretty eye-catching. Initially positioned as an incredibly bright fixture compared to its competition. Pricing wise, it’s £4370 excluding VAT. It’s certainly on the high-end but considering the output, you can get and the price of its key competition, it could be a compelling option.
Modifiers
Out of the box, the 2×1 Hard comes with two different modifiers, the Ultra Light diffusion panel and the domed diffuser. The 2×1 series has 5 different strengths of these diffusion panels available, heavy, medium, light ultra-light and super ultralight. Heavy is the most amount of diffusion and super ultralight is the least amount of diffusion. The domed diffuser that was introduced with the 1×1 hard is also included with the 2×1 hard and it can spread the light out massively, increasing the beam angle from 20 degrees with no diffuser to roughly 100 degrees, which is similar to the 93 degrees of the Gemini 2×1 Soft or the 120 degrees of the Aputure Nova P600c. Litepanels do a range of other accessories for it as well as DoP choice, who make a range of softboxes and grids for pretty much the entire Litepanels range.
Physical
Physically the light is incredibly similar in design to the original 2×1 with only a few changes. It is now black so you can easily spot the difference between the two fixtures and is still built like an absolute tank which will make it suitable for even the toughest productions, it’s even IP20 rated. It has an array of IO along the bottom of the unit as well as an antenna on the top of the fixture and uses a junior pin for mounting which can be removed. The fixture is available in either a regular yoke or a pole operated yoke variant. The fixture, including the Yoke, weighs roughly 11.5kg and the pole operated version weighs roughly 14.5kg. That’s pretty light considering its size and output.
Powering
The Gemini 2×1 Hard has a maximum nominal power draw of 500W, with a battery voltage range of 26-33 DC. It comes with a standard Neutrik power con power cable which is incredibly solid. In regards to battery power, you will need a beefy 26v plate or block battery to power it for extended periods of time. Litepanels recommend using the Anton Bauter 26V Gold Mount Plus Dual Mounting Plate which takes two gold mount 26v batteries. Using two Anton Bauer 240Wh 26v barriers will allow you to power the panel at up to 85% for over 30 minutes, so you will need a good amount of batteries if you are planning on running this light for a good amount of time, for this we love the EcoFlow products as they are incredibly versatile for onset power!
Compared to other fixtures –
The 2×1 hard sits in quite a unique space and the feature set it has does make it a great versatile option for set work. It’s a good bit more expensive than its Soft brother and this increased price does push it into a slightly different position. But for productions that require large arrays of fixtures with lots of output or versatile panel fixtures that can go from shooting through large diffusion to a harder source, the 2×1 Hard is a good option.
Other options include…
Let us know what you think of the Litepanels Gemini 2×1 Hard