The Astera FP6 HydraPanel, which we first saw at Cinegear LA, is a first for manufacturer Astera — a light fixture aimed solely at the filmmaking crowd without an obvious home in the event lighting industry (an industry in which Astera first built their brand). The 25W HydraPanel, with a cost of $400, is a small 1.3lb Metal and Polymer RGBMA fixture capable of Bluetooth, CRMX, DMX, and even IR control. I got my hands on a 4-light kit for this review and there is much to discuss: Most readers will probably be aware of the tube-shaped 4ft Astera Titan fixture, which took the filmmaking world by storm upon its release back in 2019. Built on the already popular AX1 tube, the Astera Titan is just everywhere in most of the larger film & TV markets in the United States and in Europe. Built-in batteries mixed with lots of control options (with the help of an optional $475.00 transmitter unit) and the form factor was such that it could be mounted anywhere during those pesky 360 Steadicam or gimbal shots. In short, like most of you, I was instantly hooked on the Astera Titan, and I’ve used those fixtures on countless productions since. Hence, my happy surprise to see Astera introducing a fixture aimed squarely at us film folks. Those of us that cover film lighting or spend any time on sets must admit this is a fantastic time in the world of lighting — so many high-quality options make...
Published By: CineD - Monday, 26 September, 2022