The Maxima 6 GaN is a Color-Accurate Blisteringly Bright 68,000 Lumens LED
Italy-based Maxima has announced the Maxima 6 GaN, a super-bright professional photo and video LED that promises color accuracy, portability, silent operation, and outstanding power efficiency.
Maxima says that its Maxima series of lights is a “gold-standard” for directors of photography and pro photographers in Europe, and the Maxima 6 GaN is the latest in the series and also the most advanced. The LED produces a whopping 68,000 lumens of output (which is equivalent to the light generated from 85 60-watt incandescent lightbulbs combined) in a chassis that weighs less than four kilograms (8.8 pounds). Not only that, the Maxima 6 is all-weather resistant, operates silently, and works with Profoto accessories.
But, perhaps most impressively, the Maxima 6 has a very low power draw compared to its output. Maxima says that the LED is the world’s first to be driven by Gallium Nitride (hence the GaN) circuitry which allows it to reach an “unprecedented” lux-to-weight ratio for what it says is best-in-class efficiency along with CRI color rendition.
“Thanks to the adoption of GaN semiconductors, we achieve a higher power density, outperforming the output and color rendition of any conventional technology 700W LED lamp while still maintaining a much smaller and lightweight body,” Maxima says.
“Maxima 6 uses a groundbreaking technology applied to professional lighting: Gallium Nitride circuitry working in tandem with our patented UltraCore heat management system to provide the world’s highest lux-to-weight ratio, translating in a much more efficient workflow both on location and in studio. Less weight, small size, and no ballast while still maintaining inaudible noise levels and a flicker-free performance up to 200,000 fps make even the most difficult shot a matter of minutes instead of a fight against cables, heavy tripods, and impossible lighting positions.”
The Maxima 6 is also the company’s first LED to use a custom-designed hyperbolic aspherical lens, which Maxima says allows the output to be a more “bent” hyperbolic shape that provides a large luminous output and more precise coverage of softboxes and lanterns. Basically, the LED is better able to fill a softbox with light and evenly distribute it than other LEDs. This is an area that many persnickety lighting experts put a lot of stock in as it affects how the light falls on subjects.
The light can be controlled on the unit itself or wirelessly via the Maxima app. Via the app, users can command up to eight units simultaneously.
A full specifications sheet for the LED can be found on the company’s website. The Maxima 6 GaN is available starting at 2,999 euros, or about $3,336, and can be configured and ordered directly from Maxima’s online store.
Image credits: Maxima
