Light panels - information and purchase tips

Anyone working with film material of any kind (mounted slides, medium format filmstrips, X-ray photographs) frequently or on a regular basis cannot avoid using stationary or moble light panels. As a private person might hold a mounted slide in direction of a window every now and then to be able to recognize the motive or its orientation, semi-professional or professional photographers as well as, of course, photography agencies use large light panels e.g. to choose a correctly exposed picture from a bracketed series. Radiological surgeries could not be imagined without their large, wallmounted light panels.

The advantages are obvious: one looks at a positive that is brightly lighted by an even light source without this being blinding. Though many private persons never thought of buying a light panel in the whole time they were collecting slides, this becomes a matter of interest as soon as one is beginning to scan in large amounts of slides. Of course, there is the possibility to scan in all existing slides and to make one's choice on the computer screen. Anyone, however, who has no expensive magazine scanner at hand and thus has to scan in one picture after the other separately will be able to save a lot of time and work by pre-selecting using a light panel.

And then, there are people who absolutely want to avoid buying a slide scanner and thus take pictures of their slides using a very good digital camera. The individual slides have, of course, to be placed on a small light panel to be lighted at all.

General information on the term "light panel"

First, we will define which sort of light panels will be discussed here, as the term "light panel" is used in many contexts today: special equipment for viewing radiographs, for the examination of bank notes or for the irradiation of gel substances, and panels with ultraviolet lamps are all often referred to as light panels. On this page, we talk about light panels for photographers, i.e. for the viewing of positive films and single images.

On the term "light panel": light panels exist for a long time already, although calling them "panels" would have been inappropriate some decades ago. One talked of light boxes or light tables instead. Some of you might still have an old light box in the cellar or on the desk. The term "box" rather describes the construction: they are heavy, big devices with a large frame and a nothing less than even light distribution.

Modern light panels as are discussed here are indeed compact, slim panels with thin frames and an even light distribution. The smallest of them have a thickness of just 1cm and can thus easily be moved or stowed away. Even huge light panels with a width of over half a metre are only a few centimetres thick and therefore not at all monstrous. Strong handles as were necessary to carry a light box in the past can hardly be found on the slim panels any more today

Important criteria when buying a light panel

Speaking casually, purchasing a light panel is quite a simple thing: the article has to be illuminated and of a certain size according to its use. As soon as you actually work with a light panel, you will find out that a whole number of factors plays an important role. In the following, some important criteria that have to be considered before buying a light panel are explained more thoroughly.

Size and design

Light panels exist in most different sizes and designs, beginning with mobile, battery-operated miniature panels and ending with large desktop light boxes. First of all, one should of course think of the necessary size and the purpose. Someone who only wishes to view one slide or the other every now and then can be recommended a battery-operated miniature light panel with an illuminated surface of e.g. 10 x 10 cm. Such a tiny article can be easily stowed away and is ready to use without extensive wiring.

If you are more interested in using your light panel for the sorting or the selection of images, you will have to take a larger desktop light panel. Such panels with an external power supply exist in sizes from a small 15 x 20 cm format up to dimensions that exceed 30 cm in height and half a metre in width. But why do many large light panels have a height of the illuminated area of 30 cm? It's because of the height of an A4 sheet (approximately equivalent to letter format): many photographers or agencies use A4-size sheet protectors to range mounted slides or medium format strips. To select individual images from such sheet protectors, one simply places the complete sheet protector on the light panel and thus avoids the laborious taking out of the respective positives or the unnerving permanent moving of the sheet protector on the surface.

An important thing to consider when choosing the size is the difference of the light panel's size and the size of the illuminated area. Modern, stylish light panels only have a narrow frame around the illuminated area itself. Therefore, the size of the illuminated area is the decisive factor when purchasing a light panel. While choosing the width and height of a light panel rather depends on its use, the thickness is a question of its look. Modern light panels have a thickness of between one and three centimetres and therefore look elegant and up-to-date. An - in respects of its thickness - clumsy light panel does not look good any more on desks where free space becomes more and more limited anyway.

Design and positioning options may also play an important role for some buyers. While you just place a miniature light panel on the desktop like a piece of board, a larger panel should be equipped with supporting legs or brackets to allow comfortable work (comparable to a computer keyboard). It is not comfortable to work with a panel of a height of 30 to 40 cm that is lying on the desk like piece of board as you can only view the positives in the top rows under a certain angle.

Some light panels can also be mounted on the wall, which of course only makes sense when suitable fixation bars or other fixation devices are included (as can be seen at the typical wall-mounted light panels surgeons use for radiographs). And then, there are light panels that can, using special mounting kits, integrated into existing worktops or a desk. This, however, already takes us into the field of professional laboratories or agencies.

Light source, light distribution and colour temperature

A light panel has to be illuminated, this is quite clear. But anyone who has already concerned himself with topics as colour management or colour temperature knows that there are differences in light. Light resp. light conditions are described by a certain colour temperature, and, to put it short: a light panel should produce light that is similar to daylight and with a colour temperature of about 5.000 K. In the end, it is no good ranging images using a light panel producing evening crepuscular light or the light of a halogene lamp if you intend to view the pictures in daylight later on. The colours of a slide are only reproduced correctly using standardized light.

Of at least the same importance as the colour temperature of the produced light is the light distribution onto the illuminated area. Although light distribution was rather uneven in former times, making it almost impossible to use the light panels' corners, it is today possible to illuminate the whole viewing area evenly using special techniques of light conduction and reflection while preserving a slim design.

The light source should be a cold cathode flourescent lamp that, on the one hand, produces a light temperature of between 5000 and 6000 Kelvin and, on the other hand, does not heat up. A light panel that heats up much during permanent use of course transmits heat to the film material that will consequently curl up or bend, which makes it impossible to view it without further equipment. The lamps should, additionally, be of high endurability: the standard is between 5.000 and 10.000 hours, which means that the lamps should last the whole light panel's lifetime when used by private persons.

Features

Apart from the geometric characteristics, the power supply is the most important feature of a light panel. Small light panels can be operated by batteries as well as by an external power supply. For larger light panels, only mains operation is still worth considering. However, I would not want to miss a small, mobile light panel in my working environment any more. It is just comfortable to have a ready-to-use light panel at hand that you also can take along on a short trip.

I already mentioned the important feature of lifting larger light panels by the means of legs or brackets into a comfortable working position. As soon as the light panel is set to a certain angle or even mounted to a wall, however, it is indispensible to have fixation bars into which film strips or single images can easily be inserted to prevent them from slipping.

Anyone who does not only want to view single images or small parts of film but whole strips of 35mm or medium format will be pleased to find fixation bars on the panel's sides that hold the film; without them, proper fixation of the film on the light panel is almost impossible.

Although it is daily business for battery-operated miniature light panels to transport them, larger light boxes mainly are intended for stationary use; however, even those have to be moved at certain times. Some of the larger types are equipped with a handle on their upper side; ultra-flat light panels sometimes are delivered with protective bags or cases.

Light panel reflecta L130

The smallest light panel I know of is reflecta's L130; its measurements are 158 x 150 x 14 mm at a weight of only 260 grams. The illuminated area itself has a size of 12.7 by 10 centimetres, its surface thus being 130 square centimetres leading to the designation L130. The light panel offers space for four mounted 35mm slides or two medium format slides in 6x6 cm size. This ultra-slim light panel surely is not appropriate for making a choice from a large collection of slides or for the selection of the optimal exposure from bracketed series; one would have to move the slides too often.

I always have this small light panel at hand near my desk for immediate use when I e.g. want to have a closer look at a slide , if I am not 100% satisfied with a scan or somehow mistrust the colours to be seen on the computer screen after scanning, or to see in which direction the slide has to be inserted into the scanner. Further more, this miniature light panel is ideal to take along to meetings with customers or friends in your office, at home or during business trips.

The L130 light panel operates on 6 AAA-type rechargeable batteries, which allows easy operation in any place. Of course, it also comes in handy when preparing classic slide shows for the changing or turning of slides. The energy consumption of 4.5 Watts results in an operation time of about 10 hours, using special batteries, before they have to be recharged.

For permanent use, there is an optional 9V power supply. An ideal combination is using batteries along with the power supply; thus, the light panel does not consume the batteries when being stationary, but can easily separated from the mains plug and taken away. For transport, delivery of the light panel includes a securely fitting leather pouch.

This miniature light panel's light conditions are very good, the whole illuminated area can be used. When opening the case, one can find a tiny cold cathode fluorescent lamp (diameter 2.5mm, length 135mm, durability according to the manufacturer about 10,000 hours) that distributes its light by means of a diffusor layer onto the glass panel. An additional layer of thin milky plastic is used to create the desired bright pearl light impression.

Because of its small dimensions, its low weight and the good portability (due to battery operation), I can only recommend this miniature light panel.

Light panel reflecta L600

The ultra-slim light panel L600 by reflecta has overall dimensions of 370 x 275 x 25mm and almost exactly a weight of 2 kgs. The size of the illuminated area is 30 x 20 cm, equivalent to 600 square cm - therefore the designation L600. This surface corresponds nearly exactly to an A4 sheet, thus one can put a sheet protector for slides on it in whole.

This already points out an essential advantage of this light panel: many photographers range their mounted 35mm slides, film strips or single medium format images in DIN A4-size special sheet protectors. Thus, to select images from such a sheet protector, one does not have to extract one image after the other from it for viewing - you just place the whole sheet protector on the illuminated area and get an instant overview. This saves an enormous amount of time during image selection. Due to its compact dimensions, the L600 light panel does not occupy much space on your working table. With its appealing design and its low thickness of only 25mm, it also easily integrates into a modern working environment. Given a power consumption of 19 Watts, only mains operation (no battery operation) is possible.

Two cold cathode fluorescent lamps are used as light sources, each with a diameter of 4 mm and a length of 320 mm. Durability of a lamp is, according to the manufacturer, about 10,000 hours. In spite of a power consumption of 19 Watts by the cold cathode lamps, no considerable heating up can be felt on the glass panel during permanent use. This also is an important requirement for permanent use as a heated light panel would transmit its temperature to the film material, which would then curl or roll up. The two cold light lamps light the whole illuminated area evenly, making the complete 30 x 20 cm surface utilizable for slide viewing.

I only learned about three important features when unpacking the light panel: on its lower side, there are two small feet that make it possible to set the light panel to an angle like a computer keyboard. This is helpful when working, as the viewing angle to the eye becomes more natural. It is obvious that mounted slides or single positives that are placed on a sloping, smooth glass panel are likely to slip. To avoid this, the light panel has a fixation bar on its upper edge where film strips or single images can be inserted and thus be held in position. On the bottom side, there is a small edge on which mounted slides or single positives can be laid to prevent them from slipping down. The fixation bar on the top and the edge on the bottom really facilitate work with this light panel.

Although this medium-size light panel is mainly convenient for stationary use on a desk, it can easily be transported: included in delivery as a standard item is a matching leather case with handles, in which the light panel can be securely stowed away or carried. The mains adaptor, however, has to be packed separately.

Light panel reflecta L1400

Anyone who professionally often has to deal with film material or, as a private person, spends whole weekends or even a whole retirement ranging and viewing slides will need a large light panel such as the reflecta L1400. Its overall dimensions are 550 x 405 x 30 mm, the weight is 4.3 kg. The size of the viewing area is 46 x 30.5 cm, which is equivalent to a surface of 1,400 square cm - therefore the designation L1400.

This seemingly endlessly large viewing area offers a lot of space for film material of any kind: 54 mounted 35mm-format slides, 35 medium format slides of 6 x 6 cm or up to 12 large format slides in 4 x 5" size can be viewed at one time. For photographers or agencies who range their image collection in A4-size sheet protectors, another feature, however, will be decisive for the purchase: the height of the illuminated area corresponds quite exactly to an A4-sheet's height. Thus, with a width of 46 cm, two DIN A4 sheet protectors can be placed next to each other onto the viewing surface without having to take out the individual slides. This saves a lot of time when looking for single images in a large collection that one intends e.g. to scan in or to pass on.

On its rear side, this light panel is equipped with an integrated lifting frame; as soon as this is opened, the light panel is set to an angle that is convenient for working at it. In order to prevent the slides from slipping away, there are fixation bars on the upper and lower edge of the viewing area where sheet protectors or single slides can be inserted. This works easily and reliably for sheet protectors, but for single positives or film strips, these bars are positioned too far away from the viewing area itself.

Smooth illumination of the large viewing area is provided by two cold cathode flourescent lamps with a power of 13 Watts each. These lamps, having a durability of approx. 10,000 hours according to the manufacturer, produce standard light with a colour temperature of approx. 5,000K. The viewing area is also evenly lit in the corners, thus making it possible to use every single square centimetre for the viewing of positives. I could not detect a significant heating up of the illuminated area even after 8 hours of use. This avoids the deformation or curling up of film material because of warmth.

It is obvious that a light panel with a width of more than half a metre and a weight of more than 4 kg is intended for stationary use on a desk; battery operation is not possible. Transport can best be done in the cardboard box it is originally delivered in. A convenient leather bag as reflecta delivers along with their smaller light panel series is, unfortunately, not available for the L1400. On the other hand, anyone mounting this light panel on a wall (the necessary items are included) will not transport it any more anyway.

Finally, I want to mention a centimetre scale on the left hand side of the viewing area and an inch scale on its right - they come in handy to measure the size of an image detail or the film size of a large format film. And, last, I would like to commend the good design: a combination of stainless steel and dark grey plastic material gives a valuable aspect to the case; thanks to its thickness of only 30 mm, this large light panel fits very well in a modern working environment.

Slide viewer reflecta B250

The reflecta B250 slide viewer is a mixture between a slide viewer and a light panel. The B 250 has a viewing area of 230 x 65 mm. Thus, this viewing area offers place for four mounted 35mm-format slides next to each other or a typical medium format film strip with a lenth of 20 cm that consists of 3 6 x 6 images.

But the B250 is more than a miniature light panel: the viewing area can be closed with a lid, safely protecting the glass panel during transport. During operation, one brings the lid into a vertical position and places a sliding magnifier on it. This magnifier offers a magnification of the image below it by the factor 2, thus enabling the viewer to recognize more details. This magnifier works impeccably, one easily forgets that a magnifier is used when looking at a slide. The magnifier covers an area of about 6 x 7 cms; in the case of larger medium formats, the magnifier can easily be moved on its guide rail.

Without a mounted magnifier, the B250 is a standard small light panel with a cold cathode fluorescent lamp producing light of a temperature of 5,000 K and distributing it evenly to the whole viewing area, thus permitting to use every square centimetre for viewing slides. Thanks to two lifting brackets on its lower side, the light panel can be set to an angle, which allows a convenient viewing angle. To prevent the slides that are placed onto it from slipping, an edge of approx. 2 mm has been put on the lower edge of the viewing areawithout a distance between them. One can conveniently place mounted slides or film strips on this edge, which assures a good hold during operation.

This positioning edge is, however, not only of use for the fixation of film material; it also includes a revolving lid that allows a reduction of the viewing area to a height of exactly 5 cm. In this operation mode, the illuminated area is perfectly adjusted to mounted 35mm-format slides that exactly fit in between the upper and lower guide rails, are kept in a horizontal position all the time and can not slip away - a really good design! If one wishes to view a larger series of slides, e.g. the content of a whole magazine to select images to scan or not, image by image can be inserted on the left hand side between the guide rails and taken out on the right hand side. This is convenient and permits to do a sort of small-scale assembly line work.

The B250 slide viewer operates on six AA-type batteries or rechargeable batteries that are not included in delivery. Using heavy duty rechargeable batteries, operation up to 10 hours is possible. An optional accessory for the B250 slide viewer is a 9V mains adaptor allowing permanent use. Thanks to the cold light lamp, the light panel does not heat up during operation.

Standard delivery also includes a pouch into which the device easily fits, which allows secure transport without a lot of effort. When closed, the light panel has overall dimensions of 260 x 144 x 20 mm and can thus be called "ultra-flat" as well as optically appealing. As its weight is only 630 grs, transport in its bag with handles is easily possible.

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