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Lowel has just launched LED bulb retrofit kits for its famous Rifa EX lights, including the Rifa EX 55, 66, and 88 softbox fixtures. These kits replace the halogen bulb of your Lowel Rifa fixture with a Rifa 80W LED bulb which is bi-color from 2700K to 6400K, dimmable, and generates zero heat. Let’s take a closer look at these kits!

During the last decade, LED lights slowly replaced a lot of halogens and fluorescent fixtures, which are now rare on film sets. When it comes to high-power fixtures, HMIs are still a thing, but for how long? Anyway, that’s another topic altogether.

Over the years, we saw some LED retrofit options that allow you to use classic lighting instruments with a cooler, more power-efficient light bulb. For example, the VisionSmith ReLamp LED bulbs can modernize ARRI fresnels you might already have. But unfortunately, these LED retrofit products are usually quite expensive.

Lowel saw an opportunity here, and they just released LED bulbs for its famous Lowel Rifa EX softbox lights at an affordable price.

The Lowel Rifa EX LED bulb is an 80W bi-color LED bulb natively compatible with Rifa 55/66/88 softboxes. Indeed, this LED bulb has the same socket as its halogen counterpart. According to Lowel, the Rifa EX LED bulb provides a “similar output to a 550W tungsten bulb.” The output is 3300 Lux at 3ft/91cm, and you can dim the bulb from 10 to 100%.

The bulb consists of 192 surface-mount LEDs: 96 daylight and 96 tungsten. It can go from 2700K to 6400K with a claimed TLCI of 97-99.

All the dimming/color adjustments of the bulb are made via a wired controller at the back of the Rifa EX LED bulb.

The original Rifa softbox front diffusers were made to sustain the high heat of tungsten bulbs. With these new LED retrofit kits, Lowel also launched new front diffusers, which are thinner and allow a greater light output. These faux-silk diffusers are available in three sizes for the Rifa 55/66/88 softboxes.

All the Lowel Rifa LED bulb retrofit kits are available now. The LED bulb itself retails for $99, and complete kits go from $134 to $145. Unfortunately, the Lowel Rifa fixtures are discontinued, so your only chances to grab one are in your dusty closet or the second-hand market.

For more information, please visit Lowel’s website here.

What do you think about these LED retrofit kits? Do you still have Lowel Rifa softboxes? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!

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Jeff Loch is a French freelance director, editor and colorist, working mostly on music videos, commercials, and corporate films.

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