Astera Expands LunaBulb Functionality

Building on the success of their LunaBulb launch, lighting solutions experts Astera will further expand both the creative and technical potential of the LunaBulb with their LunaBulb Accessory Kit, which will incorporate a range of blockers, diffusors, reflectors and lenses within a single, lightweight portable case.

The LunaBulb and LunaBulb Accessory Kit will be on display at Astera’s booth (12.F55) during IBC 2024.

The LunaBulb has been designed as an advanced LED luminaire which incorporates all Astera’s core innovations, but which maintains the exact same shape of a 100-year-old traditional tungsten bulb. The all-weather LED-based LunaBulb is available with an E26, E27 and B22 fitting and, like a conventional 25-watt bulb, screws directly into an AC-wired bulb socket. A spring-loaded clip allows the light to be converted from a slimline shape to a conventional bulb, granting it both aesthetic and practical value on sets both indoors and outdoors. With fully adjustable white levels (1,750 – 20,000K) and colour (RGB, Mint and Amber, with RGB, HIS, XY and Filter Gel colour selection options), the LunaBulb provides beautiful, flicker free lighting in a variety of settings, and because of its underpinning Titan LED engine, can be coordinated seamlessly with the wider Astera ecosystem using Astera's intuitive app, whilst configuration and DMX assignment is made simple using the Astera PrepCase.

Now, the new LunaBulb Accessory Kit will even further extend the ways in which the LunaBulb can be used on set or during an event. Each LunaBulb Accessory Kit includes:

LunaShade (four): With two Blocker and two Diffusor shades, the LunaShade has a quick snap-on fitting and can be applied to the traditional LunaBulb in order to change the directionality of the light or create a more diffuse appearance. Inspired by James Friend ASC BSC, the LunaShade allows even more precise control over the directionality and quality of light produced by the LunaBulb.

LunaReflector (four): Fitting the slimline format of the LunaBulb, the LunaReflector increases the light output of the luminaire by reflecting it forward and narrowing its beam angle.

LunaDiffusor (four): This snap-on dome diffuser for LunaReflector not only diffuses light beautifully but maintains the exact same look and diffusion density as the upper part of the existing Astera NYX Bulb. As such, when a LunaReflector and LunaDiffusor are combined, the LunaBulb ideally emulates the appearance of Astera’s existing NYX Bulb, meaning that both products can be seamlessly combined in a single production.

LunaLens (four): The LunaLens is a snap-on optical device with a slight diffusion that is added to the LunaReflector, and which imitates the front look of a PAR16 bulb. It blends colours effectively whilst offering only a slight reduction in the output of the LunaReflector.

White Snoot (four): The white snoot can be screwed onto the LunaReflector to avoid glare in camera or in the viewer’s eyes and is fully compatible with the snap-on LunaDiffusor and LunaLens.

Speaking about the launch of the LunaBulb Accessory Kit, Ben Díaz, Head of Product Management for Astera, said: "The market has received LunaBulb incredibly well due to its ‘conventional bulb’ look. It is both practical but also important from a design perspective; shaping mood, granting a particular aesthetic, and conforming with a tradition of lighting production that remains important to cinematographers and audiences. The LunaBulb grants all of this – but does so with all the advantages of LED technology and Astera control: streamlined setup times, perfect color quality, greater precision with wireless control, and unrivalled levels of creative flexibility."

He continued: "Now with the LunaBulb Accessory Kit, lighting crews can be even more precise by adapting the nature, direction, output and quality of practical lights to harmonize them with the overall mood and look of the production. With these accessories we reinforce Astera's commitment to providing high-quality and robust tools to our core innovations, maximizing what Gaffers, Cinematographers and Lighting Designers can create within the streamlined workflow of the Astera smart ecosystem. Furthermore, our existing LunaBulb customers will now benefit from an even more valuable solution, optimizing their Return On Investment with an even more versatile and unique inventory."

astera-led.com