DoPchoice announced AIRGLOW back in February. AIRGLOW is an inflatable SNAPBAG for LED 2×1 panels such as the Creamsource Vortex8 and Vortex8 Soft, ARRI Skypanel X21 and S60 Classic. There is also a smaller 1×1 version.
You could also use the AIRGLOW with flexible LED panel lights as well.
I spoke to DoPchoice at NAB 2024 in Las Vegas about the AIRGLOW and you can see that interview above.
What is it for?
AIRGLOW is an inflatable solution that was designed to create a simpler answer to booklight-style illumination. It is claimed to be able to produce an extremely soft, indirect lighting source, without hard-defined shadows.
There really isn’t any rule for how you could use the AIRGLOW. It really depends on what you are trying to achieve. Above you can see it placed on the floor to provide soft light to fill in harsh shadows under the chin.
Unlike a typical front-facing soft box, AIRGLOW creates a 45° triangular bounce, with the back wall forming the hypotenuse angle to push light out the perpendicular side.
AIRGLOW is a way to create indirect light from a single fixture without having to utilize anything else.
The back wall can be swapped from Ultra Bounce to Hard Silver Diffusion for punchier illumination, or if you prefer, bleached or unbleached Muslin. For further light direction, there is also the option of adding the 40° SNAPGRID, Quarter, Half, or Magic Cloth diffusion to further increase softness. Having these options certainly adds increased versatility to the product.
AIRGLOW can be oriented horizontally or vertically. It is being touted as a lightweight and easy-to-set-up solution that eliminates the need for extra stands. Essentially, at least from my perspective, it is a more portable and compact booklight. However, in saying that, because of its size, it’s not going to be able to replicate a lot larger book light so you need to keep that in mind.
How do you set it up?
Setting up the AIRGLOW from scratch the first time isn’t a simple process and it is not a lighting modifier that you can use quickly. I would say you need to allow at least 5-10 minutes minimum to construct it if you are doing it for the first time. You also need a bit of space to do this as you need to lay everything out, especially when you are doing the inflation.
While it does come with some written instructions I did find that those instructions weren’t overly clear. It is much better to watch the instructional video. As there are multiple components to assemble and inflation that has to be done I almost felt like I was assembling something from Ikea. In fairness to DoPchoice, it was only the first time I tried setting it up that I got a little confused because I was just following the written instructions.
What I found slightly odd, considering this is an inflatable product, is that it didn’t come with a pump.
There are three different components that need to be inflated. I used an electric air pump that I had from another fixture to do this.
You can inflate the components reasonably quickly with a decent pump, but you need to be careful not to under or over-inflate them.
Firstly you need to inflate the tubes that are used to create the base frame for AIRGLOW.
You then need to inflate the air pillow that you attach underneath the tubular frame using velcro.
Once that is done you need to put the black material on the back of the AIRGLOW and on both sides.
Now you are ready to move on to the next step.
The next step is to attach the material to the back wall of the AIRGLOW. I found this a little tricky to do as it needs to be attached to a bunch of small velcro tabs. In the kit, you get Quarter, Half, and SNAPCLOTH.
You then put one of the various diffusion strengths on the front of the AIRGLOW, or something stronger such as bleached or unbleached Muslin. You can also use it without diffusion on the front if you want a more punchier source.
I actually found it was easier to set up everything before installing it on an LED panel. Once everything is constructed you simply place it on top of an upward-facing LED panel and then secure it underneath using the two adjustable straps.
It is easier to construct once you have done it a few times and I found it was better if you just leave a lot of the cloth attachments on as it saves time.
When it is set up it almost looks like something you would put in your pool and not onto an LED fixture.
It is easier to deflate and pack away than it is to set up.
Build Quality
The AIRGLOW is decently made for what it is. The Magic Cloth and all the diffusion materials are of good quality. Not all diffusion material is exactly the same and I have come across plenty of cheaply made solutions that may look similar, but they don’t provide the same results.
The AIRGLOW comes in a carry case and you also get a large fold-out mat that you can place on the floor when you are constructing everything up which is nice.
Real World Usability
Apart from the slow setup, the AIRGLOW is very easy to use once it is built out. As it’s a self-contained all-in-one solution you can move it around and make adjustments very quickly, which is something you can’t do with a book light.
I liked using the unbleached Muslin, especially for interviews. It produces a nice soft wrap-around lighting source that is very flattering.
I used the AIRGLOW on a recent documentary shoot as the key light for some interviews and it worked really well. Small spaces are always tricky when you are trying to create a nice soft wrapping light. In a space like this, it would be very difficult to set up a traditional book light and I would need far more equipment to achieve a similar result as what I can get with the AIRGLOW.
I also tried it out with the ARRI SkyPanel X21 and it worked really well.
The biggest advantage the AIRGLOW offers over a traditional book light is that it is much easier to create with far less equipment. With most traditional book lights you would need a pretty powerful source to create a decent amount of illumination. I found that with the AIRGLOW you can get a good amount of illumination without having to run your fixture at 100%.
It is also a lot easier to move around and reposition than a book light because you are only moving one thing and not multiple components and stands. It is also super quick to change out the diffusion, unlike with a book light.
Price & Availability
The DoPchoice AIRGLOW 1×2 version retails for $1,200 USD.
Specifications
Thoughts
The AIRGLOW is a little convoluted to set up when you are doing it for the first time, but after a few tries it becomes a lot quicker and easier to do. It is very lightweight and it does a very good job of creating a nice indirect lighting source. The biggest benefit I found is that I could use this solution with just a single light stand and you can create a large soft source in a fairly compact form factor.
I also liked the versatility of the AIRGLOW and the ability to put various strengths or types of diffusion on the back wall and the front to create different types of light.
Ultimately with any type of lighting modifier, it needs to create nice light or you’re not going to use it. I was very happy with the type of light I could create using this product.
The AIRGLOW is certainly on the expensive side given what it is, but like any unique product, there is a lot of R&D that goes into it and if you are not selling huge numbers then the price is always going to be high. DoPchoice actually has a patent for AIRGLOW. The high price is likely to turn a lot of people off and I can certainly understand why that would be.
Good lighting modifiers are going to outlive any camera you are likely to buy, but you do need to carefully consider the upfront cost to see if you can justify that initial cost for something you can use for many years.
The AIRGLOW is certainly a pretty niche product and it is more likely to appeal to rental houses and gaffers than perhaps individual shooters. There are lots of ways to create different types of light and ultimately whether a product suits your needs and requirements depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
