For many years, the most requested flashlight/torch feature by light painting photographers was for a flashlight with both adjustable strobe frequency/speed and strobe brightness. Light Painting tool manufacturer Light Painting Paradise (LPP) answered this requirement in 2020 with the LightPainter – Ryu’s Lightworks Edition flashlight (based on a custom built light from Ryu's Lightworks). Since production of the original LightPainter ended in 2023, LPP have been planning the LightPainter V2, which has now entered production in 2024.
Disclaimer
This flashlight was provided by Light Painting Paradise for a review, for which I’ve been a brand ambassador since 2020.
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LightPainter V2 Kits 20% off pre-sale!
The official name is the rather lengthy Light Painting Paradise LightPainter - Ryu's Lightworks V2. During this review I'll refer to the light as the LightPainter V2. Light painters are likely to refer to the light as the Ryu's V2.
Design and Construction
The Light Painting Paradise (LPP) LightPainter - Ryu's Lightworks V2 is a 18650 format flashlight, with a Luminus SST-40 cool white LED. The original LightPainter was based on the Sofirn SP31 V2.0. Due to various reasons, LPP had to change OEM manufacturers. Flashlight enthusiasts will probably be able to guess the new OEM! The length of the light is 139mm, with a head diameter of 28mm.
A side clip, holster, 18650 (18700) battery with internal USB-C charging, USB-A to C charging cable, and spare O-rings are included. The standard price is 159 Euro (US$172.at the time of writing). It is certainly not a budget light, but acceptably priced for a specialist light with relatively small production runs.
The light has a tail switch, and two side buttons/switches. The production version has slightly more raised side buttons than in the tested and photographed prototypes. The user interface explained in the next section.
The LightPainter V2 is specifically designed for light painting photography - creating light trails in the dark. This light is compatible the new version of the "All in One" adapter specifically designed for this light which allows for easy access to the side buttons. This is included in many of the kit options. Note: this is a new "All in One" adapter, as the head size is larger than the original. I have tested the Anduril UI based Noctigon KR4 flashlight to also be compatible with the new "All in One Adapter".
The LightPainter V2 is also compatible with the LPP's various cone adapters, with access to the side switch if you use the step up ring. There is also a new Orb Tool kit that is compatible with the LightPainter V2.
Compatibility with other light painting systems includes:
Light Painting Brushes (LPB) - use LPP step up ring with Universal Adapter, or @lightpaintingaccessories adapter both allow access to the side buttons.
T8 Tubes - @lightpaintingaccessories adapter (designed for Luminosify Choobs) with access to side buttons, or directly insert the LightPainter V2 into the T8 tube (no access to side buttons).
The light comes with a rechargeable protected 3000mAh 18650 (18700) Li-ion battery, with internal USB-C charging. This means that battery has to be removed to be charged, The battery can also be charged into a conventional Li-ion charger. Charging terminated at 4.19V, and using the integrated charging took approximately 3 hours to charge from empty. Unfortunately, flat top unprotected 18650s (which is what I usually use in my lights) do not fit, which limits use to longer protected 18650s (which are more like 18700s).
The LightPainter V2 can be easily tripod mounted via a SmallRig Super Clamp, and there are a few 3rd party 28mm diameter flashlight diffusers which should be compatible.
User Interface
The LightPainter V2 has two side buttons/switches and a tail switch. The user interface is as follows.
Tail switch - on/off (turns on in last saved mode from button 1).
Single click button 1 - increase brightness (8 steps low>high).
Double click button 1 - advance mode (continuous>strobe>flash>ribbon>no light*>...).
Hold button 1 for 5 seconds (two flashes) - saves setting (brightness, mode, and frequency) for last mode memory (tail switch) or side mode (button 1).
Single click button 2 - change frequency/speed (8 steps fast>slow).
Hold button 2 for 5 seconds (two flashes) - saves setting (brightness, mode, and frequency) for side mode (button 2).
The light has 2 side modes, which allows momentary access (side mode 1) and single click access (side mode 2) to two different saves settings.
Side mode 1 (momentary):
Tail switch click on and hold button 1 for 5 secs - enter side mode.
Press button 1 - momentary on for button 1 saved setting.
Press button 2 - momentary on for button 2 saved setting.
Tail switch click off - exit side mode.
Side mode 2 (single click):
Tail switch click on and hold button 2 for 5 secs - enter side mode.
Press button 1 - light turns on with button 1 saved setting.
Press button 2 - light turns on for button 2 saved setting.
Click other button - light switches immediately to other saved setting.
Click same button - light turns off.
Tail switch click off - exit side mode.
Note: no light mode in the mode cycle was added for the production version to make it easier for users to know where they are in the mode cycle. It hasn't yet been tested by myself.
The light can be mechanically locked out for safety by slightly unscrewing the tail cap. A slight unscrew and re-screw of the tailcap will also reset the light, but keep the last saved settings intact.
The strobe modes have been specified to the manufacturer as follows:
Strobe mode (50% On/Off) - 8 steps - 50Hz, 25Hz, 16.6Hz, 10Hz, 6.2Hz, 4.1Hz, 2Hz, 1Hz.
Flash mode (5ms on time) "freezing effect" - 8 steps - 66Hz, 40Hz, 28.5Hz, 18.2Hz, 11.8Hz, 6Hz, 2.5Hz, 1Hz.
Ribbon strobe (5ms full brightness, otherwise 60% brightness) - 8 steps - 66Hz, 40Hz, 28.5Hz, 18.2Hz, 11.8Hz, 6Hz, 2.5Hz, 1Hz.
These provide an optimal range of strobe frequencies based on feedback from Light Painting Paradise's ambassadors including of course, Ryu's Lightworks. I most commonly use strobes in the 10-30Hz range. Slow frequencies of 1-4Hz are useful for creating "fairydust" effects with flash mode, and some other unusual effects with strobe mode. Whilst the LightPainter V2.0 no longer has a dedicated trigger mode, the use of a 1Hz slowest frequency with side mode allows for similar functionality. After a few prototypes, the strobe frequencies in the production version are all close to the specified figures.
Having used the single side switch LightPainter for many years, it took me a little while to get used to the two side switch UI on the V2. You use side button 1 for changing mode and brightness, and side button 2 for changing strobe frequency/speed. When using the tail switch for on/off, you can only memorise settings using side button 1. If you plan to use the side modes, you can save different settings using button 1 and 2.
A excellent improvement is the side modes, where you can now save 2 different settings (brightness, mode, and frequency), and then once in one of the two side modes, use buttons 1 and 2 to recall these settings. For example assign continuous, brightness 8 to button 1, and strobe speed 3, brightness 8, to button 2. Turning the light on in side mode 1 allows for momentary access to these two saved modes. This allows for two different light trail effects to be created using the same torch/tool combination. Turning the light on in side mode 2 allows single click on/off access to both saved modes, and also the ability to switch between them on the fly. The side modes allow for a big step up in creative possibilities, as well as saving precious time during a photographic exposure.
A remote pressure switch is included in some of the kits. This has not yet been tested, but is expected to work as per the tail switch (single click on/off, no momentary).
Beam, Output, and Runtime
The LightPainter V2 has a Luminus SST-40 LED in a deep smooth reflector. This choice allows for high brightness of 1800 lumens, and relatively high peak beam intensity per lumen, fantastic for tube shaped light painting tools.
There are 8 brightness (lumens) settings measured at - 6, 52, 186, 298, 462, 801, 1023, and 1820 lumens. This is 50% more max lumens than the original LightPainter, and over x10 brighter than the brightest RGB flashlight for light painting. Whilst there are some brighter 18650 and 21700 format flashlights (such as the Klarus XT11GT Pro series and Fenix PD36R series) they step down in brightness far too quickly due to heat to be useful for a wide range of light painting uses.
Unlike the original LightPainter, the V2 has temperature control to avoid overheating. This results in a brightness step down from 70 seconds on brightness mode 8 (brightest), and 5 minutes on brightness mode 7 (second brightest). This is better than most flashlights of similar and higher output, and is long enough to create light plants without experiencing reductions in brightness mid-exposure. After step down, the temperature control is quite sensitive, and fluctuates between 800 and 1600 lumens, before stabilising at around 800 lumens.
The runtimes on the highest 3 modes are between 1hr 20mins to 1hr 35mins. This is shorter than many other 18650 battery flashlights with a SST-40 emitter, due to the light having a relatively high sustained brightness, and maintaining consistent brightness levels (after thermal step-down). For light painting purposes, this runtime shouldn't be an issue, and using strobe mode (which is the primary use of this light) will double the runtime.
Peak beam intensity for was measured at - 123, 1041, 3695, 5919, 9182, 15900, 20311, and 36103 candela (lux/1m). This is very impressive. Bear in mind that my Opple light meter may overestimate this measurement by 25%. The peak beam intensity is almost x3 higher than original LightPainter (13612cd), and may allow photographic exposures to be reduced by approximately one stop. This makes the LightPainter V2 potentially useful for blue hour photography, or for use near street lights. An optimal exposure using maximum output level, and a Plexi Rod Bubbles was f/16, ISO100.
Hotspot correlated colour temperature (CCT), colour rendering index (CRI), and tint (DUV) were measured on 5 brightness modes:
1 (lowest) - CCT 5501K, CRI 63 Ra, Tint +0.0150 DUV
3 - CCT 5649K, CRI 64.2 Ra, Tint +0.0129 DUV
5 - CCT 5754K, CRI 65.1 Ra, Tint +0.0115 DUV
7 - CCT 5860K, CRI 66.1 Ra, Tint +0.0102 DUV
8 (brightest) - CCT 5935K, CRI 66.6 Ra, Tint +0.0092 DUV
The LightPainter V2 has a cool white LED designed for maximum efficiency, and thus the hotspot CCT is relatively cool at 5500-5900K (the spill beam is cooler), and the CRI is the standard 65 CRI. This CRI is fine for use with light painting tools, but I prefer high CRI lights for illuminating scenes (I use the Aputure MC Pro for that purpose). SST-40 LEDs always have a slight green tint (+ve DUV) and the results were consistent with other SST-40 lights such as the Convoy S15 and Sofirn SP31 V3.0. The green tint can be compensated for (if required) with a slight green to magenta tint adjustment in post processing.
Whilst there were design stage discussions of using a 7070 format high CRI LED instead, it would have been limited to 1200 lumens and 12000 candela. My recommendation was that higher brightness was more marketable and useful for the majority of light painters.
There is no visible Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) - yay!
Conclusion
Positives:
Adjustable strobe frequency AND strobe brightness.
3 different strobe and continuous light modes.
Improved strobe frequency range than the original LightPainter.
Can save 2 different settings for use with side mode.
Momentary functionality (side mode 1).
Ability to switch between saved settings on the fly (side mode 2).
50% more lumens than the original LightPainter.
300% higher peak beam intensity than the original LightPainter.
Decent time until brightness step-down.
Remote pressure switch available in some kits (not yet tested).
PWM is not visible.
Side clip included.
Battery has USB-C internal charging.
Compatible with multiple light painting systems.
Negatives:
Not compatible with unprotected 18650 batteries.
No momentary mode for tail switch.
The LightPainter - Ryu's Lightworks V2 is the only conventional flashlight/torch that allows for both adjustable strobe brightness and adjustable strobe frequencies. The two side modes allow for new creative possibilities. The increased brightness is useful for use in higher ambient brightness conditions such as during blue hour. The Light Painting Paradise LightPainter – Ryu’s Lightworks V2 flashlight is highly recommended for light painting photographers, and is a fantastic evolution over the original.
LightPainter V2. 20% off pre-sale!
LightPainter V2 Kits 20% off pre-sale!
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