Lighting apparatus with adjustable lenses or filters

An illumination system suitable for providing suitable illumination for lighting of a subject being recorded by a film, television or video camera, comprising:

• a portable frame having a mounting surface, said portable frame attachable to at least one of a movable camera apparatus, a stand, or a yoke;
• a first group of semiconductor light elements disposed on the mounting surface, said first group of semiconductor light elements having a color temperature suitable for image capture by film, television or video camera;
• a second group of semiconductor light elements disposed on the mounting surface and having a different color temperature than said first group of semiconductor light elements;
• and
• a user-activated cross-fade illumination control mechanism for selecting different illumination levels respectively for said first group of semiconductor light elements and said second group of semiconductor light elements;
• wherein a single adjustment to said user-activated cross-fade illumination control mechanism in one direction causes the illumination level of the first group of semiconductor light elements to increase simultaneously with a decrease in the illumination level of the second group of semiconductor light elements, and a single adjustment of the user-activated cross-fade illumination control mechanism in an opposite direction causes the illumination level of the first group of semiconductor light elements to decrease simultaneously with an increase in the illumination level of the second group of semiconductor light elements.

A method for providing proper illumination for lighting of a subject being recorded by a film, television or video camera, comprising:

• attaching a first group of semiconductor light elements to a mounting surface of a portable frame, said portable frame attachable to at least one of a movable camera apparatus, a stand, or a yoke;
• attaching a second group of semiconductor light elements to the mounting surface of the portable frame, said second group of semiconductor light elements having a different color temperature than said first group of semiconductor light elements;
• electrically connecting a user-activated illumination control mechanism to said first and second groups of semiconductor light elements, said user-activated illumination control mechanism providing different selectable illumination levels respectively for said first group of semiconductor light elements and said second group of semiconductor light elements,
• wherein a single adjustment to said user-activated cross-fade illumination control mechanism in one direction causes the illumination level of the first group of semiconductor light elements to increase simultaneously with a decrease in the illumination level of the second group of semiconductor light elements, and a single adjustment of the user-activated cross-fade illumination control mechanism in an opposite direction causes the illumination level of the first group of semiconductor light elements to decrease simultaneously with an increase in the illumination level of the second group of semiconductor light elements.

An illumination system, comprising:

• a portable frame having a mounting surface that is substantially rectangular in shape;
• a first group of semiconductor light elements disposed on the mounting surface, said first group of semiconductor light elements having a color temperature suitable for image capture by film, television or video camera;
• a second group of semiconductor light elements disposed on the mounting surface and having a different color temperature than said first group of semiconductor light elements;
• and
• a user-activated illumination control mechanism for controllably setting different selectable illumination levels respectively for said first group of semiconductor light elements and said second group of semiconductor light elements;
• wherein said first group of semiconductor light elements and said second group of semiconductor light elements are arranged in rows and columns, with semiconductor light elements of said first color temperature alternating with semiconductor light elements of said second color temperature across each row in a two-dimensional checkerboard pattern of semiconductor light elements.