3. Lighting Fixtures — Diva-Lite 31 & ARRI L7-C Plus

Updated: 2026-06*

Two kinds of LED fixtures with different personalities hang from the studio ceiling.

• Kino Flo Diva-Lite 31 LED DMX (4 units) — a soft area light source
• ARRI L7-C Plus (3 units) — a directional spot light source

Both let you freely control brightness, color temperature, and RGB color, but the character of their light is completely different. Using each one for the right purpose dramatically changes how the subject looks.

Kino Flo Diva-Lite 31 LED DMX

What kind of light this is

A wide, panel-type LED fixture. Because its emitting surface is large, it creates soft, wrapping light. It’s ideal when you want to render skin beautifully or blend shadows gently.

Typical uses

• Soft key light on a person, as the main light
• Lighting a white cyclorama evenly
• Recreating natural light coming in through a window

Available modes

The Diva-Lite 31 can switch between three modes depending on the purpose.

1. White mode — a simple mode that adjusts color temperature (K) and green/magenta
2. Color mode ① (HSI + Gel) — adds hue and saturation, plus gel-filter presets (100+)
3. Color mode ② (RGB) — mix red, green, and blue individually to make any color

Practical shooting tips:

• Ordinary portrait shooting → White mode, adjusting only color temperature, is the easiest to handle
• To recreate an existing film gel → the Gel presets in Color mode ①
• To make an arbitrary color (e.g., a purple background) → RGB in Color mode ②

ARRI L7-C Plus

What kind of light this is

A directional spotlight with a 7-inch Fresnel lens. It puts out crisp, linear light. Use it to give the subject dimensionality or to light only a specific spot.

Typical uses

• Key light (the main light that gives the subject dimensionality)
• Rim light / back light (a halo that lifts the subject’s outline)
• Accenting a specific area (lighting only a targeted spot, such as a poster or product)

Switching spot ⇔ flood

The ARRI L7-C’s biggest feature is that you can change the width of the beam.

• Spot (12°) — a narrow, pinpoint beam. Makes only the subject stand out
• Flood (45°) — a wide beam. Lights an entire area

To change the beam angle while the unit is hung from the ceiling, use the focus knob on the side of the body (follow the administrator’s instructions for operation).

Available modes

The ARRI series has several DMX modes, but this studio operates in “White + RGBW mode” or “HSI mode.”

• White + RGBW mode — an all-purpose mode that adjusts color temperature (K) and RGB+W together
• HSI mode — a beginner-friendly mode that handles hue, saturation, and intensity simply

On the QLC+ screen, it’s set up so you can work in whichever mode suits your purpose.

Using the two kinds of light together

In shooting, the basic approach is to combine lights of different character.

Basics: an example three-point lighting setup

                   [Subject]
                      ●
                    ／ ｜ ＼
                  ／  ｜   ＼
                Fill  Key   Rim
              (soft) (lead)(edge)
              Diva   ARRI   ARRI

This studio is configured with 4 Diva-Lites + 3 ARRIs, so you can build a typical three-point setup plus background lighting straight away.

RGB or CCT — which to use?

Both fixtures support both “color temperature (CCT)” and “RGB,” but you use each for different purposes.

When to use CCT (color temperature) mode

• You want natural skin tone in portrait work → around 3200K–5600K
• You want to match existing natural or room light
• You want to unify the color of several lights

Matching with color temperature gives the most “familiar-looking” light.

When to use RGB (full color) mode

• You want to dye the background blue or red as a creative choice
• Music videos, fashion shoots, etc., where color itself is part of the expression
• Special effects (a red warning-light look, recreating a sunset, etc.)

RGB offers a wider range of expression, but it tends to look unnatural when aimed directly at people, so it’s generally used for background lighting or accents.

Relationship with white balance

The camera’s white balance (WB) and the lighting’s color temperature (K) need to be considered together.

Roughly speaking:

The basic rule is to match WB to the lighting K, but you may deliberately offset them for effect. Before shooting, talk it over with the camera operator and align the settings.

Summary

• Diva-Lite 31: soft light, ideal for fill on people and for backgrounds
• ARRI L7-C Plus: directional light, ideal for key and rim
• Both support color temperature and RGB → use each for the right purpose
• Before shooting, align the camera’s WB with the lighting K