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The perfect start with Choobs
What should I buy to start light painting with Choobs?
A torch, no bigger than 28mm diamater, which is bright (1000+ lumens ideally). Bigger than that and it won’t fit into our Choobs. The torch is then inserted into one end of the Choob (the stickered end) and ideally held in place by the torch pocket clip (or your hand!)
Check out our STARTER kits to get the tools you need to start Choob Painting!
Check out our Product Guide for torch recommendations.
What are the different Choob types?
DIFFUSED - These tubes use a stage quality gel and diffuser to create a softer glow & reduce the texture seen in the final exposure. They come in 8 colours.
NAKED - These come in the same colours as the diffused (excluding ‘Moon’ which is a white diffused light painting tube). Without the diffuser these Choobs give more texture. Let’s say the temperature drops and condensation forms inside the Choob, well you will be able to see that unique texture in the final exposure!
STAR BATTLE - These ARE the Choobs you’re looking for!! These colours have been hand-picked to mimic your favourite heroes and villains from a galaxy far far away!
HOLLY - The Holly uses a holographic reflector and clear gel. Light is emitted from half of the choob due to the nature of the reflective matierials used. Gives a rainbow effect.
COMPLIMENTARY - Using colour science, we have selected two complimentary colours for maximum aesthetics. They sit side by side in a unique configuration giving you new creative avenues.
TRI-COLOUR - As the name suggests, these Choobs have blocks of three separate colours. Again we have used colour science and picked a pallette for each Choob using split complementary theory.
TRI-COLOUR EVOLVED - New for 2022, they are based on the original Tri-Colour series with a couple of new colour combinations. These Choobs have three separate colours likt their original counterparts, however they are now vertically aligned and span the whole length of the Choob. These new Tri-Colour EVOLVED Choobs are also diffused.
RAINBOW - Now this is a true Rainbow tube, made using 7 different colour gels to create a stripy rainbow experience (sold without pot of gold at either end… sorry!).
SPECTRUM - Rainbow’s pastel coloured sister, made with 6 different pastel coloured gels for a subtler rainbow effect.
DARK MATTER - The entire length of this is covered in black vinyl and therefore only emits light from the end. You may wonder why it’s a light painting tube at all… well you can use these with the Mini-Choobs to create unique patterns, such as halos and rings.
What about other accessories?
MINI-CHOOBS & EXTENDERS - These attach onto the end of the Choob to either extend, or add another colour. The Mini-Choobs are 15cm long.
CHOOB BLINDS - Want to block some of the Choob to make cool patterns? Then get a set of these, clip them on and let those creative juices flow! (just the creative ones mind…)
CHOOB HATS - These slot into the the top of the Choob to prevent excess light escaping. This makes your images look cleaner & more professional. The hats have a reflective material inside which helps reflect light back down the choob making it brighter. They come in two colours which give different effects!
BLACK - These block the majority of the light and don’t change the colour of the edge of the Choob in the final image.
WHITE - These glow with light from the torch giving you a distinct edge to your light painting patterns.
CHOOB JACKET - This clip on back covers half of the Choob, limiting the amount of light emitted backwards onto the ‘light painter’, reducing the chance of accidentally snapping yourself in the photo.
TORCH RECOMMENDATIONS
// HOW TO ATTACH THE TORCH
Easiest way to attach the torch is to use the pocket clip as shown in the image. You can then use the tail button to turn the torch on and off.
// THE TORCHES WE USE
We personally currently have the Nitecore P10 v2 and the Ryu Lightworks torches but those are both on the more expensive side.
Any torch that can achieve about 1000 lumens will be ok (assuming it will fit in the choob) but brightness needs will be dependent on where and when you are planning to shoot.
The reason the recommended torches are more on the costly side is the fact that they have different options available for max brightness and strobe access/functionality.
The Sofirn SP31 v.20 is a decent budget torch with strobe and two switches. In our opinion, the best torch for light painting was the Ryu Lightworks torch, (sold by Light Painting Paradise), as it had a wide range of functions and was designed by light painters - unfortunately this torch was discontinued in early 2023.
There is also an article which has a very useful review of the best torches to use for light painting (and why) and a helpful table summarising which fit our choobs, by Stephen Knight:
We've had a look around on Amazon for some of the recommendations from Stephen’s article:
Nightcore P10 v2 (we have this one) - This has strobe function, a tail switch and clip. You can buy a separate pressure switch which can come in handy.
Check out on Amazon
Klarus XT2CR - This has strobe function, a tail switch and clip.
Check out on Amazon
Wukkos TD02 - This has strobe mode, a tail switch and clip.
Some customers have managed to find torches on Amazon (UK) that fit quite cheaply but perhaps are just a bit lacking in lumens ideally.
// OTHER OPTIONS
WUBEN C3 - has strobe function, tail switch and clip.
Check out on Amazon
WUBEN L50 - this has no strobe function (except SOS strobing)
Check out on Amazon
For the budget options listed, we have no light painting reference point as we don't know anyone who uses these, and they aren't reviewed in Stephen’s article.
Diffused vs. Naked
As I described above, the diffused choobs remove most of the texture from the final exposure that might come from dust or condensation. Some people like the texture, some people don’t hence we offer a range of colours in both types!
DIFFUSED [LEFT] - Softer, less transparent, less texture
NAKED [RIGHT] - More transparent, more texture
Choobs - How they are made.
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Quality Components
We use professional quality, British produced components in our products. The gels, diffusers and protectors are produced by Lee Filters, a synonymous brand in photographic and cinemegraphic lighting products.
For the holographic reflector, we have sourced and tested various materials during product development to make sure you get the best light painting experience. -
Construction
Inside our Choobs we have multiple layers of material, each Choob type is different but the layer order stays the same.
Diffuser - If you order a diffused Choob, the outer layer is always the diffuser (Lee Filters).
Gel/Holographic Reflector - This is the layer that creates the colour(s). Either a Lee Filters gel or holographic alternative.
Clear Gel - Finally, the inner layer is always a Lee Filters clear gel, which not only helps protect the inside, but also increases the luminosity of the Choob.
Each end of the Choob also has additional protection to keep the insides in place and protect against the hats/torches damaging the Choob.
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Put a jacket on your Choob
We also offer a clip-on back accessory, the Choob Jacket, which ‘coats’ your Choob with a premium leather effect vinyl around 180 degrees.
This reduces the amount of light illuminating the light painter allowing you to get better photos first time (or at least with a lot less post processing required!)Simply clip the jacket onto the Choob and make sure the open end is pointing towards the camera, it’s that simple!