Compare complete kits

The Cinematographer's Guide to HMI Replacements (2026)

If you want to shoot a cinematic scene inside a living room during the day, you have a massive problem: the sun outside the window is 100,000 times brighter than the ambient light inside the room. If you expose for the actor's face, the window blows out into pure, ugly white. For decades, Hollywood solved this by blasting massive 1200W HMI lights through the window to balance the exposure. But HMIs are incredibly expensive, they run hot enough to cause third-degree burns, and they require massive gas generators. Today, modern LED technology has finally caught up. High-output COB (Chip-on-Board) LEDs like the Aputure LS 600d Pro can output the equivalent power of an HMI while plugging directly into a standard household wall outlet. This guide explains how to deploy these massive LED fixtures safely.