How do you use the Godox VSA Spotlight Kit for lighting design?
What is a spotlight attachment and how does it work? What are they used for? What do you need to consider? The possible uses, advantages and suitable lights of the VSA Spotlight Kit from Godox are explained in more detail in this blog post.
Written by Sasan Amir
Photographer and filmmaker - content creator with a focus on technology and nature.
What is a spotlight attachment and how does it work?
Spotlight attachments have become indispensable tools in the world of lighting technology. A spotlight attachment is an extension for studio lighting or for LED lights. It is designed to shape and direct the light in a precise way to achieve specific creative effects. These powerful attachments direct the light to specific areas, emphasise details and create atmospheric lighting. In this context, we would like to take a closer look at the possible applications of spotlight attachments and take a look at the various Godox VSA Spotlight Kits.
How does a spotlight attachment from Godox work?
The spotlight attachment ensures an even and focused beam of light without colour or brightness shifts from the centre to the edge, allowing the light to be precisely controlled. A high-quality lens system minimises aberrations and creates a sharp beam with clear edges. This enables the creation of sharp, defined shapes, e.g. circles.
The system consists of a mounting system itself and an adjustable lens that can focus between sharp, hard edges and soft edges. The attachment lens is fixed/released by a screw, which allows the focus to be shifted manually.
What accessories are included? What is a gobo attachment?
The VSA spotlight kit is available with three lens options: 19 degrees, 26 degrees and 36 degrees.
All 3 kits include a gobo holder, 4 gobos and a gel filter holder to further modify the light.
A gobo is basically comparable to a stencil. It is inserted into the spotlight in order to project patterns, texts or images; the mode of operation is similar to that of a slide projection. The resistance to heat makes gobos particularly reliable. A popular effect is the gobo with the blinds effect. This suggests to the viewer the effect of the sun shining through the blinds, resulting in a very impressive effect.
In addition, there are 4 adjustable plates on the mounting system that can be slid in and out, allowing the light to be trimmed again and creating an even more selective light source. Thanks to the Bowens mount, the whole thing is very compatible with the standard lights from the Godox universe and other manufacturers. Be careful with the weight, the whole setup itself weighs quite a bit, so it is recommended to use a good lamp tripod.
Which spotlight attachment is suitable for my area of application? How does the projection size change?
The beam angles of spotlight attachments play a decisive role in the light distribution in a room or on a surface. Here we take a look at the differences between the 3 kits in the VSA series with 19 degrees, 26 degrees and 36 degrees. In general, it can be said that the cone of light increases/decreases depending on the distance to the subject. The further away the light is from the lens, the larger the light cone and therefore also the projection size. With a fixed distance between the light and the shooting area, the size of the light cone can be adjusted using the different optics (19, 26 & 36 degrees).
"In general, it can be said that the light cone increases/decreases depending on the distance to the subject."
The choice of the right beam angle therefore depends heavily on the individual requirements of the respective lighting context, be it in living spaces, shops, art galleries or other environments. Generally speaking, however, it always depends on how the luminaires are used, so even the 36-degree attachment can provide accent lighting if it is aligned close to the object. The size of the room and the position of the light source are therefore often more decisive. Here, everyone must decide for themselves which luminaire is suitable for the respective application. For example, a person can be completely illuminated with a small distance to the luminaire and a 36-degree kit, or the luminaire can be positioned further away, but with 21 or 16 degrees as an attachment lens.
Areas of application
Spotlight attachments are used in various areas, from studio photography to stage lighting during a performance. They offer a wide range of creative possibilities to create unique visual elements. The VSA kit is particularly suitable for photographers and videographers who want to control and shape the light precisely and who like to work with selective light and use this as a stylistic element. The VSA kits are approved up to a continuous light output of 300W, such as the Godox SZ300R.
