Creamsource made the trip across the ocean to Amsterdam to debut their very first Fresnel at IBC 2026, officially expanding their lineup of high-performance cinematic LED systems.

For those unfamiliar, a Fresnel light uses a specialized stepped lens to yield a bright, highly controllable beam. These fixtures deliver punchy hard light, create long throws, and, when pushed through diffusion, transform into powerful large-area sources. The new Creamsource C3 takes on the honor of introducing this product line, and getting hands-on time with it on the show floor reveals how well it holds up as the new kid on the block.

The C3 is a 3000-watt full-color fixture that merges traditional optical qualities with modern LED flexibility. Its seven-color BCGLARD engine—incorporating blue, cyan, green, lime, amber, red, and deep red—covers over 92% of the Rec. 2020 color gamut. It provides a CCT range from 2200K to 15,000K alongside plus/minus green correction, hue/saturation, XY coordinates, calibrated RGBW, gels, and built-in effects. Operating the fixture firsthand makes it clear how crucial this is for fast-moving sets: instead of swapping gels or changing lamps between daylight, tungsten, and stylized setups, adjustments happen instantly on the back panel or via the app. Built-in Creamsource Color Management keeps output consistent across dimming levels and thermal changes.

At the core of the C3 is a motorized zoom system driving an 18° to 60° beam. Unusually, the glass Fresnel lens stays fixed while the LED engine moves behind it to alter spread. Direct hands-on testing highlights how seamless this setup is—cinematographers and gaffers can refine focus on the fly via DMX, Ethernet, LumenRadio, or manual control without re-rigging optics. At full 18° spot, output hits 10,000 lux at 10 meters, dropping to 1,500 lux at full flood while maintaining clean, defined shadow structures.

Every aspect of the hardware feels built for location work rather than clean studio floors. The IP65 weatherproof housing features a built-in ballast, eliminating extra cable runs. Its protective outer cage gives crews practical points to grab, lift, and rig the roughly 45 kg (99 lb) frame or slide it into modular LNX arrays. Crucially for European production crews, this high-output unit plugs directly into standard household wall outlets.

To demonstrate these real-world capabilities, director Arden Tse collaborated with Creamsource on CHANG’E, a four-minute short film featuring a bold Technicolor-inspired palette, deep noir contrast, and precise shadow design.