New Creamsource C3 LED Fresnel Enhances Lighting Solutions for Broadcast and Live Production

Creamsource introduces C3, a powerful 3000W full-color LED Fresnel and the first fixture in a new product line from the team behind the tried-and-true Vortex Series of LED panels.

On set, C3 will feel very familiar to a classic Fresnel, but there’s plenty that’s different under the hood, including a proprietary optical design and advanced thermal management. It’s IP65-rated with an integrated power supply and carries over the same rugged build quality and attention to color accuracy and consistency that shaped Vortex.

More than four years went into getting here, with prototypes, experiments, and plenty of tinkering in the lab along the way. Feedback from the field shaped the process, with particular attention paid to the details that make a fixture worth owning for the long haul.

Through all of that, the philosophy stayed pretty simple: make a damn good Fresnel.

Rather than starting with an all-purpose fixture and adding a Fresnel attachment, C3 was built as a self-contained Fresnel from the start. The field of light, the quality of the shadows, and the way the light focuses define the framework. Optics, power, cooling, and rigging all follow from that decision.

“We want people to have options,” said Tama Berkeljon, CEO of Creamsource. “Sometimes the right tool is a panel, sometimes it’s a Fresnel. Versatility is great, but there’s also something to be said for knowing exactly what you’re building and why. We make lights. What DPs and gaffers do with them is far more interesting.”

Inside C3

C3 draws 3000W, delivering on average 10,000 lux at 10m in full spot and 1,500 lux at 10m in full flood, with particularly high efficiency for a point source of this scale. That amount of power comes with heat to manage, and C3’s advanced thermal management system does exactly that, maintaining a delta of no more than 5°C from point to point on the light engine.  Building on experience from previous products and the latest advancements in liquid cooling, a reliable platform was born.

When a scene calls for contrast and control, C3 comes into its own. The optical system has been tuned around beam uniformity, a smooth roll-off, minimal color fringing, and crisp shadow quality. The Fresnel lens itself remains fixed in its position, with spot-to-flood movement happening inside the unit from 18° to 60° — all of which can be controlled either via DMX or manually by an avionic speed control paddle.

A newly designed 7-color BCGLARD engine drives full-color control, extending the native Vortex gamut by 20% and covering over 92% of Rec. 2020. Like Vortex, it runs Creamsource Color Management System (CCMS) for accuracy and consistency across fixtures.

The fixture body is wrapped in a cage designed to be grabbed, handled and rigged, while LNX forms the building block for joining fixtures together into larger C3 arrays. Its square Fresnel lens minimises gaps and shadowing between emitting areas when fixtures are combined, reducing the diffusion required on arrays.

C3 has been engineered to reduce potential failure points and keep servicing straight forward when the time comes. It’s backed by Creamsource’s five-year warranty and real customer service — not chatbots — on the other end of the line when you need them.

C3 on Film

To mark the launch of C3, Creamsource made a new short film with director Arden Tse and cinematographer Luo Pan, ASC, CNSC. Shot on 35mm, it drifts through fragmented memories, where time slips and inspiration bleeds through.

Watch the film and explore C3 at [creamsource.com/product/c3/].

Pricing & Availability

Starting at $18,800 USD, C3 will be available to order beginning November, 2026 with first shipments expected in Q2 2027.

C3 will make its worldwide debut at IBC2026 in Amsterdam, Hall 12, Stand G50.

***PRELIMINARY*** Technical Specifications

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Denise Williams