Photon Beard

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Overview

Photon Beard is a manufacturer of studio lighting equipment for broadcast, film, and video production, specializing in portable tungsten, LED, and fluorescent lights. It holds the distinction of being the oldest entertainment lighting company, with a manufacturing history from 1882, and produces hand-built products in its UK facility.¹²³

History

Photon Beard traces its origins to RR Beard, formed in 1882, making it the oldest entertainment lighting company in the world. The current entity, Photon Beard Limited, was registered on 28 November 1988.¹³ It has maintained continuous production of high-quality lighting for TV studios and motion pictures for over 130 years, with ongoing innovation in solutions for image capture applications.¹

Product Lines

Product Line	Positioning	Price Range
Portable Tungsten Lighting	Broadcast and film production	$500 - $3,000
Studio Fluorescent Lighting	TV studio applications	$800 - $4,000
LED Lighting Panels	Video and fluorescent alternatives	$1,000 - $5,000

Manufacturing

All lights are hand-built in the company's production facility in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, just north of London.¹²³

Notable Products

One-Foot Square Fluorescent Panel - New fluorescent lighting panel for broadcast, film, and video.
Portable Tungsten Lights - Hand-built tungsten fixtures for studio and location use.
LED Studio Lights - Modern LED solutions representing over 100 years of British design.

Reputation

Photon Beard is recognized for design excellence and reliability in the broadcast industry, with products praised for high standards and performance.¹ Professionals value its heritage and hand-built quality for TV and film applications.²³ Limited public reviews available, but company maintains active operations and innovation focus.¹

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