BUYERS’ GUIDE
The Rainbow 2 not only produces all colours, but emits moving displays ideal for effects. It’s a very controllable fixture that’s relatively small and light, so can be hidden away or mounted without a ton of rigging. A double-width Rainbow 2 is also available. Quasar Science uses its own RGBX tech, enabling the LED to score an SSI rating between 76 in the daylight range and 91 in the tungsten. It delivers CRI/ TLCI scores of 95+ when producing full- spectrum white light from 1750-10,000K and the most intense saturated colours. When dimmed, it stays true to colour. Instead of turning off pixels, low-power mode means light retains accuracy. The Rainbow 2 is 584mm/23in long and 44.5mm/1.75in wide. Pixels are in ten groups that allow the light colour to be changed along the length of the tube. Built-in effects are included, and look more realistic than ever. When adjusting colour temperature, changes are noticeably different. It’s easier to perceive small changes in Kelvin at warmer temperatures, compared to cooler. QUASAR SCIENCE RAINBOW 2 £576/$665 quasarscience.com
NANLITE PAVOTUBE T8-7X £95/$95 nanlite.co.uk
a Nanlite Remote Controller, providing external power and additional control. While it might not have an LCD screen to display settings, come with an AC adapter or even a bag, this makes it inexpensive, light and simple. The Pavotube can be handheld, thanks to a handgrip, or mounted via the 1/4in-20 socket at one end. The end of the tube has three control buttons, offering rudimentary command, but that’s often all you need. Set white or colour modes, and cycle through intensity in 20% increments. An internal 3.7v, 2200mAh rechargeable battery is claimed to last about an hour at 100% brightness. We got slightly more than that.
An accessible way into LED tube lights, the Pavotube T8-7X has some stripped- back features at a more affordable price of £95/$95. The metre-long light is RGBWW, so any colour can be set, plus fades and animated changes. Built-in Bluetooth gives full control via the free Nanlink mobile app, with an option to customise and save your own effects as presets. The T8-7X weighs only 280g/0.61lb, making it easy to mount. Colour accuracy has an average CRI of 96 and TLCI of 97. It features a wide CCT range from 2700- 7500K, with green/magenta adjustment. A wide spectrum of colour is provided, with 36,000 possibilities. Powered by mains or its own built-in battery, a USB-C port lets you connect
Pros: Consistent, accurate light quality Cons: Gets hot after extended use
Pros: Very simple and light
Cons: Only one mounting screw
NANLITE PAVOTUBE II 30X £535/$579 nanlite.co.uk
Everything is controlled from the small OLED panel on the handle, where you can scroll through the main settings of CCT for white light, HSI to adjust all hue, saturation and intensity, then effects. The special effects menu has functions like police car, welding, flash, firework, explosion, bad bulb and disco – as well as a hue or CCT loop. A second set allows you to apply multi colours, fades, scrolling colours and rainbow effects. Some modes, like driving or fire, are only controlled by the free app, which links up wirelessly. There is wired DMX control – and every pixel can be set to any colour.
Nanlite’s 70W Pavotube II 30X – which also comes in 600mm/23.6in and 2220mm/87.4in versions – can be powered by mains adapter, a separate battery using a plug-in mini XLR power adapter, or with the internal battery via USB-C. As you change settings, the OLED gives an estimate of how long before the battery runs out. At full power, this can be a couple of hours. But on low power, it will work all day. At 5600K white, it puts out 770 lux at 1m – pretty powerful. Dial up to strong colour settings and it drops a lot: 123 lux using blue. With average CRI of 97 and TLCI of 98, these are consistent lights, adjusting white from 2700-12,000K, with dimming from 0-100%.
Pros: Runs on mains or battery
Cons: You’ll want to buy lots of them!
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