Pro Moviemaker Summer 2018

GEAR GROUP TEST

NANGUANG RGB LIGHT £317/$449 www.kenro.co.uk

This is the most affordable of the lights here by quite some margin, and while it’s true that you usually get what you pay for, for the price this is not a bad little light, and could be a useful, lightweight tool for an on-the-go, jobbing videographer. On closer inspection there is evidence of why the cost is so low. For a start, the light doesn’t have the build quality of some of the other lights being tested, featuring a plastic shell as opposed to a metal one, while the control buttons are not as tactile as on other models. However, what you lose in ruggedness you gain in compactness. At 1.48kg/ 3.2lbs for a 34.8 x 24cm/13.7 x 9.4in light, it’s easy to carry around. The RGB light ticks a lot of the basic boxes on the features front as well. The illuminated menu interface system on the back is clean and easy to follow - this is a definite use out-of-the-box product. Pressing the button in the centre of the unit enables switching between a hard white light source and a soft white light source by turning on an inbuilt diffuser grid and an RGB source. The hard white source uses bigger bulbs and creates noticeable shadow duplications. However, the RGB setting, which allows mixing of up to 360 colours, is a nice option to have for a run-and-gun videographer who

might want to create a coloured backdrop for an interviewee. I can also see the benefits of being able to swap between a softer, flat LED panel and a harder light source on location, depending on whether you need the extra punch or a more included standard AC power adaptor, there is the ability to power the light through two Sony NP-F type batteries or Panasonic CGR-D series. The charge left on the battery can easily be checked by pressing the test button, and it’s a useful feature that doesn’t come with many of its higher-end cousins. The power is just 27W and the light has nowhere near the punch of its competitors, scoring 0.618 foot-lamberts at full output from 6ft at 5600K on the hard light setting. One obvious drawback with this light is that the dimmer jumps off a bit of a cliff-edge between 1 and 0. But this light isn’t trying to compete with the big boys. If it was being sold for four times as much, it would not get a good write-up, but at a fifth of the price it fulfils a role. This is a lightweight, extremely portable option that has a decent range of features at a very keen price point. It may not last as long as some of the better- built models and the colours are likely to degrade more quickly, but it boasts a good CRI reading of 95 and will be a good choice for jobbing videographers on low budgets. flattering look for skin tones. The light doesn’t have DMX capabilities, but in addition to the

SPECIFICATIONS Size: 5.5x34.8x24cm/2.1x13.7x9.4in Weight: 1.48kg/3.2lbs Power: 27W CRI: 95 Colour temperature: 3200-5600K and RGB Battery: Yes, Sony NP-F Series HOW IT RATES Features: 9/10 For something so affordable it’s great to have the ability to produce a good range of RGB colours Performance: 8/10 The level of light it produced for its size and weight is impressive Handling: 8/10 Topmarks for being extremely light, but it loses a few points for build quality Value for money: 9/10 For what it offers, this is very good value for money PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 8.5/ 10 Pros: Light, good range of features Cons: Unpleasant shadows with the hard light setting

108 PRO MOVIEMAKER SUMMER 2018

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