First test
PRICE: £180/£240
KENRO.CO.UK
Nanlite Halo 14U and 16C Nanlite’s new ring lights offer the potent combination of shadowless lighting, round eye catchlights and the user-friendliness of LED bulbs. PN gets to check them out
The benefits of using ring lights for people and table-top photography have long been recognised, providing flattering, almost shadow-free light and ring-shaped eye catchlights. Nanlite, a brand distributed in the UK by Kenro, has introduced two LED ringlights, the 14U and the 16C, selling at £180 and £240 respectively. They offer an adjustable colour temperature range of 2700 to 6500K, 0 to 100% power output, USB pass- through and both come with a carrying case, makeup mirror, phone adapter and mains lead. The units also have adjustable tilting mounts to allow them to be fitted to a lighting stand. The Halo 14U is a 14-inch diameter model with a maximum 1404 lumens output and is powered by an integral Li-ion battery that can run the light at full power for 1.5 hours. Offering more power at 2340 lumens, the Halo 16C is a 16-inch diameter light and this unit also has RGB LEDs that can be mixed to create more than 360 colours. The Halo 14U is ideal for location use, because it is battery-powered and the more compact of the two units with a thinner frame. In terms of controls, it is basic: you get an on/off button and two knobs to control output and colour temperature. There is no output or Kelvin read-out, just indicators telling you which way to rotate the dials. If you want to fine-tune colour to match another light source, you’ll have to do by eye or by take test shots. There’s micro USB in, USB out, mains in and two 0.25-inch screw
threads, and that’s it. The USB out is pass-through when the unit is plugged into the mains and the micro USB can be used to charge the unit from a 5V/2A powerbank. Connected to the mains, four small white LEDs indicate charging and the state of the battery when in use. I did try recharging using a PNY 5V/2A powerbank, but no LEDs showed. Using a Gossen light meter with the Halo 14U 1m away, set to full power at 6500K, I got a reading of 1/60sec at f/2.0.6 and ISO 400. The Halo 16C offers more power and greater versatility. It’s mains-powered and, following the same metering procedure as with the Halo 14U, the 16C gave a reading of 1/60sec at f/2.8.4, almost 1EVmore, so it is just shy of being twice as powerful. In terms of output, we’re not talking massive power here, but there’s the opportunity for lovely shallow depth- of-field portraits with circular eye catchlights when you are shooting through the ring light. Power is not the only difference and the 16C’s wider diameter and broader frame means the stand mount and stand locking knob are significantly more robust to support the extra heft. Power output and colour temperature on this unit are controlled by ‘smart’ touch strips, so all you have to do is slide your finger across them to adjust colour and output. In the case of the Halo 16C, you also get an LED read-out, too. The touch strips are a novel idea, but if you want precise
SPECS HALO 14U › Price £180
› In the box Light unit,mirror, phone holder, carrying case › LED power 16.8 › Power input 15Vpower adapter or powerbank › CRI 95 › Dimming Yes › Colour temperature 2700-6500K › Illumination 315 lux at 1m, 6500K › Dimensions 35.1cm (external diameter) › Weight 1.36kg HALO 16C › Price £240 › In the box Light unit,mirror, phone holder, carrying case › LED power 28 › Power input 15Vpower adapter › CRI 95 › Dimming Yes, 2.4GWi-Fi › Colour temperature 2700-6500K › Illumination 490 lux at 1m, 6500K › Dimensions 40.6cm (external diameter) › Weight 1.92kg › Contact kenro.co.uk
control, they are not as easy to use as simple turn knobs. Also, the strips and read-out
are positioned to be used from in front of the light so less convenient when you are behind it, which, as the photographer, is where you are more likely to be. The 16C has extra control buttons compared with its simpler brother. Enter RGBmode and you can mix output to get up to 360 colours. Colour is changed by using the touch slider, but picking out a specific colour is not easy – the optional remote control, which we did not have to test, would maybe solve this. There’s also a flashing mode, a Wi-Fi address button and a colour recycling mode, where the light just cycles through the available colours at different rates. WC
Verdict If you want a quality LED ring light for people or product photography (or you need a decent light to do your makeup!) the Nanlite Halo 14U or 16C certainly fits the bill. The battery-powered Halo 14U is location friendly, while the 16C gives greater versatility and power, so take your pick. But the good news is that you won’t go far wrong.
We took test shots with a Nikon D810 in auto white-balance with both lights set to 100% output and 6500K, with the 14C on the left. WHITE-BALANCE TEST
The Halo 14U (left) has twin control knobs for adjusting colour temperature and output, and there’s no read-out telling you what set. You do get a read-out for colour temperature and output on the 16C and the smart touch sliders are neat, but precise control is not so easy. CONTROL LAYOUT
PROS Gives lovely lighting, colour temperature and
output control, battery convenience of Halo 14U CONS 16C control panel position, 16C sliders are fiddly for precise control, no output read-out for the Halo 14U
94 Photography News | Issue 75
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