Steven Michael Zack is a writer, producer, director, cinematographer, editor, and special effects designer as well as an actor/host. With over 30 years in the entertainment business, he has run the gambit from professional NYC stage and screen actor to singer songwriter to film maker. SMZ spent three years at the Stan Winston School for Character Arts and is a graduate of the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in NYC. He is also the founder of the Nashville Filmmakers Society and runs his own film company Ranger 7 Studios. His films have been seen in several film festivals including The Nashville 48 Hour Film Project, where his film "The Isaacs Chronicles: Checkmate" the won the genre award for "Best Mystery".
Thanks for stopping by!!! All the best, SMZ
BUSINESS/TESTING/PRODUCT REVIEW INQUIRIES: ranger7studios@gmail.com We look forward to collaborating with you! All the best, - SMZ
That's not true. A light is a light no matter if it had DMX or not. And no, this does not. I get what you are sayin' though. I always say a light is not a light without Plus Minus Green Magenta. :)
How does this work to use for sunlight coming into the room from outside? Maybe evening. Sun setting or during the day? Or will the cb300 be better? Or just a different brand of lights?
I've seen people use 60w at night to simulate the sun. It all depends on how powerful you want the sun to be. What your shot requires. True, the more power, the better the effect. But it really depends on the shot. I usually use 2 Aputure 300d lights to shoot through the window when I'm on set, to give you an idea. But again, I'm trying to cover larger areas. So it depends on what you need.
i watched some of your videos mate. . .and i am wondering why the algorithm is being cruel to you, this is some high effort content and should be pushed . . .
@@Ranger7Studios Yep ... the best lights are with high output and great color accuracy (which means G/M adjustments). But they are like 2-3 times more expensive than both of these :D.
@@Ranger7Studios Well in that case the video should have contained drop attempts for both batteries. I own both and they are both fine. It depends on what you drop them onto and how hard they hit it.
This CAN work in walk and talk or run and gun documentary situations very well. Provided that you have a GOOD shock mount. The one I got with deity v-mic d4 is rock solid and doesn't register even a single db on shakes. Good video.
HAVE YOU EVER NOT HAD A GOOD PRODUCT REVIEW? WOW, KEEP IT UP, THESE VIDEOS ARE DEFINITELY VALUABLE, HENCE ALL THE CAPITAL LETTERS, THANKS STEVEN, WE APPRECIATE YOU! PIPEFITTERMIKE ON YOU TUBE.
Nanlite just release a fc power control which not only makes the fc series v-mount capable but it looks like (don’t quote me) like it’s also going to give it plus minus green magenta.
Good video. I recently bought a pair of these CB60 RGB LED lights and am so satisfied with my decision. I did find the angle adjustment handle can be repositioned to prevent scratching the light housing. There is a push button in the handle that allows repositioning the handle.
Another problems with the Aputure is, that if you leave a v-mount plugged in, it continues to drain your battery, even when the unit is turned off. And again, you can't point it exactly where you want it. So not a terrible review. Just honest.
Lovely review! just to note on 9:00, Plus and Minus Green would be nice but was never going to be in this light because the Forza range of lights such as the 300B MK II and 500B MK II is Nanites high-end range of lights that will have that feature, even in 2024 that's still quite a high-end feature for such a large unit and for how much this light costs that would undercut their whole Forza line-up. The FC range is the Amaran range but for Nanlites offerings, I agree however that DMX is pointless for content creators (nice to just have it) but would happily have had the light even cheaper if they took it out, I only care about the phone app control, and would happily pay £250 for a future wireless extender to make the app even more reliable. In a funny way, the FC range still completely under-cut the original Forza line-up to the point I sold my Forza 500 Mk I for this cheaper unit for many reasons... The FC-60, 120, 300, and 500 are practically all cheaper and almost better units than the original Forza Mk I counter-parts.
Actually... They just announced a new power bank for the FC line that has Plus/Minus controls and a v-mount option. So looks like we ARE in fact, getting that kind of control on the new FC line. It will cost you an extra $300, but there it is. I have a feeling Nanlite has been getting a lot of flack for not including it in the first place. I agree. That happens with newer technology all the time. But the build quality and look, unlike the FS line, isn't as premium or professional looking. I have several FS units and I still use them for all my pro gigs. They look more like Nanlite's higher end lights. The FC line looks more in line with Anaran's plastic content creator lights. Cheers!
@@Ranger7Studios You are actually correct, The new FC-500C has plus and minus control because it is the first RGBW fixture in the FC range, it's actually really really weird why they have done this because the FC-500C is only $1,000 and £1,300 with the control unit when the pro level Forza 500B Mk II is like $1,500... They just undercut their pro-level kit big time, the FC-500C is 5,300fc and the Forza 500B is only 6,254fc at 1m 5600k w/reflector. Definitely sucks to be an owner of Nanlites Forza gear... that stuff is losing value big time. Exactly that, The FC is literally Amaran's plastic content creator lights, everything from the foam boxes they come in and the new Power control box that was purchased separately is all the same, to be honest, the way the FC range is going you might as well forget the Forza range entirely haha!
@@Cinegavo Of course it is, but that's a Forza light so higher end and a £1.8k light (1.2k from china) so obvious better hahah, I bought my Forza 500 back when that was a £1.2k light and while it was great it was an awful investment and plummeted in value.
It doesn't. However, the monitor I am using has a record to SD feature on it. It's only 1080p, but I use that as a proxy/backup. You can review your footage from the monitor recording. You can also use a Blackmagic video assist or an Atmos Ninja to record the signal from the HDMI. Again, this is only a 1080p proxy recording, as you can not use other record modes with this camera. But it gives you a playback option.
Also, your heads up display and your luts will all be recorded on the monitor. However you can shut t he heads-up display off and it should be fine. Will von Tagen has a great break down of this as well.
I also like the mini USB, I may be a bit worried bumping into it accidentally. I wish the video assist would allow for BRAW & then record to SD cards or a USB from there
Actually, because it is attached to the type A adapter, that actually gives it a little more stability. It's also so close to the body of the camera you are not going to hit it. Especially with the fan blocking as it does. So No worries there. I'm with you on any monitor being allowed to record the image, instead of having a connection.
Looks good, pretty compact. I am curious about stabilization, do you use gyro, easyrig, can you gimbal it? your experience with this would be appreciated
Was looking at if there was any black magic camera rigs for on the go vlogging and came across this see it only uploaded 6 hrs ago! Thanks for the info good video!
I only own one. However, if you wanted to you could use two. One as a background light and one as a key. Really depends on your budget and they types of jobs.
I appreciate your blunt honesty about the light. Too many reviewers say pretty much only positive things about products instead of the truly good and bad.
I was looking at this product as well, as it seemed to be a newer (LOL, a newer Neewer product!) model than the RGB1200 60W Light panel (also from Neewer. ) So thanks for the review, I like that you actually test things with the trusty light meter as well - a lot reviews leave things at, this Light produces really nice light with intense colours. *I'm looking to expand my LED lighting for photography. I've been using strobes and gels to get colour accents, but I just photograph for fun (amateur), so I think that maybe RGB LEDs will be easier to work with. (what you see is what you get, with strobes one must do a few test shots) However I'm having trouble deciding between the point source NEEWER CB100C 130W RGB LED Video Light and this Panel you have reviewed. My first thought was - OK, with the CB100C 130W RGB Light, for much the same price one gets an extra few watts of power and thanks to the Bowens mount, I can fit all my light modifiers on to the Cob LED as well! *But I'm not sure if there is a difference between a panel and a Cob LED in regards as to which one can achieve a stronger and more intense colour of light? I want to play around with dramatic colours in future photography projects. (strobes & gels work well, especially if one darkens the home studio to get stronger shadows for the gels to work on!)
It all depends on your use case. COBs are a stronger more focus point of light before modification. Panels and more even spread but don't give off as much of a punch. It really depends on the specific look you are going for. I know a lot of photographers that use COB lighting for their studio work, because they already own the modifiers.
@@Ranger7Studios You've hit the nail on the head. "Use Case" That's the thing with photography, each piece of Equipment opens the doors to new creative possibilities! If one wants to achieve look A, one needs to purchase device A, if one wants to achieve look B, one needs to purchase device B. Nobody said Photography was a cheap hobby! The ability to use light modifiers via Bowens mount is a strong argument indeed, for the COBs... but that said, I've seen Photographers like Jeff Bennion do some awesome photography using those RGB panels & like you indicated, the spread is so even from those panels, one doesn't really need a softbox modifier... Plus they are thin & space-saving, in contrast to those COBs, which is great for smaller home studios! *The moral of the story is, basically one would want both a panel & a COB if one could afford both! -In my case, for now, I have decided to stay with strobes and gels for a while longer, as I can also get the coloured strobes into various light modifiers. Also, I have the time to play around and take test shots because I don't shoot commercially. (Time is not money in my case!) I'll expand the number of strobes I own first, so that I can play around with (multiple) point lighting... Hobby shooters like myself, with no formal training in photography can learn a lot from experimenting with strobes (& watching youtube tutorials!) *Down the line, after more practice & learning with strobes. (when I feel OK, I'm after getting pretty good with strobes, I know what I'm doing...) I'll start adding RGB Lights for more options - & ease of use! They do seem much more straight forward to use on a regular basis... (especially when one doesn't need to freeze action.) Thanks for the advice, much appreciated ;-)
My original LED panels which I bought maybe 10 years ago, which I still have and are in desperate need of an upgrade, are Daylight only, cheap plastic, and cost $800 a pop. These are looking pretty good...
I didn't get it up to 30 min unfortunately. It was on loan from a friend. The one at NAB had been on for the entire day and it was around 70% and the fan was pretty quiet. So it might be the same. But don't quota me. You might want to get one and test it. I know at about 20 25 min, it was fine for me. No loud fan noise.
Great video. I just got one of these and noticed the squealing during the calibration. I’m glad you mentioned this, as it didn’t seem right. How were you able to prevent this behavior. It sounds like it could burn out the motor.
you need to put an SD card in first. You also might need go in to your camera settings and select your output.That's probably why it isn't reading your HDMI port.
@@Ranger7Studios Thank you so much for your reply. So I am trying to use this as a monitor to play videos within a ceramic bottle (there is a window I made for it within the bottle). I bet this is a silly question, but I am a novice tech person for sure. Would I be able to record video with JUST this device, no other digital hookup (like a digital camera ora laptop).
Could you see using this as a portable light stand for a photographer who has a folding wagon to transport their equipment? I shoot without an assistant and normal light stands can be a tripping hazard with other people around, and normal monopods aren't really stable enough to leave a light on and not worry about it while I'm taking pictures. I'd love to have a something like this that I could use with an AD200 for outdoor portraits. Just not sure if it's too heavy to be worth it.
It’s not very heavy. I think I mention the base’s weight in the video. I had no problems mounting a light to this stand with the included pin. I’m actually using this as a tripod for all my RU-vid videos now and it is a huge space saver and toe protector, as the base is pretty low profile.
I just ordered a new generation of this company's monopod. Your vid was good but outdated and does this company a disservice at this point to keep the vid up. Maybe your vid helped encourage the improvements and i am glad for that.
Unfortunately, taking it down would hurt my algorithm and my earnings as a RU-vid Partner. While I can't take it down (it would effect my negatively) I hope people are looking at "when" the video was published (as they should be doing) and realize that this might be old outdated information. That is up to the viewer. Best of luck and I hope you are enjoying their tripod. I still use mine.
@@Ranger7StudiosI understand. So I am curious, what does it take to be a RU-vid partner and what are the benefits? Maybe you could add a note to your video at least to inform people. Even an affiliate link.
Interesting how Dan said adding internal NDs would have changed the body design and added more cost. I'm glad they didn't add internal NDs, because it allows for more flexibility in ND choices.
Same here. I've invested in so many high quality 4x6 NDs over that I know what I like out of an image using them. Plus, I don't know how many stops you could really get out of this design. Probably not many. I am surprised they didn't try to at least have digital NDs like the Sony cameras. That might have been interesting to see.
