NanLite Forza 60 Review | TINY Light, MIGHTY Bright 

I'm glad it helped! I think comparing it against some well known items in this flat lay photo helped a lot of people too: instagram.com/p/CAMXRiKBxDt/

Thanks 🙏 This one was fun to make, tried making it seem gigantic and epic, then reveal what an absolute baby it is haha

Thanks, glad you liked the intro. It was fun to make :) Let me know how you like the light when it arrives!

Thanks, glad you liked the video. A good case is definitely a huge plus! Let me know if you pick some up how you like them. And if you can use my links I’d greatly appreciate the support, it really does help a lot 👍😁

You're welcome. I still have my Forza 60 (plus a Forza 60b) to this day :)

Thanks! Glad it helped. I think you’ll love it. Come back and let me know when it arrives so we can celebrate 🎉

I thought the Forza 60 was hot, until I got the Forza 200 😍😍 LOL

Nice! How do you like it? Obviously no light is perfect, but I find the Forza 60 fun to use :)

This is really the light that put Nanlite on the map I think. It's ridiculously tiny, and puts out great light. I have mine still, and picked up another of the bi-color variant as well. Their pricing has also come down as a whole as they've become more popular and able to manufacture more in bulk, so they really are a great value.

@@NewLayer Reckon i'm gonna follow suit! Wild value man. And while i'm here it is your glorious review that made me lay down the coin so thanks!

No problem, glad it helped. I don't think you'd be disappointed, because I have high expectations, and I really like using it :)

New Layer when I started RU-vid last year, I mistakenly bought a ring light thinking it would do the trick. Any upgrade from there would be an improvement, so I’m excited about this thing. One thing though, would you recommend the soft box made for it, or buying the adapter as well as a different brand of soft box?

@@phucmapvlog i got the nanlite forza 60 WITH the adapter. reason being, the adapter is versatile as it not only allows the forza 60 to be use with bowen mount modifiers, but you can also use the adapter as a stand alone with a softbox/dome light and a led panels so youre not just limited to the nanlite use.

Sorry for the late reply, RU-vid sucks at showing me replies to my own replies :-/ I would recommend the Bowens adapter and a Bowens softbox I think, because it's cheaper to go that route, and then the soft box will work with any other lights you might buy in the future :)

Do you have any photos showing how you use your panel lights with a softbox on the Nanlite Bowens adapter? I'd be curious to see how well it works!

Great to hear! It’s just a fun little light to use 😁

New Layer Definitely! It’s such a crazy value for the money, & the output is really good. For the features & build quality I would’ve thought this would’ve been priced more like 400 or 500

Thanks! I really love it. I was using a Godox FV200 and 48" softbox previously, which basically took up the entire room. I am changing a couple more things in my office studio before I make the video, but hopefully they arrive within the next week or two. I'm excited to share all my tips to streamline a small studio space.

New Layer from the looks of it, we’re in the same sized boat. I feel you on the softbox...I picked up the aputure softbox mini II to cut back on space but it doesn’t quite give the look that I want so I switched back to the full sized light dome....let’s just say that I can’t even get to my desk because of it.

Driven Films I always recommend collapsible beauty dishes when space is a concern. My 48” one had much softer light than a 36” parabolic, but was way shallower: amzn.to/3fUhIkC Only benefit to parabolic in my eyes is theoretically higher brightness. A 36” beauty dish is actually pretty small.

@@NewLayer Something I'll consider for sure. I think that if I put the light on a swing arm like you've got in your video here then I'll be able to make it work. For now I just have to remove the softbox and put it in another room.

@@joenicklo Having to put stuff away and take it out again was the whole reason I made some changes and am doing a video on it. It's such a waste of time having to tear down every time :-/

Glad it was helpful! I just published a video today of the Zhiyun Molus lights, one of which is a competitor to the Forza 60 (and about half the size) if you're interested.

I don't use barn doors much at all, but I can see how that would be annoying. I guess the only solution if you really need them without the Fresnel would be to buy a barndoor kit + 7" reflector + the Forza 60 Bowens mount adapter. Barndoor Kit - amzn.to/2O2Equg 7" Reflector - amzn.to/2CdcUaA Forza 60 Bowens Adapter - nanliteus.com/products/nanlite-forza-60-bowens-mount-adapter

Dunno what this means but... yay!

If you have a Forza 300 and 60 already, I would stick with another Nanlite to make things simple. The 60 should be plenty good for fill and hair light, but you could also consider the 200 or another 300 if you want that brightness/flexibility for the future. Here's the 200 if you haven't checked it out yet: geni.us/nanliteforza200

For video yes, for photos, no. Photos need a lot more light, and even small/cheap flashes are much brighter than even the biggest/brightest continuous lights.

Thanks! 60W can eek it out in shade, but a lot of people ask if this light works in direct sun, and I always tell them 300W probably won't be enough unless they're using a reflector only :)

Thanks for the support! It's still a fantastic little light :)

Thanks, I wish it was the probe lens! All those shots were a Laowa though, the 9mm f/2.8: amzn.to/3e06xoC They were all taken with an M50, so 13.5mm equivalent. It's a fantastic lens on crop sensors, but they have a full frame for Sony E mount too, so it's insanely wide, and Zero-D, so no fisheye look at all basically. I'm loving Laowa stuff lately.

I just got the Nanlite projection kit and have only had a short chance to test it, but it’s great. As far as GOBOs go, I believe they are a universal size, so things like the Godox brand ones, and some others will fit as well. I have both but haven’t had a chance to confirm that yet.

@@NewLayer Thanks for the quick reply. I'd HAVE to get the GOBOs they are so impactful at a small price. I just checked the Nanlite kit (Nanlite Projector Mount for Forza 60) on BH and compared the filters with a 10 piece kit (Aputure 10-Piece Gobo Kit for Spotlight Mount) and they seem identical. Good to know, thanks for the tips.

@@silvercranestudios6259 Happy to help! :)

Haha, thanks. Which is better, crispy audio, or juicy b-roll? 🤔 I need to work on the former a bit more.

@@NewLayer both ofcourse, good audio with shitty video is still shit

No problem! Yes, it can handle ~36" softboxes fine. I put a 48" on it once, and that was pretty sketchy, but 36" should not be in any danger of breaking or anything.

@@NewLayer great, I'll pick one up. Thanks!

@@Libsenth Sounds good! Thanks for the support :)

Guilherme Vieira I have never personally tried the SLB60W, but the listed color accuracy specs are pretty bad. Last I checked they were only listing a CRI of 80 or higher, when most lights are 95 or higher at least. It just never got popular, I am assuming for other reasons as well. It’s the whole reason Godox is releasing a new battery powered 60 watt light, the ML60. It should actually be available in one week or so. I will be reviewing that as soon as possible.

@@NewLayer I didn't know about the issue and also that the new one is coming. Thanks for that information, waiting forward to see the next reviewing.

The Forza 60B does! geni.us/nanliteforza60b

Thanks for the feedback. It's a little tough to do that in my house with every wall basically being white, so there'd be a lot of bouncing going on. That's why learning how to read LUX/f-stop from standard measurements is important. I measured this light from 1 meter at 3110 Lux with the bare bulb. So that's about f/5 (ISO 100, 1/50 Second shutter speed). From there, you should be able to calculate basically anything. A 36" soft box typically cuts about 1.5-2.5 stops of light, so if you attach something like that and have the face of the soft box 1 meter from the subject, you'll get proper exposure at around ISO 100, 1/50 Second, f/2.5. Or if you need a faster shutter speed or smaller aperture, you can up the ISO to 400 and get something like 1/50 second with f/5. Doubling/halving the ISO is 1 stop, doubling/halving the shutter speed is 1 stop, and f-stops are weird, so you should look up a chart for those. For example, f/2.8 is 1 stop brighter than f/4, which is 1 stop brighter than f/5.6. I'll be doing some videos in the future on how to interpet Lux, EV, f-stops, etc and how to compare lights. Hope that helps for now :)

If you have Bowens mount modifiers you would need the Bowens mount adapter for the Forza 60/60B. The Forza 200, 300, and 500 are native Bowens mount already. geni.us/nanlitebowensadapter

You're very welcome! The Nanlite LitoLite 5C is a killer pocket light that works for background, accent, or rim light. I talk about it in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GBA9_bHcUms.html It too works as a fill light, but I prefer something larger for a fill, so you could get another Forza 60 or 60B, or the Nanlite Pavotube II 6C (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_YCd8YfRTCo.html), or one of the larger Pavotube 15C or 30C (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7vLCSmz-wKw.html) Hope that helps :)

@@NewLayer wealth of information… I really appreciate you taking the time to suggest these. I will take a look. Cheers Mate.

One last question mate, I’m a novice in such matters but am I likely to get the same/similar soft nice lively light from 2 x Nanlite Forza 60B’s to that of 2 x flapjack type lights such as offered by Falcon Eyes or Neewer? Similar priced/smaller footprint on account of not needing a soft box.. ease of set up is a tick for the flapjacks but there must be something I’m missing because who knows about great lighting is pushing me toward a more traditional set up such as the Forza or Godoy ect. Again mate I really appreciate any insight you can offer. Jules

​@@MrYou76tube All that matters for softness is how big the light source is. So if you have a Forza 60 + 24" circular softbox, your light source is relatively soft at ~450 sq. in. If you have an 8" x 10" panel light with NO soft box, then it will be significantly harsher at 80 sq. in. which is not what we want in the vast majority of cases. Some panel lights have softboxes available, but they are typically still smaller than softboxes for COB lights. I HIGHLY recommend collapsible beauty dish softboxes instead of parabolic, because they are about half the depth, so save a ton of space, and provide the same quality of light as long as you have the diffusion on them. Here's some of my favorites: geni.us/glowbeautydish34silver geni.us/glowbeautydish25silver geni.us/laofasbeautydish60 geni.us/laofasbeautydish85 Keep in mind the Forza is NOT a native Bowens mount, so to use most softboxes, you'll need the Nanlite Bowens mount adapter. Lastly, if you're not in need of the tiny size and battery capability of the Forza series, look into the FS-150. It's cheaper, brighter, and has a native Bowens mount. I did a video on it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NRn84iErwQA.html Let me know if you have any other questions :)

@@NewLayer thank you for the advice. I went with a larger softbox beauty dish and bought a Neewer 42 Inches Hexadecagon Collapsible Silver Beauty Dish with Bowens Mount, Removable Internal and External Diffuser and Grid, Quick Folding Softbox. I'll team this up with the Nanlight Forza 60B and grab a bowens adapter. Going by your explanation this combination will give me better light than the Forza 60 softbox right? I'd like the option of bi-colour so i'll stick with the 60B. I'll leave you in peace and again I really appreciate the lesson in lighting.

The 60 will be 1/3 brighter than the 60b, while the 60b is bi-color. Neither will be much use outdoors as a key light with a soft box, they just aren’t bright enough. The 60b is the better choice if you think you’ll need to match other light sources since it’s adjustable. You can compare them more in depth here newlayer.com/gear/lights/compare?light1=Nanlite+Forza+60&light2=Nanlite+Forza+60B

@@NewLayer Thank you for this! You rock!

@@ponchoguez Happy to help!

A butt load is a very precise measurement...

Honestly, this was a great review. Not too cheesy, just straightforward with legit deets. The word “butt load” was the icing on the cake! Not only did it make me burst out loud.. it provided me an awesome exact measurement. I’ll be keeping an eye/ear for ur next review. I’m praying to the review gods that the word butt-load is included somewhere.

@@jaegermah Thanks, haha. I try to sprinkle a joke into every couple of videos or so.

Haha. Next review I'll cover the ghost-hunting pros and cons of the light :)

I would get the Forza 200 instead of the 300. It's newer, so more efficient, and very, very close to the brightness of most 300 watt lights. The Forza 60/60b are bright enough for talking head videos in a controlled environment, but I would get the 200 for full body shots. The 60/60b would make a great rim light though. The only downside to the 60/60b is the lack of native Bowens mount, although they do make an adapter. The native 24" softbox for those is a good fit.

@@NewLayer Thank you so much!I will check 200

@@Petramojomusic If you end up getting one, I'd greatly appreciate if you used my links. IT really helps me do more videos :) geni.us/nanliteforza200

A pair of large NP-F batteries will get you around 45 minutes at 100% brightness, or around 90 minutes at 50% brightness, or around 180 minutes at 25% brightness. These lights are blindingly bright if you look into them, so I'd be hesitant to walk around with them on a lot at something like a wedding, as they'd be extremely distracting, but hope that helps.

@@NewLayer was thinking couple portraits, some couple shots inside the wedding venue, first dance, etc? Have you tried it?

@@pyroBlastM For photos, I would simply stay away from continuous lights. They are not nearly as bright as even a cheap, small strobe, so you'd be stuck using the stock reflector Vs. a small softbox on a strobe. Using a softbox (even a 12" x 12" one) would give you much better looking photos in my opinion. Of course, if you're looking for a hard light style shot, then using something like this with a stock reflector would work, and has other benefits like allowing for better video, more easy focusing, etc. It really just depends on how you like to work, because they will work, but they're just much different than flashes. I know that's a non-answer answer, but I hope it helps.

I can’t say I’m surprised, it’s pretty awesome lol. I’m waiting on 1 item then will do a full overview of my office studio, including that setup and more 👍

I do still use it! Not for my talking head setup, because I have another solution that works better for my niche needs there, which you can see here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wFPj-75tbkk.html But, the Forza 60 is one of the few lights I've kept longer than 6 months. In fact, my Nanlite collection has grown a lot. I have the Forza 60B, Forza 200, and the FS-150, 200, and 300 now :) Still highly recommend this light, especially since it's come down in price.

Thanks dude.

The Nanlite Forza 60 is barely brighter than the Godox SL60W, and way dimmer than any 150 or 200 watt Godox lights, regardless of if they are SL, VL, FV, etc. Here are the measurements taken with my Sekonic C-800: Godox SL60W: 2460 Lux Nanlite Forza 60: 3110 Lux Godox VL150: 6580 Lux Godox FV200: 8670 Lux So the Forza 60 is about 1/3 stop brighter than the SL60W. The VL150 is a little more than 1 full stop brighter than the Forza 60. And the FV200 is almost 2 full stops brighter than the Forza 60. Do you have a link to where you read that so I can check it out?

Its a swedish website saying the Godox Sl 200 is 12 000 lux at one meter, and that the Forza 60 is 11 950 lux at the same distance. Very weird

Never trust the manufacturer specs. They use different reflectors with different beam angles, and may even measure at .5m instead of 1m 👍

They have a good amount of differences, so it just depends. 1. 120d is quieter over all, has a native V-mount (with integrated AC adapter), and is a Bowens mount light. It will also have slightly better color accuracy, but it's a tiny difference 2. The Forza 60 is cheaper, much smaller, and uses a proprietary "mini-Bowens" mount, so you'd have to purchase their adapter or buy official Nanlite modifiers for it Personally I'd buy 2 Forza 60s because I work on smaller projects by myself. If you're working on set with other people then the build quality of the Aputure lights may be a big plus for you. I hope that helps :)

@@NewLayer You are awesome!

You can use continuous lights for photos, but they are nowhere near as bright as dedicated strobes. Video is usually shot around 1/50 sec, f/2.8-5.6, ISO 400-800. Most photographers want ISO 100, f/5.6-f/16, 1/125 second, so there's a big brightness difference. Continuous lights work well if you're ok with higher ISO or longer shutter speeds.

I would highly suggest getting at least 1 light that is 150 watts. The extra brightness will really come in handy, especially if you're battling ambient light, or just want to use a smaller aperture. So a Forza 60 + FS-150 is a great option. Hope that helps :)

@@NewLayer Yes it helped . Also amazing video and very helpful. I am thinking of buying the adapter for the Forza 60 so I can use the same accessories between 60 and FS 150

@@theopats2660 I would definitely recommend that! The only thing to watch out for with the Bowens adapter is that it's not super strong, so I wouldn't put anything bigger than a 36" soft box on the Forza 60. It really does work best with it's native 24".

@@NewLayer Thank you for your help . My final decision is Forza 60 with its own softbox and fs150 with the 35" softbox. Also I will get the Bowens adapter for fz60 and the Fresnel. I am not sure the Fresnel which is for bigger lights if it is gonna work on the 60

@@theopats2660 The Bowens Fresnel is meant for the Forza 200, 300, and 500, but will work on the 60 with the Bowens adapter, maybe just not quite as efficiently as the Fresnel made specifically for the 60. Sounds like a great kit though! I'd greatly appreciate if you used my links. It really helps me make more content. geni.us/nanliteforza60 geni.us/nanlitefs150 Let me know how you like everything once you get it!

They both have their pros and cons. Forza 60 - Smaller, cheaper, lighter weight Aputure 60d - Focusing lens, v-mount battery support, better Bowens mount adapter, Sidus Link app control The 60d is brighter, but that's because it's a 45 degree beam angle at its widest vs the Forza 60 which is 120 degrees or so. That is good and bad because you get more light into a normal softbox, but it's not a good light to use in something like a lantern, or when you need that wide beam angle spread. I think it depends on which ecosystem you're wanting to go with. Aputure is more expensive overall, so if you don't need the features they offer, Nanlite is a good alternative, because as far as brightness and color accuracy go, the difference is negligible across most competing lights. Once Nanlite releases their updated app, which supposedly will allow direct control of most of their lights, that'll be a huge upgrade. I hope that helps :)

@@NewLayer amazing reply! You’re becoming my go-to for lighting.

@@Weird_Quests Glad it was helpful, and that’s great to hear, thanks! 👍

@@NewLayer my pleasure :)

About 1.5h

Sorry I missed this, RU-vid comments have been screwed up for me for a few days. It totally depends. a pair of 2000mAh batteries will last 1/3 the time of a pair of 6000mAh batteries. Nanlite says 2 NP-F750 batteries will give you 1 hour at full power, which is very accurate. Those batteries are typically ~4400mAh. So if you used a pair of 6600mAh batteries, you could expect 50% longer run time, so instead of 1 hour, you'd get 1.5 hours.

Thanks for chiming in!

What about it? I actually did a review on that light here a while back: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Tlu-LRjuZVQ.html They are very similar in brightness and color accuracy, but there are some differences. 1. Forza 60 fan is quieter, and also has a fan off/silent mode. 2. Build quality on the Forza 60 is better 3. Forza 60 power brick comes with a v-mount clip on it 4. X60 is a bowens mount while Forza 60 is a proprietary mount Overall, the X60 is fine, but the biggest downside is the fan noise. You can compare their measured stats here: newlayer.com/gear/lights/compare?light1=Nanlite+Forza+60&light2=Sokani+X60

New Layer thanks 🙏 for such an instant yet comprehensive explanation. I already purchased sokani x60 ver 2 though. I think they fixed fan noise and the yoke mechanism.

@@Mechrank Yes, I had heard the V2 had a quieter fan, but I haven't gotten my hands on one to test yet. I had read that the "fan upgrade" didn't really do much, but I'd want to test them side by side to confirm. Hope you're liking yours!

I did mention some of the settings I was able to use in my setup(s), but I didn't list many tech specs for a couple reasons: 1. Manufacturer listed specs are inaccurate at best, and I didn't have my Sekonic C-800 yet to measure real-world color accuracy, etc. I do now, and all my light reviews now include all those measurements. Never buy a light based on the manufacturer specs! They are almost always "gamed", and taken using reflectors or other tricks to boost their brightness specs, so it's never a fair comparison. They also don't show individual R values in the CRI, and almost never share TM-30 or SSI measurements, which are the more important ones. They also don't show you how much green/magenta tint they have. Almost ALL the 60W (+ the Sokani X60 which is 80W) lights are within 1/3 stop of each other brightness-wise, so the other features and accessories are more important considerations, along with price of course. Again though, I share real-world, MEASURED specs in all my reviews now that I have the ability. 2. Tech specs are listed online on any page you are buying from, so if you really want to see them, they are easily found. Rather than simply blab about something you can more quickly read about in a table, I focused more on the usability and features of this particular light. Since you're into specs though, I have been building a comparison tool that lets you compare real, measured specs of any light from any brand. Sounds like it's right up your alley. It's super close to done, so make sure you subscribe so you don't miss when I announce that. I have since measured this light, so if you have any specific questions, let me know!

It came out before the ML60, so you could say the ML60 is just a Godox version of the Forza 60. But yes, they are very similar. I talk about some of the similarities and differences in my ML60 video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GHiMqZ9oiQM.html

I’m not sure if I’m missing something, but the only time I see comparing my phone is when talking about the size or perhaps showing general b-roll during a recap. I honestly don’t use wireless remotes much, so any time one costs extra it doesn’t bother me a whole lot. If I buy them it’s usually specifically for review purposes. I would never recommend this light if the Bowens mount adapter didn’t exist 😆 I actually really like it though. And I agree, being able to turn the light on and off from the remote with memory of the previous brightness like the Aputure lights is very helpful!

Nope, I just try to review as many lights as possible, especially the most popular, and I really like this light, despite it's cons. I definitely think you're right and that the proprietary mount will be a deal break for many people. For me, it actually fixes some small issues I have with other lights, which I mention in the video. It changes the center of gravity, so actually helps balance the light better when a modifier is attached, and allows you to hang the power brick from the light yoke, which is the best place to hang it in my opinion. So, definitely a trade off, but for me, I knew I'd be using it "permanently" with the native 24" soft box so I could mount it on my desk since it's super light and small, and can be 100% silent for my talking head videos.

Glad to know you watched the whole thing 😄

I would expect nothing less from a $750 Aputure light. I use my Forza 60 with fan off at ~50-65% at ISO 400, f/2.8, 1/50 second from ~3-4 feet away, so I can definitely see how it wouldn't be bright enough for an interview, especially in a well lit room or with a larger soft box. I got my hands on a Godox SL150W Mark II, which is coming out very soon, and I think it's going to be unbeatable for the $339 price. The fan is extremely quiet, AND you can turn the fan completely off and still get the same brightness as a 120d at full power. I think it fixes all the main issues people had with the original SL150W, and I'll be posting my review of all the upgrades soon. If you want to check it out in the meantime: amzn.to/3heUXsd Oh, and Godox is releasing the UL150 too, which is a totally fanless design. That review coming soon too 🤣

@@NewLayer Do you recommend the Godox SL150W Mark II over this Forza 60 light. I've been looking at the Forza for a long time because of the price and design. The fact that it also comes with a case is a major plus! I do video and photography. What would you recommend, being that this will be my first light.

I would probably get the SL150W II personally because it’s the same brightness with the fan turned off as the Forza 60 at full power with its fan on. I think 150W lights are more useful and future proof 👍 60W is not very bright at all for photography especially. You’d basically have to shoot at ISO 400 or 800 all the time around f/2.8 and 1/60 second shutter speed, which is no good really.

@@NewLayer Thank you for your detailed reply. The biggest thing that really got me as well is that it came with a great carrying case. This is my first light... are there any good cases for the light you recommended?

Finding aftermarket cases for lights is annoyingly hard. The one that comes with the Forza 60 is super awesome though. I'll be doing more research into cases and posting a video if I find some useful options :)

Hahaha, thanks! The price has come down since this review, so maybe it's worth considering now :)

You can compare hundreds of lights here newlayer.com/gear/lights/compare?light1=Nanlite+Forza+60&light2=Nanlite+Forza+60B