I’ve been producing videos for a while now. I’ve made tech videos, news videos, and all kinds of films whose content was focused on video.
One of the most important lessons I learned is that lighting plays a vital role in any video production. Lighting that is too dim, too bright, or the wrong color can work against your goal of creating quality content.
For this, I tried many types of lighting and ultimately found that LED technology was my friend! One lighting solution I use that really stands out for my home video production needs is the Nanlite Compac 68B.
Lots of light, but very little heat and noise
This brilliant LED panel provides professional-level studio lighting that is diffused, color-accurate and requires very little installation. Attach the light to a mount, plug it in, turn it on, do a quick color temperature adjustment (from warm to cool, specifically between 3200°K and 5600°K) and you’re ready to shoot.
The Nanlite Compac 68B puts out a lot of light for its price, but very little heat and noise. In fact, I hung my Compac 68B from the very low ceiling of my film studio (which is, in fact, in part of my basement) about 1m from my mic and the sound produced by the panel bright is not even noticeable.
I can also stand in front of the light for long periods of time and not feel any heat emanating from the device.
Nanlite Compac 68B Light Panel Technical Specifications
If you are looking to get decent video lighting, here are the features of this Nanlite Compac 68B.
- IRC (visual color conformity quality): 95
- TLCI (color conformance quality suitable for video cameras): 93
- Color temperature: 3200°K-5600°K
- Intensity at 3200° K: 5684 lumens
- Intensity at 5600° K: 5684 lumens
- Dimming: 0-100%
- Height : 56.6 cm
- Length : 35cm
- Width : 8.9cm
- Weight : 2kg
- Guarantee : limited to 2 years (extension to 3 years with online registration)
I use my Nanlite Compac 68B as the main lighting source for my tech videos and for YouTube. And it gives me all the light I need using other accent lamps, even in a very dark basement.
Most of my videos are shot with the Nanlite at around 33% intensity. If necessary, I could push it hard, but it would be so bright that it would end up knocking me out.
A sturdy foot is required
The Nanlite Compac 68B includes a mounting bracket that can be used with most stands and tilts for better light positioning. However, you should keep in mind that the weight and height of the Compac 68B require a fairly sturdy stand.
I saw the lamp fall during a film shoot… Since then, the lamp has been attached to a hanger hanging from the ceiling of my basement. Or, when used in the field, it sits on a sturdy stand.
The Nanlite Compac 68B mounting bracket is compatible with the standard system and offers almost 180 degrees of swivel. Image: Jack Wallen/ZDNET.
Think again if you think this light is too expensive for your video blog. Although the price is a bit higher than a Neewer light panel, for example, its increased power is worth the price.
Two fewer lamps to use, and a lot more light
I’ve tried lighting videos with smaller LED panels. Typically, it takes about four smaller LED panels to compensate for the output of a single Nanlite Compac 68B LED light system.
A concrete example: while I used to work with four Neewer panels for main and auxiliary lighting and two LED tubes for background lighting, I now only use the Nanlite Compac 68B, a smaller Nanlite 24B for auxiliary lighting and two LED tubes for background lighting.
So I have two fewer lamps to use and I get a lot more light.
Need nutrition no matter what
However, there are two disadvantages to using Nanlite 68B. The first is that it doesn’t use a battery. This means you will still need an electrical outlet for this lamp.
The second is that it is not possible to use the Compac 68B without a diffuser. This isn’t a big deal, as it’s rare that you’ll want to use harsher light for video production. If that were the case, you could always go with the Neewer option (which has removable filters).
I have nothing but praise for this Nanlite Compac 68B lamp. If you’re getting into video content production, or just looking to dramatically improve your current lighting, don’t hesitate when it comes to lighting and you’ll find that the results are much better than you expected .
Source: ZDNet.com