A few weeks ago Nanlite announced its new FC-300B & FC-500B spotlights. They are LED Bi-color spotlights with a CCT range of 2700K-6500K, 12 built-in effects, and they feature a new look and design. Nanlite states that both fixtures offer high output and good performance, at an affordable price.
The FC-300B and 500B were designed as mid to entry-level lighting fixtures with easy-to-use controls. China LED SMD Down Light and Corridor LED Downlight
Versatile COB lights in this form factor have become increasingly popular due to their Swiss army knife-style abilities, which enable them to be used for a variety of lighting scenarios. This is why we have seen so many of them being introduced over the last few years, and we continue to see more and more companies releasing similar style lights.
According to Nanlite, the quality of the FC-300B and FC-500B is on par with other Nanlite fixtures. Both fixtures have a claimed CRI of 96 and a TLCI of 98.
The Nanlite FC-300B and FC-500B look to be interesting lights given their relatively low cost and small size. So without further ado, let’s get on with the review.
The concept behind all of these LED spot lights, whether they are daylight, bi-color, or full color, is to make a very flexible, fully-featured lighting source that won’t empty someone’s wallet. The only problem with this concept is that so many lighting companies are doing the exact same thing, that it is hard to make your product stand out.
The FC-300B and FC-500B sport a blue decorative frame and a wing-shaped top housing that according to Nanlite, is supposed to resemble a soaring eagle that symbolizes that in the world of creation, the sky is the only limit for the FC series. This is certainly an interesting take from the marketing department.
The design, at least in my opinion, isn’t a massive departure from other Nanite spotlights and the FC-300B and FC-500B look a little similar to a Prolycht Orion 300 FS.
Both lights have separate power supplies. The power supply for the FC-500B is considerably larger than the one for the FC-300B.
The build quality of the Nanlite FC-300B & FC-500B is decent enough given their relatively low price tag and weight. The housing is reasonably robust but you shouldn’t expect the lights to have the same feel or quality as more expensive fixtures, because they don’t.
The power on/off button and the rest of the dials and buttons, at least in my opinion, could be a little better, but that is understandable given the low price point. They don’t have an overly tactile feel, but they do get the job done. They are almost identical to what you find on the FS-150B and FS-200B.
The yoke frame locks down securely when tightened, and the lever that you use to do that is robustly made.
The locking mechanism for where you attach the yoke frame to a light stand works well.
The separate power supplies for both fixtures are solidly constructed and well made.
They both have a V-mount adapter so you can mount them onto an optional lightstand clamp. They also have a lanyard that you can use to attach to a lightstand.
The lights come with a limited 2 Year Warranty which can be extended to 3 years by registering online.
Lots of LED lights on the market, including the Nanlite FC-300B and FC-500B are using COB technology. COB stands for “Chip On Board” where multiple LED chips are packaged together as one lighting module. The advantage of COB LEDs being multi-chip packaged is that the light-emitting area of a COB LED can contain many times more light sources in the same area that standard LEDs could occupy. This results in a greatly increased lumen output per square inch.
Both fixtures feature a decent-sized fan that is on the underside of the lights.
The biggest problem with COB LED lights is that unless you diffuse them they are very bright to look at and unsuitable for directly lighting talent.
The Nanlite FC-300B and FC-500B are reasonably compact, however, as I previously mentioned, they do have quite large power supplies.
The FC-300B weighs just 5.73 lb / 2.6 kg, and the FC-500B tips the scales at 6.97 lb / 3.16 kg.
The power supply for the FC-300B weighs 2.43 lb / 1.1 kg and the power supply for the FC-500B weighs 4.94 lb / 2.24 kg.
The FC-300B in its included case tips the scales at 5.8kg / 12.78 lb. This makes it a nice lightweight solution if you are traveling.
The FC-500B in its included case weighs 8.1kg / 17.85 lb.
How does the weight of the FC-300B compare to some other fixtures that could be considered competition? Below you can see.
How does the weight of the FC-500B compare to some other fixtures that could be considered competition? Below you can see.
The nice aspect about this low weight is that you can use both these lights with a reasonably lightweight and compact light stand. By having a separate power supply, Nanlite has made this possible.
Both lights have a CCT range of 2700K to 6500K. This is a decent enough range and it will suit most people’s needs.
The beam angle of the fixtures, when used open face, is 120°.
If you use the lights with their included reflector it is 55°.
The included reflectors are the same that you get with most Nanlite Bowens mount fixtures.
The Nanlite FC-300B and FC-500B both come with a traditional two-sided yoke frame.
While these work reasonably well, there isn’t a lot of clearance and the power cable will end up hitting the yoke frame if you try and tilt the light up too much.
As I mentioned previously, the yoke frame locks down tightly.
The power draw of the FC-300B is 350W, and with the FC-500B, it is 520W.
Unfortunately, Nanite doesn’t give you many options when it comes to powering the fixtures. There is no way of running it via a camera battery like you can from so many competing fixtures. The only way you can run the fixtures remotely is via the 48V DC PowerCon input.
In the kit, you just get an AC power cable. Yes, I know these are more aimed at indoor studio use, but given their relatively low weight it would have been nice to have seen a camera battery powering option, even if this was an optional extra. A lot of people looking at lights want versatility and the ability to use their fixtures in a variety of different ways and in different environments.
Like most COB spotlights, the Nanlite FC-300B and FC-500B utilize a Bowens S mount. This allows you to use readily available lighting modifiers and accessories that you may already own.
Like every Bowens S mount that doesn’t feature a locking mechanism, light modifiers will wobble around on the mount.
The rear LCD screen on the light looks similar to what you would find on most of the Nanlite products. Although it is fairly basic, it does show you key information about the light’s operating modes, brightness, CCT, etc.
As I say in every lighting review, with a good light, you shouldn’t have to read a manual to work out how to operate it. You should be able to turn it on and use it straight away. With the FC-300B and FC-500B, it is easy to make changes to the CCT and brightness. The Menu is also very straightforward and easy to navigate.
In the menu, you can adjust quite a few settings, such as the DMX, fan, etc. The menu is pretty intuitive.
As well as being able to adjust certain parameters and modes on the light itself, you can also use the NANLINK Bluetooth app. Additionally, 2.4GHz provides control through the separately-available WS-TB-1 transmitter box for more elaborate setups, or with hardware remotes like the NANLINK WS-RC-C2. DMX/RDM control is also supported for advanced users.
The lights have the following lighting modes that you can access from the fixture:
The lights also feature a Maximum Output Mode and Constant Output Mode and Nanlite claims that there isn’t any CCT shift from 2700K-6500K in either mode.
The fixtures don’t include +/- Green adjustment so you can’t correct any tint.
The EFFECT mode lets you recreate a wide range of lighting effects that can be handy for certain scenarios. The effects include:
All the effects modes can be individually adjusted, and you change the Speed and Cycle.
The lights can be controlled via Bluetooth using the NANLINK App. It is relatively easy to connect up a light and get started. All you need to do is tap on add a fixture and then choose how you want to connect.
For this example I chose Bluetooth and the app will search for available Nanlite fixtures.
Once you select the fixture you want to add, it takes about 5-10 seconds for the app to configure everything.
Once the fixture is set up you can see that it has been added to the scene page.
There is a range of parameters that you can adjust using the app, including changing the output, CCT, turning the fan on/off, saving presets, and switching between constant and maximum output modes.
The app is straightforward and reasonably easy to use, however, they haven’t made it as intuitive or visually appealing as some other companies’ lighting control apps. This is something I would like to see Nanlite work on.
The only other downside when using the app is that when you make changes they don’t happen instantaneously, there is a slight delay.
COB lights get very hot, and keeping them cool is not an easy task. The FC-300B and 500B, as I mentioned earlier in the review, do utilize a fan.
In the menu settings for the FC-300B and FC-500B, you have the choice of setting the fan to the following modes:
You can also change the fan settings using the NANLINK app. The trouble when doing this with the app, is that the intensity slider will still show 100% even if you change the fan setting to a mode where 100% isn’t possible. This is where I think NANLITE needs to pay more attention to small details. Little quirks like this could easily be addressed by updating the app, but unfortunately, a lot of lighting companies release apps, and then very rarely ever update them.
The fan in the FC-300B is fairly quiet even when the light is operating at 100% output in its Max Output mode. If you do set the fan speed to High Speed, you may notice it if you are in a very quiet room and have the light close to where audio is being captured.
On the FC-500B, the fan is louder than that of the FC-300B. I would recommend that you don’t put the FC-500B too close to an audio recording source. It isn’t like the fan is really loud in its Smart setting, but you might hear it in a quiet room if it was only a meter or so away from where audio was being recorded. The High Speed fan mode could potentially be an issue when recording audio, but again, it depends on how close the light is to where audio is being recorded and how quiet the room is.
So now let’s get to the photometric results. I always test lights in this way so that I get a reference to how they compare to other fixtures. Results only tell part of the story and should never be used alone to judge a light. I have found from extensive testing over the years that certain lights that have good photometric results don’t always look good, and lights that have worse photometric scores can sometimes look better than their results indicate.
You can’t judge a light from one set of photometric results. You have to look at all of the different results to be able to come to a conclusion. You wouldn’t read one chapter of a book and think you know the whole story, so don’t look at one set of results for a light and think you can make a conclusion because you can’t.
Different lights can also look different depending on what camera you happen to be using.
I tested the Nanlite FC-300B and 500B at a variety of CCT settings with a Sekonic C-800 Spectrometer to find out how much output the light had and how accurate the Kelvin color temperature reproduction was. All readings are taken at a distance of 1m (3.28ft) in a controlled environment. The readings were also taken directly from the lighting source. In the case of using the lights with their Reflector, the readings were taken from the end of those attachments.
Above are the claimed photometric data that Nanlite lists for the FC-300B.
Above are the claimed photometric data that Nanlite lists for the FC-500B.
Ok, so let’s find out if those figures are correct.
Above you can see the FC-300B recorded an output of 9530 lx (885 fc) when set at 5600K and used open face. Nanlite lists a figure of 11,210 lx, so the result I got was a lot less than their claimed figure.
The light recorded a CCT reading of 5735K which was ok, but more than 130K off being correct.
Above you can see the FC-500B recorded an output of 22,100 lx (2060 fc) when set at 5600K and used open face. Nanlite lists a figure of 21,110 lx, so the result I got was slightly higher than their claimed figure.
The light recorded a CCT reading of 5679K which was a pretty good result.
Above you can see the output when it was set at 3200K in the open face configuration was 9820 lx (912 fc), which was just 3.04% higher than the 9530 lx it produced at 5600K. Nanlite lists a figure of 10,617 lx, so the result I got was not too far away from their claimed figure.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded an extremely accurate reading of 3231K.
Above you can see the output when it was set at 3200K in the open face configuration was 17,600 lx (1630 fc), which was 20.36% less than the 22,100 lx it produced at 5600K. Nanlite lists a figure of 17,670 lx, so the result I got was very similar to their claimed figure.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded a decent reading of 3096K.
Ok, so let’s now look at how much output both lights had at various CCT settings when used open face in their max. output modes.
The fixture has the most amount of output at 4500K.
As you can see, in the max. output mode the output varies by 32.85% across the CCT range. The light was no more than 140K off being correct at any of its CCT settings. It was the most accurate when used at 6500K.
The fixture has the most amount of output at 5600K.
As you can see, in the max. output mode the output varies by 39.87% across the CCT range. The light was no more than 179K off being correct at any of its CCT settings. It was the most accurate when used at 4500K.
So, now let’s see how much output the lights have when used with their 55° reflector.
Above you can see the light’s output when it was set at 5600K with the reflector was 29,900 lx (2780 fc). This was 213.74% more than the 9530 lx it produced at 5600K when used open face. It is important to note that this measurement was made from the end of the reflector. This is a decent amount of output from a fixture that draws 350W.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded an okay reading of 5746K. The CCT accuracy when using the reflector was very similar to when the light is used open face. It is nice to know that when using the reflector the light’s CCT won’t change by any real noticeable difference.
Above you can see the light’s output when it was set at 5600K with the reflector was 53,300 lx (4950 fc). This was 141.17% more than the 22,100 lx it produced at 5600K when used open face. It is important to note that this measurement was made from the end of the reflector. This is a lot of output from a fixture that draws 500W.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded a very accurate reading of 5756K. The CCT accuracy when using the reflector was not as good as when the light was used open face.
Above you can see the output when it was set at 3200K with the standard reflector was 30,000 lx (2790 fc), which was just 0.33% more than what it output at 5600K using the reflector.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded an exceptionally good reading of 3272K which was a very good score and slightly better than the result it obtained when used open face.
Above you can see the output when it was set at 3200K with the standard reflector was 41,700 lx (3880 fc), which was 21.76% less than what it output at 5600K using the reflector.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded an exceptionally good reading of 3119K which was a very good score and very similar to what it recorded when used open faced.
Ok, so let’s now look at how much output both lights had at various CCT settings when used with their 55° reflector in their max. output modes.
The fixture has the most amount of output at 4500K.
As you can see, in the max. output mode the output varies by 33.52% across the CCT range. The light was no more than 170K off being correct at any of its CCT settings. It was the most accurate when used at 6500K.
The fixture has the most amount of output at 5600K.
As you can see, in the max. output mode the output varies by 28.51% across the CCT range. The light was no more than 156K off being correct at any of its CCT settings. It was the most accurate when used at 6500K.
Below you can see how the Nanlite FC-300B and FC-500B compare to some of the competitors when it comes to output when all of the lights are using their included reflectors.
As you can see, the Nanlite FC-300B had more output than any of these other lights, however, it does draw 350W. Its CCT reading at 5600K was pretty decent, but not as good as the Kelvin Epos 300 or Prolycht Orion 300 FS.
As you can see, the Nanlite FC-300B had more output than any of these other lights. Its CCT reading at 3200K was pretty good, but not quite as good as the other competing fixtures.
*Not independently tested (manufacturer claims)
As you can see, the Nanlite FC-500B had almost the same amount of output as the Prolycht Orion 675 FS despite having a lot lower power draw. Its CCT reading at 5600K was not as good as most of the other competing fixtures.
As you can see, the Nanlite FC-500B has a decent amount of output considering it has a lot lower lot power draw. Its CCT reading at 3200K was not quite as good as most of the other competing fixtures.
Again, I need to stress that these are not apples-to-apples comparisons because of the different power draws and beam angles.
Let’s now look at how much output the FC-300B and FC-500B have when they are used in their constant output mode. In theory, the output should be almost identical in all CCT settings when the lights are used in this mode.
Summary of results FC-300B (Reflector)
These results show me that the light’s output varies by only 3.96% across the CCT range when used in its constant output mode.
Summary of results FC-500B (Reflector)
These results show me that the light’s output varies by 9.75% across the CCT range when used in its constant output mode.
Let’s now see how much output the FC-500C has when used in conjunction with a DoPChoice Octa 3 softbox at 5600K.
Above you can see the output when it was set at 5600K and used with the DoPChoice Octa 3 softbox was 9510 lx (884 fc). This is a good amount of output.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded an exceptionally good reading of 5529K.
Now, what you should always do when testing lights is to see if the CCT remains consistent when dimming the light. Just because you set a light at say 5600K, that doesn’t mean that the CCT will remain stable as you start dimming the fixture down. I also wanted to see how linear the dimming curve was.
I decided to do a series of tests at 100%/75%/50%/25%10% to see if the Kelvin color temperature being recorded changed. This was done at a distance of 1m using a Sekonic C-800. These tests were done at 5600K with the reflector.
The Nanlite FC-300B is excellent at maintaining CCT consistency as you start dimming the fixture. My testing showed that the CCT varied by only 27K.
As far as how linear the output is when you start dimming the light, at 50% output it had 52.17% less output than when used at 100%. At 25% it had 75.45% less output than when used at 100%. At 10% output, it had 89.63% less output than when used at 100%. This shows me that the light’s dimming curve is very linear.
The Nanlite FC-500B wasn’t as good as the FC-300B at maintaining CCT consistency as you start dimming the fixture. My testing showed that the CCT varied by 194K.
As far as how linear the output is when you start dimming the light, at 50% output it had 52.34% less output than when used at 100%. At 25% it had 75.79% less output than when used at 100%. At 10% output, it had 89.39% less output than when used at 100%. This shows me that the light’s dimming curve is extremely linear.
As you can adjust the fan settings, let’s see how the output gets affected.
What this tells me is that when you use the FC-300B in the Low fan setting the output gets reduced by 51.83%. When you turn the fan Off the output gets reduced by 84.74%.
What this tells me is that when you use the FC-300B in the Low fan setting the output gets reduced by 52.15%. When you turn the fan Off the output gets reduced by 91.08%.
So now that we have seen how much output the Nanlite FC-300B and FC-500B produce, how do they perform when it comes to replicating accurate colors?
Above you can see that when the FC-300B was set at 5600K using the standard reflector it recorded an average CRI (R1-R8) of 98.1 and an extended CRI (R1-R15) of 96.7. For replicating accurate skin tones it recorded 95.5 for R9 (red), 99.4 for R13 (closest to caucasian skin tones), and 97.9 for R15 (closest to Asian skin tones). These are excellent results, although the light struggles to produce R12 (Blue) with a score of just 81.9
Above you can see that when the FC-500B was set at 5600K using the standard reflector it recorded an average CRI (R1-R8) of 97.3 and an extended CRI (R1-R15) of 95.49. For replicating accurate skin tones it recorded 90.8 for R9 (red), 98.6 for R13 (closest to caucasian skin tones), and 97.3 for R15 (closest to Asian skin tones). These are excellent results, although the light struggles to produce R12 (Blue) with a score of just 78.9.
As a color rendering accuracy comparison, above you can see how the FC-300B and FC-500B compare against Nanlite’s own Forza 720B. the color rendering scores are very close to that of one of Nanlite’s much more expensive fixtures.
The FC-300B, when set at 5600K, recorded a TLCI score of 99.
The FC-500B, when set at 5600K, also recorded a TLCI score of 99.
Above you can see the scores for when the light was used at 3200K. It recorded an average CRI (R1-R8) of 95.7 and an extended CRI (R1-R15) of 94.32. For replicating accurate skin tones it recorded 92.4 for R9 (red), 93.8 for R13 (closest to caucasian skin tones), and 94.4 for R15 (closest to Asian skin tones). These were good results, but not quite as good as when the light was used at 5600K. Only R12 (Blue) was marginally below 90.
Above you can see the scores for when the light was used at 3200K. It recorded an average CRI (R1-R8) of 96.5 and an extended CRI (R1-R15) of 95.58. For replicating accurate skin tones it recorded 98.2 for R9 (red), 95.1 for R13 (closest to caucasian skin tones), and 96.7 for R15 (closest to Asian skin tones). These were good results, but not quite as good as when the light was used at 5600K. Only R12 (Blue) was under 90.
As a color rendering accuracy comparison, above you can see how the FC-300B and FC-500B compare against the Nanlite Forza 720B. I just wanted to do this comparison to show you how the color rendering accuracy compared between more affordable options and one of Nanlite’s more expensive fixtures.
The FC-300B, when set at 3200K, recorded a TLCI score of 98.
The FC-500B, when set at 3200K, recorded a TLCI score of 98.
The CC Index displays the CC correction value and whether any magenta or green need to be added or subtracted. 1 CC corresponds to 035 Kodak CC values or 1/8 Rosco filter values. Any reading less than +1.00 or -1.00 and you’re probably not going to need to make any kind of adjustment. The ⊿uv is the value to show how much this light is away from being an ideal light source (black body radiation = incandescent lamp). As with the CC Index you want this number to theoretically be zero. Kelvin is not a linear value, so we need to convert from Kelvin to MK-1 to compare the values of color temperature. To calculate from Kelvin to Mired is MK-1= 1*1000000/Kelvin. While this may sound confusing, it is the only way of measuring if the Kelvin shift is significant enough to warrant having to use a filter for correction. Below are the results for the Nanlite FC-300B and 500B:
These figures might look confusing, but what they tell me is that the light is reasonably CCT between 2700K and 4500K. Any MK-1 score that is under -9/9 means you wouldn’t have to use any color correction gels. The MK-1 scores for this light were very good at 5600K and especially 6500K. Any MK-1 score that is under -6/6 is a very good result.
These figures might look confusing, but what it tells me is that the light is very CCT accurate at 4500K and above. In fact, at 6500K it had a perfect score, which I have never seen before. Unfortunately, at 2700K the score was pretty bad. Any MK-1 score that is under -9/9 means you wouldn’t have to use any color correction gels. The MK-1 scores for this light were very good, but not consistent. Any MK-1 score that is under -6/6 is a very good result.
These were decent results across the board, but the ⊿uv scores could have been better for 3200K and 6500K.
Again, these were very good results across the board.
TM-30 is a relatively new color rendering standard that was developed to deal with the limitations of CRI. TM-30 looks at 99 individual colors. These 99 colors are categorized into seven groups: nature, skin color, textiles, paints, plastics, printed material, and color systems.
TM-30 scores go from 0 – 100. The higher the score, the more accurate a light is at producing colors. Any TM-30 Rf score in the ’90s is considered to be good. What is interesting and something that you need to be very aware of is that two separate light sources with the exact same CRI scores can render colors very differently. A light with a high CRI rating could have a low TM-30 score. Conversely, a light with a good TM-30 score could have a bad CRI score.
Now, there are two measurements associated with TM-30, Rf and Rg.
Rf (Color Fidelity) Rg (Color Gamut)
With Rf value, ideally, you want a score in the 90’s.
With Rg value, a score below 100 indicates that the light source renders colors with less saturation than the reference source. So ideally you want this score to be above 100.
Above you can see the scores for the FC-300B at various Kelvin color temperatures. Below I have listed the figures as well.
The TM-30 scores are very good and it shows me that the light is pretty consistent at replicating accurate colors with full saturation. The consistency of their scores was good.
Above you can see the scores for the FC-500B at various Kelvin color temperatures. Below I have listed the figures as well.
The TM-30 scores are all excellent and it shows me that the light is very consistent at replicating accurate colors with full saturation. The consistency of the scores was very impressive.
SSI (Spectral Similarity Index) was developed by the Sci-Tech Council of the Academy. SSI gives me the ability to set any light as a standard, or use predefined standards (such as CIE D55), and then give other lights an SSI score based on how well they will match standards such as CIE D55. This way I can measure spectral response and compare it directly against an ideal light source. This is actually a much better test than recording CRI scores.
In this graph, the red bars indicate a perfect Planck 3200K source. The gold bars indicate a perfect 3200K Tungsten source. This lets us compare how close to a perfect 3200K lighting source the FC-300B is. Any SSI score in the high 70’s, low ’80s is very good for a 3200K LED light. The results for the FC-300B were reasonably good when used at 3200K. As you can see, LED lights have a hard time replicating colors below about 450nm.
In this graph, the red bars indicate a perfect Planck 3200K source. The gold bars indicate a perfect 3200K Tungsten source. This lets us compare how close to a perfect 3200K lighting source the FC-500B is. Any SSI score in the high 70’s, low ’80s is very good for a 3200K LED light. The results for the FC-500B were reasonably good when used at 3200K. As you can see, LED lights have a hard time replicating colors below about 450nm.
In the graph above the gold bars indicate a perfect CIE D55 source. The red bars indicate a perfect CIE D 5600K source. This lets us compare how close to a perfect 5600K lighting source the FC-300B is. A score in the low 70’s is typical for a 5600K LED source.
In this graph, the red bars indicate a perfect Planck 3200K source. The gold bars indicate a perfect 3200K Tungsten source. This lets us compare how close to a perfect 3200K lighting source the FC-500B is. Any SSI score in the high 70’s, low ’80s is very good for a 3200K LED light.
The main reason we want to record SSI scores is so we can see how well they match with other lights. As an example, I wanted to see how well the FC-300B and FC-500B matched the ARRI Orbiter and Prolycht Orion 675 FS. Below you can see the results.
As you can see neither lights are a perfect match, but they are a decent enough match. You could easily use all three of these lights together without any issues if you did a bit of tweaking.
Just like with the FC-300B, the FC-500B isn’t a perfect match with the ARRI Orbiter and Prolycht Orion 675 FS, however, you could easily use all three of these lights together without any big issues.
Ok, so now we have seen how well the FC-300B and FC-500B match other lights, but do they match each other? Well, let’s find out. First, I wanted to see how well the FC-300B matched the FC-500B when both lights were using their reflectors and also how well the FC-300B matched itself when used Open Faced.
As you can see, the FC-300B was almost an identical match when used with or without its reflector. It was also a very, very close match to the FC-500B. This clearly shows me that both the FC-300B and FC-500B can be used together and they will match.
Next, I wanted to see how well the FC-500B matched the FC-300B when both lights were using their reflectors and also how well the FC-500B matched itself when used Open Faced.
As you can see, the FC-500B was almost an identical match when used with or without its reflector. It was also a reasonably close match to the FC-300B.
Ok, so now let’s do that exact same test again, but this time at 5600K.
As you can see, the FC-300B was almost an identical match when used with or without its reflector. It was also almost a perfect match to the FC-500B. This clearly shows me that both the FC-300B and FC-500B can be used together and they will match.
Next, I wanted to see how well the FC-500B matched the FC-300B when both lights were using their reflectors and also how well the FC-500B matched itself when used Open Faced.
As you can see, the FC-500B was almost an identical match when used with or without its reflector. It was also almost a perfect match to the FC-300B.
SSI tests are a great way of telling you what lights you own or use will work well together.
Above you can see the spectral distribution of the FC-300B when it is set at 5600K. The spectral distribution isn’t overly full, but it is fairly consistent with no spikes where you wouldn’t expect to see them.
Above you can see the spectral distribution of the FC-500B when it is set at 5600K. The spectral distribution isn’t overly full, and it was almost identical to the FC-300B.
As a comparison, above you can see the spectral distribution of the Nanlite Forza 720B. It is considerably fuller than both the FC-300B and FC-500B.
Above you can see the spectral distribution of the FC-300B when it is set at 3200K.
Above you can see the spectral distribution of the FC-500B when it is set at 3200K.
As a comparison, above you can see the spectral distribution for the Nanlite Forza 720B.
All three lights had very similar spectral responses when used at 3200K.
As I always say, photometric scores only tell you part of the story. So let’s how the FC-300B and FC-500B perform in the real world.
The photometric results can only give me scientific data and it is much more important for me to see how the lights look and perform.
The FC-300B and FC-500B are both capable of producing great results and most importantly they are relatively easy to use and quick to set up.
The reflectors do have a slight hot spot, but they don’t produce any color fringing on the edges of the beam.
Above you can see the difference in the type of shadows they create when used open face and with their reflector. When used open face you will get clean shadows. If you use the reflector then the shadows won’t have defined outlines.
As a further test, above you can see what the shadows look like at two different distances from the wall when you are using the reflector.
Above you can see some photos I took when I placed the FC-300B outside and punched it through a sheer curtain into a room using the included reflector, as well as when used open face. I have also included some shots with it pointing down at the table and being punched into the ceiling open face.
Above you can see some photos I took when I placed the FC-500B outside and punched it through a sheer curtain into a room using the included reflector, as well as when used open face. I have also included some shots with it pointing down at the table.
I also tried the lights with a DoPChoice Octa 3 softbox. While the light won’t fill the softbox completely, it still does enough to provide good results.
In the above example images I have just used the FC-500B and no other lights. The FC-500B was only set at 14% output. Both the FC-300B and FC-500B are more than capable of producing enough output when coupled with a large softbox for most interview requirements.
Above you can see the light used with the optional Projection Mount. The Projection mount works really well and it allows you to really concentrate light into a tiny area.
The lights also work well when used with bounce boards or the CRLS reflector system when you combine them with the Fresnel or Nanlite Projector.
I think a lot of people who are in the market for a compact-sized powerful bi-color light will be looking closely at these lights, especially given their reasonably low price and the fact that there are quite a few affordable lighting modifiers that are available for them.
They are certainly priced to appeal to owner-operators who are looking for a powerful and reasonably lightweight jack-of-all-trades lighting solution. The versatility of the FC-300B and 500B allows them to be used as a hard light source, a soft source, a fresnel, a gobo, or just about anything else you want it to be with the correct modifier.
Both fixtures are arguably going to be more suited to indoor use than location work, and if one of your requirements is being able to remotely power a light using camera batteries then there are better options available.
The Nanlite FC-300B retails for $479 USD and the FC-500B costs $699 USD. This makes them very affordable given their performance and capabilities. Both lights are now available to buy. This price is likely to make them very appealing prospects for those shooters who are looking for a reasonably lightweight and powerful spotlight that offers good performance without emptying your wallet. However, in saying that, competition in this space is very fierce.
The COB spotlight market has become increasingly overcrowded in the last few years. Below are some of the lights that could be considered competition for the FC-300B.
Below are some of the lights that could be considered competition for the FC-500B.
The Nanlite FC-300B and 500B can be used with Nanlite’s own accessories, but because it also comes with a Bowens mount adapter, there are a ton of affordable accessories you could also use.
The Nanlite FS-150B and FS-200B, like most of Nanlite’s fixtures, are solid offerings. They are both color-accurate, and they feature a good amount of output. Spotlights like these offer a lot of versatility and they can be used for so many different applications and that is certainly why so many people are using them these days.
Having the ability to use the FC-3000B and FC-500B with a wide array of lighting modifiers gives the lights even more versatility.
The interface and operating system are basic, but they are easy to use. The app is also pretty basic, and while there is room for improvement, again, it does its intended job. The build quality is ok, but they aren’t as robustly made as some of the other competing lights in this space, however, in saying that, a lot of the competition is also significantly more expensive.
The fan noise is very minimal with the FC-3000B and won’t be a concern for most people. The fan noise is slightly louder with the FC-500B and you need to be aware of that if it’s placed too close to where critical audio is being captured. The small size and lightweight nature of the fixture make it a great option for anyone who is traveling. A couple of these lights with a few of the modifiers and you could have a relatively small and compact lighting kit that could handle a lot of lighting requirements. However, because you can’t power them remotely from a simple battery solution that does somewhat limit their flexibility.
The quality and color consistency of Nanlite fixtures over the last few years have improved a lot. The FC-3000B and 500B offer fantastic value for money. They have tons of output, they are lightweight and compact, and they offer good color rendering. If you are looking for a COB spotlight that won’t empty your wallet and you don’t need to run lights remotely from camera batteries then the FC-300B and FC-500B are certainly worth looking closely at.
Matthew Allard is a multi-award-winning, ACS accredited freelance Director of Photography with over 30 years' of experience working in more than 50 countries around the world. He is the Editor of Newsshooter.com and has been writing on the site since 2010. Matthew has won 49 ACS Awards, including five prestigious Golden Tripods. In 2016 he won the Award for Best Cinematography at the 21st Asian Television Awards. Matthew is available to hire as a DP in Japan or for work anywhere else in the world.
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