EXCELLENT review as always.. I would be VERY interested in your thoughts of this Forza 500 with the fresnel vs Aputure's 600d with it's fresnel as a side by side shootout. Your views are paramount before I look to buy.. and thats a loyal Aputure customer speaking here.
@@gaffergear you can purchase them now from china, please do the comparison as im stuck on getting another forza 500 or drop so much more money on a 600d
i guess im asking randomly but does someone know a tool to log back into an instagram account..? I was stupid forgot the password. I love any tips you can give me
@Cairo Abel I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im trying it out atm. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
This is a fantastic review as usual. You're fantastic. I just got myself a small Forza 60 for a small job coming up in a few days and I can tell I already love that tiny light. Now what would you recomment between the 200, 300 and 500 as a key light for bigger scenes? It's really hard to imagine how powerful they are just by looking at photometrics. Would the 200 or 300 already be enough for a sunny look from a window, or you would recommend a stronger unit like the 500?
300 or 500 comes down to batteries. If you want to run off batteries the 500 only runs of 26v v-mounts and not 24.4 or 24.8. So for a lot of people that's the deciding factor. What I do to get an idea of brightness is find the photometric information for a light I know and compare it to that. Arri have a photometric phone app for their products. Otherwise I would have purchased several disappointing lights this year.
Can the aputure F-10 fresnel be used on the FORZA 500 light to improve light output? or should the FL-20G only be used with the FORZA 500 light? What happens when I combine these accessories?
AL - many thanks for another great review, I appreciate your thoroughness and knowledge and your willingness to share that. You say that a longer head cable is available- are you saying that the included head cable is the shorter one? Bless.
@@Jsfilmz The issue with that might be life expectancy of the battery for the Yeti, don't remember the amount of cycles it can take but it wasn’t that much I believe.
@@gaffergear Seems that Cineo has done it with their liquid cooled R15 which is equivalent to a bicolor 6K HMI (if that even existed). Now I'm hoping they'll come out with smaller and more affordable versions with that tech.
@@juandiosdado while it's small and light weight for a 6k HMI equivalent, and cheap in comparison to a 6K, it's heavy and large if you only want to use it as an M18 equivalent. But it's a HUGE breakthrough and maybe they can make something smaller.
Great review, Thanks for these. They're very helpful when finding out what to invest in. Any chance you would be able to review the godox VL300? the claim is that they're brighter than even a forza 500 which I very much doubt but im curious.
That's probably not true. There's a 200 watt difference in power and the reflector of the Forza is top notch to maximize output. Every video I've seen of the vl300 shows it outpunches a 300d, but not near enough to be comparable to this. The Forza 300 also outpunches the 300d pretty easily.
Hi Andrew, thanks for a GREAT channel! Godox just launched their new FL series (FL150 & FL300) to compete on the same segment for pretty much the same price as Forza, do you happen to know how they compare?
One thing to keep in mind (being in the UK) I'm always interested in how well these lights withstand rain... For instance my M18 HMI's just laugh at rain. Typically with this sort of output they'll be outside and in Europe once you're on a shoot you know it will rain at some point....
This is the one thing that is a constant annoyance working with LED. 3 months of the year Melbourne is the weather shit hole of Australia. I have used these in huge rains on location covered with cello wrap. But..... I don't feel as comfortable as I did with an IP rated HMI. Their is a feeling of security when you see those rain drops turn to steam. However, the plus side is the lens is not hot enough to get cracked, so I could point it upwards into the rain to backlight the droplets. But yep, I'm always on edge with LED and rain.
@@gaffergear Yeah, I've used hardknox protection board (the kind you put on walls and floors in building sites. My main worry is keeping airvents open. We could really do with a custom rainshroud... Incidentally the 600D will be weatherproof or so they say..
@@wernervanpeppen4873 a lot of work is going into that 600D. Unlike other so called wether resistant lights the controller box will be IP reted. I'm not in a position to talk to much about it but compared to other water proof lights it won't overheat on a hot day either because it is still active cooled. The only lights I have with custom rain covers are the sola 6+. No problem in a storm. Main problem with the Forza 500 is keeping the vents clear on the PSU.
I've had two problems with the Forza 500... 1. is that the little pin holding the stand clamp for the ballast onto the stand broke. I guess that you cannot thighten it too much. It will brake... 2. this is very enoying... it is that the knob for tightening the lamp to a cstand... the knob now turns all the way around again and again without tightening the lamp to the stand. So the knob have destroyed the thread... i've used a softbox quite a lot and when you got the lamp up a a few meters in the air with the soft box, you will want to tighten it quite a bit so that it does not wiggle in the light breeze... but lo and behold, the thread will brake if you tighten it....... I have now taken the knob out and use it on combo stands most of the time... Otherwise I love it. Very clean and dimmable light... Yea also... I do not trust that the forza can stay out in the rain so I have strapped an umbrella to the lamp with two straps sometimes. Its not rugged like the HMIs. I wish they would make a hard rain cover of some kind for both ballast and lamp head. And thanks for your vid! Love your reviews!!
I have had this problem in the past with other nanguang lights, it seems sometimes they get metal that's too soft or too hard. I think I had severe lock offs fail with in days. They did replaced them.
Great video! What is your take on Forza 500 vs 300d mkii? Would love to upgrade two of my older HMI's, but not sure wether the ecosystem of Aputure is worth it over the extra light output of the Forza. Big thanks in advance!
I have both. In my vans I carry 2 x Forza 500's for the firepower, and 1 x 300dii which I use with the spotlight (leko) mount. I went with forza because I could power them off my existing 48v battery packs.
@@maxshin4464 I thought I had a major problem with the Aputure control box. The light would not turn off, or respond properly to commands. Sometimes only the fan would turn on and the light.would not light up. Dimming response would be way behind the commands. I thought for sure the box was rooted. Aputure told me it was a faulty batch of head lead cables, I thought no way is this the cable. But it was, got new cable and the problems disappeared like magic and light has been 100% reliable since. It may be worth passing that info on to them. Might be worth letting them know.
Hi Andrew, Following your excellent review, I decided to buy a Forza 500. Is it my unit or the lamp fan is really loud?(not the ballast). I have set in the menu's option: "set fan info" to "ON to have the maximum power of the light but hearing that fan noise, I don't see me using it on a dialogue scene or an interview at this moment.. way too loud! Let me know what you think. I am considering returning my unit..:( Thank you.
Yep, but make sure it's not the older black fresnel, it has to be the one with the white or grew housing. I use them all the time. Nanlux says it's good for it.
I have a Forza 500 and used it maybe a Dozen times in the last 8 months only in studio and yesterday I got an over heating warning and realized my fan is not working.. Have you had any of the fans die on you?
What is the pro of the Forza 300 over the 500 and are the new updates control boxes quieter ? Which of the 2 has a quieter fan ? I would think the Forza 500 is the better buy cause the power one can always lower the Forza 500 to 300 watts to save vmount battery life .
Anyone have an idea on how this fresnel compares to the Apature F10 Fresnel? That one you have to buy barn doors separately, but I'm curious on differences because they look like the same size but NOT the same price. I have the FS-300 NANLITE so that's my application... Trying to figure out the COB depth for this vs the Forza...
Depends what you are after. The forza acts more like an old school fresnel, such as fine barndoors cuts and single point shaddows But the aputure uses a double lens system to give better brightness at the expense of fine barndoors cuts and shadows.
The forza reflectors don't seem to be made out of consistent thickness metal. My aptitude barndoors fit some of them but not others. I haven't found an alternative.
Seems the app for the wireless has been updated - and can only be downloaded direct from nanguang website for android, not the play store. Have you tried the latest version yet? wondering if they have solved some of the earlier issues.
@@gaffergear oh that's a real shame. I love our Forza lights but there are a few little niggles -and not so little like with the app - that may hurt their sales unless they can get onto them.
If you don't need it in a hurry, and you probably don't because of Covid19, I would wait a little bit longer so you can compare when the 600 comes out. For me it came down to battery operation, 500w is a lot less then 600w, especially as the 600s power draw is going to be around 720w. But if you are not running batteries systems, I would hold off to look at the Aputure.
@@gaffergear good to hear! I just ordered the Forza 200 recently, my first COB light, mostly based on your awesome review of it. Been learning a lot about lighting just by watching your video's so thanks so much for the fantastic effort you put into them!
Hey buddy, can you give us some example or your opinion how forza500 work in company with Aputure 120 II and Aputure 300 II, because they don’t have the same K daylight. Thanks and #stayhome
I'm using a 1/8 CTB on the 300Dii with the spotlight mount. It's permanently in the gel holder of the spotlight. Ive sued it a heck of a lot recently to backlight glass objects like drinks on a big set ever I just want the product to have a back lit glow but no back light shadows. The optics on the 300dii with spotlight mount are awesome. Apart from that I never use the 300D because of the colour difference.
Many thanks Andrew. Lets hope for all us lighting/camera people that we can get back to work safely soon after this pandemic!!
your channel is truly amazing ! thanks for the amazing content and for the in depth review
This was a great video to watch! Learned alot TY
Impressive!
thank god you make a fair review of pros AND cons; subscribed.
EXCELLENT review as always.. I would be VERY interested in your thoughts of this Forza 500 with the fresnel vs Aputure's 600d with it's fresnel as a side by side shootout. Your views are paramount before I look to buy.. and thats a loyal Aputure customer speaking here.
PLEASE compare the Nanlite Forza 500 with the Aputure 600d if you get that unit in.
You bet!
@@gaffergear you can purchase them now from china, please do the comparison as im stuck on getting another forza 500 or drop so much more money on a 600d
i guess im asking randomly but does someone know a tool to log back into an instagram account..?
I was stupid forgot the password. I love any tips you can give me
@Lucas Maximiliano Instablaster :)
@Cairo Abel I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im trying it out atm.
I see it takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
another excellent video Andrew. Really enjoying them and learning heaps. Hope you are staying safe at the moment :)
Basically, the best review of this fresnel and basically best gaffer channel on youtube :)
wow your content is super classic!! Thank you!
Great review! Very detailed!
This is a fantastic review as usual. You're fantastic.
I just got myself a small Forza 60 for a small job coming up in a few days and I can tell I already love that tiny light. Now what would you recomment between the 200, 300 and 500 as a key light for bigger scenes? It's really hard to imagine how powerful they are just by looking at photometrics. Would the 200 or 300 already be enough for a sunny look from a window, or you would recommend a stronger unit like the 500?
300 or 500 comes down to batteries. If you want to run off batteries the 500 only runs of 26v v-mounts and not 24.4 or 24.8.
So for a lot of people that's the deciding factor.
What I do to get an idea of brightness is find the photometric information for a light I know and compare it to that. Arri have a photometric phone app for their products.
Otherwise I would have purchased several disappointing lights this year.
@@gaffergear Awesome, thanks so much for this reply! You really are helping a lot :-D
Can the aputure F-10 fresnel be used on the FORZA 500 light to improve light output? or should the FL-20G only be used with the FORZA 500 light? What happens when I combine these accessories?
AL - many thanks for another great review, I appreciate your thoroughness and knowledge and your willingness to share that.
You say that a longer head cable is available- are you saying that the included head cable is the shorter one?
Bless.
Yes unfortunately
@@gaffergear Would it be smarter to get a battery generator like a yeti 1000hw to power this? It cost 1099 usd for 1. Thanks
@@Jsfilmz The issue with that might be life expectancy of the battery for the Yeti, don't remember the amount of cycles it can take but it wasn’t that much I believe.
If that continues the days of the M18 are numbered!
Looking at about 2 years. Problem is not the LEDs, it's the cooling systems and the size of current DC transformers
@@gaffergear Seems that Cineo has done it with their liquid cooled R15 which is equivalent to a bicolor 6K HMI (if that even existed). Now I'm hoping they'll come out with smaller and more affordable versions with that tech.
@@juandiosdado while it's small and light weight for a 6k HMI equivalent, and cheap in comparison to a 6K, it's heavy and large if you only want to use it as an M18 equivalent. But it's a HUGE breakthrough and maybe they can make something smaller.
Thanks a lot for your deep reviews, theyre really helpfull!, I was wondering how did you clean the cob after the moth?.
I used a damp microfiber cloth. (As per the instruction manual)
Legendary!
Looks like a great solution overall
Man I love this light. I think it's time to upgrade from my sl-60w.
Great review, Thanks for these. They're very helpful when finding out what to invest in. Any chance you would be able to review the godox VL300? the claim is that they're brighter than even a forza 500 which I very much doubt but im curious.
Also interested
That's probably not true. There's a 200 watt difference in power and the reflector of the Forza is top notch to maximize output. Every video I've seen of the vl300 shows it outpunches a 300d, but not near enough to be comparable to this. The Forza 300 also outpunches the 300d pretty easily.
Who said that?
@@danielvilliers612 godox
Hi Andrew, thanks for a GREAT channel! Godox just launched their new FL series (FL150 & FL300) to compete on the same segment for pretty much the same price as Forza, do you happen to know how they compare?
Yet to see one.
One thing to keep in mind (being in the UK) I'm always interested in how well these lights withstand rain... For instance my M18 HMI's just laugh at rain. Typically with this sort of output they'll be outside and in Europe once you're on a shoot you know it will rain at some point....
Not meaning they should withstand a monsoon, but more about very light drizzle..
This is the one thing that is a constant annoyance working with LED.
3 months of the year Melbourne is the weather shit hole of Australia.
I have used these in huge rains on location covered with cello wrap. But..... I don't feel as comfortable as I did with an IP rated HMI.
Their is a feeling of security when you see those rain drops turn to steam.
However, the plus side is the lens is not hot enough to get cracked, so I could point it upwards into the rain to backlight the droplets.
But yep, I'm always on edge with LED and rain.
@@gaffergear Yeah, I've used hardknox protection board (the kind you put on walls and floors in building sites. My main worry is keeping airvents open. We could really do with a custom rainshroud... Incidentally the 600D will be weatherproof or so they say..
@@wernervanpeppen4873 a lot of work is going into that 600D. Unlike other so called wether resistant lights the controller box will be IP reted.
I'm not in a position to talk to much about it but compared to other water proof lights it won't overheat on a hot day either because it is still active cooled.
The only lights I have with custom rain covers are the sola 6+. No problem in a storm.
Main problem with the Forza 500 is keeping the vents clear on the PSU.
@@gaffergear what do you mean keeping the vents clear on the PSU ? What does PSU mean?
I've had two problems with the Forza 500... 1. is that the little pin holding the stand clamp for the ballast onto the stand broke. I guess that you cannot thighten it too much. It will brake... 2. this is very enoying... it is that the knob for tightening the lamp to a cstand... the knob now turns all the way around again and again without tightening the lamp to the stand. So the knob have destroyed the thread... i've used a softbox quite a lot and when you got the lamp up a a few meters in the air with the soft box, you will want to tighten it quite a bit so that it does not wiggle in the light breeze... but lo and behold, the thread will brake if you tighten it....... I have now taken the knob out and use it on combo stands most of the time... Otherwise I love it. Very clean and dimmable light... Yea also... I do not trust that the forza can stay out in the rain so I have strapped an umbrella to the lamp with two straps sometimes. Its not rugged like the HMIs. I wish they would make a hard rain cover of some kind for both ballast and lamp head.
And thanks for your vid! Love your reviews!!
I have had this problem in the past with other nanguang lights, it seems sometimes they get metal that's too soft or too hard. I think I had severe lock offs fail with in days. They did replaced them.
So are you saying it is a problem with the 500's and Nanlite replaces the knobs? Or the yoke with the thread?
Nanlite FL-20G Fresnel lens can fit Aputure 600X
Great video as always Andrew! Would love to hear your thoughts on the LEDGO D4500 if you get a chance
It's very heavy, a forza 500 would give you a lot more options.
@@gaffergear I hear you. Cheers for the reply!
Great video! What is your take on Forza 500 vs 300d mkii? Would love to upgrade two of my older HMI's, but not sure wether the ecosystem of Aputure is worth it over the extra light output of the Forza.
Big thanks in advance!
I have both. In my vans I carry 2 x Forza 500's for the firepower, and 1 x 300dii which I use with the spotlight (leko) mount.
I went with forza because I could power them off my existing 48v battery packs.
@@gaffergear Great! Thanks for your quick reply! Will look into the Forza's, they have a 25% discount right now.
Keep making these videos!
Hello!
I have information from a rental who uses both. Aputure power supplies often fail, forza is much more reliable.
@@maxshin4464 Thanks for sharing the information! Will take it into consideration
@@maxshin4464 I thought I had a major problem with the Aputure control box. The light would not turn off, or respond properly to commands. Sometimes only the fan would turn on and the light.would not light up. Dimming response would be way behind the commands. I thought for sure the box was rooted.
Aputure told me it was a faulty batch of head lead cables, I thought no way is this the cable. But it was, got new cable and the problems disappeared like magic and light has been 100% reliable since.
It may be worth passing that info on to them.
Might be worth letting them know.
Hi Andrew, Following your excellent review, I decided to buy a Forza 500. Is it my unit or the lamp fan is really loud?(not the ballast). I have set in the menu's option: "set fan info" to "ON to have the maximum power of the light but hearing that fan noise, I don't see me using it on a dialogue scene or an interview at this moment.. way too loud! Let me know what you think. I am considering returning my unit..:( Thank you.
I have them on dialog scenes all the time, but not really close. I'm standing right next to it in this video if that's any gauge!
The 500 is brighter than a 1.2k hmi with or without tbe fresnel?I think you can techically plug 3 of these in USA outlet. Thats insane
With the fresnel is a bit brighter than a 1.2K fresnel. With the dish its a bit brighter than as a 1.2k par in flood.
This Forza is more powerful than a 1200 hmi? I would think the hmi 1200 is better and more powerful for blasting thru a window or to use in daylight ?
Hi, great video!
May i know if the 50$ remote could control the light levels or we will need the nanlite wifi router to make this happen?
Hey! Have you used the fresnel for the 720?
How have you found it to work?
Yep, but make sure it's not the older black fresnel, it has to be the one with the white or grew housing. I use them all the time. Nanlux says it's good for it.
@@gaffergear awesome thank you!
I have them both and notice some weird fall off with the fresnel
When a moth has burned into the cob, is it recoverable?
I have a Forza 500 and used it maybe a Dozen times in the last 8 months only in studio and yesterday I got an over heating warning and realized my fan is not working.. Have you had any of the fans die on you?
What is the pro of the Forza 300 over the 500 and are the new updates control boxes quieter ? Which of the 2 has a quieter fan ? I would think the Forza 500 is the better buy cause the power one can always lower the Forza 500 to 300 watts to save vmount battery life .
This is a very old episode, all the control boxes have been updated since.
The advantage of the 300 is it can run off 14.4v batteries
@@gaffergear Forza 300 can run 14.4v batteries at full 300 watt power ?
Fresnel looks identical to the one supplied with Jenbei EF200BI supplied by TecArt.
Anyone have an idea on how this fresnel compares to the Apature F10 Fresnel? That one you have to buy barn doors separately, but I'm curious on differences because they look like the same size but NOT the same price. I have the FS-300 NANLITE so that's my application... Trying to figure out the COB depth for this vs the Forza...
I have an episode on the F10 with a quick comparison. But the F10 on a 600D is a little over double the output
How does the Nanlite Fresnel unit on the Forza compare to the Aputure Fresnel on the 300D? Which is better?
Depends what you are after. The forza acts more like an old school fresnel, such as fine barndoors cuts and single point shaddows But the aputure uses a double lens system to give better brightness at the expense of fine barndoors cuts and shadows.
Have you had a chance to test this fresnel on an Aputure lamp (300, 600)?
The 2x is I think on my 300Dii episode, and the F10 has its own episode.
The F10 is my go-to Fresnel for firepower .
For the 500, if I'm looking to use barn doors on the reflector, will the Aputure ones work, or is there another one you would suggest?
The forza reflectors don't seem to be made out of consistent thickness metal. My aptitude barndoors fit some of them but not others. I haven't found an alternative.
Hey, Andrew. Do the fresnels come with some sort of protective case?
Sort of, just a soft string pull bag. Protect it from dirt and scratches but not from getting crushed.
@@gaffergear Ah.. okay. Thank you!
I guess this won't fit in the forza 500 bag with it attatched to the forza either?
@@birkgroven9160 nope, definitely not
Seems the app for the wireless has been updated - and can only be downloaded direct from nanguang website for android, not the play store. Have you tried the latest version yet? wondering if they have solved some of the earlier issues.
I did not know this!
@@gaffergear oops, Nanlite website not nanguang. en.nanlite.com/downloads
Android version is still crashing on saves.
@@gaffergear oh that's a real shame. I love our Forza lights but there are a few little niggles -and not so little like with the app - that may hurt their sales unless they can get onto them.
Hello, do you guys had tested this forza Fresnel with a godox vl300 ?
I haven't
Is the output with the included reflector greater then with the fresnel in full spot mode?
Full spot is way way way brighter, it spots like a true fresnel fixture studio fresnel
Gaffer & Gear fantastic, thanks so much. Really a quality channel you have here!
Can't make up my mind wether to buy this light or wait for an Aputure 600d as I have 2 Aputure lights already
If you don't need it in a hurry, and you probably don't because of Covid19, I would wait a little bit longer so you can compare when the 600 comes out.
For me it came down to battery operation, 500w is a lot less then 600w, especially as the 600s power draw is going to be around 720w. But if you are not running batteries systems, I would hold off to look at the Aputure.
@@gaffergear This definitely helps,, thanks
do you see LED unit's taking over 4kw --> 9kw --> 18kw HMI's in the future?
Not any time soon, problem is in cooling the LED. Having big enough fans, heat sync, or even liquid cooling
Do you know if this fresnel fits with Aputure 120d mark ii?
No idea. Doubt it
excuse me sir actually i quite wonder which one better value between Godox VL300 or Forza 300?
I haven't seen the godox so I can't say
Is the Forza 500 worth me selling my Arri 1.2k HMI?
I have no HMI lights under 1.8k anymore. All replaced by LEDs.
But consider other options too. There are several 1200 watt LEDs now
@@gaffergear Thank you!!
any idea if this fresnel will work with the forza 200?
Yes, not to bad, but not as even in the centre, and spots up tighter than here
@@gaffergear good to hear! I just ordered the Forza 200 recently, my first COB light, mostly based on your awesome review of it. Been learning a lot about lighting just by watching your video's so thanks so much for the fantastic effort you put into them!
How'd the fried moth taste?
Better than tofu
Hey buddy, can you give us some example or your opinion how forza500 work in company with Aputure 120 II and Aputure 300 II, because they don’t have the same K daylight. Thanks and #stayhome
I'm using a 1/8 CTB on the 300Dii with the spotlight mount. It's permanently in the gel holder of the spotlight.
Ive sued it a heck of a lot recently to backlight glass objects like drinks on a big set ever I just want the product to have a back lit glow but no back light shadows.
The optics on the 300dii with spotlight mount are awesome. Apart from that I never use the 300D because of the colour difference.