NEEWER CB120B 120W Bi-Color Continuous LED Video Light

The CB120B COB (Chip on Board) light is a slick, all metal unit with intuitive controls and a quiet, built-in fan. All physical controls, including its LED display, are on the back of the light casing. The control options are fairly intuitive, and include the on/off button, up/down buttons for adjusting either the CCT or brightness, and a multi-switch for switching into “Infinity” mode, used for connecting the CB120B light to the Neewer app, or the 2.4G mode, that is used to select a channel and include or exclude the light in/from a group.Directly from the light itself, CCT and brightness can be controlled along with a choice of 12 special effects (FX). Brightness can be adjusted in precise increments of 1% from 0% - 100%, and CCT in increments of 100 Kelvin from 2700 – 6500K. Each of the 12 cinematic FX choices can be adjusted in frequency, for example, how frequently to make the lightning flash, and so on. The cinematic effects can be useful in a scene behind a window, for example.Neewer states that the light has a CRI (Color Rendering Index) of 97, which is considered a phenomenal rating and assures that colors are recorded accurately. As an example, this light would be an excellent choice for reproducing artwork, or for portraiture where skin tones are important. And the same holds true of the very high TLCI (Television Lighting Consistency Index) rating of 98. TLCI is a standardization (so is CRI) created in the EU; a standard adopted by television and film studios throughout the world. So, if you’re shooting productions for Netflix or NBC using LED lighting, the CB120B would match the color standards required in those industries and integrate seamlessly into a lighting set. In other words, Neewer implies that the CB120B light is in accordance with the highest production standards for accurate color rendition.Neewer also supports an app from which the light can be controlled; interestingly, it has a low rating in the app store, 2 out of five stars, but I’ve found it to connect and work flawlessly. Besides allowing all of the same controls and settings as the physical light, it also offers a couple of additional, and in my opinion, powerful features. First, it has a “Picker” tool that is used to match the CB120Bs’ CCT color temperature output to that of the light source falling onto a selected object. For example, you’re in the shade, that typically contains a lot of blue, shooting a human subject using the CB120B as a fill or catch light. The apps “Source Match” tool, that makes use of the mobile phone’s camera, can then be used to pick a spot on the subject, for example a skin tone, from which the user would like the CB120B’s Kelvin temperature to be matched. This assures that all light falling onto the subject is matched in color temperature. Then use a custom color balance setting in-camera to match the overall lighting to the sensor and correct for the blue. In simpler terms, the color picker allows for all controllable light sources falling on a subject to match the color temperature of an uncontrollable light source, thereby making a correction possible. It’s a powerful tool and one that can save considerable time in post-production.The app also provides settings to match the CB120Bs’ CCT output to industry standard color conversion filters (Lee over-light gel filters for example); CTO to convert Daylight (Dysprosium) to tungsten and CTB to convert tungsten to daylight, each adjustable to 1/8 strength, as are the available physical gel filters. The app also has a “Light Sources” tab that allows the user to select and match ten pre-set lighting situations, for example Modelling Lights, HMI6000 lights, Sunlight, etc. Another useful feature when the need to match the CB120Bs’ color temperature to other on-set industry lighting. These are professional features.Neewer continues to impress with both the quality of their products and with their commitment to the photo/video industry. The CB120B is a well-built, high-quality light whose features allow it to fit seamlessly into a set of almost any combination of lighting. The automatic cooling fan is ultra quiet, utilizing impressive cooling fins. The housing is light weight aluminum and includes an industry standard Bowens mount. The CB120Bs’ light stands adapter locks down firmly to support attached light modifiers and features a built-in umbrella mount, also accommodated by the included reflector. Adjusting the angle of an attached modifier is aided with the handle built-in to the light’s casing. Keep in mind that the CB120B is meant to be a studio light; it requires A/C current