Nanlite Compac 68B Test: this LED panel has enough power to illuminate your video studio well

I’ve been producing videos for some time now. I made videos about tech, news videos, and all kinds of films whose contents were focused precisely on video.

One of the most important lessons I have learned is that lighting plays an essential role in any video production. Lighting that is too dim, too strong, or the wrong color can defeat your goal of creating quality content.

For this, I tried many types of lighting and I finally found that LED technology was my friend! One of the lighting solutions that I use and that really stands out for my personal video production needs is the Nanlite Compac 68B.

A lot of light, but very little heat and noise

This brilliant LED panel provides professional-level studio lighting, diffuse, with accurate colors and requiring very little installation. Attach the light to a bracket, plug it in, turn it on, make a quick adjustment of the color temperature (from warm to cold, more precisely between 3200°K and 5600°K) and you are ready to shoot.

The Nanlite Compac 68B emits a lot of light for its price, but very little heat and noise. In fact, I suspended my Compac 68B from the very low ceiling of my movie studio (which is actually located in part of my basement) about 1 m from my microphone and the sound produced by the light panel 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.

Technical specifications of the Nanlite Compac 68B light panel

If you are looking to get a correct video lighting, here are the characteristics of this Nanlite Compac 68B.

IRC (visual color conformity quality) : 95

TLCI (color conformity quality adapted to 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 : 35 cm

Width : 8.9 cm

Weight : 2 kg

Guarantee : limited for 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 by using other accent lamps, even in a very dark basement.

Most of my videos are shot with the Nanlite at an intensity of about 33%. If necessary, I could push it all the way, but it would be so bright that it would eventually knock me out.

A sturdy foot is necessary

The Nanlite Compac 68B includes a mounting bracket that can be used with most feet and tilt for better positioning of the lighting. However, it must be borne in mind that the weight and height of the Compac 68B require a fairly solid foot.

I saw the lamp fall during a shooting… Since then, the lamp has been attached to a hanger suspended from the ceiling of my cellar. Or, when used in the field, it rests on a sturdy foot.

The mounting bracket of the Nanlite Compac 68B is compatible with the standard system and offers a pivot of almost 180 degrees. Picture: Jack Wallen/ZDNET.

Think again if you think that this light is too expensive for your video blog. Although the price is a little higher than that of a Neewer light panel, for example, its increased power is worth the price.

Two less lamps to use, and a lot more light

I tried to illuminate videos with smaller LED panels. In general, it takes about four smaller LED panels to compensate for the efficiency of a single Nanlite Compac 68B LED lighting system.

A concrete example: whereas I used to work with four Neewer panels for the main lighting and the accent lighting and two LED tubes for the background lighting, I now only use the Nanlite Compac 68B, a smaller Nanlite 24B for the accent lighting and two LED tubes for the background lighting.

So I have two less lamps to use and I get a lot more light.

Need a diet no matter what

However, the use of the Nanlite 68B has two disadvantages. The first is that it does not use a battery. This means that you will always need an electrical outlet for this lamp.

The second is that it is not possible to use the Compac 68B without a diffuser. It’s not a big deal, because it’s rare that you want to use a harder light for a video production. If this were the case, you could always opt for the Neewer option (which has removable filters).

I have nothing but praise to say about this Nanlite Compac 68B lamp. If you are starting to produce video content, or if you are just looking to significantly improve your current lighting, do not hesitate when it comes to lighting and you will find that the results are much better than you expected.

Source: ZDNet.com