What is the CL100 Series?
The CL100 Series is the first portable studio light of COLBOR. It consists of two versions. One is the CL100 - the “CL” stands for “COB light” which is the categorized name and the “100” for “100 watt” output power - it is a bi-color LED COB light. The other is the CL100-M, of which the extra “M” is for “mono”, claiming that it’s mono colored.
|
Item |
CL100 |
CL100-M |
|
Color Rendering Index |
≥ 97 |
≥ 97 |
|
Color Temperature Range |
2700-6500K |
5600K |
|
Beam Angle |
≈∠ 120° (With Standard Cover 55° ) |
≈∠ 120° (With Standard Cover 55° ) |
|
Illumination |
2998Lux (at 3.28ft / 1m 6500K, None Cover); 10123Lux (at 3.28ft /1m 6500K, With Standard Cover) |
4130Lux (at 3.28ft / 1m 5600K, None Reflector); 14546Lux (at 3.28ft /1m 5600K, With Standard Reflector) |
|
Power |
100W (Constant Power) |
100W (Constant Power) |
|
Working Voltage |
DC 15-24V 6.32A |
DC 15-24V 6.32A |
|
Connector |
GX16 3-Pin Connector |
GX16 3-Pin Connector |
|
Body Material |
ABS |
ABS |
|
Dimension(mm) |
202*116*117 (Light Base Not Included) |
202*116*117 (Light Base Not Included) |
|
Weight |
1.1kg/39oz |
1.1kg/39oz |
The CL100 (USD199) and the CL100-M (USD169) are identical in every way apart from the color temperature. In particular, the CL100 has multiple color temperatures, switchable from 2700K(Kelvin) to 6500K(Kelvin), while the CL100-M has the daylight-balanced standard 5600K(Kelvin) color temp. The bi-color choice is better when you are shooting in a different location OR you want to match the light output with the surrounding condition OR you want to create a different kind of mode. However, it is always a little dimmer compared to a daylight balanced counterpart - that is, you will then get more output from a daylight-only fixture than a bi-color one.
We claim that the series is a line of “portable” studio light because it is tiny-sized and is developed with a portable power solution, in addition to the key features combined to get excellent lighting results. In this article, we try to clearly show you the keys that build this product series and we invite two YouTubers to publish their product review videos at our site so that you could see each setup, use, and effect directly.
COB Technology
Many LED lights on the market are using COB technology. COB stands for “Chip on Board” and is a relatively new and advanced LED technology where multiple LED chips are packaged in higher density. The advantages of COB LEDs mainly include:
- Compactness due to higher density packing and smaller size of chip
- Higher intensity and great uniformity of light
All this results in a greatly increased lumen output.
Construction
The housing of the COLBOR CL100 utilizes a plastic construction. Though it looks a little plasticky, it is compact, tiny, and lightweight with a weight of just 1.1kg/39oz, great for taking outside and perfect for outdoor shooting.
Fan
The CL100 or CL100-M has a large fan in the unit as the high output COB LED chip tends to produce quite a lot of heat. Along with the fan the fixture uses an intelligent temperature control system. The fan rotation will vary based on its measurement of the corresponding ambient temperature. It is the Smart/Quiet mode that takes control of fan rotation speed. Under the Smart mode, the fan would automatically adjust the speed according to the power output and also the temperature of the studio light; under the Quiet mode, the cooling fan would run at a constant speed instead of changing up and down. Despite the size of the fan, it is barely audible and you may be unable to hear it even in the quietest environment.
The “Best light for video (COLBOR CL100) cheap budget lighting” product video provided by Camera Conspiracies focuses more on showing you the lighting results with this simple (use) and cheap (price). See what makes him finally draw the conclusion saying that the COLBOR CL100 is the “super cheap continuous video light, very compact and lightweight, very quiet”.
Power solution
There are two options to power the video light series. The first one is to use the AC power. The light comes with a power brick, a standard stuff for you plug into the light and then the other side to the AC power source. The GX16 3-pin connector, made of metal instead of rubber or plastic and originally used in the aviation industry, is very solid and requires a rotation of the cap to tighten it up onto the light so it does provide a secure connection between the power source and the light.
COLBOR has also created an optional VBS battery plate for you to power the portable studio light using a single V-mount battery which is great for people who is filming outdoor when you don’t have access to AC power.
Remote control
The LED studio light itself does have physical controls down at the back of light where there is a clear LED display and four buttons for different control, including the On/Off, Mode, Group, and Fan functions. In addition, it utilizes a remote controller which is separated from the body of the light to allow you to make all of your changes at the ground level instead of having to reach up high when the fixture is on a light stand to try and make changes. By having the light head and the controller separately it also allows you to use more compact light stands that don’t take up as much space. Hence, it a really an excellent time- and space-saver!
Please kindly note that COLBOR is now developing a smartphone app to enable software-based remote control. Once we finish and publish the app, we will no longer bundle the remote as part of the standard accessories but you can still buy this remote if it is a need for you.
Lighting modes
Both the bi-color and daylight light provide seven lighting modes, namely “Flash”, “Faulty Bulb”, “Welding”, “Lightning”, “Pulsing”, “Explosion”, and “SOS” to develop 30+ different scenes.
The product review offered by Richard Wong pays more attention to the use of the portable studio light. The whole process goes on in a studio-level environment and each step seems to be more professional. See why he said “If you are interested in buying this light, it’s better to buy now rather than wait till later”.
If you would like to know more about studio light, you could see Why choose LED studio light?