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Nanlux’s Evoke hard-light lineup of LED lights now features a Daylight, Tungsten, Bi-Coloration, and Coloration model. It’s the Nanlux Evoke 900C colour model that we devoted a while to interrupt down at NAB 2023, and now, once more, we do it right here. This degree of protection is for a great cause – high-wattage onerous lights are nonetheless considerably of a novelty. Nonetheless, it seems like that is the place the cinema-focused lighting {industry} is headed after a number of years of speedy innovation on the smooth panel color-capable mild aspect. Time for a full assessment of the 940W RGBLAC Evoke 900C. HMI’s, in all their daylight-only glory, are nonetheless the output kings on location. Hefty fixtures (in expense, energy draw, and dimension) like ARRI’s M40 are nonetheless in play on mid to large-sized business and scripted units. Hopefully, the Evoke 900C from Nanlux helps proceed the regular march in direction of larger output color-capable LED onerous lights with the objective of sooner or later dethroning HMI fixtures. We’re not there but, however the path ahead is beginning to turn out to be a little bit clearer. Fingers crossed. Picture credit score: Graham Sheldon/CineDNow to the fixture itself – the Nanlux Evoke 900C. There are just a few opponents on this hard-light color-capable LED area, however the Evoke 900C sits alone in a number of classes of wattage and value, at the very least for now. Rivals embrace the next: ARRI Orbiter: 400W to 500W, large CCT Vary from 2000K – 20000K, on the pricier aspect from $6300 to over $10,000 relying on the equipment, restricted largely to ARRI-Solely equipment Aputure LS 600C: 2300K – 10000K CCT, max energy draw of 720W, reasonably priced – $2,490.00, industry-friendly Bowens S-Sort mount, enormous vary of 1st/third social gathering equipment Litepanels Gemini 1×1 Onerous: 46-degree beam angle, 2700K – 10000K CCT vary, reasonably priced – $2,517.00 VelvetLight Kosmos: 400W, 2500K – 1000K CCT vary, built-in fresnel (13-56-degree beam angle) mid-range pricing – $5,579.00 Prolycht Orion 675 FS: 675W, 1800K – 20000K CCT vary, contains smooth case w/30-degree and 55-degree reflector, Bowens S-Sort mount, enormous vary of 1st/third social gathering equipment, value: $3795.00 As you may see from the listing, the Evoke 900C, with its 940W energy draw and aggressive $4,660 price ticket for the journey equipment, make it considerably of a disruptive lighting product – at the very least till different manufacturers can observe go well with. Preliminary impression I obtained the Nanlux Evoke 900C in a semi-rigid wheeled smooth case that Nanlux calls a trolley case. Beforehand, the Daylight and Bi-Coloration Evoke fixtures have been obtainable in giant flight instances with or with out room for a fresnel accent. The trolley case is, by far, probably the most moveable of the obtainable Evoke case choices, and it’s my most popular one of many bunch because the Evoke 900C lamp head isn’t notably fragile, to start with. When you have a big grip truck or mid/large-sized rental enterprise, you’ll choose the flight case. Picture credit score: Graham Sheldon/CineDNanlux has included the next with the Evoke 900C journey equipment: Lamp HeadYokePower Provide (newly up to date for the Evoke 900C)45-degree Reflector USB Flash Drive for firmware updatesRemoteQuick Launch adapter DC Cable (24.6′)AC Energy Cable (19.6′)Picture credit score: Graham Sheldon/CineDVisually the lamp head doesn’t look a lot completely different than different Evoke lamp heads. The ability provide, nevertheless, is dramatically completely different from each the Daylight and Bi-Coloration variants of the Evoke. In truth, the ability provide design feels extra streamlined and akin to the design of the Nanlite Forza 720B energy provide. Nanlite is the extra prosumer-focused little cousin of the Nanlux pro-oriented model. You’ll be able to learn my assessment of the superb Nanlite Forza 720B right here. One of many foremost variations between Nanlite and Nanlux is that Nanlux introduces a variety of DMX choices of their options. Extra on that in a second. Picture credit score: Graham Sheldon/CineDAs with the opposite variations of the Evoke, Nanlux confines customers to a proprietary mount system on the 900C with their NL mount. That limits accent choices in comparison with Bowens S-type’s recognition throughout the lighting world. Fortunately third social gathering manufacturers like DoPChoice and Chimera are regularly including extra assist for the NL mount, and Nanlux themselves have launched an entire host of equipment that, whereas maybe not rugged sufficient to carry up in a high-volume rental atmosphere over time, are completely positive for a dutiful proprietor/operator or small G&E operation. Picture credit score: Graham Sheldon/CineDNanlux’s NL-mount equipment are additionally on the extra reasonably priced aspect normally, and that reduces any grumpiness on my half from being “pressured” into a brand new accent ecosystem. Throughout prior Evoke shoots, I’ve usually gravitated to their $390 Lantern and $442 Parabolic softbox, for instance.ControlLet me know within the feedback for those who really feel like Nanlux may increase their characteristic set in the case of management choices, however for me, it is a fairly darn full listing. Nanlux Evoke 900C customers can count on the next in the case of controlling the fixture: Bluetooth (Nanlink App), 2.4GHz Wi-fi Management Wi-fi Lumen RadioRemote Controller Artwork-Internet/sACN Protocol Assist 5-Pin DMX Enter Gaffers and lighting techs will respect the various wired and wi-fi DMX choices. Proprietor/ops seeking to make fast tweaks on smaller shoots will respect the Nanlink app over Bluetooth. Picture credit score: Graham Sheldon/CineDFor handbook management of the fixture, you’ll want to make use of the buttons and show on the rear of the lamp head. The one difficult half right here is that if the lamp head is excessive up within the air on a stand, you’ll be restricted to DMX or Bluetooth (see the obtainable iOS or Android app right here) choices to vary settings. For that reason, I often choose the controls to be on the ability provide with an extended head cable versus the lamp head, however it is a minor quibble on my half. Over time, Nanlux has launched useful firmware updates for the Evoke sequence and their different fixtures. Thankfully, gone are the times when it was a little bit robust to discover a suitable USB stick for these updates. Now, Nanlux has included the right lower-capacity kind of USB stick (formatted within the vital FAT32) in a small plastic bag with the equipment — hold onto that!Examine right here for future Evoke 900C firmware updates, and listed here are detailed directions on replace your Nanlite or Nanlux fixture. Who’s the Evoke 900C meant for? With its $4,660 price ticket, this can be a rental-only merchandise for you or a single fixture buy. For rental homes or G&E truck house owners, the Evoke 900C or perhaps a few Evoke 900Cs make a ton of sense as a “customary” merchandise in your stock. For this assessment, I used the Evoke 900C with varied different fixtures like the favored ARRI Skypanel and some 1×1 Gemini smooth lights from Litepanels. And it suits nicely into the general movement of the shoot. In brief, the evoke 900C performs nicely with others. Picture credit score: Graham Sheldon/CineDI need to say I loved the flexibility to plug in a favourite digital gel within the Evoke 900C and the velocity that comes with that. Auditioning completely different colours, results, and appears can also be clearly sooner than swapping out bodily gels. Bodily diffusion, both in a body or softbox/lantern, will all the time have a spot, however not altering out CTB or CTO, and so on., which undoubtedly saves time on location. The Evoke 900C additionally shows a base colour temp after which the kind of digital gel on the appropriate within the menu – this feels intuitive to me as a result of it mimics the motion of inserting a bodily gel on a lightweight with a dialed-in colour temp. Picture credit score: Graham Sheldon/CineDThere’s additionally one thing to be mentioned right here about onerous mild versus smooth on a inventive degree. For years I noticed a pattern in direction of increasingly smooth magnificence and trend lighting being blended into completely different genres primarily due to the prevalence of sentimental LED colour panels. The Evoke 900C, and different onerous lights for that matter, problem you to discover a place for onerous lighting in your work. In fact, it’s simpler to melt the standard of sunshine popping out of a tough mild versus creating onerous mild from a smooth supply. The purpose is to not be afraid of onerous lighting normally. One other favourite use case for the Evoke 900C was benefiting from the large 200-point vary of +/- inexperienced and magenta changes obtainable. After receiving the 900C for assessment, I virtually instantly needed to movie an exterior exterior a mall in San Diego, California. The flexibility to dial the 900C to match current client inexperienced shifted lights was an enormous time saver. With color-matched LED bulbs just like the Nanlite Pavotube 10C, we might have needed to change them out individually. Cell energy The Evoke 900C energy provide might be bypassed fully for those who’re utilizing a system just like the Penta 1200. Picture credit score: Graham Sheldon/CineDThe not insignificant 940W energy draw of the Evoke 900C brings it into the block battery and high-capacity area. That’s for those who aren’t fascinated by a gas-powered generator answer. GENTREE, based mostly out of South Korea, has an fascinating DC energy answer referred to as the Penta 1200 that may energy lights with as much as a 1344W draw. Nanlux was displaying off the Penta 1200 at NAB 2023, and it may be a strong answer for powering the Evoke 900C within the area One of many different advantages of the Penta 1200 is that it makes use of the identical head cable because the Evoke 900C, and thus you may energy the fixture with simply the Penta 1200 (subtracting the Nanlux energy provide) because the mind of the Evoke is within the lamp head itself. Sadly, we couldn’t get entry to this battery system for the assessment, however on paper, it seems to be prefer it has a chance. Output & Kelvin dealing with in CCT modeImage Credit score: Graham Sheldon/CineDI went forward and examined the output utilizing lux and colour dealing with (utilizing Kelvin) of the Nanlux 900C at a distance of three ft (0.91 meters) with my Sekonic C-700U Spectrometer. Listed here are my outcomes with a goal of 5600K with the equipment 45-degree reflector hooked up, and the fixture up to date to the most recent V1.04.06 firmware.A results of 5463K may be very near the 5600K goal and a great general end result. All through all my testing at 100% output, I landed at a CRI common of 98 when R1-R8 scores. 82500lx (a measure of general output) additionally reveals off how punchy the 900C might be by way of output. Now for a goal of 3200K:A results of 3232K is even a little bit nearer to the goal of 3200K. You do get a little bit of an output bump (86200lx) when headed in direction of utilizing the 900C, nearer to the Tungsten aspect of the vary. I additionally did a deeper dive into colour rendering with the Evoke 900C and I observed that the R12 Blue efficiency suffers a bit (68.7) when dimming the sunshine down to five%. You’ll be able to see these outcomes under with output set to five% at a 5600K goal: And, lastly for comparability, right here is the colour rendering chart with a goal of 5600K and output set to 100%: You’ll be able to see the hit to R12 accuracy when the fixture is dimmed to five% – not an enormous deal, however one thing that you simply’ll need to pay attention to when utilizing this fixture normally. R12 Blue is an space the place many LED fixtures wrestle to hit excessive marks. ConclusionFor the second, Nanlux’s Evoke 900C is definitely turning heads with its RGBACL colour blended with spectacular output and extra streamlined energy provide design. It could possibly’t compete but with the output of the daylight-only Evoke 1200 or 1200B (B=Bi-Coloration), and which means these fixtures will nonetheless have a spot in your units together with the 900C. I can’t assist however assume different corporations with names like ARRI, Aputure, and Prolycht will ultimately have their reply to the Evoke 900C, however for now, Nanlux is main the onerous LED mild pack, and their Evoke line retains getting higher and higher.Picture Credit score: Graham Sheldon/CineDWhat do you assume? Will you be including the Evoke 900C to your equipment? Tell us within the feedback under!
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