Lighting manufacturer Nanlite is fresh off a string of releases that include the Forza 720B, 300B, and the 60C (first look here). The “C” in the name – Nanlite Forza 60C – stands for color, and the development of the C is exciting enough to warrant a full review of this nifty little 88W draw light. In the race for higher output fixtures, it’s easy to miss the need for smaller, more compact, and flexible lights that work as everything, from product to background to mobile Steadicam/gimbal or even as event coverage lights. Of course, for content creators in small spaces, the Forza 60C might also make for the perfect key light where you aren’t fighting the sun. Here’s my full review of the Nanlite Forza 60C.

First, let’s acknowledge we’re in the middle of a fascinating technology race towards high-output fixtures that are color capable. Currently, there’s an inherent output tradeoff between Bi-Color and Daylight, and then with Color and Daylight fixtures. In most cases, when compared watt to watt, the daylight-only fixtures will simply provide a higher output. With Bi-Color and Color lights, you’ll see a 20% or even 30% drop in output as a tradeoff for the added flexibility of bi-color or color.

This decrease in output is no surprise. There’s only a certain amount of space in a lamp head, and the mix required between different LED emitters to create a given color means that not all emitters can operate at 100%. Wonderfully saturated color is the result, but not the same output as emitters are devoted to doing one thing and doing it well – like outputting 5600K daylight.

Which brings me back to the Nanlite Forza 60C and a few questions – why do we need a light like this? Who is it for? And how far can we push that “C” in the Forza 60?

First impression

The Forza 60C is an RGBLAC fixture – meaning, beyond the common red, green, and blue LED emitters, Nanlite engineers have added lime, amber, and cyan chips into the lamp head to create a variety of colors. This is a similar mix of chips to the Prolycht brand of lights – though it definitely matters what each brand is doing on the software side to express those colors. Time will tell which mix technology will win the day in the market, but in my opinion, the Forza 60C mix of six color chips tends to make richer orange and brown colors.

Image Credit: Graham Sheldon/CineD

For my work, I look at the Forza 60C as a replacement or partner to my use of LED Dedolights on set. Both are good choices for highlighting small details, or as a hair light in a pinch. At $699 for the base package, the Forza 60C is certainly cheaper than the Dedolight DLED7 Turbo Bi-Color. At bi-color (not color), this Dedolight has a comparable wattage draw of 90W with a price tag of roughly $1600, depending on sales.

The Forza 60C ships with the following in the kit:

• 45-degree Reflector
• Lamp Head
• Small Soft Case
• AC Power Cable (10′)
• Bowens Mount Adapter
• Battery Grip (NP-F)

The primarily plastic-included Bowens adapter does work in a pinch for adapting to other Bowens accessories, but I would be very careful about what larger Bowens S-Type accessories you use with it. For instance, not everything is optimized for …….

Source: https://www.cined.com/nanlite-forza-60c-review-a-fantastic-rgblac-speciality-led-light/