Why are photographers obsessed with TL, LC500/500R tube light ?

Light painting becomes a rapidly growing art form. Using tube light as a unique, powerful light source, your images will incredible creative.

This Godox LC500 review is actually based on the Pixapro Viso500. In reality, Pixapro is a brand of Essential Photo, a UK distributor who rebrands Godox gear as their own. It’s basically the same thing inside with all technical specifications being the same. One advantage if you like it in the UK is that Essential Photo offers a 2-year UK-based warranty. Unlike if you get the original Godox branded contract from Amazon where you only get 1 year from a vendor who is likely based in China. 

Colour Temperature 

Both units are produced by Godox and seem to be internally identical. As a result, both TL will provide the same colour temperature range, 2700K to 6500K. With this functionality, you may freely switch from warm light to daylight. The Godox TL tube light offers you a range of possibilities in contrast to the other lights. If you select the lower (2700K) colour temperature option, the colour will appear much "warmer." Having cooler colours like blue and white that are customizable up to higher colour temperatures at 6500K is another option. You may produce better lighting colours to improve the atmosphere for any setting with the extensive 36.000 colour selections available. Your TL tube lights can use it to produce bi-colour, which also avoids the formation of unwelcome mixed illumination. 

LC500R RGB LED Light and TL60 Bi-Colour RGB Tube Light

Each lighting unit of the TL series has a -10°C to 40°C operating temperature range, a power range of 0% to 100% and an RGB Color Gamut of 0 to 360°. Excellent colour rendition capabilities are provided by each lighting unit. You may be sure that colour will faithfully replicate in your photographs if the Color Rendition Index (CRI) is 96. Additionally, both units have a Television Lighting Consistency Index (TLCI) of 98 to ensure that the colour capture is accurate. The TL series is suitable for broadcast and television applications because of its feature. In more detail, the TL60 designs with multiple colour modes, CRI 96 and TLCI 98.

In other views, the Godox LC500R has a lightsaber-like appearance and is great for holding. It has all the qualities of its predecessor, the LC500R an additional RGB mode and FX lighting effects to allow you even more creative freedom. The light spread shapes and directs by its two-way barndoor. It accurately reproduces nature and brilliant colours with a CRI rating of 96 and a TLCI rating of 98. It can adjust the colour temperature between 2500K and 5500K which offers a narrow range than the TL series. However, you can use this to match the colour temperature of the ambient illumination. 

Similar to the TL series, the LC500R tube light also has great colour rendition capabilities. You may be confident that the colours in your photos will be faithfully reproduced with a CRI of 96. The LC500R light wand is appropriate for television production and broadcast use because of its high TLCI of 98. You can perfectly duplicate particular colours in the gel filter spectrum.

Related blog: Want To Have More Appealing Tube Light ? - Godox TL series.

Besides, the Godox LC500 has 5600K daylight-balanced LEDs on one side and another 3300K tungsten-balanced LEDs on the other side. You feel free to activate one side or the other separately. It is impressive to generate 1740 lumens with a higher CRI of 97. 

Lighting Effects 

All four tube lights produce 39 lighting effects. It enables you to swiftly mimic a wide range of lighting scenarios, such as TV sets, fireworks, fire, candlelight, and more.  For example, the TL60 has built-in lighting presets for various scenarios, and the lights may even change colour to the beat of your music. 

The LC500R has 14 built-in lighting effects which have numerous versions, giving you a total of 39 possible lighting effects. You can save time and money in post-production by using this function. The Bowens S-Type mount is a basic feature of the TL series, which produces by Godox and uses a variety of various light modifiers.

One of the lighting features of the LC500R tube light is its Music Mode to respond to the beat of any music being played nearby. It reacts to the music by adjusting the brightness and colours in time with the beat. It makes perfect for music videos or for recreating a nightclub-like environment, which is perfect for filmmakers. The LC500R uses in a wide range of varied settings, including product photography, film, cinematography, etc.

Related blog: Creative photography lighting Godox TL series vs PavoTube series.

Control Option 

They each have a built-in multiple control technique used directly from the control panel to quickly and easily change. The 2.4GHz wireless remote control uses via a smartphone app and Bluetooth. It is perfect for modifying your lighting without having to physically change the unit. Because of its range of about 30m. Moreover, for larger video productions and broadcasts, both TL lightings allow you to control multiple units by DMX controller. The RC-R9 optional remote or the LED Tube itself can be used to control the TL120. 

The RC-A6 2.4GHz Remote Control, like the TL Series, can be used with the LC500R to operate up to six groups of lights in up to 32 channels. This implies that you can mount the lamp on a stand and operate it remotely whenever you've had enough of playing Luke Skywalker. Moreover, it allows for full control of the light’s HSI, CCT and FX functions.

Additionally, hand-holding with the optional GODOX Grid allows for lighting creativity, control, and flexibility more than larger systems.

Power Output 

The primary factor contributing to the differences between these lights is the various power outputs. Each tube light's innovation enhanced the power output. The TL180 tube light, the most powerful of the four units, has a power output of 55W. The TL120, the next most potent device, has a power output of 30W. The T30, nevertheless, comes in lowest on this list and uses only 8W. The T60 uses 18W of power, which is a little more than the T30. Similar to the T60, the LC500 produced 18W of power output. While the LC500R is improved with 23W with its predecessor LC500. 

Battery 

Each lighting unit has a unique battery built inside it, which contributes to their differences. The 3.6V/2900mAh lithium battery within the TL30 has a runtime of around an hour at maximum power. The TL60 tube light, on the other hand, is perfect for longer sessions because it features a built-in 14.4V/2600mAh Lithium battery with a runtime of roughly 2 hours at maximum power. Additionally, the TL60 comes with a mains power adaptor that enables continuous plugged-in use. Using a new lithium battery with a 14.4V/2600mAh capacity and a runtime of about 160 minutes, but using the same mains power adaptor. It is pretty similar to the TL120 in that it has a 14.4V/5200mAh/74.88Wh internal battery and has a runtime of about 150 minutes. It has an internal lithium-ion battery that powers the TL30 for 60 minutes at full power and charges through USB-C. 

Additionally, the LC500R includes a mains power adaptor to plug in and use continuously. The built-in 14.4V/2600mAh lithium battery in the LC500R has a runtime of about 90 minutes at full power, making it ideal for lengthy shots. The internal battery does have a good amount of life. When you use the light for portraits, details, and sporadic fill light, the battery should last two hours between charges. Since you won't typically use it for more than two hours straight, you don't need to carry a charger. In order to increase the user’s experience, the LC500 is released with the highest run time by advancing its battery by up to 2.5 hours. It seems quite similar to the TL120 when compared. 

Brightness 

The difference in power output relates to the change in brightness produced, just like with the lighting series we previously described. It is unexpected that the TL120 offers the lowest brightness of these lighting units, with 678 Lux, when compared at a distance of 1 meter. The TL30 at 740 Lux is, of course, the brightest light. Although, when tested at 1m, the TL60 generated the highest brightness of these lighting units at 1500 Lux. The Godox claims that the LC500R has a 1200 Lux light output at 1m. The LC500R is an RGB LED light wand, so you can choose from 360 hues and adjust the colour of the light to just about any shade you can imagine to help create the ambience you want for your movie or photo. 

Accessories 

If a higher lighting output requires beyond the individual LED Tube, users can conjure an appropriate level of stand based on the number of TL120 they own. The GODOX TLB2 Light Bracket for two TL120 Lights, the TLB4 for four units, and the enormous TLB8 for eight TL120 LED Tubes are just a few examples. It's also important to note that if you have any TL60s, both of these stands use the TL120. The additional accessories that are compatible with the TL30 Tube Light increase its versatility for a range of shooting techniques. For instance, you can utilize several TL30s simultaneously combined with the Godox 2-Light or 8-Light adapter. With the Godox Waterproof Case, you may even submerge it in the water. The 2-Light and 4-Light Kits for the TL30 also include the extra accessories.

Sum up 

The Godox TL tube light series is an excellent tool that lets you express your ideas for numerous photography applications. While the specifications of each lighting unit are quite similar, the differences are in size, shape, and general brightness. It comes highly recommended to anyone looking for excellent tube lights because it offers a wonderful value for the money.  While Godox LC500 is a significant step up in terms of quality. It is also a great choice by using the LC500R for lighting setup for professional productions like cinematic interviews, commercials and documentary filmmaking. In the end, both amateur and professional filmmakers and photographers should have the Godox TL series, LC500 and LC500R in their toolkits.

EssentialPhoto and PiXAPRO are pleased to be a direct partners of Godox in the United Kingdom, with the largest collection of Godox stock available in the UK. So you can be confident with the support and assistance we provide. As we are representing Godox at The Photography Show 2022, this further shows our partnership and commitment to the Godox Brand, and we are always looking to expand this further.