Comparing the Godox VL Series, SL Series and UL Series

We here at PiXAPRO are pleased to be able to offer a range of different Godox LED lighting to our customers, but there are a few different types of lighting available to choose between. The most common options are the VL Series, SL Series and UL Series of LED Lighting. Here is a breakdown comparing each light currently available in each series.

VL Series

For the Godox VL Series, there are currently three different lighting units to choose between. Firstly, we have the Godox VL150 LED Light, followed by the Godox VL200 LED Light and finally the Godox VL300 LED Light.

Differences

As the name implies, the power output is different between each unit. The VL300 is the most powerful of the three units offering 300W power output, the VL200 is next with a power output of 200W and the VL150 is last on the list with 150W power output. With the difference in power output also comes a difference between the brightness of all three units. When measured at 1m, the VL150 offers the lowest brightness of 61,000 LUX, the VL200 follows with a brightness of 75,000 LUX and the VL300 is the brightest of the three lights with a brightness of 77,000 LUX.

To deal with the added power output and brightness, the weight of the units also differs. The VL300 is the heaviest of the three lights at 2.64KG, with the VL200 offering a weight of 2.23KG and finally the VL150 offering the lowest weight of 1.79KG. However, even with the added weight of the lights, they all do still offer the same dimensions.

Similarities

Each lighting unit offers a Daylight-Balanced lighting with a Colour temperature of 5600K due to the COB LED chip that is used rather than LED bulbs. Due to the use of a COB LED Chip, these lights also offer a Flicker-Free design, to allow you to shoot at a wide selection of framerates and shutter-angles.

The LED chips used are the latest in High-Intensity Integrated LED technology, making these lighting units suitable for a selection of different Videography fields such as professional broadcast use, cinematography, and video interviews. Each of the lights offers a High CRI (Colour-Rendering Index) rating of ≥96 and a TLCI (Television Lighting Consistency Index) of ≥95 to make sure the colours in your subject are captured professionally and clearly.

In order to keep the lighting units safe during extended periods of use, they each feature a built-in cooling fan that produces minimal noise across the entire power range to prevent disruptions during your recordings. In terms of controlling the lights, there are multiple options to choose from. On the controller box for each light, there is a control dial that allows you to adjust the brightness between 100% - 0%.

When away from the unit itself, there is a dedicated remote control for each unit as well as Bluetooth compatibility to work alongside the Godox smartphone app.

All three lighting units can be powered either using the included mains power cable or using a V-Mount battery (Sold Separately) with the built-in V-Mount battery plates for use on both studio and location shoots. The entire VL series lighting units come with Bowens S-Type mount as standard to allow these to be used with a selection of different light modifiers to offer ample light control.

SL Series

Similar to the VL Series, the SL series currently has three different lighting units to choose between. These are the Godox SL 150 II LED Light, Godox SL150 II Bi LED Light and Godox SL200 II LED Light.

Differences

The main difference between these three lights is that the SL 150 II and SL200 II are both Daylight Balanced lighting units and the SL 150 II Bi is a Bi-Colour lighting unit, offering an adjustable Colour Temperature between Daylight Balanced and Tungsten lighting. The power output of the lighting units is also different, with both the SL 150 II and SL 150 II Bi offering a maximum power of 150W and the SL 200 II being the most powerful at 200W power output. In terms of the overall brightness of these lighting units, when measured at 1m, the SL 150 II Bi offers the lowest brightness of 30,000 LUX due to having to share the power output across its adjustable colour temperature. The SL 150 II is the next brightest at 58,000 LUX and the SL 200 II is the brightest of the three SL series lights at 74,000 LUX. Finally, the dimensions and weight of each unit is different across the SL series. The SL 200 II is the largest with dimensions of 36.7cm x 20cm x 16cm and a weight of 3.33KG. Whilst the SL 150 II and SL 150 II Bi offer the same dimensions of 34cm x 20cm x 16cm, the SL 150 II Bi is slightly heavier at 3.07kg compared to 2.95KG of the SL 150 II.

Similarities

All three lighting units in the Godox SL Series offer a CRI (Colour Rendering Index) of 96 and TLCI (Television Lighting Consistency Index) of 97, to accurately reproduce the colours in your subject in your final videography and to allow these lights to be suitable for live production and filmmaking. Each lighting unit also comes with a selection of different lighting effects to choose between, such as storm or flashing, to create vast creative potential in your Photography and Videography. In terms of controlling each of the units, this can be done either using the dimmer dials on the back of the units directly, or by using a dedicated remote control (sold separately) to allow for quick and easy adjustments away from the unit itself. Finally, each of the SL series lighting units come with Bowens S-Type Mount as standard, which is one of the most common fittings on the market, to allow you to use a range of different lighting modifiers to better control and adjust the light.

UL Series

The Godox UL series has less options to choose between at the moment compared to the VL series and the SL series. The options for this particular series are the Godox UL-60 LED Light and Godox UL-150 LED Light.

Godox UL-60 Super Silent Fanless LED Video Light and Godox UL150 Super Silent LED Video Light

Again, as with the previously mentioned lighting series, the name indicates the power output of each lighting unit. The UL-60 has a maximum power output of 60W and the UL-150 has a much larger power output of 150W. This is further shown in the difference in brightness between each of the units as when measured at 1m, the UL-150 is much brighter at 58,000 LUX compared to the 31,000 LUX offered by the UL-60 light. The Godox UL-60 does offer a selection of features not available with the UL-150 unit, such as a selection of different lighting effects to choose between to add mood and drama to your cinematography. It also features Bluetooth connectivity to allow it to be controlled by the Godox smartphone app and supports DMX512 protocol to control a single or multiple units via a DMX control console.

Similarities

Both the UL-60 and UL-150 lighting units offer daylight balanced lighting from the Integrated COB LED chip. The LED chips help to create a flicker-free lighting to shoot at virtually any framerate or shutter-angle without the worry of light flicker appearing in your footage. Each unit features a CRI of 96 for accurate colour reproduction in your final recording and a TLCI of 97 to allow each of these lights to be suitable for professional broadcasts. In order to prevent any disruptions during your recording, both the UL-60 and UL-150 feature heat-dissipation systems that do not require a built-in fan, allowing these to be completely silent during use. Both the UL-60 and UL-150 units comes with a controller box separate from the main body of the lighting unit that allows you to adjust the brightness of the lighting units steplessly between 100% and 10%. Each unit can also be controlled using a remote control (sold separately) for quick adjustments when away from the lighting unit. In regard to the mounts, both the UL-60 and UL-150 share the same Bowens S-Type Mount, to allow these to be used with a selection of different light modifiers such as Softboxes and Diffusers.

Conclusion

The range of Godox LED lighting units available each feature unique designs and features that are suited for a wide range of different Videography and Photography fields. The Godox VL, SL and UL series offer a high-quality and professional lighting no matter what they are being used for.