GODOX VL150 Review

Oh, true...the two locking knobs on the Genaray hold the Aputure Lantern up perfectly, but that's where my softbox experience begins and ends, lol.
 
The Godox sounds very good (especially considering the price). But the design of the PSU/Controller setup would be pretty irritating. That's one thing the v2 Aputures do extremely well, and for me would be reason enough to pay extra.
 
Grug said:
The Godox sounds very good (especially considering the price). But the design of the PSU/Controller setup would be pretty irritating. That's one thing the v2 Aputures do extremely well, and for me would be reason enough to pay extra.
Click to expand...

I have two of the LS-1S Lightstorms. So me and my various gaffers are already attuned to years of dealing with that cable mess. It's not that big of a deal, although setting them up takes a bit longer and it is just messier.
The Godox are a really good value. If we weren't in Quarantine times, I might have spent the extra for the 300D MKII but with work, so far this year, really slow, with just a few projects here and there, saving money
while still getting a light that is actually useful with a ton of output for $750.00 seemed like a wise move. Now I am debating getting a VL150 with a smaller parabolic softbox or another VL300 eventually. The 300
as a key and the VL150 as a fill source totally nail it. But for those occasions where I need maximum horsepower to compete with exteriors through windows, two 300s punched through a 6x6 or 8x8 would be useful.

But those type shoots have been few lately, perhaps twice all of last year. I shot a comic in a huge downtown loft with massive windows in LA last year for a Netflix documentary and it would have been nice to have had that.
Usually I can be on stage or in a conference room with shades so not that often. Mostly for interviews, the amount of narrative work is low for me lately.
 
puredrifting said:
I have two of the LS-1S Lightstorms. So me and my various gaffers are already attuned to years of dealing with that cable mess. It's not that big of a deal, although setting them up takes a bit longer and it is just messier.
The Godox are a really good value. If we weren't in Quarantine times, I might have spent the extra for the 300D MKII but with work, so far this year, really slow, with just a few projects here and there, saving money
while still getting a light that is actually useful with a ton of output for $750.00 seemed like a wise move. Now I am debating getting a VL150 with a smaller parabolic softbox or another VL300 eventually. The 300
as a key and the VL150 as a fill source totally nail it. But for those occasions where I need maximum horsepower to compete with exteriors through windows, two 300s punched through a 6x6 or 8x8 would be useful.

But those type shoots have been few lately, perhaps twice all of last year. I shot a comic in a huge downtown loft with massive windows in LA last year for a Netflix documentary and it would have been nice to have had that.
Usually I can be on stage or in a conference room with shades so not that often. Mostly for interviews, the amount of narrative work is low for me lately.
Click to expand...

Definitely not a time to be buying anything that isn't some kind of wireless doohickey (to allow to work to COVID protocols)!

The COB LEDs are definitely the best thing to happen to interview/documentary lighting in a LONG time. So much easier to work with than bloody spill-everywhere panels. The Aputure 300DII is a brilliant piece of kit, and the Forza 500 is really great too.

Definitely worth sticking to one brand for the sake of colour matching.

I've heard it through the grapevine that a Forza 800 is under development. Now THAT is something I find really exciting. Combined with the Leko optics, you'd have (effectively) a fully dimmable (without colour shift) 800w Joleko - which is a tremendously useful light.
 
Grug said:
Definitely not a time to be buying anything that isn't some kind of wireless doohickey (to allow to work to COVID protocols)!

The COB LEDs are definitely the best thing to happen to interview/documentary lighting in a LONG time. So much easier to work with than bloody spill-everywhere panels. The Aputure 300DII is a brilliant piece of kit, and the Forza 500 is really great too.

Definitely worth sticking to one brand for the sake of colour matching.

I've heard it through the grapevine that a Forza 800 is under development. Now THAT is something I find really exciting. Combined with the Leko optics, you'd have (effectively) a fully dimmable (without colour shift) 800w Joleko - which is a tremendously useful light.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm interested in seeing that forza 800 fixture if it comes to light. budum pshhh

I just received the aputure 26 degree spotlight to go with my 300d mk2. Looking forward to seeing what I can do with that, not just in terms of focusable light on BG's and such, but also as a concentrated source to bounce from angles that keep the fixture low to the ground, with just a modifier (bounce board, ceiling, etc) as the Key. Can be useful in some spaces.
 
Hmm... a Nanlite Forza 800? I was just about to pull the trigger on a 500 - an equivalent 1.2K HMI without the faffing around ticks a lot of boxes for me.
 
I was considering getting those Lantern Softbox that you peeps have mentioned but the cheaper Chinese brand type, but I am not convinced it would be any better than using an umbrella to provide the same effect? I am really trying to maximise using my light modifiers and minimise buying modifiers that are too close too each other in what light they produce.

Those multiple pieces setup of the Aputure and the VL series lights is so inconvenient. I think their new SL150WII and the SL200WII series is a good medium specially if you are not going to use the V-mount battery feature. The price of those V mount batteries are very expensive and those COB lights require a high amps battery.

I don't find the ballast/controller of any use, if these manufacturers could provide a full function remote and have the light as a one piece unit.
 
Last edited:
The lanterns have skirts and you can actually control the directionality and spill of the light pretty well. Umbrellas don't. The quality of light also with the lantern will be different than an umbrella. The only way you'll know for sure would be to have both and shoot side by side tests, for your scene/application.
I have a huge 6' umbrella, it's pretty cool for use when I would like to use a 6x6 frame but don't have the vehicle, time and crew to set up a 6x6. The downside of umbrellas are is they are difficult to control unless you have a pile a C-stands and cutters/solids. Lanterns can be cool to put at the end of a boom
pole for walk and talks, they are the best solution for table scenes where you have multiple talent. Umbrellas actually work their best in large rooms where you can physically separate your talent from walls and there is natural fall off from the ambient in the windows to the talent. Umbrellas in smaller rooms can
be a nightmare because you have zero directional control and spill everywhere.
 
Hi puredrifting,

I hear you on your points, but I still think the functionality and quality is too close for me. I could probably DIY a black skirt around a reflector to umbrella to replicate an overhead lantern light shot. I may invest in the future, but for now, I feel that I get better variety in my light modifiers arsenal, by investing in a cheap optical snoot than I would with a lantern softbox since I already have two softboxes and an umbrella. I just got a cheap optical snoot the other day and even with its quirks, its allowed me to expand my lighting options.
 
Last edited:
analogs said:
Hi puredrifting,

I hear you on your points, but I still think the functionality and quality is too close for me. I could probably DIY a black skirt around a reflector to umbrella to replicate an overhead lantern light shot. I may invest in the future, but for now, I feel that I get better variety in my light modifiers arsenal, by investing in a cheap optical snoot than I would with a lantern softbox since I already have two softboxes and an umbrella. I just got a cheap optical snoot the other day and even with its quirks, its allowed me to expand my lighting options.
Click to expand...

What's an "optical" snoot? Are there different types of snoots? I'm just familiar with this type?

Snoot.jpg
 
It has very bad blue color fringing because of the lens used and sharp focusing is challenging, but much cheaper than the EF lens version. Heavy and bulky, needs a good yoke on the bowens light used and it allows you to insert gobos.

612RI2QljfL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
 
analogs said:
It has very bad blue color fringing because of the lens used and sharp focusing is challenging, but much cheaper than the EF lens version. Heavy and bulky, needs a good yoke on the bowens light used and it allows you to insert gobos.

612RI2QljfL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
Click to expand...

Interesting. I've never seen one of these. Kind of a cross between a regular snoot and a Leko. Who makes this? So it's an optical snoot because it has a lens element?
 
Search Youtube for optical snoot or focalised snoot or ambitful 16 and there are some demos on what it can do. It has some drawbacks and hard to work with but they work similar to the Godox S30 or the Aputure spotlight which is expensive but at a cheaper price.

The optical snoot with the EF lens attachment provides better flexibility as you can use better quality lenses and different focal lengths with the EF mount, and reduce/prevent the chromatic aberration and get sharper projections.
 
Honestly just buy the lantern if you want one. It's like $70? An umbrella cost like $25, and trying to get a skirt for it and then make it stick properly, or get a backing for it that won't catch fire and that you can remove easily is going to take way more time and effort than spending the extra $45. Plus if you are actually using this on a set it's probably going to fall apart and take forever to set up and take down.

Some stuff is worth it, but most is not when you consider the time and effort you need to make something and design it properly.
4x4 frames etc totally worth DIY depending on the situation, but softboxes are totally not when there are so many options out there.

//

I ordered the OT1 Pro optical snoot last month and it's still nowhere to be seen. Only got it to make window / blind effects, hopefully it's decent.
I'm worried about the light loss. I tried using some gobos and they're a pain to set up, the whole light projection thing seems so much easier.

//

Forza 800... but how loud will the fans be...? (my favourite gripe).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top