How Loud are the Fans on LED COB Lights?

R

Rob Neidig

Member
I'm asking about lights here in the audio forum because I want to hear audio people's experiences with the fans in some of the lights on the market these days. Most of the reviews mention fan noise but I am not sure of the experience of the people doing the reviews. I would like to hear what people with good ears and audio experience on set think.

I'm contemplating getting a couple of the LED COB lights for use as background or hair lights. Since I do not work full time in the biz anymore, I am planning on getting something pretty cheap. I usually subscribe to the "buy once, cry once" philosophy and buy the best I can afford but these are mostly for personal projects so I am not looking to spend much. I have seen comparisons of the Godox SL60 and the GVM LS P80 as well as looked at the Genaray Torpedo BLT-60.

How loud are these? I can clean up a very low constant noise in the background for my own projects. I certainly could not rely on doing that for paid projects, though, especially the ones where you shoot and send them home with an SD card.

I appreciate your input, thanks!
 
I can’t speak personally to Godox, Genaray, or GVM, but I’ve been on set many times with both Aputure and Intellytech. Fans aren’t an issue. The manufacturers have kept them remarkably quiet, and I’ve yet to put any light-fan-related notes in my sound reports.
 
I juat spent a week lighting a reality series with the Aputure 300D MKIIs and an Aputure 300X. Did not hear or have one mention of the fans from our
sound mixer and I used the 300x in some small rooms where it was pretty near the mics.

I own five of the Godox VL150 and 300s and my experience with them is identical. They have two large fans and they are silent from a practical standpoint.
The only gear with loud fans nowdays use fans that are small and operate at high RPMs (think monitors and cameras). The fans in my C200 and the C300 MKIII
are audible and a PITA although usually not a problem except in really small rooms. Large fans move more air at lower RPMs and can be engineered to
be close to silent.
 
puredrifting said:
I own five of the Godox VL150 and 300s and my experience with them is identical. They have two large fans and they are silent from a practical standpoint.
Click to expand...

I have a Godox SL150, and apparently the VL150 is much quieter (argh)...

Fan Noise
For some videographers, fan noise may not be an issue. But those who shoot or broadcast live videos really want the fan noise to be as low as possible. Compared to Godox SL150W II, the VL150 is much quieter. Do note that there is an option in the SL150W II to turn the fan off to go completely silent, but that also decreases the maximum light output. If noise is an issue for you, definitely go with Godox VL150. It’s quite silent and the fan in this light only turns on after a significant amount of time.

Winner: Godox VL150 (Amazon) – Much quieter than SL150W II
Click to expand...
https://www.isolapse.com/godox-vl150-vs-sl150w-ii-which-one-is-better/

BTW, can you turn off the fan in the C300mk3, Dan?
 
Thanks, everybody, for the input. I will check out these options to be sure I get something that won't compromise the audio. It's funny, when I got out of full time work about 5 years ago, Aputure was the new low cost - no, let's make that "cheap" - alternative to the ARRIs, LTM Peppers and even Lowels of the world. Now they are the "expensive" lights! I'm tempted to just pick up a Lowel Pro Light or Arri 150 to use as my go-to hair light. Just that one light wouldn't heat up the set too much and I like the light from them. I also have a smaller LED panel that I can use as a hair/separation light. Then maybe I'll start with just one better quality light for backgrounds/kicker.
 
ahalpert said:
BTW, can you turn off the fan in the C300mk3, Dan?
Click to expand...

Same as the C200, on or auto only so not really, unless the camera is very cold and it's on auto. I find in hot So Cal (It is 90F here today, on the last day of March!?!),
the fan runs almost all of the time.
 
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