Neewer HB80C 80W RGB and bi-color LED review

Although Neewer has been around since 2011 I didn’t get my reviewer’s eager hands on a Neewer product until early 2024 - and that was a cage for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Since then I’ve tested and reviewed other Neewer cages such as one for the iPhone 16 Pro. As you’ll see from those reviews I was impressed with the quality and design of those Neewer products.

As well as smartphone cages Neewer makes a wide collection of LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights, from the super powerful (and super heavy) Neewer AS600B 600W to the less powerful but more colorful Neewer CB200C COB RGB LED.

Both of those LED lights are designed primarily for cable-powered studio work (though you can power the AS600B 600W via 2 chunky 26V V-mount batteries). The subject of this review - the Newer HB80C 80W LED - has a much ‘weaker’ power output of 80W compared with the 600W and 200W of the other two Neewer lights that I mentioned. However, it is also lighter than those LEDs and is designed to run from its chargeable (via USB-C port) internal battery for portable deployment.

The HB80C’s lighter weight and rechargeable battery suit my favored working method of shooting subjects on location rather than being tethered by a power cable in the confines of a studio. I find that shooting on location is more stimulating with a much wider range of backdrops to work with than I’d find in a studio. Though if you check out this review’s supporting video you’ll see that I tested the HB80C in a studio because I needed to light the LED to get some good product shots.

Neewer HB80C: Specifications

Neewer HB80C: Price

$199/£229.99 is a reasonable price for the Neewer HB80C 80W LED. It’s comparable in price to the similarly specced Zhiyun Molus X60 RGB. Like the HB80C this is an LED with the ability to produce thousands of creative colors and add animated effects, though the Zhiyun can perform for longer thanks to a supplied battery grip. However at 60W the Zhiyun Molus X60B isn’t as powerful as the Neewer HB80C’s 80W output, so for the same price you might as well go for the latter LED.

Neewer HB80C: Design & Handling

Immediately prior to reviewing the Neewer HB80C 80W, I tested the Neewer AS600B 600W LED. The latter was so heavy (18 kg with accessories) that it needed its own wheeled carry case with an extendable handle to transport it to my studio. I was therefore delighted (and relieved) to see that the Neewer HB80C 80W was much more compact and portable. Weighing in at 5.6lb/0.45kg in its branded Neewer fabric carry case, I could carry it easily in one hand. After unzipping the grey case via its light blue zip (the same branding color that matches the zip on the AS600B 600W’s larger carry case), I was able to access the case’s contents. These included the LED HB80C light, an adjustable grip handle to attach the LED to a light stand, a light stand adapter - basically a mini tripod - and a Bowens Mount Reflector. All of these components fitted snugly and safely into shaped foam inserts inside the case.

So let’s continue our unboxing by looking at the HB80C LED itself. The body of the light consists of a smooth silver metal alloy that has curved rather than sharp edges. These bevels make it more comfortable to hold in one hand, and it feels satisfyingly heavy (2.4lb/1.09kg) - implying a well-constructed quality build. On the front of its compact silver body is a black plastic disc housing the LEDs. At the base of the disc is a Bowens Mount which enables you to attach the supplied reflector (plus any third-party accessories such as lanterns). The reflector is constructed of black metal on its exterior to dissipate heat and has a silver interior to boost (and focus) the intensity of the light produced by the lamp’s LEDs.

On the rear of the light, you’ll find an ergonomically designed collection of controls. Four plastic buttons enable you to adjust Menu and Mode properties. A plastic ridged cylindrical dial enables you to adjust attributes such as color hue or color temperature. The dial also functions as an extra button. A small circular OLED display enables you to see the values of the various properties that you’re adjusting (such as Hue, Intensity, or a video effect). The layout of the controls and the design of the OLED’s interface is similar to the layout on other Neewer LEDs such as the CB200C COB RGB, so if you’re familiar with Neewer lights you’ll be up and running with the HB80C in no time!

A supplied compact metal tripod can be attached to the base of the HB80C so that you can use it hands-free, though this stand lacks the ability to tilt the light. You can collapse the mini tripod’s legs to create a handle that enables you to carry the LED in one hand and point it at a subject on location (while shooting with the camera/smartphone in your other hand). A useful grip adapter enables you to mount the HB80C on a lighting stand and adjust its angle, so you can use it hands-free and light your subject from an angle. Unlike the super heavy AS600B, the lighter HB80C doesn’t wobble alarmingly while mounted on a typical light stand.

Neewer HB80C: Performance

To test the HB80C, I took it to a TV studio and initially mounted it on its supplied mini metal tripod so I could demonstrate the various features of the light for my supporting video. I shot the video demonstration using an iPhone 16 Pro for the main wide shot of me and the LED, while an iPhone 16 Plus mounted on a RØDE Phone Cage captured a closer cutaway view of the LED’s rear control panel. I recorded the audio for the video using a RØDE Wireless Go 3 (which I was also testing for review).

As I’d already charged the HB80C’s internal battery via its USB-C port, I was able to power it up using the switch on the side. I could then tap the Mode button on the rear panel and use the tactile ridged control dial to alter properties such as color temperature. As a bi-color LED, the HB80C can emit an impressively wide range of colors in degrees Kelvin between 2500K - 7500K. This enables you to evoke (or complement) warm colors such as candlelight (2500K) through to colder daylight color temperatures. This color temperature range is wider than typical lights such as the similarly specced but much more expensive Zhiyun Molus B500, which can only stretch between 2700K - 6500K.

I used the control dial/button to dial in different color temperatures (or swipe more quickly between color temperatures by using presets such as Daylight, Tungsten, etc.). These settings were easy to view and control via the menu screens that appeared in the circular OLED display at the rear of the LED. You can also control the Neewer HB80C LED via an app. I didn’t do that on this test, but you can see a Neewer LED and app in action in my review of the Neewer AS600B.

One thing I love about the HB80C is its ability (as an RGB COB LED) to produce a wider range of colors than those in the Kelvin scale. This enables you to change the mood of the shot/video with a ghoulish green for Halloween or add a cool wash of moonlight by manually dialing in Hue, Saturation, and Intensity values using the Mode button and the cylindrical control dial/button. For faster color control, you can summon a spectrum of industry-recognized Lee color gel filters from a circular color chart. This offers a far faster way to change the light’s output than the traditional method of clamping sheets of color gel on a lamp’s barn doors.

This ability to change color also benefits the 18 video fx. You can summon a squad car which will flash blue and red, or cycle through a Hue Loop effect to bathe your subject in a cycling spectrum of colours. You can even get the light to flash to a beat using the Music Sync preset. When testing the LED we didn’t hear any fan noise, and if the fan does activate, it will shorten the LED’s runtime on a shoot. However, you can set the fan mode to Mute, which should give you an hour and a half of operation before you need to recharge the built-in battery.

Neewer HB80C: Verdict

I really like the HB80C and will miss it when it goes back to Neewer. I like its portability thanks to the built-in battery, which frees you from needing to attach it to the mains via a cable. If you’re a video maker, then you’ll enjoy using the HB80C’s wide collection of animated video effects (such as Explosion, TV, and Music Sync) to creatively enhance your footage. Indeed, the 18 effects will act as a springboard to your creativity.

Portrait photographers will appreciate being able to complement available light sources with accurate color temperature settings in specific degrees Kelvin or add washes of creative colors to change the atmosphere and mood of their portraits. If I were able to keep the HB80C for longer, I’d enjoy taking it to a location-based model shoot as it’s light enough to hold in one hand when you fold the mini tripod’s legs together into a handle.

I could also expand the tripod’s legs and free-stand the light on the top of the wall. Its output of 80W may not be as high as some other LEDs, but that’s more than enough power to light a video’s ‘talking head’ or a posing model, especially when the supplied reflector is attached via the light’s Bowens mount. All in all, it’s a solidly built LED that’s packed full of functions and offers good value for money.

Alternatives

Zhiyun Molus X60 RGB

The Molus X60 RGB is capable of producing light sources of specific color temperatures and it can also produce thousands of colors for creative work. Its battery pack enables it to shoot for longer than the HB80C, but at 60W it can’t outshine the Neewer LED’s 80W. Read the full review...

SmallRig RC 60B COB LED

If you don’t need the creative colors of an RGB light but want a highly portable handheld Bi-colour LED then this will do the job. Though at 60W it’s not as bright as the 80W HB80C. Read the full review...

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