Neewer CB200C COB RGB LED video light review

Neewer produces a wide range of photographic and video production accessories, from Teleprompters such as the X14 III to phone cages such as the NEEWER 15 Pro Max Phone Cage. They also produce a range of continuous (always on rather than emitting a burst of flash) video lights such as the CB200C COB RGB LED.

I’ve reviewed many LED lights for Digital Camera World and there is a wide range to consider, from the powerful but portable SmallRig RC 60B COB LED to the Nanlite Forza 60C spotlight. I’ve also tested and reviewed LEDS from Zhiyun and Godox too, but as this is the first Neewer studio LED light that I’ve tested I was keen to see how it compared with the other brands. Oh, if you’re interested in the best photography and video lighting kit round-up, check out our buying guide.

Neewer CB200C COB RGB LED video light: Specifications

Neewer CB200C COB RGB LED video light: Price

It’s interesting to see that the US price is much lower than the UK price. For its features the Neewer CB200C’s reasonably priced, especially as its 23000 Lux output is much stronger than many other LEDS in the same price range.

Neewer CB200C COB RGB LED video light: Design & Handling

As soon as you lift the Neewer CB200C out of its case you can tell that it’s a sturdily built bit of kit, with a solid metal premium alloy shell and a heavy supporting bracket. The bracket enables you to angle the light body through 360º (as long as there’s not an accessory attached to the front), so it can illuminate a subject from any angle.

The light weighs over 6 pounds so you can instantly tell that it's designed to be supported on a studio light stand rather than be carted around handheld on location. Unlike some LEDs such as the Hobolite Avant Max, the Neewer CB200C isn’t battery-powered so it needs to be physically plugged into the mains via a cable. This cements its role as a studio rather than a location light.

The Neewer CB200C has a classic cylindrical design with a Bowens mount on the front to which you can attach your existing lighting accessories such as reflectors or lanterns. You can also mount reflective umbrellas and soft boxes on there too to modify the light produced by the LED.

On the rear of the light is a distinctive circular screen that beautifully complements the cylindrical design of the light’s body. This large full-colour screen displays a wide range of settings, enabling you to rotate the rear panel’s dial to select a color from a spectrum or dial in a specific animated bide effect such as Explosion. Being able to use a physical dial to adjust a range of properties is a welcome feature and it's more tactile than swiping a smartphone’s touch screen (when using the Neewer remote control app).

There is also a collection of buttons that enable you to change lighting modes or toggle through the fan modes that keep the LED cool. The fan is designed to be ultra silent and this proved to be the case on our shoot. I could hear the fan a little when I experimented by turning it to High-Speed mode, but the sound would be negligible if filming a subject from a few feet away. I left the fan on Auto Mode and didn’t hear it for the rest of the test.

Neewer CB200C COB RGB LED video light: Performance

I’ve used studio and location lights for decades and modern COB LEDS like the Neewer CB200C are amazingly fast and convenient to work with. With a traditional studio lamp I was limited to using one fixed colour temperature bulb. If I wanted to produce a specific colour temperature such as an average daylight 5600K I needed to peg a blue gel to the lamps’s barn doors. Other gels would be required for more creative colours such as a ghoulish green for Halloween shoot. If I wanted to re-position an old bulb lamp (even by a couple of meters) I’d have to turn it off as the bulb or it could blow in transit and shower the subject with molten glass. I do not miss the old days!

The Neewer CB200C is a COB (Chip On Board) light, so it's capable of producing a wide range of color hues in seconds that can dramatically change the look of your subject (without needing to clip gels to barn doors!). It mimics a wide range of physical industry-standard lighting gels and uses the same gel labeling system. For example you you can summon the results of a LEE 243 Fluorescent 3600K gel in a tap (rather than having to buy and attach a physical sheet of that gel specification to a traditional studio light.)

It’s also a bi-color light so it can emit color temperatures in degrees Kelvin, from a warm candlelight 2500K to a cooler daylight 7500K. This enables the light to accurately complement a wide range of available light sources in seconds. I was able to change the color temperature or dial in different gels with ease using the dial and panel on the rear of the LED, but it was even easier to control the light’s output from the Neewer app (as you can see from this review’s supporting video).

As well as a range of color cures and temperatures the Neewer CB200C can emit a series of 17 animated lighting effects, from the flicker of a Defective Bulb to the flashing lights of a Cop Car. This makes the light a useful resource for filmmakers who need to add some dramatic effects to their footage.

I was also supplied with a Neewer Lantern Softbox for my test and this clipped quickly and easily onto the Bowens mount of the CB200C. It produced a softer wash of light with softer and more flattering shadows, so it would be a useful accessory for portrait photographers.

Neewer CB200C COB RGB LED video light: Verdict

The Neewer CB200C LED is a very powerful studio light. If you need something light and portable then look elsewhere, but for a super strong studio-based 23000 Lux light source then this is good value for money. It will also save you money since you don’t need to purchase dozens of physical lighting gels to clip onto it. You can summon dozens of different industry standard gels in a few taps of the app (or twiddles and clicks via the dial on the rear of the light’s body.) If you own accessories such as soft boxes and lanterns then these will be compatible with the CB200C Bowens mount and umbrella slots.

Alternatives

Hobolite Avant Max Creator Kit

If you want a powerful but portable light source for shooting portraits on location then the Hobolite Avant Max is well worth a look. An attachable battery pack means you’re free from being hard-wired to a studio’s mains supply and a series of magnetically attachable colored domes enable you to add creative colors to your subject. At 40W it’s much weaker than the Neewer CB200C, but the 4000 Lux output is perfect for intimate portrait work. Due to its beautiful design, the Max is a bit of an expensive luxury item but it will certainly impress your model (or client) during a shoot.

Zhiyun Molus 500B

If you need a powerful studio-based bi-colour COB LED (but don’t need creative gel effects) then the Zhiyun Molus 500B is a worthy alternative to the Neewer CB200C. At 500W of power it can produce an even brighter light source than the Neewer CB200C - an eye-blinding 76400 Lux. It is a little noisier in relation to the fan (which is not surprising given its output). It also emits a range of creative lighting effects though these aren’t as colourful as those from the Neewer CB200C.