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Field Realities

The Neewer 60w is a great little light, really good value. I was wandering just how good when a recent job forced me to find out.

Today I needed a light on an interviw subject shot against a large side and overhead window on a rainy, overcast day (all I had to work with). The Neewer 60w at 100% with a litttle Neewer 216 also at full noise bounced into a white brolly, was just enough to make a difference, so in a nutshell, one 60w is only just capable of daylight fill working with one of my less efficient modifiers, a reversed brolly.

In a darker or more contrasty situation more can be done, but I will need the second light or a more efficient mod to really hit anything like this again with meaningful effect. Basically, a constant light, dollar for dollar is not even close to a flash unit as my 560’s and Godox can handle bright light fill at reduced power.

This also brings up the 4’ soft boxes. These could add that bit extra the make up the difference, maybe a full stop or more, but still, distance and coverage will be limited.

This is still different territory to the 660 panel, maybe matched by the 10.6” flapjack lights, but maybe not.

On a side note I actually like the light bare and realised on one of the reviews i watched, the guy was using it that way. It is however, way too bright to point at people without something in betwen, so my 7” diffusers with their soft white cover may do the trick.

No mod on the Neewer SL-60 produces hard shadows (the wall is closer than below and the angle different), but the light is acceptably open. My baseline image, the only thing that gives it away other than the wall is the shadow under the chin, oh and maybe a squinting subject.

An efficient and open bounce mod, still with hotter highlights than above!

More tests to come, especially with the new Godox mods and 7” diffusers.

I also have the 150w Selens light pending. This is rated on paper at 3x the Neewer lights, but we will see and if I have the cash, a 10.6” Flapjack could come in handly for overheads and support.