New! Zhiyun Molus G60 COB Portable Light Reviewed. Simple and Brilliant.

As regular readers will know, over the COVID period I spent some time in a part time gig at the local Jaycar store. If you are outside Australia, Jaycar is the sort of successor to Radio Shack – or more correctly, what Radio Shack (Tandy Electronics) probably would have become.

Anyway, in my time there I learnt a lot, specifically about stuff I had had little exposure to up until that point. Think batteries, solar and especially 12v power. The advances in this area were way beyond anything I had thought it could be.

Another area that has jumped ahead in leaps and bounds is LED lighting. This gear is getting smarter, brighter, affordable and adaptable. Inc conjunction with battery advances, in the area of video and filmmaking, if you are NOT using LED lighting, you are missing out.

Eminently portable, light on power usage and of course minimal heat means conventional lighting systems have been quickly overtaken.

My first foray into this area was via the Zhiyun Fiveray, a portable “light stick” I reviewed here that costs around AUD$400. Yesterday, I received another package from the company, and it contained a bunch of boxes and a carrying case, that collectively make up the Molus G60 lighting kit.

Built around a 300g Rubik-cube sized central unit containing the actual LED, controls, USB-C port for direct power (there is no internal battery), a 12v port for the supplied trsnsformer and mounting bracket with a ¼” screw hole, the Molus G60 as the name suggests is a 60W high powered light using LED COB (chip on board) technology. Cooling is maximised by a Zhiyun patented system of an intelligent airflow control system.

Via the controls, colour temperature is easily controlled as is intensity.

It’s clever too, with Bluetooth mesh technology and an app letting you remotely control either a single light or multiply linked lights.

In the complete Molus G60 Combo pack (AUD$459) that I received, as well as the light and carry case you also get a ZY Mount mini-reflector, Bowen mount adaptor (also ZY mount), a diffuser dome to use with the reflector, mini softbox, tripod and external power adaptor.

If you just buy the base Molus G60 (AUD$359), you get all of the above without the case, Bowen mount, softbox or tripod.

The small size of the Molus G60 makes it ideal as a unit to keep in the kit bag so it is available at all times, and the flexibility and ease of use makes it simple and quick to setup.

The Molus G60 is the best type of “gadget”. Relatively inexpensive, and it just works doing what it says on the tin. Zhiyun are getting very good at creating these sorts of accessories it seems.

(As an aside I just discovered its Weebill 3 gimbal just scored Best of Show at the recent NAB. Having one here I have used quite a few times, I can concur on the judge’s decision).

If you have an interest in learning more about lighting, I’ll have a feature article very soon on that very subject so stay tuned.

And don’t forget to listen to my latest podcast here.