Today we are taking a close look at a professional light from Godox that we have been using both in the studio and on some of our commercial productions over the past several months, the Godox P600Bi Hard from the KNOWLED series.
Concept
With the video LED light market rapidly expanding, Godox has been innovating and their Knowled series now features a number of very powerful light fixtures. Today, we’re looking at a lightweight and portable bicolor panel capable of amazing output for its size that offers some interesting mounting configurations.
Godox markets this panel as a space light, which is a fixture, or in many cases, multiple fixtures that provide a soft even light for the set. A lot of the features that we’ll discuss in this video are geared specifically for mounting this light overhead and controlling it remotely.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t use this panel for other shooting scenarios, but it is very powerful, and you’d probably only use it at very low output if it’s a lot closer. Unless you’re shooting something that requires a lot of light, like a slow-motion video.
The Godox P600Bi Hard
Design and build
This is the P600bi hard panel. It measures 48cm x 45cm with brackets and handles and weighs about 10kg. It’s a mostly plastic enclosure around a metal frame with a single-handle tilt on a metal bracket. For ease of handling, the panel features 4 metal eyelets and two plastic handles.
It’s a hard light panel, so there is no diffuser on the front. The LEDs are covered with individual projection lenses to maximize the light output. Godox had a similar lens array on their 150W panels that we reviewed in February 2022. But these seem to produce a more uniform light and the shadow edges are a lot smoother.
The back of the unit has a big ventilation grid with 3 fans that keep the panel cool at all times. By default, the fans are set to auto. They are mostly very quiet, but at the highest setting, they do get pretty loud. There is a menu setting to turn off the fans, but that limits the power to only 20%.
The back of the P600Bi
The panel features on-board controls with a screen and a single pushable knob to dim and adjust the color temperature. There is also a handy control lock button, a mode button for effect controls, and a menu button.
The back of the panel also features DMX in and out ports and a USB port for firmware updates. The power input is a locking Neutrik connector, and there is also a 48V DC input.
The on/off switch on the bottom of the panel
In the box
Godox ships this panel in a presentation box. The panel comes with a 4.5m power cord and a safety cable and rope. There is no carrying case, but Godox offers a special hard case to transport up to 8 of these panels.
Features
One of the prominent features of the P600Bi is its energy-efficient internal design that eliminates the need for a power brick, making it a great space light with easy overhead mounting.
The panel comes with remote control options. We tried it with an older Godox remote, and it worked fine. The Godox app also connected seamlessly. It allows to configure groups and control of individual units. Conveniently, there is a fan setting as well for when you can’t reach the panel.
To ensure a stable connection, Godox equipped this panel with frequency hopping and added an external antenna.
The Godox-P600Bi antenna and handle
Modifiers and accessories
Optionally, Godox sells 2-unit and 4-unit mounting brackets and multi-header arms. There is also a skirt softbox for overhead setups.
We tested the square softbox that straps onto the panel. It’s not a great design. We wish there was some kind of a frame to snap onto the corners. Plus, it makes the setup so much larger, kind of defeating the purpose of a compact panel.
The Godox-P600Bi softbox
In use
We used the P600Bi on a production, and it definitely provided plenty of light. It’s light enough to transport, even though we had to use a carrying bag from another Godox panel.
One thing to note is that being a hard light, you’ll definitely need to have some diffusion on hand.
Just to illustrate how powerful this panel is, here is an outside test in broad daylight. If we expose the sun in the background, the subject is completely dark. Our Seikonic 800 shows a reading of 80,000 lux. With the P600Bi positioned at 3 meters away, we are able to get a high-key look, getting a 2:1 ratio with 40,000lux from the panel.
A behind-the-scenes view of one of our cooking show productions with the Godox-P600Bi as the key light
Tests
We tested the output and color quality of this light with and without the softbox at 1m away, and here are the results that we got.
Results for the Godox-P600Bi at 3200K @1m :
- Color temperature: 3251K.
- Output: 91100 Lux.
- CRI: 97.1 (R9 – 96.2; R12 – 83.4).
- TLCI: 98.
- TM-30 RF: 94; TM-30 Rg – 102.
- SSI: 81.
Results for the Godox-P600Bi at 3200K @1m (with softbox):
-
- Color temperature: 3096K.
- Output: 26900 Lux.
- CRI: 97.2 (R9 – 98; R12 – 84.4).
- TLCI: 98.
- TM-30 RF: 94; TM-30 Rg – 102.
- SSI: 83.
Results for the Godox-P600Bi at 3200K @1m (with softbox and grid):
- Color temperature: 3097K.
- Output: 18900 Lux.
- CRI: 97.2 (R9 – 97.8; R12 – 84.3).
- TLCI: 98.
- TM-30 RF: 94; TM-30 Rg – 102.
- SSI: 83.
Results for the Godox-P600Bi at 5600K @1m :
- Color temperature: 5505K.
- Output: 102,000 Lux.
- CRI: 96.9 (R9 – 95.1; R12 – 75.5).
- TLCI: 97.
- TM-30 RF: 92; TM-30 Rg – 102.
- SSI: 72.
Results for the Godox-P600Bi at 5600K @1m (with softbox):
- Color temperature: 5078K.
- Output: 20600 Lux.
- CRI: 97.2 (R9 – 97.8; R12 – 77.1).
- TLCI: 97.
- TM-30 RF: 93; TM-30 Rg – 102.
- SSI: 72.
Results for the Godox-P600Bi at 5600K @1m (softbox+grid):
- Color temperature: 5056K.
- Output: 21600 Lux.
- CRI: 97.2 (R9 – 97.7; R12 – 77.3).
- TLCI: 97.
- TM-30 RF: 93; TM-30 Rg – 102.
- SSI: 72.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the P600Bi panel is definitely a very powerful fixture that produces quality light. It’s compact and easy to mount and has all the needed remote tools. Even though it’s marketed as a space light, it’s still pretty versatile because of its size and output. The only thing you need to decide is how to defuse it and whether the diffused light will be powerful enough.
Ultra-powerful panel –Â Godox-P600BiÂ
Pricing
As for pricing, Godox sells the P600Bi panel for $1200.
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