Zhiyun Molus X60 and X60 RGB COB lights review: these ultra-portable lights pack a punch

The Zhiyun Molus X60 range provides portable but powerful key and fill lighting on location

Woman leaning on a stone wall outside
(Image: © George Cairns / Digital Camera World)

Digital Camera World Verdict

The Zhiyun Molus X60 and X60 RGB are small enough to pop in your kit bag yet powerful enough to add strong key and fill lights to your portrait shoots (or animated lighting effects to your video shoots). As there’s not a huge price difference between them you’re better off purchasing the RGB model (instead of the standard one) as this enables you to add colorful lighting effects to your stills without needing to swap gels.

Pros

  • +

    Lightweight and portable

  • +

    Powerful light source

  • +

    Animated lighting effects (in the RGB version)

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    Wide range of color temperatures

Cons

  • -

    No animated color gel effects in the standard X60 version

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The Molus X60 (and the Molus X60 RGB) are COB (Chip-on-board) lights from Zhiyun, a well-established designer and manufacturer of LED lights.  Unlike traditional flash guns, the best LED lights are ‘always on' during a shoot rather than being triggered to sync with the camera’s shutter. This makes them suitable for capturing both well-lit stills and video clips. As with flash guns, an off-camera LED light can emphasize the shape and form of a model’s face to create a three-dimensional portrait (rather than the flat-lit two-dimensional look produced by an on-camera flash). An LED can also be used to fill in harsh shadows caused by a key light such as the sun. 

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Power rating60W
Output6500K at 1m (X60) 2680 Lux ; (X60-RGB) 2010 Lux
Colour temperature range2700K - 6500K
CRI≥95
TCLI (X60) ≥97; (X60-RGB)=98
Preset effects (X60)SOS. Paparazzi, TV, Bad Bulb, Lightning, Candle, CCT Loop, CCT Flash, CCT Pulse
Preset effects (X60 RGB)Firework, Disco, Police Car, Hue loop, Hue Flash, Hue Pulse, Paparazzi, TV, Bad Bulb, Lightning, Candle, CCT Loop, CCT Flash, CCT Pulse
Battery Life50 mins (at 100%)
Size (without attached battery): 100 x 71 x 56 mm
Weight(X60) 313g ; (X60-RGB) 319g
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FeaturesThe additional colour control options of the RGB model give it the edge over the standard version.★★★★★
DesignBoth lights enjoy a compact design combined with easy to control buttons and dials.★★★★☆
PerformanceThe X60’s are easy to transport yet pack a powerful punch.★★★★★
ValueBoth lights are reasonably priced but for a little extra you can enjoy the colour options on the RGB version.★★★★★
SmallRig RC 60B COB LED

SmallRig RC 60B COB LED
The SmallRig RC 60B is a COB (chip-on-board light) that looks and behaves more like a typical studio light, yet like the Zhuyin Molus X60 LEDs, you can also hold it in your hand and add light to portrait shoots on location. Unlike the X60’s clip-on battery, the RC 60 B has a built-in one that you can charge via USB-C. As a 60W bi-color light you can adjust the RC 60 B’s color temperature to complement daylight or indoor light sources but it lacks the creative colors produced by the RGB version of the Molus X60.

Hobolite Micro Creator Kit

Hobolite Micro Creator Kit
The Hobolite Micro Creator Kit is another palm-sized LED light, though it only packs 20W of power compared to the Zhiyun Molus X60’s 60W output. However, it does a good job of illuminating portraits in any location thanks to its built-in battery.  Like the standard Molus X60, the Hobolite Micro is a bi-color light, so you can only change its color temperature. However the Micro ships with a collection of 6 magnetic colour gels that enable you to change the mood of your images.

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George Cairns

George has been freelancing as a photo fixing and creative tutorial writer since 2002, working for award winning titles such as Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N-Photo and Practical Photoshop. He's expert in communicating the ins and outs of Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as producing video production tutorials on Final Cut Pro and iMovie for magazines such as iCreate and Mac Format. He also produces regular and exclusive Photoshop CC tutorials for his YouTube channel.