The biggest problem I see these days when creating channel videos is space, and for the most part, it’s my lighting setup that’s causing the problem. The Godox SL60W and my softbox are huge, bulky, and unwieldy. But I think I found a solution. And that’s the compact, portable yet professional LED light, Zhiyun G60.
The Zhiyun G60 is an almost pocket-sized studio light, roughly the size of a Rubix cube and small enough to fit in my hand. It is extremely lightweight and can produce quite a bright light for your video content creation. In the box you get the light, a small reflector, a Bowens mount to use the light with larger softboxes, a small Zhiyun softbox, a dome diffuser to spread the light around the room, and a brick wattage, although if you want this the lamp can also be used with USB Type-C power for PD fast charging, allowing input power monitoring. But if you go this route, you’ll need to find a USB Type-C wall plug that’s capable of getting the wattage needed for the light, otherwise you won’t get the full power or brightness. You also get a nice box in this special kit, to keep everything nice, neat and protected when taking it with you to different shoots.
The light itself is capable of producing up to 60 watts of power and has a color temperature range of 2700K-6500K. To be a bit more specific, the color rendering index is around 96 and the TV’s light consistency index is around 97. Its brightness is 2,367 Luz and this is 6500K at 100% brightness, so it’s more than capable. for professional film rather than shooting, although to be honest, I’m not sure the studio is really Zhiyun’s target audience with this light. But that said, some YouTube content now is definitely on par with some of the major brands in the world right now. But because of the small size, this is definitely a product that bedroom creators and creative enthusiasts will use. Maybe the streamers too, to give them a nice key light.
On the base, there’s a 1/4-inch threaded adjustment arm so you can easily attach it to a light stand or even a tripod. I had to use a tripod here because I don’t have a light stand with that type of accessory and I’m not using a Bowens mount in this video either. I was only illuminated from 45 degrees by the Zhiyun G60, and I must say it looks extremely bad. I’m using it with the softbox and mesh cover to diffuse the light a little further.
Around the back are two dials. The first will adjust the color temperature between cool and warm tones, and the second will adjust the brightness. They click beautifully while recording and feel very solid, and you can even press the dials to set the brightness or color temperature step-by-step. There’s a partner app called ZY Vega, where you can adjust these settings using your phone connected via Bluetooth, instead of having to manually adjust the light dials. This is very helpful, especially if you are like me, who is sitting behind a desk shooting videos like I am doing right now and you are not very happy with the look of the footage.
The cooling system is also quite unique and this is the main reason why this light can run so bright. It’s called the DynaVort Cooling System and the technology is interesting because the gyroscope is built for its FOC radiators and fans. This equates to an operating temperature of between 10 and 40 degrees, while the light is beautifully stable and with no cool-down time.
Now I am completely impressed with Zhiyun G60. So much so that I’m considering replacing it as the main spotlight full time in my studio. It certainly doesn’t make the image as wide as Godox, but I still think it makes my videos look pretty good and I’m happy with the results. It gives me more space to work and more focused directional light as my key. Even for B-roll footage, it works well. For more information, go to Zhiyun website.
