What’s hot in cool lights
Posted on Apr 3, 2026 by Pro Moviemaker
From cutting-edge panels to dependable classics, these are the LED lights defining today’s productions
Cool-running LED lighting has reached a point where it’s no longer just an alternative to traditional hot lights. It’s the backbone of modern production. Over the past few years, innovation has accelerated at a remarkable pace, with manufacturers pushing output higher, colour science further and form factors smaller and more adaptable than ever. Panels now rival direct sunlight, compact fixtures outperform yesterday’s heavyweights and lighting systems are increasingly built with real workflows in mind rather than lab specs.
But what’s hot in cool lights isn’t only about what’s brand new. While the latest launches grab headlines with their hyper-narrow beams, expanded colour engines and clever modular accessories, many of today’s most relied-upon have earned their place through consistency, reliability and the capacity to deliver beautiful light day after day, shoot after shoot.
So we take a broad look at the current LED lighting landscape – from the newest innovations to established favourites that continue to punch above their weight.
Glow big or go home
Godox has announced two high-output LED panel lights, the £2878/$2399 Knowled P600R Hard P4 and the £4790/$3890 P1200R Hard P8. Delivering 600 and 1200W of power respectively, these new fixtures are designed to combine intense output with advanced colour control and fast, flexible light shaping.
Both panels offer up to 161,000 lux at 1m with 5600K and a 55° beam angle, providing enough punch for large stages, outdoor shoots and studio environments. A built-in adjustable diffusion system allows for a speedy switch between hard, directional output and a softer look without changing or adding external modifiers. The adjustable diffusion system is not available in the US.
Multi-zone pixel control is a key feature, with four zones on the P600R and eight zones on the P1200R. This enables detailed pixel mapping, dynamic lighting effects and animated patterns directly from the panel. Colour performance is also a priority, with CRI R9 ≥92 and TM-30 RF ≥95 for accurate skin tones and consistent results in post.
Both fixtures are IP65 rated and support CRMX, DMX, Ethernet, on-board and app-based control, making them suitable for fixed installations and mobile production.
More than just Light panels
Litepanels is best known for its large LED panel lights, but it also has a fresnel series called the Studio X range, which offer flicker-free performance, high brightness and accurate colour control. Advanced connectivity and a modular design make it adaptable to a variety of set-ups, and it comes in a range of bicolour and daylight options.
The X4 Bi-Colour is 150W rated and costs £2440/$3563. It has a seven-inch lens with a spot-to-flood beam angle range of 10-45° and a maximum output of 8630 lux at 3m. With advanced thermal management and individual burn-in and calibration tests, it has a lifespan of over 50,000 hours.
There are complete control options including DMX, RDM and local control, as well as an accurate, fine dimming curve.
Neewer kid on the block
If you want a compact, full-colour COB LED made to deliver serious output, then check out Neewer’s HB80C. Rated at 80W, the light is aimed squarely at filmmakers and content creators who need portable and versatile lighting without having to compromise on colour quality.
At the heart of the HB80C is an advanced light-mixing cavity that ensures smooth, even colour across the spectrum. It delivers excellent colour accuracy with a CRI of 95+ and TLCI of 97+, while white light is adjustable from 2500 to 7500K. Despite weighing just 390g, the fixture produces up to 10,400 lux at 1m when set to 4400K and using the included reflector. The HB80C offers full RGB control alongside CCT and HSI modes, as well as 18 built-in lighting effects for creative work. Active cooling keeps temperatures under control, with adjustable fan settings including a quieter mode for sound-sensitive shoots. Control is available directly on the unit or via the Bluetooth app.
Power options add to its appeal. The light can run via USB-C or its built-in 72Wh battery, providing up to 70 minutes of runtime in standard mode or 95 minutes in silent mode. A Bowens mount ensures compatibility with a wide range of modifiers, making the HB80C a flexible tool for creative set-ups, interviews and more.
Slimline soft light supercharged
Nanlite has expanded its Pavoslim range with the launch of the 360C, a large format 4x2ft RGBWW soft light panel, designed to deliver high output in an ultra-slim, lightweight form factor.
Producing up to 27,060 lux at 1m/5600K from a 370W draw, the Pavoslim 360C offers high output while maintaining soft and even illumination with pleasing wrap-around quality.
Despite its size, the fixture measures just 1.96cm thick and weighs only 5.73kg, thanks to a new magnesium alloy body that brings strength, low weight and efficient heat dissipation together with silent, fanless operation.
The $2490 Nanlite panel offers a wide CCT range from 2400 to 12,000K, along with ±150 green-magenta adjustment to match other sources on-set. Nanlite’s RGBWW colour mixing delivers strong colour accuracy, with average CRI of 96 and TLCI of 97, alongside five different lighting modes including CCT, HSI, RGBW, Gel and Effects.
The Pavoslim 360C features quick-release mounting, a pre-installed pop-up softbox, an eggcrate and multiple control options as well, including on-board control, the Nanlink 2.0 app, DMX/RDM and Lumenradio CRMX. Power options include AC, DC and V-Mount batteries with hot-swapping support. The UK price has not yet been revealed.
Gr-eight new Nanlux lights
The first eight-colour light engine has been launched by Nanlux in its Evoke 600C and 150C COB lights. Nebula C8 tech integrates deep red, red, amber, lime, green, cyan, blue and indigo emitters.
It is made to give more natural skin tones, deeper reds, true indigos and a massive 1000-20,000K CCT range with ±200 G/M adjustment. It achieves 92% coverage of Rec. 2020 and eliminates UV wavelengths for safer, prolonged use.
Run by Nebula C8, the £2580/$2580 Evoke 600C is a 600W full-colour point source with IP66 protection, a magnesium alloy housing and an output of 20,820 lux at 3m with 25° reflector when set to 5600K. For more compact set-ups, the £1080/$1080 Evoke 150C brings the tech into an all-in-one 150W body weighing just 2.65kg/5.8lb. It puts out 22,230 lux at 1m/5600K with a 45° reflector.
Catch some Rays
Amaran has unveiled its Ray series of full-colour COB lights designed to give more power, better colour accuracy and smarter workflows in more compact designs. The line-up spans ultra-portable 60W fixtures and a 660W powerhouse, all built around the Omnicolor light engine.
Every fixture is IP54 rated and suitable for outdoors. Workflow upgrades include NFC pairing, so lights can be added to the Amaran app, while a new Flowturn control knob enables fine adjustments from a single interface.
The Ray 60c and 120c are aimed at run-and-gun creators, featuring slimmer, lighter bodies, Bowens mounts, USB-C PD power and optional cable-free operation via Amaran’s new Peak battery system. At the higher end, the 360c and 660c deliver serious output in all-in-one monolight designs, with optional DMX control for studio and larger production environments. Pricing starts at £189/$189 for the 60c, rising to £695/$699 for the flagship 660c.
Soft panel goes hardcore
Large light panels are traditionally used up close to produce soft light. However Aputure’s newest fixtures in its Nova LED panel range include a hyper-narrow beam LED panel that is built to deliver intense, directional output over long distances.
The £3706/$3690 Nova 9° 2×1 is engineered to replicate hard sunlight, throwing focused light across large sets, through windows or into reflectors. At 5m, it offers more than twice the output of a 5000W tungsten fresnel at full spot. For even greater punch, Aputure has introduced a Nova 9° 2×1 three-light kit, which combines three panels into a single yoke that can exceed the output of a 12,000W tungsten source while continuing to run from a standard household circuit.
Also new is the £2390/$1899 Nova II 1×1 that provides higher output than many traditional 2×1 panels, with tunable white from 1800-20,000K and colour coverage exceeding 90% of Rec. 2020. A unique focus-then-blend optical design maintains brightness even when diffused, with no visible colour fringing. Both new fixtures use Aputure’s extended Blair engine, adding indigo and extended red emitters to enhance fluorescing materials and improve skin tones. IP65 weather protection, low-noise operation and lightweight construction feature across the range and a growing ecosystem of Quick Clip softboxes, domes, grids, barn doors and rolling cases.
Aputure positions the Nova family as both a flexible everyday lighting solution and a specialist toolset.
Astera focuses on practical ideas
Pioneering LED lighting brand Astera once again offers something truly unique with the bulb-style LED practical Solabulb, which has a zoomable fresnel lens that shifts between a tight 15° spot and a wide 50° wash.
It delivers the equivalent output of a 50W PAR bulb while drawing just 15W, and is the flagship in Astera’s LED practical lights range, joining the Lunabulb and the Nyx. It has an industrial-style housing that packs in the company’s Titan RGBMA LED engine, which provides saturated colours, lifelike skin tones and a 96 TLCI rating.
The beam can be fine-tuned by rotating the barrel, as well as adding the included snoot to prevent spill. Accessory barn doors can also be fitted and an IP44 rating means it’s decent at fending off bad weather.
The Solabulb has built-in Lumenradio CRMX and Bluetooth, plus wireless app control and multi-unit monitoring from a smart device. It can plug into any household socket with an E26, E27 or B22 fitment or Astera’s Power Station battery system. A single Solabulb costs £180/$225 but larger kits are on sale.
This article was first published in the March/April 2026 issue of Pro Moviemaker
