Zhiyun started expanding out into LED lights a little while ago now, but their range is still quite small. Last month, Zhiyun announced that they were expanding their lighting range but sticking with small, with the new Molus G60 and X100 LED lights. And by “sticking with small”, I mean that these lights are tiny. The Molus G60 (buy here) and X100 (buy here) lights offer 60W and 100W capacity, respectively, but come in a much smaller form factor than you might be used to.
We went to speak with Zhiyun’s head of PR, Ryan Wang booth at NAB 2023 to check them out in person and learn more about them. Despite how small the published dimensions are, nothing really prepares you for just how small these things are in person, given the amount of light the two models put out.
Zhiyun Molus X100 – Portable and powerful
The Zhiyun Molus X100 is a very interesting and intriguing bicolour LED light. At 100W of power, it doesn’t stand out as particularly powerful in today’s LED lighting market. It’s not terrible, but it’s basically a baseline figure. What Zhiyun has done, though, that does stand out, is that they’ve come up with a new form factor. They’ve shrunk the light down to a fraction of the size you’d typically expect with a COB LED light.
Zhiyun tells DIYP that the smaller form factor is in part due to technology Zhiyun has transitioned over to LED lights from their gimbal product lines. The reason for their size is primarily one of portability. And with that portability comes a range of different power options for different needs and use cases. First up, there’s a grip battery – that makes the LED light’s form factor look more like a camera than a light. There’s also a standard DC input which keeps the light powered and battery charging at all times. You’ve also got charging and power via USB Power Delivery, meaning you can top it up and keep it going pretty much indefinitely from power banks.
Zhiyun Mount Modifiers (but Bowens adapter)
Surprisingly, perhaps, Zhiyun created its own new modifier mount for the release of the Molus X100. Aside from the provided reflector, Zhiyun has released two other modifiers for the mount so far. The first of these is a small Zhiyun brand, Zhiyun mount, softbox. And by small, it looks to be about 10-12″ in diameter. So, it’ll be a little bit softer than no softbox at all, but still not super soft. The other modifier is a dome diffuser. Like a jumbo-sized version of the Stofen-style diffusers that you might have used before with speedlights.
There is some good news, though. There is a Zhiyun mount to Bowens mount adapter for the Molus X100. But, unless you buy the Combo or Pro packages, it is a separate purchase. But that it’s available at all means that you can use the Godox X100 with all of your existing Bowens mount modifiers. How well a 100W LED will fill that modifier depends on the size of that modifier, how bright your lighting needs require it to be and close it is from the subject, but I expect it should do quite well with some fairly sizeable modifiers.
Zhoyun Molus X100 Specs
| Output Power | 100W |
|---|---|
| Color Temperature: | 2700K~6500K |
| Product Net Weigh | 385g |
| TLCI | ≥97 |
| CRI | ≥95 |
| Luminance | 33000lux @0.3M; 13000lux @0.5M |
| Operation Temperature | -10°～40° |
| Dimension | 144.5*94*36.1mm |
| App Control | V |
Zhiyun Molus G60 – Tiny and mighty
The Molus G60 is the smaller of the two lights in more ways than one. It’s both physically smaller, measuring a minuscule 90.6 x 67 x 66.95mm, as well as being the lower-powered of the two lights. Despite being the lower power light, it puts out 60 Watts of light with a bicolour temperature range of 2700-6500K. For a light this small, that’s very impressive. Like the X100 above, it also bears the new Zhiyun mount and is compatible with the modifiers and Bowens adapter mentioned.
There’s no battery inside the Molus G60 – one of the reasons it can be so small. Instead, it takes its power externally, but there are still multiple options. You can use the supplied DC power adapter to take juice straight from the wall or you can use it on the go with a USB power bank capable of outputting 60 Watts over USB Power Delivery (USB-PD).
Zhiyun Molus G60 Specs
| Output Power | 60W |
|---|---|
| Color Temperature: | 2700K~6500K |
| Product Net Weigh | 300g |
| TLCI | ≥97 |
| CRI | ≥96 |
| Luminance | 23000lux @0.3M; 8500lux @0.5M |
| Operation Temperature | -10℃～40℃ |
| Dimension | 90.6*67*66.95mm |
| App Control | V |
Zhiyun is entering new markets
Lighting might be the first non-gimbal market that Zhiyun is dipping its toe into, but it certainly sounds like it won’t be the last. During our conversation with Ryan, when asked about what’s coming next from Zhiyun, he said:
Well, I am really excited about our new products, which is a complete different market than [gimbals and lights], but… well, since it’s a top secret, I can’t tell you now. But, I can sense that the people will be shocked.
Exactly what Zhiyun is planning to release and how they’re planning to further expand into the world of filmmaking and content creation is currently unknown. As Ryan said, it’s top secret. But Zhiyun is planning to surprise us. I’m ready to be shocked. Are you?
Price and Availability
The Zhiyun Molus X100 is available to buy now in three packages. There’s the basic Standard Set available to buy now for $249. This includes the Molus X100 light itself, an AC to DC adapter and the mini reflector. The Molus X100 Combo Set is available to buy now for $349 and includes all of the above along with the X100 battery grip, Bowens mount adapter, a strap and a storage bag. The Molus X100 Pro Set is also available to buy now for $399, and includes everything that the Combo set does, but with the addition of the Zhiyun Mini Softbox.
The Zhiyun Molus G60 is also available in a couple of packages. The Molus G60 Standard Set includes the light itself, the mini reflector, a small diffusion dome (to be used with the reflector), and the AC to DC power adapter and is available to pre-order now for $199. The Combo Kit includes everything that standard kit includes, with the addition of the Bowens mount adapter, the Mini Softbox and the storage bag and is also available to pre-order now for $249.
DIYP’s coverage of NAB 2023 is sponsored by Sennheiser, Zhiyun, B&H, and SmallRig
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