Zhiyun MOLUS G200 COB 200W Light Review

ZHIYUN continues to redefine the landscape of professional lighting solutions with the introduction of its latest innovation, the MOLUS G200 COB light. Designed for studios, live streaming rooms, and movie sets, this compact lighting solution maintains a film-grade quality while being remarkably lightweight. Building on the success of previous models like the F100, M40, G60, and X100, Zhiyun has established a clear identity in the market, consistently focusing on the combination of high power and compact size in their lighting products.

For those immersed in the world of cinematography, the challenges posed by the size and weight of lighting equipment are all too familiar. Traditional setups involving lamp heads stands, and various accessories can be cumbersome to transport and take up significant space. Zhiyun acknowledges this issue and aims to disrupt the status quo. While powerful lighting equipment often correlates with larger dimensions due to heat dissipation components, Zhiyun’s commitment to high efficiency, high power, and compact size challenges industry norms. The MOLUS G200 stands as a testament to Zhiyun’s determination to deliver a practical, game-changing solution for professionals seeking both power and portability in their lighting setups.

The MOLUS G200 maintains simplicity in its design, featuring a two-part structure comprising the COB lamp body and the power controller. With just a switch lever and two knobs on the controller, users can effortlessly adjust color temperature and brightness, connect to Bluetooth, access different modes, and more. Zhiyun’s MOLUS G200 not only upholds the brand’s reputation for high brightness and lightweight solutions but also exemplifies a bold approach to innovation, challenging industry conventions and making a significant impact on the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of professional cinematography setups.

Unboxing

The packaging of the Zhiyun MOLUS G200 light is elegantly simple, reflecting the signature style of Zhiyun. The design features a clean and minimalist approach, with a pure white background adorned by a vivid image showcasing the product. This thoughtful presentation allows consumers to swiftly grasp the distinctive characteristics of the Zhiyun MOLUS G200 light, creating an immediate visual connection between the packaging and the product within. The choice of a straightforward and visually appealing packaging design enhances the overall user experience and aligns seamlessly with the brand’s aesthetic.

After opening the package and taking out the Zhiyun MOLUS G200, it becomes evident that this lighting kit comes equipped with various accessories. Alongside the primary lighting unit, there is a durable carrying case, a convenient reflector, and a protective cap, as well as a power cable. Furthermore, the English-language user manual is included, offering succinct guidance to enrich your interaction with these components.

Design

The Zhiyun MOLUS G200 brings a remarkable surprise with its exquisite and compact design. The lamp body introduces a fresh design language, resulting in a clean and easily recognizable appearance. Within the sleek frame, a customized COB light source and a precision heat dissipation system are seamlessly integrated, contributing to the overall compactness and unobtrusiveness of the lamp. This thoughtful combination of aesthetics and functionality enhances the user experience, making the Zhiyun MOLUS G200 a standout choice for those seeking both style and efficiency in their lighting solutions.

The Zhiyun MOLUS G200 lamp stands out for its compact size and exceptional weight control. Weighing approximately 1000g, its electronic back pressure cooling system provides efficient support to the lamp body. This lightweight and compact design not only facilitates easy portability but also eliminates the necessity for creating specific layout environments. With the freedom to move it around effortlessly at any time, the lamp’s adjustment pressure due to relocation is significantly reduced, leading to considerable time and cost savings. The MOLUS G200 combines practicality with convenience, making it an ideal choice for those who prioritize efficiency and flexibility in their lighting solutions.

The included controller enhances user convenience with the provision of a lanyard, simplifying its attachment to a variety of light stands. This thoughtful design facilitates the adjustment of both the angle and position of the light source with minimal effort. The controller’s user-friendly interface features two integrated interactive buttons accompanied by a visual display screen, creating a seamless and intuitive user experience. The real-time parameter adjustment button is prominently displayed on the screen, allowing users to fine-tune settings and achieve the desired lighting conditions effortlessly. This combination of practical features ensures a versatile and efficient control system for optimizing illumination in any setting.

The thoughtful design of a distinct lamp body and controller not only caters to the requirements of professional lighting but, more significantly, enhances the overall user experience and portability. This innovative approach surpasses the capabilities of conventional, cumbersome fill lights. Notably, the incorporation of a standard Bowon mount offers versatility by accommodating various light control accessories, thereby extending its applicability to a wide range of shooting scenarios. This adaptability underscores the product’s commitment to flexibility and utility in diverse settings, making it a valuable asset for both amateur and professional photographers alike.

Zhiyun MOLUS G200 means that its power reaches 200W, but its size is only like a small square box, and its bottom area is only slightly larger than an open palm. We can easily hold it with one hand. It is also very light in weight, with the lamp body only 1 kg. This is because its main part is made of lightweight, high-strength composite materials. In order to ensure good heat dissipation, the overall shell is covered with hollow heat dissipation holes. Further reducing the weight of the lamp body. The lightweight design greatly improves mobility. In actual use, not only during transportation but installation, you can clearly feel the leap in shooting efficiency.

Features

Professional photography lights, such as the Zhiyun MOLUS G200, stand out with their high color rendering index (CRI), a crucial feature that determines the accuracy of colors captured. The CRI of the G200 is ≥ 95, ensuring that the colors reproduced closely match the true colors of the subject. Additionally, the Television Lighting Consistency Index (TLCI) is ≥ 97, further indicating the excellent performance of this lighting equipment. The G200’s ability to maintain color accuracy makes it a reliable choice for professional photographers seeking precision in their work.

Despite its compact size, the Zhiyun G200 does not compromise on power. With an illumination of 200W and the efficiency of Chip-on-Board (COB) technology, the bare light source can achieve an impressive 9460Lux at a 1m distance (at 6500K) when operating at 200W power. Adding a Zhiyun standard lampshade boosts this illumination to an impressive 61500Lux. Additionally, the G200 features a one-click MAX overclocking mode, allowing users to instantly increase power to 300W. This capability, along with the high illumination it provides, makes the G200 suitable for diverse shooting scenarios, even in larger spaces exceeding 20-30 square meters, and ensures ample brightness for backlighting.

The G200’s versatility extends to its one-click MAX overclocking mode, activated by pressing and holding the brightness and color temperature knobs simultaneously. This mode boosts the power to 300W, resulting in an illumination of 13800Lux (1m distance, 4300K) from the bare light source. With the Zhiyun standard lampshade, the illumination further rises to an impressive 85800Lux. This feature allows photographers to adapt quickly to varying lighting requirements, ensuring optimal results in any situation, whether it be a well-lit environment or when an extra burst of brightness is needed for a particular shot.

These hard-core capabilities make the G200 very practical for actual shooting. At the same time, there are some details that show Zhiyun’s intentions on the G200.

First of all, The Zhiyun MOLUS G200 goes beyond conventional functionality by seamlessly integrating with the ZY Vega wireless light control system. Leveraging Bluetooth Mesh networking, this innovative device allows users to remotely fine-tune lighting settings and swiftly switch between preset parameters. The ZY Vega APP serves as the intuitive control hub, granting photographers the flexibility to manage lighting conditions from any location, at any time. This not only enhances lighting efficiency but also elevates the overall operational experience. The system’s parallels with contemporary smart home technology are evident, offering a level of convenience, intelligence, and speed that eliminates the need for constant proximity to the equipment in real time. The Zhiyun MOLUS G200 represents a noteworthy advancement in the realm of lighting control, catering to the demands of modern photographers seeking a sophisticated and user-friendly solution.

Secondly, In addition to its innovative features, the COB lamp head also incorporates a small reflector, a unique aspect not commonly found in other lights of its kind. This thoughtful addition enhances its light-gathering capabilities, allowing the lamp to emit a distinct ambient glow even without the use of a traditional lampshade. It is worth mentioning that when opting for a standard lampshade, it is imperative to utilize Zhiyun’s proprietary G200 standard lampshade for optimal performance. This ensures a uniform brightness of light, a crucial consideration that may result in uneven illumination if alternative standard lampshades are employed. The inclusion of this reflective element adds versatility to the COB lamp, catering to both bare light enthusiasts and those who prefer a more traditional setup with a lampshade.

Thirdly, Zhiyun has introduced a range of soft light masks for use with the G200. Despite the advantageous features of the G200’s size and weight, there is a potential challenge when incorporating these lampshades. Due to the small and lightweight nature of the G200, there is a tendency for the lamp to be influenced or swayed by the added weight of the soft light masks. To address this concern, Zhiyun has implemented a pitch-locking design in the G200 lamp head. This innovative design incorporates a deep tooth structure, ensuring a secure and stable lock that goes beyond the limitations of lamps relying solely on friction for stability. This feature enhances the overall usability of the G200, providing users with a reliable and secure lighting solution.

Finally, at the locking position of the light stand interface, a fixing hole for the soft light umbrella is left, so that when using the soft light umbrella, you can avoid using another light stand, and the operation is also convenient.

Experience

The collection of photographs I captured showcases a stark contrast between scenes illuminated during both day and night. The transformative impact of appropriate lighting on image quality is unmistakable. In the daylight shots, clarity and texture are evident, creating a visually engaging composition. The interplay of light and shadow establishes a distinct atmospheric presence, contributing to the overall appeal of the photographs. As the transition to nighttime unfolds, the images retain their uniqueness, with a tonal style that captures the essence of the surroundings in a different yet equally compelling manner. This visual journey highlights the significance of well-thought-out lighting, underlining its pivotal role in enhancing the aesthetics of photography.

To achieve enhanced light intensity, simply activate the one-click MAX overclocking mode, allowing the device to generate a peak power of 300W. This feature offers flexibility as you can seamlessly transition between various modes tailored for different shooting scenarios, ensuring optimal results for your photography needs. However, it is advisable to exercise caution and refrain from utilizing the MAX overclocking mode for prolonged periods, as it may impact the device’s longevity and performance over time.

Self-media bloggers often face challenges in achieving accurate color reproduction, particularly in low-light conditions. The Zhiyun MOLUS G200, equipped with dual-color temperature settings and a high display index, stands out for its ability to showcase more realistic primary colors. In scenarios where capturing satisfactory photos proves challenging due to the chaotic lighting environment, such as dimly lit stores, the MOLUS G200 excels. Its performance significantly enhances the quality of images, offering self-media bloggers a reliable tool to overcome the hurdles of varying light intensities and ensuring the faithful restoration of object colors in their content creation endeavors.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Zhiyun’s relentless commitment to innovation and excellence shines brightly with the introduction of the COB light MOLUS G200. As an industry leader in professional lighting solutions, Zhiyun has once again raised the bar by combining film-grade quality with exceptional portability. The MOLUS G200 stands as a testament to Zhiyun’s dedication to providing practitioners in cinematography and photography with practical, game-changing tools. Its compact design, powerful illumination capabilities, and user-friendly features underscore Zhiyun’s mission to challenge industry norms and enhance the efficiency of professional setups.

Furthermore, the thoughtful integration of advanced technologies such as Bluetooth mesh networking and the inclusion of innovative features like the small reflector and pitch-locking design demonstrate Zhiyun’s unwavering focus on addressing the evolving needs of modern photographers and filmmakers. By delivering a versatile and reliable lighting solution, the Zhiyun MOLUS G200 not only streamlines workflow but also elevates the creative possibilities for professionals and self-media bloggers alike, reaffirming Zhiyun’s position as a pioneering force in the realm of lighting innovation.