A few weeks ago NANLITE announced its new FC-500C RGBW color spotlight. This is a high-output color light that uses NANLITE’s latest technology to maximize output and increase efficiency.
The FC-500C is a high-output, full-color spotlight with a rated power of 520W. It can create a powerful tight beam when used with reflectors and lenses or a beautiful soft source with ample output when used with a softbox or other diffusion.
It also has features like color modes and Green/Magenta shift. The FC-500C utilizes Nanlite’s high-output RGBW full-color light technology. This is claimed to make the light as efficient as possible so it can deliver high output in both white light and color modes.
The claimed output is 57,050 lux @1m (5600K, with reflector) and 25,590 lux @1m (green, with reflector).
Key features
- 500 WATTS OF COLOR – A point-source spotlight that delivers 36,000 vivid colors and a wide CCT range of 2700K-7500K with 500-watts of power behind it
- RUNS ON AC OR BATTERY – A power supply is included to run continuously on AC, and the FC PowerController is available separately to run in the field away from outlets
- EASY-TO-USE YET ADVANCED – Built-in controls are easy to figure out even for beginners yet has many advanced features, like 151 gel presets, G/M adjustment +/-150, a locking DMX/RDM port and more
- QUALITY & ACCURACY – One-sided step-less yoke makes it easy to position and lock, smart fan modes to control sound, dimming in 0.1% increments, SSI of 84 (3200K) and 71 (5600K), 95 CRI, 94 TLCI
- INCLUDES CASE & 3-YEAR WARRANTY – Form-fitting, crush, and shockproof foam carrying case included, 2-year limited warranty that you can extend to 3 years for free when you register online
The FC-500C was designed as mid to entry-level lighting fixtures with easy-to-use controls.
Versatile COB lights in this form factor have become increasingly popular due to their Swiss army knife-style abilities, which enable them to be used for a variety of lighting scenarios. This is why we have seen so many of them being introduced, and we continue to see more and more companies releasing similar-style lights. Over the last 12 months or so we have started to see more budget entry full-color solutions becoming available.
FC-500C 
FC-500B
According to Nanlite, the quality of the FC-500C is on par with other Nanlite fixtures. It looks identical to the FC-500B.
The Nanlite FC-500C looks to be an interesting light given its relatively low cost, small size, and feature set. So without further ado, let’s get on with the review.
Concept & Design
The concept behind all of these LED spotlights, whether they are daylight, bi-color, or full-color, is to make a very flexible, fully-featured lighting source that won’t empty someone’s wallet. The only problem with this concept is that so many lighting companies are doing the exact same thing, that it is hard to make your product stand out. NANLITE also has so many lights in its range that it can become a little confusing trying to differentiate between some of them.
FC-500C 
FC-500B 
FC-300B
The FC-500C, just like the FC-300B and FC-500B sports a blue decorative frame and a wing-shaped top housing that according to Nanlite, is supposed to resemble a soaring eagle that symbolizes that in the world of creation, the sky is the only limit for the FC series. This is certainly an interesting take from the marketing department!
Nanlite FC-500B 
Prolycht Orion 300 FS
The design, at least in my opinion, isn’t a massive departure from other NANLITE spotlights, and the FC-500C, just like the FC-300B and FC-500B looks a little similar to the now discontinued Prolycht Orion 300 FS.
FC-500C 
FC-500B 
FC-300B
The light has a separate power supply that is almost as large as the fixture itself. It is the same power supply unit that comes with the FC-500B and it is larger than the one that comes with the FC-300B.
Build Quality
The build quality of the NANLITE FC-500C is decent enough given its relatively low price tag and weight. The housing is reasonably robust but you shouldn’t expect the lights to have the same feel or quality as more expensive fixtures, because it doesn’t. In saying that, the light will be more than robust enough for most applications.
The power on/off button and the rest of the dials and buttons, at least in my opinion, could be a little better, but that is understandable given the low price point. They don’t have an overly tactile feel, but they do get the job done. They are identical to what you find on the FS-300B and FS-500B.
The yoke frame locks down securely when tightened, and the lever that you use to do that is robustly made.
The locking mechanism for where you attach the yoke frame to a light stand works well.
The separate power supply is solidly constructed and well-made.
The light has a V-mount adapter so you can mount it onto an optional lightstand clamp. They also have a lanyard that you can use to attach to a light stand.
The light comes with a limited 2 Year Warranty which can be extended to 3 years by registering online.
COB Design
Lots of LED lights on the market, including the NANLITE FC-500C are using COB technology. COB stands for “Chip On Board” where multiple LED chips are packaged together as one lighting module. The advantage of COB LEDs being multi-chip packaged is that the light-emitting area of a COB LED can contain many times more light sources in the same area that standard LEDs could occupy. This results in a greatly increased lumen output per square inch.
The fixture features a decent-sized fan that is on the underside of the light.
The biggest problem with COB LED lights is that unless you diffuse them they are very bright to look at and unsuitable for directly lighting talent.
Weight & Size
The NANLITE FC-500C is reasonably compact, however, as I previously mentioned, it does have quite a large power supply.
The FC-500C weighs 8.62lb / 3.91 kg. As a comparison, the FC-500B tips the scales at 6.97 lb / 3.16 kg.
The power supply for the FC-500C weighs 4.94. lb / 2.24 kg. This is exactly the same as the FC-500B.
The FC-500C in its included case weighs 9.3 kg / 20.5 lb.
How does the weight of the FC-500C compare to some other fixtures that could be considered competition? Below you can see.
| TOTAL WEIGHT | |
| NANLITE FC-500C | 6.15 kg / 13.55 lb |
| NANLITE FC-500B | 5.4 kg / 11.91 lb |
| Maxima 6 GaN | 4.6 kg / 10.14 lb (Fixture with Yoke) |
| ARRI Orbiter | 11.7 kg / 25.79 lb (without Yoke) |
| Prolycht Orion 675 FS | 11.1 kg / 24.5 lb (Fixture with Yoke) |
| Aputure LS 600x Pro | 10.44 kg / 23.01 lb (with yoke and power supply) |
| Godox Knowled M600DBI | 8.48 kg / 18.69 lb (with yoke and power supply) |
| Nanlite Forza 720B | 9 kg / 19.84 lb (with yoke and power supply) |
| Kelvin Epos 600 | 12.18 kg / 26.85 lb (with yoke and power supply) |
| FotodioX Pro Warrior 600X | 10.61 kg / 23.4 lb (with yoke and power supply) |
| CAME-TV Tioga Series 660W Bi-Color | 10.49 kg / 23.12 lb (with yoke and power supply) |
The nice aspect about this low weight is that you can use both the light with a reasonably lightweight and compact light stand. By having a separate power supply, NANLITE has made this possible.
CCT range
The light has a CCT range of 2700K-7500K. This is a decent enough range and it will suit most people’s needs, however, it is not as vast as some other competing full-color fixtures.
RGBW
The light is RGBW and not RGBWW or RGBACL. Lights that utilize RGBACL don’t use any white LEDs, instead, they mix all of those different color LEDs to produce white light. Hive Lighting has also been using 7 LED-chip blending. Instead of the traditional 3 colors, Hive uses red, amber, lime, cyan, green, blue, and sapphire. The advantage RGBACL has over RGBWW and RGBCW is that it is capable of giving you a larger CCT range and it can produce more saturated colors with more output. RGBWW lights tend to struggle to create saturated colors like yellow and they don’t always have as much output when generating saturated colors. They can also have a large drop-off in output at different CCT settings.
There is a lot of debate and argument over what is better. Certain companies will tell you that RGBACL is better, while others will tell you that RGBWW is better. I don’t have any horses in this race, so I am not influenced by what lighting companies say. All my reviews are based on data and facts, and every light gets the same unbiased treatment regardless of who makes it or how much it costs.
I am not a fanboy of any one particular brand who is going to give you a biased assessment of a light. I have seen, used, and reviewed hundreds of lights over the years so I think I have a pretty solid background in giving you a professional opinion that isn’t influenced by marketing hype.
Beam Angle
The beam angle of the fixture, when used open face, is 120°.
If you use the light with its included reflector it is 55°.
The included reflector is the same that you get with most NANLITE Bowens mount fixtures.
Mounting
The NANLITE FC-500C comes with a traditional two-sided yoke frame.
While this works reasonably well, there isn’t a lot of clearance and the power cable will end up hitting the yoke frame if you try and tilt the light up too much. This is the exact same issue you will have with the FC-300B and FC-500B.
As I mentioned previously, the yoke frame locks down tightly.
Power Draw
The power draw of the FC-500C is 520W. Below you can see how that compares against the Prolycht Orion 675 FS, Aputure LS 600c Pro, Aputure LS 600x Pro, Aputure LS 600d, and Nanlite Forza 720 and 720B. Please remember that some of these lights don’t feature RGBWW capabilities.
| POWER DRAW | |
| Nanlite FC-500C | 520W |
| Prolycht Orion 675 FS | 675W |
| Aputure LS 600c Pro | 720W |
| ARRI Orbiter | 500W |
| Aputure LS 600x Pro | 720W |
| Aputure LS 600d Pro | 720W |
| Nanlite Forza 720 | 800W |
| Nanlite Forza 720B | 800W |
| Maxima 6 GaN | 600W |
Up until the release of the FC-500C, NANLITE didn’t give you many options when it comes to powering FC fixtures There didn’t used to be any way of running it via a camera battery like you could from so many competing fixtures. The only way you could run the fixtures remotely was via the 48V DC PowerCon input.
Well, now NANLITE has the FC PowerController. It is a comprehensive power and control solution that expands the capabilities of the new FC-500C, plus the FC-300B and FC-500B. It can power the compatible FC series fixtures from V-mount batteries and offers control of light settings.
I am glad that NANLITE has introduced this product as it makes their FC series fixtures a lot more versatile as you can now run them remotely in the field.
This combination can be used for remote shooting, so that that FC-300B/500B/500C can work outdoors, or in other environments without access to AC power.
The FC PowerController can also act as a portable V-mount simultaneous dual battery charger. It can charge one or two 14.4-14.8V or 26V batteries at the same time by connecting to AC using the power adapter that comes with each FC-300B/500B/500C.
Key features
- Designed with two-inch screen, two buttons and two knobs
- Measures 130.6×135.5×204.5mm /5.14×5.33×8.05″
- Weighs only 1.61kg / 3.55lb
- Compatible with FC series light fixture with a DC 48V 4-pin input socket\
- Power light fixtures from V-mount batteries
- Power light fixtures from AC outlet by connecting the fixture included power adapter
- Provide wired control for light fixtures at a distance of up to 3m/9.84ft
- Charge one or two 14.4-14.8V or 26V batteries simultaneously
Connecting the FC PowerController allows the FC-300B/500B/500C to be powered by either one or two 14.4-14.8V / 26V batteries. The maximum output of each different fixture varies depending on the quantity and voltage of the V-mount batteries used.
For instance, according to NANLITE, it requires two 26V high-performance V-lock batteries to run the FC-500C at full output. Now, I tried running 2x SWIT PB-H290S 14.4V/28.8V batteries and the FC PowerController didn’t recognize that the batteries were dual voltage and just assumed they were 14.4-14.8V and it limited the output to 50% even though the batteries can supply a voltage from 22-33.6V.
UPDATE: SWIT contacted me and said that they have a Magic Sticker available that you can place on the V-mount battery plate of the power supply/controller and then the light will recognize it as a higher output battery. You will then be able to run the fixture at 100% output.
If you use two 14.4-14.8V, regardless of their capacity, the light will only run at 50% output.
Using a single 14.4V battery on the same light will limit output to 30%.
The FC PowerController can also run a fixture from AC by connecting the power adapter that originally came with the FC-300B/500B/500C. This permits connected fixtures to switch over to battery power if the AC power supply is disconnected. This is also handy when fixtures need to be moved quickly around the studio or location.
The FC PowerController provides wired control for the FC-300B/500B/500C at a distance of up to 3m/9.84ft. You simply connect to the fixture via the included connection cable and take control of the light.
You need to connect the PowerCon cable to the Power Output on the FC PowerController and then the Power Input on the FC series light. You also have to connect the 3.5mm cable to the DMX input on both the FC PowerController and the FC series light.
There is a two-inch display to show status, with two knobs and two buttons to adjust settings. The controls and menu system are exactly the same as you would find on the FC-F300B, FC-500B, and FC-500C.
The only small issue you can run into is that if you don’t screw the cable into the DMX input on both the light and the FC PowerController correctly you will get a message on the screen that says Disconnected.
The FC PowerController measures 130.6×135.5×204.5mm / 5.14×5.33×8.05″ and weighs 1.61kg / 3.55lb. It can be easily carried or hung using the in-built rope. In addition, the unit is equipped with a quick-release plate on the rear, allowing it to be mounted on a light stand or truss using an optional quick-release clamp
The FC PowerController can also act as a portable V-mount simultaneous dual battery charger. It can charge one or two 14.4-14.8V or 26V batteries at the same time by connecting to AC using the power adapter that comes with each FC-300B/500B/500C.
Now, the caveat with this product is that if you want to charge batteries you still need to carry around the power adapter that comes with the light. At least in my opinion, this is a little counterintuitive. I am not sure why NANLITE didn’t design the FC PowerController so you could plug a regular power cable straight into it.
The NANLITE FC PowerController retails for $399 USD.
Mount
Like most COB spotlights, the Nanlite FC-500C utilizes a Bowens S mount. This allows you to use readily available lighting modifiers and accessories that you may already own.
Like every Bowens S mount that doesn’t feature a locking mechanism, light modifiers will wobble around on the mount.
Controls & Menu System
The rear LCD screen on the light looks similar to what you would find on most of the NANLITE products. Although it is fairly basic, it does show you key information about the light’s operating modes, brightness, CCT, etc.
As I say in every lighting review, with a good light, you shouldn’t have to read a manual to work out how to operate it. You should be able to turn it on and use it straight away. With the FC-500B, it is easy to make changes to the CCT and brightness. The menu is also very straightforward and easy to navigate, even though it has a few more options because it is a full color light. The display is basic for modes such as RGBW, HSI, etc. and arguably it is better to use the app when accessing those modes as they are shown more intuitively.
In the menu, you can adjust quite a few settings, such as the DMX, fan, etc. The menu is pretty intuitive.
As well as being able to adjust certain parameters and modes on the light itself, you can also use the NANLINK Bluetooth app. Additionally, 2.4GHz provides control through the separately-available WS-TB-1 transmitter box for more elaborate setups, or with hardware remotes like the NANLINK WS-RC-C2. DMX/RDM control is also supported for advanced users.
Operating Modes
The lights have the following lighting modes that you can access from the fixture:
- CCT
- EFFECT
- GEL
- HSI
- RGBW
+/- Green adjustment
The fixture includes +/- Green adjustment so you can correct any tint.
CCT MODE
In CCT mode you can make adjustments from 2700-7500K. As I previously mentioned, this is a fairly limited range for a full color fixture.
EFFECT
The EFFECT mode lets you recreate a wide range of lighting effects that can be handy for certain scenarios. The effects include:
- HUE LOOP
- CCT LOOP
- INT LOOP
- FLASH
- PULSE
- STORM
- POLICE CAR
- TV
- PAPARAZZI
- CANDLE
- FIRE
- DISCO
- BAD BULB
- FIREWORK
- EXPLOSION
- WELDING
All the effects modes can be individually adjusted, and you can change the Speed and Cycle.
GEL
In GEL mode you can choose between 151 different presets.
HSI
In HSI mode you can make individual adjustments to the hue, saturation, and intensity.
RGBW
In RGBW mode you can individually control the red, green, blue, and white channels.
Bluetooth App
The light can be controlled via Bluetooth using the NANLINK App. It is relatively easy to connect up a light and get started. All you need to do is tap on add a fixture and then choose how you want to connect.
For this example, I chose Bluetooth and the app will search for available Nanlite fixtures.
Once you select the fixture you want to add, it takes about 5-10 seconds for the app to configure everything.
Once the fixture is set up you can see that it has been added to the scene page.
There is a range of parameters that you can adjust using the app, including changing the output, CCT, HSI, RGBWW, Gels, Effects, changing the fan speed, and saving presets.
In the HSI mode, you can use a virtual color palette, or a slider to make adjustments. There is also a function where you can use your smartphone’s camera to sample a color you want the light to try and reproduce.
In the RGBW mode, you can make individual adjustments to the Red, Green, Blue, and White channels. You can do this via a virtual color palette or through sliders.
In the Gel mode, you can choose from a wide array of digital gels. You can also set the CCT to 3200K or 5600K.
In the Effects mode, you can choose from a wide selection of different effects and you can make adjustments.
I like how you can save presets and then have them categorized. This makes recalling settings very easy to do.
The app is straightforward and reasonably easy to use, however, there are still some quirks with it. If you are running the light via camera batteries or you have the fan turned off, the app will still show the output as 100% even though it is not. I am not sure why Nanlite can’t seem to be able to fix this as I mention it is almost every review.
How does it stay cool?
COB lights get very hot, and keeping them cool is not an easy task. The FC-500C, as I mentioned earlier in the review, does utilize a fan.
In the menu settings for the FC-500C, you have the choice of setting the fan to the following modes:
- SMART
- FULL
- LOW
- OFF
You can also change the fan settings using the NANLINK app. As I previously mentioned, the trouble when doing this with the app, is that the intensity slider will still show 100% even if you change the fan setting to a mode where 100% isn’t possible.
On the FC-500C, the fan is reasonably loud. I would recommend that you don’t put the FC-500C too close to an audio recording source. It isn’t like the fan is really loud in its Smart setting, but you might hear it in a quiet room if it was only a meter or so away from where the audio was being recorded. The High-Speed fan mode could potentially be an issue when recording audio, but again, it depends on how close the light is to where audio is being recorded and how quiet the room is.
Photometrics
So now let’s get to the photometric results. I always test lights in this way so that I get a reference to how they compare to other fixtures. Results only tell part of the story and should never be used alone to judge a light. I have found from extensive testing over the years that certain lights that have good photometric results don’t always look good, and lights that have worse photometric scores can sometimes look better than their results indicate.
You can’t judge a light from one set of photometric results. You have to look at all of the different results to be able to come to a conclusion. You wouldn’t read one chapter of a book and think you know the whole story, so don’t look at one set of results for a light and think you can make a conclusion because you can’t.
Different lights can also look different depending on what camera you happen to be using.
Output & Color Temperature Accuracy
I tested the Nanlite FC-500C at a variety of CCT settings with a Sekonic C-800 Spectrometer to find out how much output the light had and how accurate the Kelvin color temperature reproduction was. All readings are taken at a distance of 1m (3.28ft) in a controlled environment. The readings were also taken directly from the lighting source. In the case of using the lights with their Reflector, the readings were taken from the end of those attachments.
Above are the claimed photometric data that Nanlite lists for the FC-500C.
Ok, so let’s find out if those figures are correct.
Open Face 5600K
Nanlite FC-500C 5600K (open face)
Above you can see the FC-500C recorded an output of 28,600 lx (2560 fc) when set at 5600K and used open face. NANLITE lists a figure of 28,770 lx, so the result I got was very close to their claimed figure.
The light recorded a CCT reading of 5577K which was an excellent result.
Open Face 3200K
Nanlite FC-500C 3200K (open face)
Above you can see the output when it was set at 3200K in the open face configuration was 27,900 lx (1630 fc), which was just 2.1% less than the 28,500 lx it produced at 5600K. Nanlite lists a figure of 27,970 lx, so the result I got was very similar to their claimed figure.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded a decent reading of 3080K, which could have arguably been a bit better.
Ok, so let’s now look at how much output the light had at various CCT settings when used open face.
FC-500C Open Face (max output mode)
| OUTPUT | CCT READING | |
| 2700K | 26,800 lx | 2552K |
| 3200K | 27,900 lx | 3080K |
| 4500K | 29,100 lx | 4379K |
| 5600K | 28,500 lx | 5577K |
| 6500K | 28,000 lx | 6567K |
| 7500K | 27,200 lx | 7545K |
The fixture has the most amount of output at 5600K.
As you can see, when used open face, the output varies by just 7.9% across the CCT range. This is an excellent result and it shows me that the light has very consistent output across its entire CCT range.
The light was no more than 148K off being correct at any of its CCT settings. It was the most accurate when used at 7500K. What surprised me a little bit was the light was more accurate at 5600 and above than it was at 5600K and below.
Reflector 5600K
So, now let’s see how much output the light has when used with its 55° reflector.
Nanlite FC-500C 5600K (Reflector 55°)
Above you can see the light’s output when it was set at 5600K with the reflector was 47,600 lx (4420 fc). This was 33% more than the 28,500 lx it produced at 5600K when used open face. It is important to note that this measurement was made from the end of the reflector. This is a decent amount of output for a fixture like this. Nanlite claims that the light can output 57,050 lux @1m (5600K, with reflector). Now, that figure is presumably because they measured the output 1m from the COB and not from the end of the reflector.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded a very accurate reading of 5626K. The CCT accuracy when using the reflector was better than when the light was used open face.
Reflector 3200K
Nanlite FC-500C 3200K (Reflector 55°)
Above you can see the output when it was set at 3200K with the standard reflector was 45,600 lx (4240 fc), which was 4.2% less than what it output at 5600K using the reflector.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded an exceptionally good reading of 3186K which was a very good score and better than what it recorded when used open faced.
Ok, so let’s now look at how much output the light had at various CCT settings when used with its 55° reflector.
FC-500C Reflector 55°
| OUTPUT | CCT READING | |
| 2700K | 42,900 lx | 2668K |
| 3200K | 45,600 lx | 3186K |
| 4500K | 48,500 lx | 4481K |
| 5600K | 47,600 lx | 5624K |
| 6500K | 46,800 lx | 6710K |
| 7500K | 45,800 lx | 7612K |
The fixture has the most amount of output at 4500K.
As you can see, with its reflector the output varies by 11.54% across the CCT range. The light was no more than 210K off being correct at any of its CCT settings. In saying that it was very CCT accurate at all settings except 6500K. It was the most accurate when used at 3200K.
How does the output compare against the competition?
Below you can see how the NANLITE FC-500C compares to some of the competitors when it comes to output when all of the lights are using their included reflectors.
5600K
| OUTPUT at 5600K | CCT | |
| NANLITE FC-500C 55° Reflector | 47,600 lx | 5624K |
| NANLITE FC-500B 55° Reflector | 53,300 lx | 5756K |
| Maxima 6 GaN Boost mode 70° Reflector | 65,700 lx | 5507K |
| Maxima 6 GaN Regular mode 70° Reflector | 57,600 lx | 5506K |
| Aputure LightStorm LS 600d II Pro 55° Hyper Reflector | 97,100 lx | 5728K |
| Aputure LightStorm LS 600c Pro 55° Hyper Reflector | 49,000 lx | 5617K |
| Prolycht Orion 675 FS 55° Reflector | 55,700 lx | 5515K |
| ARRI Orbiter (60° Optic/ High Output mode) | 18,800 lx | 5733K |
| Nanlite Forza 720 55° Reflector | 124,000 lx* | NA |
| Nantlite Forza 720B 55° Reflector | 73,000 lx | 5397K |
*Not independently tested (manufacturer claims)
As you can see, the Nanlite FC-500C had the least amount of output of any of the fixtures I have tested, however, it also draws a lot less power. It has 6,000 lx less output than the Nanlite FC-500B. Its CCT reading at 5600K was excellent and better than most of the other competing fixtures.
3200K
| Output at 3200K | CCT | |
| NANLITE FC-500C | 45,600 lx (55° Reflector) | 3186K |
| NANLITE FC-500B | 41,700 lx (55° Reflector) | 3119K |
| Aputure LS 600c Pro | 37,300 lx (Hyper reflector 62°) | 3209K |
| ARRI Orbiter | 14,300 lx (60° Optic/ High Output mode) | 3199K |
| Prolycht Orion 675 FS | 47,700 lx (wide reflector 55°) | 3230K |
| Nantlite Forza 720B | 58,900 lx (55° Reflector) | 3148K |
As you can see, the Nanlite FC-500C has a decent amount of output considering it has a lower power draw than some of these other lights. Its CCT reading at 3200K was excellent and better than a lot of the other competing fixtures.
Again, I need to stress that these are not apples-to-apples comparisons because of the different power draws and beam angles.
Battery Power Output
Let’s now look at how much output the FC-500C has when it is run using the new FC PowerController.
Summary of results FC-500C
| BATTERIES | OUTPUT |
| 2x 26V Batteries | 24,100 lx |
| 2x 14.4V 150Wh Batteries | 23,600 lx |
| 1x 14.4V Battery | 14,100 lx |
When using the FC-500C with the FC PowerController there are some caveats. It doesn’t matter whether you are using two 14.4V or 26V batteries or what their capacity is, the output is capped at 50%.
If you try running the light via a single battery, regardless of its capacity, the output is capped at just 30%.
The good news is that you can use two flight-safe batteries to power the FC-500C remotely but at only 50% output.
Nanlite FC-500C with DoPChoice Octa 3 Softbox
Let’s now see how much output the FC-500C has when used in conjunction with a DoPChoice Octa 3 softbox at 5600K.
Above you can see the output when it was set at 5600K and used with the DoPChoice Octa 3 softbox was 7410 lx (689 fc). This is a good amount of output.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded an ok reading of 5327K.
CCT consistency & linear output when dimming the light
Now, what you should always do when testing lights is to see if the CCT remains consistent when dimming the light. Just because you set a light at say 5600K, that doesn’t mean that the CCT will remain stable as you start dimming the fixture down. I also wanted to see how linear the dimming curve was.
I decided to do a series of tests at 100%/75%/50%/25%10% to see if the CCT reading changed. This was done at a distance of 1m / 3.3′ using a Sekonic C-800. These tests were done at 5600K with the reflector.
Nanlite FC-500C
| CCT READING | OUTPUT | INTENSITY % |
| 5624K | 47,600 lx | 100 |
| 5754K | 36,300 lx | 75 |
| 5773K | 24,800 lx | 50 |
| 5808K | 12,500 lx | 25 |
| 5691K | 4960 lx | 10 |
The Nanlite FC-500C wasn’t great at maintaining CCT consistency as you start dimming the fixture. My testing showed that the CCT varied by 184K.
As far as how linear the output is when you start dimming the light, at 50% output it had 47.89% less output than when used at 100%. At 25% it had 73.73% less output than when used at 100%. At 10% output, it had 89.57% less output than when used at 100%. This shows me that the light’s dimming curve is reasonably linear.
Output in various fan modes
As you can adjust the fan settings, let’s see how the output gets affected.
Nanlite FC-500C 5600K Reflector
| OUTPUT | |
| Smart | 47,600 lx |
| Low | 25,000 lx |
| Off | 3,850 lx |
What this tells me is that when you use the FC-500C in the Low fan setting the output gets reduced by 47.47%. When you turn the fan Off the output gets reduced by 91.9%.
Output & accuracy when creating saturated colors
I also wanted to test the light to see how it performed when creating a super-saturated Red.
0° – RED
Above you can see that the light when using its reflector recorded an output of 8100 lx (753 fc).
As far as creating an accurate 0° RED, the FC-500C was spot on with a 0° reading and 100% saturation.
220°- BLUE
Above you can see that the light when using its reflector recorded an output of 4630 lx (430 fc).
As far as creating an accurate 240° BLUE, the FC-500C was spot on with a 240° reading and 100% saturation.
120°- GREEN
Above you can see that the light when using its reflector recorded an output of 21,400 lx (1990 fc).
As far as creating an accurate 120° GREEN, the FC-500C was 1° off with a reading of 119° and 100% saturation.
60°- YELLOW
Above you can see that the light when using its reflector recorded an output of 25,900 lx (2410 fc).
As far as creating an accurate 60° YELLOW, the FC-500C was 4° off with a reading of 64° and 100% saturation.
What you clearly need to know when using RGB lights like this is that the output levels you can produce when creating super-saturated colors are less than when using the light in its CCT mode.
Color Rendering
So now that we have seen how much output the Nanlite FC-500C produces, how does it perform when it comes to replicating accurate colors?
NANLITE claims that the FC-500C has SSI ratings of 84 (3200K) and 71 (5600K), a CRI of 95 and TLCI of 94, and a TM-30 Rf Average of 92 and a Rg Average of 100.
Nanlite FC-500C 5600K (Reflector)
Above you can see that when the FC-500C was set at 5600K using the standard reflector it recorded an average CRI (R1-R8) of 95.6 and an extended CRI (R1-R15) of 93.3. For replicating accurate skin tones it recorded 96.7 for R9 (red), 98.7 for R13 (closest to caucasian skin tones), and 97.3 for R15 (closest to Asian skin tones). These were just average results for a new LED light, and the light struggles to produce R12 (Blue) with a very low score of just 69.3. R10 (yellow) and R3 were also below 90.
| CRI | EXT CRI | R9 | R13 | R15 | |
| NANLITE FC-500C | 95.6 | 93.3 | 96.7 | 98.7 | 97.3 |
| NANLITE FC-500B | 97.3 | 95.49 | 90.8 | 98.6 | 97.3 |
| NANLITE Forza 720B | 98.6 | 97.04 | 92.7 | 99.3 | 97.2 |
| ARRI Orbiter | 98.1 | 97.1 | 86.3 | 98.9 | 97.4 |
| Prolycht Orion 675 FS | 98.0 | 96.73 | 98.2 | 98.9 | 98.4 |
| Aputure LS 600c Pro | 96.5 | 95.32 | 98.9 | 99.0 | 96.2 |
| ZHIYUN MOLUS B500 | 96.0 | 93.71 | 86.5 | 94.5 | 92.2 |
As a color rendering accuracy comparison, above you can see how the FC-FC-500C compares against NANLITE’s own Forza 720B, FC-500B, Prolycht Orion 675 FS, Aputure LS 600c Pro, ARRI Orbiter, and the ZHIYUN MOLUS B500. The color rendering scores were lower than the other lights that I have previously reviewed, which somewhat surprised me. In saying that, the key scores for R9, R13, and R15 were all excellent.
The FC-500C, when set at 5600K, recorded a TLCI score of 94.
Nanlite FC-5000B 3200K (Reflector)
Above you can see the scores for when the light was used at 3200K. It recorded an average CRI (R1-R8) of 95.5 and an extended CRI (R1-R15) of 93.71. For replicating accurate skin tones it recorded 94.7 for R9 (red), 95.6 for R13 (closest to caucasian skin tones), and 96.3 for R15 (closest to Asian skin tones). These were good results, but not quite as good as when the light was used at 5600K. R12 (Blue) and R10 (Yellow) were under 90.
| CRI | EXT CRI | R9 | R13 | R15 | |
| NANLITE FC-500C | 95.5 | 93.71 | 94.7 | 95.6 | 96.3 |
| NANLITE FC-500B | 96.5 | 95.58 | 98.2 | 95.1 | 96.7 |
| NANLITE Forza 720B | 96.5 | 96.22 | 97.4 | 95.6 | 97.4 |
| Prolycht Orion 675 FS | 96.1 | 94.19 | 79.0 | 96.5 | 93.2 |
| ARRI Orbiter | 97.8 | 96.89 | 80.7 | 99.9 | 96.9 |
| Aputure LS 600c Pro | 98.2 | 96.78 | 91.5 | 99.1 | 99.0 |
| ZHIYUN MOLUS B500 | 96.5 | 95.58 | 98.2 | 95.1 | 96.7 |
As a color rendering accuracy comparison, above you can see how the FC-FC-500C compares against NANLITE’s own Forza 720B, FC-500B, Prolycht Orion 675 FS, Aputure LS 600c Pro, ARRI Orbiter, and the ZHIYUN MOLUS B500. Just like at 5600K, the color rendering scores were lower than other lights I have previously tested. However, just like at 5600K, the key scores for R9, R13, and R15 were all good.
The FC-500C, when set at 3200K, recorded a TLCI score of 96.
CC Index & ⊿uv
The CC Index displays the CC correction value and whether any magenta or green need to be added or subtracted. 1 CC corresponds to 035 Kodak CC values or 1/8 Rosco filter values. Any reading less than +1.00 or -1.00 and you’re probably not going to need to make any kind of adjustment. The ⊿uv is the value to show how much this light is away from being an ideal light source (black body radiation = incandescent lamp). As with the CC Index you want this number to theoretically be zero. Kelvin is not a linear value, so we need to convert from Kelvin to MK-1 to compare the values of color temperature. To calculate from Kelvin to Mired is MK-1= 1*1000000/Kelvin. While this may sound confusing, it is the only way of measuring if the Kelvin shift is significant enough to warrant having to use a filter for correction. Below are the results for the Nanlite FC-500C:
Nanlite FC-500C Kelvin Vs MK-1
| Kelvin | Difference in K | MK-1 | Difference in MK-1 | |
| SET VALUE | 2700K | 0 | 370.37 | 0 |
| ACTUAL READING | 2668K | 32 | 374.81 | -4.44 MK-1 |
| SET VALUE | 3200K | 0 | 312.5 | 0 |
| ACTUAL READING | 3186K | 14 | 313.87 | -1.37 MK-1 |
| SET VALUE | 4500K | 0 | 222.22 | 0 |
| ACTUAL READING | 4481K | 19 | 223.16 | -0.94 MK-1 |
| SET VALUE | 5600K | 0 | 178.57 | 0 |
| ACTUAL READING | 5624K | 24 | 177.80 | 0.77 MK-1 |
| SET VALUE | 6500K | 0 | 153.84 | 0 |
| ACTUAL READING | 6710K | 210 | 149.03 | 4.81 MK-1 |
| SET VALUE | 7500K | 0 | 133.33 | 0 |
| ACTUAL READING | 7612 | 112 | 131.37 | 1.96 MK-1 |
These figures might look confusing, but what they tell me is that the light is exceptionally CCT accurate across its range. Any MK-1 score that is under -9/9 means you wouldn’t have to use any color correction gels. The MK-1 scores for this light were very good at 3200K, 4500K, and 5600K. Any MK-1 score that is under -6/6 is a very good result.
Nanlite FC-500C CC INDEX & ⊿uv
| CC INDEX | ⊿uv | |
| 2700K | 0.1G | -0.0002 |
| 3200K | 0.0 | -0.0001 |
| 4500K | 0.1M | 0.0006 |
| 5600K | 0.0 | 0.0012 |
| 6500K | 0.2G | 0.0010 |
| 7500K | 0.4G | 0.0010 |
The CC Index and ⊿uv results across the board were outstanding. The light had almost perfect ⊿uv scores at 2700K and 3200K.
The consistency of the light was very impressive.
TM-30
TM-30 is a relatively new color rendering standard that was developed to deal with the limitations of CRI. TM-30 looks at 99 individual colors. These 99 colors are categorized into seven groups: nature, skin color, textiles, paints, plastics, printed material, and color systems.
TM-30 scores go from 0 – 100. The higher the score, the more accurate a light is at producing colors. Any TM-30 Rf score in the ’90s is considered to be good. What is interesting and something that you need to be very aware of is that two separate light sources with the exact same CRI scores can render colors very differently. A light with a high CRI rating could have a low TM-30 score. Conversely, a light with a good TM-30 score could have a bad CRI score.
Now, there are two measurements associated with TM-30, Rf and Rg.
Rf (Color Fidelity)
Rg (Color Gamut)
With Rf value, ideally, you want a score in the 90’s.
With Rg value, a score below 100 indicates that the light source renders colors with less saturation than the reference source. So ideally you want this score to be above 100.
Here are the results:
Nanlite FC-500C
2700K 
3200K 
4500K 
5600K 
6500K 
Above you can see the scores for the FC-500C at various CCT settings. Below I have listed the figures as well.
Here are the results:
| Rf | Rg | |
| 2700K | 95 | 101 |
| 3200K | 93 | 101 |
| 4500K | 91 | 100 |
| 5600K | 91 | 101 |
| 6500K | 90 | 100 |
| 7500K | 90 | 101 |
The TM-30 scores are all very good and it shows me that the light is very consistent at replicating accurate colors with full saturation.
SSI
SSI (Spectral Similarity Index) was developed by the Sci-Tech Council of the Academy. SSI gives me the ability to set any light as a standard, or use predefined standards (such as CIE D55), and then give other lights an SSI score based on how well they will match standards such as CIE D55. This way I can measure spectral response and compare it directly against an ideal light source. This is actually a much better test than recording CRI scores.
Now, in saying that, SSI scores don’t tell you everything you need to know and they shouldn’t be used as a definitive result to categorize any light’s photometric performance.
Nanlite FC-500C 3200K
In this graph, the red bars indicate a perfect Planck 3200K source. The gold bars indicate a perfect 3200K Tungsten source. This lets us compare how close to a perfect 3200K lighting source the FC-500C is. Any SSI score in the high 70’s, low ’80s is very good for a 3200K LED light. The results for the FC-500C were reasonably good when used at 3200K. As you can see, LED lights have a hard time replicating colors below about 450nm.
Nanlite FC-500C 5600K
In this graph, the red bars indicate a perfect Planck 3200K source. The gold bars indicate a perfect 3200K Tungsten source. This lets us compare how close to a perfect 3200K lighting source the FC-500C is. Any SSI score in the high 70’s, low ’80s is very good for a 3200K LED light.
The main reason we want to record SSI scores is so we can see how well they match with other lights. As an example, I wanted to see how well the FC-500C matched the ARRI Orbiter and ZHIYUN MOLUS B500. Below you can see the results.
The FC-500C certainly isn’t a close match to the ARRI Orbiter, but it is a little closer of a match to the ZHIYUN MOLUS B500
When used at 3200K the FC-500C is a better match to the ARRI Orbiter than it was at 5600K. The score with the ZHIYUN MOLUS B500 was pretty similar to what it was at 5600K.
Ok, so let’s do another test where we can see how well the FC-500C when used with its reflector matches itself when used open-faced and when used with a DoPChoice Octa 3′ softbox.
As you can see, the light is almost a perfect match when used with or without its reflector. When using the DoPChoice Octa 3′ the result was still 96, but with a bit of fine-tuning you could easily get it to match.
SSI tests are a great way of telling you what lights you own or use will work well together.
Spectral Distribution
Nanlite FC-500C 5600K
Above you can see the spectral distribution of the FC-500C when it is set at 5600K. The spectral distribution was a little all over the place and you can see a noticeable green spike.
As a comparison, above you can see the spectral distribution of the Nanlite Forza 720B. It is considerably fuller than both the FC-300B and FC-500B.
Nanlite FC-500C 3200K
Above you can see the spectral distribution of the FC-500C when it is set at 3200K. The spectral distribution wasn’t overly full.
As a comparison, above you can see the spectral distribution for the Nanlite Forza 720B.
All three lights had very similar spectral responses when used at 3200K.
Real-World Performance & Quality of Light
As I always say, photometric scores only tell you part of the story. So let’s see how the FC-500C performs in the real world.
The photometric results can only give me scientific data and it is much more important for me to see how the light looks and performs.
The FC-500C is more than capable of producing great results and most importantly, it is relatively easy to use and quick to set up. For its price, it can certainly give a lot more expensive fixtures a run for their money.
The reflector does have a slight hot spot, and there is some slight color fringing on the edges of the beam.
Open Face 
Reflector
Above you can see the difference in the type of shadows they create when used open face and with their reflector. When used open face you will get clean shadows. If you use the reflector then the shadows won’t have as defined outlines.
Reflector 
Reflector (Fan Low Speed) 
Reflector (Fan Off) 
Reflector (2x 14.4V Batteries) 
Light Off
Above you can see some photos I took when I placed the FC-500C outside and punched it through a sheer curtain into a room using the included reflector, in various fan modes, and when run via 2x 14.4V batteries. I have kept the exposure settings the same for all of the shots.
Light On 
Light Off
Above you can see some shots with it pointing down directly at a table.
Reflector 
Open Face 
Light Off
Above you can see what the light looks like when punched directly into the ceiling.
Reflector 
Open Face 
Light Off
Above you can see what the light looks like when punched into a wall at a distance of 3m / 9.9′.
I also tried the lights with a DoPChoice Octa 3 softbox. While the light won’t fill the softbox completely, it still does enough to provide good results.
In the above example images I have just used the FC-500C and no other lights. The FC-500C was only set at 14% output. The FC-500C is more than capable of producing enough output when coupled with a large softbox for most interview requirements.
Above you can see the light used with the optional Projection Mount. The Projection mount works really well and it allows you to really concentrate light into a tiny area.
The lights also work well when used with bounce boards or the CRLS reflector system when you combine them with the Fresnel or Nanlite Projector.
Who is the FC-500C aimed at?
I think a lot of people who are in the market for a compact-sized powerful full-color light will be looking closely at the FC-500C, especially given its reasonably low price and the fact that you can now run it via camera batteries using the optional FC PowerController.
The light is priced to appeal to owner-operators who are looking for a powerful and reasonably lightweight jack-of-all-trades lighting solution. The versatility of the FC-500C allows it to be used as a hard light source, a soft source, a fresnel, a gobo, or just about anything else you want it to be with the correct modifier. As I also just mentioned, the ability to now run it remotely in the field further increases its versatility.
Price & Availability
The Nanlite FC-500C retails for $1,099 USD, which makes it very affordable given its performance and capabilities. This price makes it an appealing prospect for those shooters who are looking for a reasonably lightweight and powerful spotlight that offers good performance without emptying your wallet. It is also a lot more affordable than most other lights in this space.
Competition
The COB spotlight market has become increasingly overcrowded in the last few years. Below are some of the lights that could be considered competition for the FC-500C.
| PRICE | |
| NANLITE FC-500C | $1,099 USD |
| NANLITE FC-500B | $559 USD* |
| NANLITE Forza 500B II | $1,199.20 USD* |
| Maxima 6 GaN | 2.999 € |
| ARRI Orbiter | $6,300 USD |
| Prolycht Orion 675 FS | Discontinued |
| Aputure LS 600c Pro II | $2,490 USD |
| Aputure LS 600x Pro | $1,990 USD |
| Godox Knowled M600DBI | $1,299 USD* |
| Nanlite Forza 720B | $1,519.20 USD* |
| Kelvin Epos 600 | $3,999 USD |
| FotodioX Pro Warrior 600X | $1,649.99 USD |
| CAME-TV Tioga Series 660W Bi-Color | $1,298 USD |
| ZHIYUN MOLUS B500 | $579 USD |
*Currently on special at B&H as of the 30th July 2024.
Optional Extras
The NANLITE FC-500C can be used with Nanlite’s own accessories, but because it also comes with a Bowens mount adapter, there are a ton of affordable accessories you could also use.
Conclusion
The Nanlite FS-500C, like most of Nanlite’s fixtures, is a solid offering. They are both color-accurate, and they feature a good amount of output. Spotlights like these offer a lot of versatility and they can be used for so many different applications and that is certainly why so many people are using them these days.
Having the ability to use the FC-500C with a wide array of lighting modifiers and the fact that you can now use it with the optional FC PowerController to run it remotely from camera batteries gives the light even more versatility.
The interface and operating system are basic, but they are easy to use. The app is a lot better than it used to be, but there is still some room for improvement.
The build quality is ok, but it isn’t as robustly made as some of the other competing lights in this space, however, in saying that, a lot of the competition is also significantly more expensive.
The fan noise is a little loud in my opinion and you need to be aware of that if it’s placed too close to where critical audio is being captured. The small size and lightweight nature of the fixture make it a great option for anyone who is traveling, especially since it can now be powered remotely, A couple of these lights with a few of the modifiers and you could have a relatively small and compact lighting kit that could handle a lot of lighting requirements.
The quality and color consistency of NANLITE fixtures over the last few years have improved a lot. The FC-500C offers fantastic value for money. It has a good amount of output, and it is reasonably lightweight and compact.
The CCT accuracy is impressive and the light has almost identical output across its CCT range. The color rendering scores are decent, but they could be better.
If you are looking for a full-color COB spotlight that won’t empty your wallet and you need to run lights remotely from camera batteries then the FC-500C is a good option that is a lot more affordable than most of its direct competition.
