The Neewer AS600B COB LED Video Light is being touted as a bright, flicker-free, and continuous light source for professional news broadcasting, TV production, filmmaking, and commercial shooting. It offers a 2700K-6500K CCT range, a CRI 96+/TLCI 98+, and a claimed output of 99,000 lx @1m / 3.3′ (with a standard reflector).
Essentially it is a direct competitor to lights such as the Aputure LS 600x, Godox Knowled M600Bi Bi-Color LED Monolight, and Nanlite Forza 500B II.
Key features
- For Studio & Film/TV Production
- Output: 99,000 Lux at 3.3′ w/ Reflector
- 2700-6500K CCT
- AC or Battery Power
- Onboard, DMX, Wireless & App Control
- CRI 96 | TLCI 98
- Fan Cooled
- Bowens S Accessory Mount
- 12 Scene Effects; 11 Matching Modes
- Includes Power Cord & Trolley Case
The Neewer AS600B was designed as a versatile and professional lighting fixture that is color-accurate, powerful, and easy to use. COB spotlights that draw around 500-700W have arguably become more popular than 300W versions over the last few years. We have started to see more and more full-color fixtures with this type of power draw coming to the market, but bi-color fixtures still have their place.
As I have mentioned numerous times before, 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 over the last few years and why there are so many options to choose from and why lighting companies continue to make them in large numbers.
So, let’s see how the Neewer S600B stacks up against its competitors.
Concept
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 is reasonably priced and offers good bang for your buck. The biggest 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. The quality of almost all LED fixtures has gotten to a point where it is very hard to find a bad light. What separates a lot of the fixtures today can come down to customer service and providing a comprehensive range of products that can all work in unison together.
Bowens Mount fixtures like the Neewer AS600B enable you to use a ton of very affordable lighting modifiers. This is another reason why they are so popular. Having the ability to swap around lighting modifiers from one light to another saves a lot of money.
Appearance-wise, the Neewer AS600B doesn’t;t look that much different from most other competing fixtures.
Build Quality
The build quality of the Neewer AS600B is good and it is in line with other competing products at this price and with a similar feature set. The housing is reasonably robust and everything is solidly made.
The Neewer AS600B features a separate power supply/controller which is fairly common with most lights with his type of power draw.
The power supply/controller is also nicely made, however, I didn’t find the buttons or dials to be overly tactile.
The Bowens Mount release is just a small metal pin which I didn’t find very comfortable to use.
The yoke frame locks down securely when tightened and it is nice to see a well-made locking system that is very robust.
The locking mechanism for where you attach the yoke frame to a light stand is nice and solid and there are two mounting holes so you have the flexibility of being able to place the light in various configurations on a light stand.
Neewer gives you a rolling case with the AS600B. This case is reasonably well made and very similar to what you would get with an Aputure or Nanlite fixture.
The light also comes with a limited 2-year warranty.
COB Design
Lots of LED lights on the market 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 biggest disadvantage of a COB LED is that it generates a lot of heat.
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 Neewer AS600B lamp head tips the scales at 11 lb / 5 kg, and the power supply/controller weighs 8.2 lb / 3.74 kg. This makes it reasonably lightweight for a fixture of this size and power draw that can be run via camera batteries.
| TOTAL WEIGHT | |
| Neewer AS600B | 19.2 lb / 8.74 kg |
| Nanlite Forza 500B II | 17.41 lb / 7.9 kg |
| Aputure LS 600x | 22.15 lb / 10.05 kg |
| Godox Knowled M600BI | 19.18 lb / 8.7 kg |
| CAME-TV Tioga Series 660W Bi-Color | 23.12 lb / 10.49 kg |
| SmallRig RC 450B | 18.82 lb / 8.54 kg |
How does the weight compare to some other competing lights? Above you can see.
CCT range
The Neewer AS600B has a CCT range of 2700K to 6500K. This is a decent enough range and it will suit most people’s needs.
No +/- G/M Correction
The Neewer AS600B doesn’t feature any +/- G/M correction like some of the other competing fixtures. +/- G/M correction is a handy feature to have on a light because it can help you when you are trying to match other fixtures or when working in environments where you need to try and match available light sources.
Beam Angle
The beam angle of the fixture, when used open face, is 120°. If you use it with the included reflector it is 55°.
The included reflector is similar to what you would find on a lot of Bowens mount spotlights.
Mounting
The AS600B comes with a traditional two-sided yoke frame, but it only has a locking mechanism on one side.
There is enough clearance so that the power cable does not hit the yoke frame if you try and tilt the light up.
You do get a clamp attachment in the kit that allows you to mount the power supply/controller to a light stand, etc.
Power Draw
| POWER DRAW | |
| Neewer AS600B | 700W |
| Nanlite Forza 500B II | 580W |
| Aputure LS 600x | 720W |
| Godox Knowled M600BI | 730W |
| CAME-TV Tioga Series 660W Bi-Color | 660W |
| SmallRig RC 450B | 499.8W |
The power draw of the AS600B is 700W. Above you can see how this compares against the competition. 700W is on par with a lot of the competition.
The control box has the power adapter incorporated inside. There are V-mount battery plates on both sides of the control box. As far as I am aware, Neewer doesn’t offer an AB Gold mount version, but you could buy a third-party Gold mount to V-mount conversion plates if required.
Dual 26V or 14.4V-14.8V batteries can be used. If you don’t use 26V batteries then the maximum output is capped when using 14.4V-14.8V batteries. What you have to be mindful of with high-power draw spotlights is that if you want to run them remotely you are going to need high-capacity, high-draw batteries or a power inverter, etc.
I tried running the fixture from two 26V batteries and it came up with a warning saying overvoltage.
The light also wouldn’t run off a single 14.4V-14.8V battery unless you use a high-capacity one. In this case, I was using a FXLION BP-HP600 14.4V / 559Wh High Power Waterproof Battery.
I tried running it from a single SmallRig x Caleb Pike VB212 Mini V-Mount Battery and it wouldn’t turn on.
It is good to see that Neewer also allows you to use a 48 VDC (15 A)
100 to 240 VAC, 50 / 60 Hz power source.
I was able to use a SWIT TD-R230S 48V 750W Light Stand Power Adaptor and 2x SWIT HB-C420S 500W High Load 420Wh V-mount Batteries to power the light at 100%.
The power supply has both DMX-In and DMX-Out.
Mount
Like most COB spotlights, the Neewer AS600B utilizes a Bowens mount. This allows you to use readily available lighting modifiers and accessories that you may already own. Neewer also makes a lot of accessories that you can use.
Controls & Menu System
The LCD screen on the power supply/controller clearly shows you key information about the light’s operating modes, brightness, CCT, etc.
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.
In the menu, you can adjust quite a few settings, such as the Output Mode, Dimming Curve, DMX, Fan, etc. The menu is reasonably intuitive, and it is easy enough to make changes to items that you need to adjust.
As well as being able to adjust certain parameters and modes on the light itself, you can also use the Neewer Bluetooth app. Additionally, the fixture can also work on a 2.4 GHz connection for convenient group control, and as I previously mentioned, it has DMX capability for advanced control from an optional DMX console.
Operating Modes
The light has the following lighting modes that you can access from the fixture:
- CCT
- FX
- Source Matching
The light also features a Constant Brightness Mode and a Maximum Power Output Mode. In Constant Brightness Mode the output is claimed to be the same across the fixture’s CCT range. Conversely, in Maximum Power Output Mode, the light will output its maximum brightness at various CCT settings.
These are not very well labeled in the Menu on the fixture. Constant Brightness Mode is labeled as CP and Maximum Power Output Mode is labeled as CL.
FX
The FX mode offers 12 different scene effects. Creative lighting effects include lightning, paparazzi, defective bulb, explosion, welding, CCT flash, CCT pulse, candlelight, CCT loop, INT loop, TV screen, and fireworks.
All the effects modes can be individually adjusted, and you change the Speed and Cycle.
Source Matching
The light offers 13 source-matching modes. The Source Matching modes you can choose from are:
- Dawn
- Daytime
- Daylight
- Tungsten
- Video Lamp
- Modeling Lamp
- Dysprosium
- HMI 6000
- Warm Halogen
- White Halogen
- Xenon Shor-Arc
Favorite Presets
Neewer also gives you the ability to save up to 30 presets, which is very handy.
Bluetooth App
The light can be controlled via Bluetooth using the Neewer App. It is relatively easy to connect up a light and get started. All you need to do is tap on add a fixture (if you are doing it for the first time).
Once it has been added you can then go ahead and select it from the list.
There is a range of parameters that you can adjust using the app, including changing the output, CCT, setting the fan mode, saving presets, and switching between constant and maximum output modes, etc.
The app is straightforward and reasonably easy to use. While it is not overly visual, it does get the job done.
How does it stay cool?
COB lights get very hot, and keeping them cool is not an easy task. The Neewer AS600B, as I mentioned earlier in the review, does feature a large fan.
To keep things cool you need to utilize a fan, but as we all know, the caveat with most fans comes in the form of unwanted noise.
In the menu settings on the light, you have the choice of setting the fan in the following modes:
- AUTO
- HIGH
- MED
- MUTE
The problem I have with the fan modes is that the display, nor the app, accurately displays what the output actually is. Both will still display 100% output regardless of what fan mode you have chosen. This is something that needs to be addressed because it can easily lead to confusion.
Even the instruction manual doesn’t tell you what the output is capped to when using the various fan modes.
If you set the fan to Medium the maximum output is lower than when it is used in Auto or High.
If you set the fan to MUTE. the light will start to dim down slowly, but as I previously mentioned, the output still shows 100%.
You can also control the fan settings using the Neewer app, however, as I mentioned, the trouble when doing this with the app, is that the intensity slider won’t show you the correct values. For example, if I turn the fan to MUTE, the intensity slider still shows you value up to 100% even though the light is at a reduced output. This is where I think Neewer needs to pay more attention to small details. Little quirks like this could easily be addressed by updating the app, but unfortunately, a lot of lighting companies release apps, and then very rarely ever update them.
The fan in the light is relatively quiet even when it is used in the Auto or High setting. I kept the light on for a considerable amount of time at 100% output and I could barely hear the fan.
In the app there is a temperature indicator next to the fan mode that you can monitor.
Neewer appears to have done a really good job of limiting the fan noise with this fixture.
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. Looking at one set of results is like reading one chapter in a book and then thinking you know what the whole story is. Everything needs to be considered to come up with an accurate conclusion. Don’t let anyone tell you that SSI scores are the only thing that matters these days.
Different lights can also look different depending on what camera you happen to be using.
Output & Color Temperature Accuracy
I tested the Neewer AS600B 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 CCT 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 light with the Reflector, they were taken from the end of that attachment, and not from the COB. When I refer to the edge of the attachment, readings are taken in the middle of the attachment from where they actually end. So for example, If I am taking measurements with a reflector being used, I measure from where the reflector ends and not from the COB.
5600K open face (Maximum Power Output Mode)
Above you can see the Neewer AS600B recorded an output of 27,200 lx (2520 fc) when set at 5600K and used open face.
The light recorded a CCT reading of 5682K which was a good result.
3200K open face (Maximum Power Output Mode)
Above you can see the output when it was set at 3200K in the open face configuration was 22,700 lx (2110 fc), which was 16.54% less than the 27,200 lx it produced at 5600K.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded an outstanding reading of 3207K.
5600K open face (Constant Brightness Mode)
Above you can see the Neewer AS600B recorded an output of 21,200 lx (1970 fc) when set at 5600K and used open face in its contact output mode. This was 22% less than what it produced in the Maximum Power Output Mode.
The light recorded a CCT reading of 5616K which was an excellent result. This was better than the reading in its Maximum Power Output Mode.
3200K open face (Constant Brightness Mode)
Above you can see the output when it was set at 3200K in the open face configuration in its Constant Output Mode was 21,500 lx (2000 fc), which was 5.28% less than the 22,700 lx it produced when used in its Maximum Power Output Mode.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded an excellent reading of 3218K.
Reflector
So, now let’s see how much output the light has when used with its 55° reflector.
5600K Reflector 55° (Maximum Power Output Mode)
Above you can see the light’s output when it was set at 5600K with the reflector was 81,500 lx (7570 fc). This was 199.63% more than the 27,200 lx it produced at 5600K when used open face. It is important to note that this measurement was made from where the reflector ends. This is a lot of output from a fixture this size.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded a very good reading of 5647K. This result was slightly better than when the light was used open face. This shows me that the reflector is slightly altering the CCT, but in a good way.
3200K Reflector 55° (Maximum Power Output Mode)
Above you can see the output when it was set at 3200K with the standard reflector was 69,100 lx (6420 fc), which was 204.4% more than what it output at 3200K when used open face.
As far as CCT accuracy goes, it recorded a very good reading of 3234K. The CCT accuracy when using the reflector was fairly similar to when the light is used open face. It is nice to know that when using the reflector the light’s CCT won’t change by any huge noticeable difference.
Maximum Output when using 14.4V-14.8V Batteries
I also tested the output when running the light remotely off two 14.8V batteries. Neewer doesn’t state that the max output is capped at when running 14.4V-14.8V batteries.
Above you can see that the output when it was set at 5600K with the standard reflector running off two 14.8V batteries was 31,9000 lx (2960 fc), which was 60.85% of the output it had at 5600K using the reflector via mains power.
This tells me that the output is capped at around 60% when using two 14.4-14.8V batteries, regardless of their capacity.
Maximum Output when using a single 26V Battery
I also tested the output when running the light remotely off a high-capacity 26V battery. As I mentioned earlier in the review, I tried using two 26V batteries and I got an Over Voltage warning, and the power supply/controller shut off.
Above you can see that the output when it was set at 5600K with the standard reflector running off a single 26V battery was 15,700 lx (1460 fc), which was 80.73% less output than it had at 5600K using the reflector via mains power. This shows me that a single battery limits the output to around 20%.
Maximum Output when using 48V Power
I also tested the output when running the light remotely off two high-capacity 26V batteries and a SWIT 48V power convertor.
Above you can see that the output when it was set at 5600K with the standard reflector running off a 48V power source was 82,900 lx (7700 fc). This shows me that the light can be run at 100% output using a 48V power source without any issues.
Output when using a DoPchoice Octa 3 Softbox
I also tested the output when using a DoPchoice Octa 3 Softbox.
Above you can see that the output when it was set at 5600K with the DoPchoice Octa 3 softbox was 9,930 lx (923 fc). This is a good amount of output when using a diffused modifier.
Output & CCT comparison against the competition
5600K (Reflector)
| OUTPUT | CCT READING | |
| Neewer AS600B | 81,500 lx* | 5647K |
| Forza 500B II | 49,500 lx* | 5551K |
| Aputure LS 600x | 68,400 lx* | 5397K |
| Godox Knowled M600Bi | 198,000 lx** | NA |
| CAME-TV TIOGA Series 660 | 152,703 lx** | NA |
| SmallRig RC 450B | 121,000 lx** | NA |
*Independently tested
**Claimed output (not tested)
3200K (Reflector)
| OUTPUT | CCT READING | |
| Neewer AS600B | 69,100 lx* | 3234K |
| Forza 500B II | 42,700 lx* | 3292K |
| Aputure LS 600x | 49,600 lx* | 3046K |
| Godox Knowled M600Bi | 164,000 lx** | NA |
| CAME-TV TIOGA Series 660 | 105,296 lx** | NA |
| SmallRig RC 450B | 107,000 lx** | NA |
*Independently tested
**Claimed output (not tested)
So as a comparison, how does this output compare to the competition when using their included reflectors? Well, above you can see. Please note that these lights all have different power draws and that some of these figures are manufacturers’ claims and have not been independently verified. The Neewer AS600B has considerably more output than both the Aputure LS 600x and Nanlite Forza 500B II.
Some of these claimed figures for the Godox, CAME-TV, and SmallRig look very dubious to me. I find it very hard to believe that the Godox Knowled M600Bi has an output of 198,000 lx @1m when used with its reflector at 5600K. I take output figures that haven’t been independently tested with a grain of salt.
Ok, just as another comparison, let’s see how the output and CCT figures compare against a couple of full-color lights when their standard reflectors are used.
5600K
| OUTPUT | CCT | |
| Neewer AS600B | 81,500 lx | 5647K |
| Kelvin Epos 600 | 83,000 lx | 5666K |
| Aputure LS 600c Pro | 49,000 lx | 5617K |
| Prolycht Orion 675 FS | 55,700 lx | 5515K |
3200K
| OUTPUT | CCT | |
| Neewer AS600B | 69,100 lx | 3234K |
| Kelvin Epos 600 | 71,400 lx | 3252K |
| Aputure LS 600c Pro | 37,300 lx | 3209K |
| Prolycht Orion 675 FS | 47,700 lx | 3230K |
As you can see the output of the Neewer AS600B is right up there with the very good Kelvin Epos 600.
How does it perform at various CCT settings?
Summary of results (Reflector Max Output Mode)
| SETTING | OUTPUT | CCT READING |
| 2700K | 67,500 lx | 2733K |
| 3200K | 69,100 lx | 3234K |
| 4500K | 76,400 lx | 4546K |
| 5600K | 81,500 lx | 5647K |
| 6500K | 84,600 lx | 6546K |
These results show me that the light’s output varies by just 20.2% across the CCT range. The consistency of the output across the CCT range could be better, but there is a Constant Output mode you can use if you want similar output across all CCT settings. Please note that you won’t get nearly as much output in this mode. The CCT results were excellent across the fixtures range.
Summary of results (Open Face Constant Output Mode)
| SETTING | OUTPUT | CCT READING |
| 2700K | 22,100 lx | 2699K |
| 3200K | 21,500 lx | 3218K |
| 4500K | 21,300 lx | 4518K |
| 5600K | 21,200 lx | 5616K |
| 6500K | 21,100 lx | 6539K |
Above you can see the results for the light in the Constant Output mode. I found that there was only a 4.5% difference in output. The CCT results were outstanding across the board.
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 being recorded changed. This was done at a distance of 1m using a Sekonic C-800. These tests were done at 5600K with the reflector and the light in its Maximum Output mode.
| CCT READING | OUTPUT | INTENSITY % |
| 5647K | 81,500 lx | 100 |
| 5591K | 61,400 lx | 75 |
| 5561K | 41,100 lx | 50 |
| 5525K | 21,600 lx | 25 |
| 5528K | 9,890 lx | 10 |
The Neewer AS600B’s CCT consistency as you start dimming the fixture is reasonably good. My testing showed that the CCT varied by 119K.
As far as how linear the output is when you start dimming the light, at 50% output it had 49.57% less output than when used at 100%. At 25% it had 73.49% less output than when used at 100%. At 10% output, it had 87.86% less output than when used at 100%. This shows me that the light’s dimming curve is reasonably linear.
Color Rendering
5600K (Reflector)
So now that we have seen how much output the Neewer produces, how does it perform when it comes to replicating accurate colors? Above you can see that when the light was set at 5600K using the standard reflector and in its max. output mode it recorded an average CRI (R1-R8) of 96.0 and an extended CRI (R1-R15) of 95.04. For replicating accurate skin tones it recorded for R9 96.4 (red), 96.5 for R13 (closest to caucasian skin tones), and 94.5 for R15 (closest to Asian skin tones). These are generally very good results. The light struggles to produce R12 (Blue) with a score of just 76.5.
| CRI | EXTENDED CRI | R9 | R13 | R15 | |
| Neewer AS600B | 96.0 | 95.04 | 96.4 | 96.5 | 94.5 |
| Nanlite Forza 500B II | 98.2 | 96.51 | 97.4 | 98.3 | 96.6 |
| Aputure LS 600x | 96.8 | 95.34 | 95.6 | 97.0 | 95.2 |
As a color rendering accuracy comparison, the Aputure LS 600x recorded an average CRI (R1-R8) of 98.6 and an extended CRI (R1-R15) of 97.04, and the Kelvin Epos 600 recorded an average CRI (R1-R8) of 97.7 and an extended CRI (R1-R15) of 96.06.
The Neewer AS600B, when set at 5600K, recorded a TLCI score of 98.
3200K (Reflector)
Above you can see that when the light was set at 3200K using the standard reflector and in its max. output mode it recorded an average CRI (R1-R8) of 97.8 and an extended CRI (R1-R15) of 96.63. For replicating accurate skin tones it recorded for R9 91.6 (red), 98.4 for R13 (closest to caucasian skin tones), and 98.2 for R15 (closest to Asian skin tones). These are excellent results. Only R12 (Blue) was below 90.
| CRI | EXTENDED CRI | R9 | R13 | R15 | |
| Neewer AS600B | 97.8 | 96.63 | 91.6 | 98.4 | 98.2 |
| Nanlite Forza 500B II | 98.2 | 96.51 | 97.4 | 98.3 | 96.6 |
| Aputure LS 600x | 96.8 | 95.34 | 95.6 | 97.0 | 95.2 |
As a color rendering accuracy comparison, the Kelvin Epos 600 recorded an average CRI (R1-R8) of 98.2 and an extended CRI (R1-R15) of 97.42.
The Neewer AS600B, when set at 5600K, recorded a TLCI score of 98.
The light, when set at 3200K, recorded a TLCI score of 98.
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 Neewer AS600B when used open face:
Kelvin Vs MK-1
| Kelvin | Difference in K | MK-1 | Difference in MK-1 | |
| SET VALUE | 2700K | 0 | 370.37 | 0 |
| ACTUAL READING | 2699K | 1 | 370.50 | -0.13 MK-1 |
| SET VALUE | 3200K | 0 | 312.5 | 0 |
| ACTUAL READING | 3218K | 18 | 310.75 | 1.75 MK-1 |
| SET VALUE | 4500K | 0 | 222.22 | 0 |
| ACTUAL READING | 4518K | 18 | 221.33 | 0.89 MK-1 |
| SET VALUE | 5600K | 0 | 178.57 | 0 |
| ACTUAL READING | 5616K | 16 | 178.06 | 0.51 MK-1 |
| SET VALUE | 6500K | 0 | 153.84 | 0 |
| ACTUAL READING | 6539K | 61 | 152.92 | 0.92 MK-1 |
These figures might look confusing, but what they tell me is that the light is exceptionally CCT-accurate in all settings. 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 outstanding and some of the best I have ever seen. Any MK-1 score that is under -6/6 is a very good result.
CC INDEX & ⊿uv
| CC INDEX | ⊿uv | |
| 2700K | 0.6M | 0.0048 |
| 3200K | 0.0G | -0.0010 |
| 4500K | 0.2G | -0.0030 |
| 5600K | 0.2G | -0.0007 |
| 6500K | 0.1G | 0.0018 |
These scores for the Neewer AS600B were reasonably good. The light doesn’t lean green or magenta in any big way.
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.
2700K 
3200K 
4500K 
5600K 
6500K
Above you can see the scores for the Neewer AS600B at various CCT settings. Below I have listed the figures as well.
Here are the results:
| Rf | Rg | |
| 2700K | 93 | 96 |
| 3200K | 94 | 100 |
| 4500K | 92 | 100 |
| 5600K | 92 | 99 |
| 6500K | 90 | 97 |
The TM-30 scores are all decent and it shows me that the light is pretty 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 upon 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. Again, this is just one test, and it doesn’t tell us everything we need to know.
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 Neewer AS600B is. Any SSI score in the high 70’s, low ’80s is very good for a 3200K LED light. The results for the Neewer AS600B were very good when used at 3200K. As you can see, LED lights have a hard time replicating colors below about 450nm.
5600K
In the graph above the gold bars indicate a perfect CIE D55 source. The red bars indicate a perfect CIE D 5600K source. This lets us compare how close to a perfect 5600K lighting source the Neewer AS600B is. A score in the low 70’s is typical for a 5600K LED source.
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 Neewer AS600B matched the ARRI Orbiter and the Kelvin Epos 600. Below you can see the results.
As you can see neither light is a perfect match to the Neewer AS600B, but the Kelvin Epos 600 is a lot closer.
Above you can see the exact same comparison, but this time when all of the lights are set at 3200K. Its match score with the ARRI Orbiter improved, and its score against the Kelvin Epos 600 stayed the same. This just goes to show how the characteristics of lights change depending on the CCT that is being used.
Above you can see another test at 5600K between the Neewer AS600B when used with its reflector, when it is used open face, and with a DoPchoice Octa 3 softbox.
Above you can see a test at 3200K where I compared the Neewer AS600B against itself when used with the reflector in constant output mode and when it was used open face. As you would expect the light was almost a perfect match.
SSI tests are a great way of telling you what lights you own or use will work well together.
Spectral Distribution
Above you can see the spectral distribution of the Neewer AS600B when it is set at 5600K. The spectral distribution is reasonably good and there are no big spikes where there shouldn’t be.
As a comparison, above you can see the spectral distribution of the Nanlite Forza 720B.
Above you can see the spectral distribution of the Neewer AS600B when it is set at 3200K. The spectral distribution of the light is pretty good for a 3200K source
As a comparison, above you can see the spectral distribution of the Nanlite Forza 720B.
Real-World Performance & Quality of Light
As I always say, photometric scores only tell you part of the story. So let’s how the Neewer AS600B 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 Neewer AS600B has a ton of output and it is capable of producing nice results. Like any light, it is up to the person using it to get the most out of it. The fixture is easy to use and quick to set up.
Above you can see what the light looks like at a distance of 3m / 9.9′ when using its reflector. The nice aspect of the reflector is that it doesn’t have a hot spot. This is what makes the output figures accurate because there isn’t any hot spot. On some competing fixtures the reflectors produce hotspots and the claimed output can be very misleading.
The reflector only has a tiny amount of color fringing on the edges of its beam.
Reflector 
Open Face 
Light Off 
Position of light
The light packs a decent punch, and this certainly allows it to be used for a lot of lighting applications. Above you can see how much output the light has when used with its reflector and open faced. In this example, I am punching the light from outside through a sheer curtain.
Reflector 
Light Off
Above you can see what it looks like when it is being punched directly down into a table.
Above you can see what it looks like if I punch it directly into the ceiling with its reflector.
The light fills up a large soft box well and you can create nice soft light with plenty of punch.
The light also works well when used with bounce boards or the CRLS reflector system when you combine it with the Fresnel or Projector.
Who is the Neewer AS600B aimed at?
I think a lot of people who are in the market for a high-powered bi-color spotlight that is affordably priced and doesn’t weigh too much will be looking closely at this light. It is well made, very competitively priced, and it has a high amount of output.
Like most COB LED spotlights it is certainly priced to appeal to owner-operators who are looking for a jack-of-all-trades lighting solution. The versatility of the Neewer AS600B 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. While bi-color lights certainly still have their place, I think a lot of people are now looking more closely at full-color RGBWW options because of the extra versatility they bring. While daylight-only fixtures are going to have more output than bi-color or full-color models, the difference in output between bi-color and full-color is pretty close.
Neewer may not be as popular or as well known as say Aputure or Nanlite, but its fixtures continue to improve, and personally I think this is one of the best bi-color spotlights with this type of power draw that is currently on the market. It has good color accuracy, and it has consistent output and performance across its wide CCT range.
Price & Availability
The NEEWER AS600B 600W Output COB LED is available to order for $999 USD. This makes it very good value for money.
Competition
Below you can see some other similar power draw Bi-color spotlights that could be considered competition:
- Aputure Light Storm LS 600x Pro $1,990 USD
- CAME-TV Tioga Series 660W Bi-Color LED Spotlight $1,298 USD
- Godox Knowled M600Bi Bi-Color LED Monolight $1,599 USD
- Nanlite Forza 500B II $1,499 USD
- SmallRig RC 450B COB Bi-Color LED Video Monolight $1,099 USD
What do you get?
- 1 x Light Body
- 1 x Controller Box
- 1 x Power Cord
- 1 x Reflector
- 1 x Protective Cover
- 1 x Connection Cable
- 1 x Steel Wire
- 1 x Super Clamp
- 1 x Trolley Case
- 1 x User Manual
Optional Extras
As it utilizes a Bowens mount you can use a wide array of affordable lighting modifiers. Neewer also makes quite a few of its own accessories for the light.
Conclusion
The Neewer AS600B is a very solid offering that punches above its weight. It is very CCT accurate, has a ton of output, and most importantly it is reasonably lightweight for a fixture of this size and power draw. Its versatility makes it a fixture you can use for so many different applications.
The output, color accuracy, and weight make this light a compelling option in this space.
The biggest reason to pick this over an Aputure or Nanlite would be the fact that it is considerably more affordable. The biggest problem Neewer faces is that it is a brand that isn’t as well known as Aputure or Nanlite, and people will be swayed away simply because of that. That is a real pity because this particular fixture is arguably just as good as the competition at a fraction of the price.
That might sound like nit-picking, but LED lights have seemingly reached a plateau where almost every fixture being released offers similar performance and feature sets. I think we are all waiting to see what the next advancement will be.
Having the ability to use the AS600B with a wide array of lighting modifiers gives the light a lot of versatility.
The interface, operating system, and app are easy and straightforward to use. The build quality is good and for people who are looking at a light at this price, I think they will find it acceptable.
The fan noise is very well controlled, and that is a big deal if you need to use the fixture for interviews or where critical audio needs to be recorded.
As a main key light or a jack-of-all-trades single lighting source, it makes for a compelling option, however, it does face stiff competition from other competing brands.
