Nanlite PavoTube II 15X and 30X

Nanlite’s version of everyone’s favourite LED tube lights prove to be powerful tools for creatives.

Table of Contents

• First Impressions
• What’s in the Bag
• Specifications
• Brightness
• Construction
• Navigation
• Nanlink App
• Use-Cases
  • Coloured Accent Lighting
  • Side Lighting Portraits
  • Product Photography
  • Motivated Lighting
  • Pixel Effects
• Final Thoughts
• Gallery of Images

First Impressions

When I first opened the box for the PavoTube II 15X and PavoTube II 30X I was surprised at how long they both were. I knew the dimensions but seeing them physically in front of you, you realize their true sizes. Their sleek look, high build-quality, and hefty weight make these LED tube lights a solid offering amongst the crowd.

What’s in the Bag

Specifications

The Nanlite PavoTube II 15X and 30X provide flexibility and power in a compact footprint making these very versatile. These RGBWW lights also offer pixel-based special effects for more creative uses.

According to Nanlite’s website, these are the specs:

	PavoTube II 15X	PavoTube II 30X	PavoTube II 60X
CRI	Average 97	Average 97	Average 97
TLCI	Average 98	Average 98	Average 98
Colour Temperature	2700K-12000K	2700K-12000K	2700K-12000K
Lumen Output (3200K)	1187	1188	N/A
Lumen Output (5600K)	1278	1278	N/A
Dimmable	0-100% in 1% increments	0-100% in 1% increments	0-100% in 1% increments
Interface	2.4GHz*, Bluetooth, DMX/RDM; WS-RC-C2 remote control *with Nanlink WS-TB-1 Transmitter box	2.4GHz*, Bluetooth, DMX/RDM; WS-RC-C2 remote control *with Nanlink WS-TB-1 Transmitter box	2.4GHz*, Bluetooth, DMX/RDM; WS-RC-C2 remote control *with Nanlink WS-TB-1 Transmitter box
Battery Capacity	2200mAh	4400mAh	8800mAh
Charge Time (to full)	~3 hours	~3 hours 30 mins	~5 hours 30 mins
Runtime	100% Brightness (Hours): 1h 26mins 50% Brightness (Hours): 2h 41mins 10% Brightness (Hours): 9h 40mins	100% Brightness (Hours): 1h 36mins 50% Brightness (Hours): 3h 7mins 10% Brightness (Hours): 11h 45mins	100% Brightness (Hours): 1h 57mins
Max. Power Consumption	18W	36W	106W
Weight	2.1 lbs	3.4 lbs	13.2 lbs

Brightness

Despite the narrow footprint, these PavoTube IIs can get fairly bright. The brightness is measured in Lux, a unit of illuminance defined as equal to one lumen per square meter.

	PavotTube II 15X	PavoTube II 30X	PavoTube II 60X
2700K at 1m	343	686	900
2700K at 2m	86	174	336
2700K at 3m	38	78	180
5600K at 1m	377	746	991
5600K at 2m	94	189	369
5600K at 3m	42	74	194
6500K at 1m	386	770	1024
6500K at 2m	97	194	380
6500K at 3m	43	87	201
12000K at 1m	333	671	934
12000K at 2m	83	171	347
12000K at 3m	37	77	186
Red at 1m	150	272	332
Red at 2m	39	69	131
Red at 3m	17	30	68
Green at 1m	308	586	783
Green at 2m	77	144	295
Green at 3m	34	64	153
Blue at 1m	63	123	143
Blue at 2m	15	31	55
Blue at 3m	7	14	28

Construction

The PavoTube II 15X, 30X, and 60X are made with metal housings that can withstand an accidental bump. This not only makes for a robust light that can withstand some abuse on the field, but it’s what no doubt weighs down the fixtures as well.

The front of the LED tube is a hard plastic but from what I can see, does a great job of evenly distributing the individual LED lights that it covers. This creates for a more pleasing source of light that actually looks like one long source of light.

The end caps are hexagonal so you can easily place it on a flat surface with the light facing a specific direction and not have to worry about the light rolling off the surface.

With three ¼-20″ mounting options there are several ways to incorporate these lights in your own workflow.

The control on the unit is recessed so you won’t have to worry about accidentally pressing buttons when you lay it down. The buttons on the control are basic but do the job. Similarly with the display unit; it is basic but shows us what we need to know. The fonts are also in Serif typeface making it a little harder to read on a small screen.

The padded case that comes with the 15X and 30X are also well made to ensure the protection of the LED tube lights during transport. The padded case for the 15X can hold two lights while the case for the 30X can hold three lights. If you opt for a kit with four or more lights, they come with a hard case with foam interior to protect your investment. The padded cases are great, but if you get the 60X I would still be cautious about them in the case during transport. Having such a long item can still be quite tricky to move around.

Navigation

The menu system is very similar to their other lights. Press the Mode button to change between the following modes:

• CCT
• HSI
• Effects
• Pixel FX

CCT mode allows you to change the colour temperature, as well as the Green/Magenta fine tuning.

HSI mode lets you change the Hue, Saturation, and Intensity of the light. Use this mode to change to your favourite colour.

PavoTube II 15X, 30X, and 60X come with 15 pre-installed effects that are the same as those found in the Forza 60C light. Any one of these practical effects can be used as-is or you can fine-tune them to your liking:

The Pixel FX mode lets you get a little more creative with how the lights display on the tube. This mode lets you control the pixels along the tube in different ways, making this one of the more unique features to use compared to the Forza 60C which can only change the one light. There are 10 presets that you can also customize to your liking:

Nanlink App

Lost Connections

DMX

DMX stands for Digital Multiplex. It’s a control system that allows multiple lighting devices to be controlled by a single main console. With the addition of a DMX adaptor cable (available from Nanlite or other manufacturers), you can connect the Nanlite PavoTube II 15X, 30X, and 60X to your other lights and have them controlled by a central console. It’s a great way to add programmed lighting to your set as well. I did not test the DMX capabilities.

Note that Nanlite also has their PavoTube XR line of lights that have all the features of the Pavotube X IIs and also adds on the ability to wirelessly connect via CRMX, which is essentially a wireless DMX system.

Use-Cases

The Nanlite PavoTube II 15X, 30X, and 60X tube lights have a multitude of uses. Their slim form factor allows you to place them in discreet areas, hang them down from ceilings, or use them in more creative ways. Here are some ideas for you to use your PavoTube II lights. If you have other suggestions please feel free to let me know in the comments below.

• Coloured Accent Lighting
• Side Lighting Portraits
• Product Photography
• Motivated Lighting
• Pixel Effects

Coloured Accent Lighting

One of the more popular ways that creators on YouTube are using LED tube lighting is for background accent lighting. They add more interest to otherwise dark areas on the screen, making it a little more pleasing to view. You can use shorter ones to place them on desks or behind objects, and use the longer ones to place them on the floor to light up the base of the wall.

Use an effect light Hue or CCT loop and the pleasing colours will loop through the entire range (or a pre-defined range of colours) behind you as you talk in front of the camera.

Product Photography

Just like I used the Forza 60C in product photography, you can use PavoTube IIs for smaller product photography. You can swap out the Forza 60C in my example, or use them both in conjunction with each other.

Since these PavoTubes IIs are long, you will get light wrapping around so if you don’t want light spilling out to certain areas then you will need to cover parts of the PavoTube until you get the desired look.

Motivated Lighting

Motivated light in film/video accentuates existing light sources within or just outside of the scene. For example if you take a talking head scene with a lamp behind the subject, additional lighting can be place in discrete areas to accentuate the light coming from that lamp. Extra light is used to naturally light the scene in pleasing ways.

Motivated light can be thought of light that is motivated/brought out by a light source within your scene. In this example above, the lamp behind me acts as a light source in the frame (called a practical in the film industry). Just to the right of this frame is a PavoTube that I leaned against the wall to bring in more warmth to the side of my face. This makes it look as if the warm light shown behind me is casting that warm glow on my face.

Pixel Effects

The Pixel Effects I believe are what make these tubes lights so useful. You can change the pixel effects of each tube via the Nanlink app. Or, if you connect multiple PavoTubes via a DMX cable, you can control the pixel movement from one tube to the next. I didn’t have the DMX cable so I couldn’t test this out, but I can see this being useful in stage settings, concerts, or in performance lighting.

Final Thoughts

The PavoTube II 15X and 30X are robust lights that can be used in multiple creative ways. While there are some quirks with the lights themselves—like in their ability to connect to the Nanlink app—I still find them useful in many ways. For my own use which primarily would be indoors, I find the build quality sufficient and battery runtime decent.

If you’re looking for a solidly built LED tube lighting that is both flexible in use and is relatively portable, I would recommend you take a closer look at the PavoTube II line of lights. If you want more connectivity options such as CRMX capabilities then you can look at the PavoTube II XR line of lights.

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