Hobolite is a subsidiary of AEC Lighting Options, an organization who’ve over twenty years of experience and has received quite a few design awards. And its in relation to design that the Hobolite vary of LEDs stands out from the gang when in comparison with the LEDs produced by different firms comparable to Godox and SmallRig. Many LEDs are designed to be purposeful – whereas the Hobolite vary – with their retro curves and fake leather-based panels – are designed to be observed and admired whereas they illuminate your topic. I’ll dwell extra on their distinctive design appears to be like within the Construct and Dealing with part of this evaluate.
I reviewed (and extremely rated) the Hobolite Avant and the Hobolite Mini again in March 2023. In 2024 Hobolite revealed revised variations of the Avant and the Mini – The Avant Max and the Mini Max. The identify ‘Mini Max’ makes me smile because it feels like a contradiction in phrases, however at 40W the Mini Max is twice as highly effective because the older 20W model. The Avant Max can enhance its depth by 3.5 occasions whenever you magnetically connect the Avant Lens, changing its 80W to the equal of 280W. The Avant Lens is provided in each the Customary and Creator equipment variations of the Avant LED. The Creator Equipment variations of each the Avant and Mini Max lights price greater than the Customary variations, however you get a bunch of additional equipment and modifiers as we’ll clarify.
The Avant Max Creator Equipment offers magnetic modifiers that allow you so as to add artistic colors to your scenes. The Mini Max has its personal variations of those gels. (Picture credit score: George Cairns / Digital Digital camera World)
Hobolite Avant Max and Mini Max: Design & Dealing with
I’ve examined and reviewed a spread of Hobolites, from the 8W Hobolite Micro that matches into the palm of your hand to the 5W Hobolite Iris that appears like a classic digicam. On the different finish of the facility and dimension spectrum, there’s the bigger and extra highly effective 100W Avant . All of those lights share the identical enticing Sixties-inspired retro look with curved aluminum our bodies adorned by brown fake leather-based panels on the perimeters.
The brand new Avant Max and Mini Max additionally share the identical classic design aesthetic, although the Avant Max may also be bought with Midnight (very darkish blue) fake leather-based paneling and that’s the model I examined for this evaluate. The Mini Max that I examined had the usual brown fake leather-based panels that I’m conversant in from utilizing different Hobolites. Whereas the Midnight Avant Max appears to be like very stylish I desire the brown-colored model because it sits higher with the general 60’s look (and it’ll match different Hobolites that you could be personal).
Each the Avant Max and the Mini Max Creator Kits ship with magnetically attachable barn doorways to manage the unfold of sunshine. (Picture credit score: George Cairns / Digital Digital camera World)
You should purchase a spread of branded equipment for Hobolites, such because the Avant Lantern smooth field. (Picture credit score: George Cairns / Digital Digital camera World)
Each the Avant Max and the Mini Max may be powered from the mains, however in addition they ship with a removable 99Wh V-Mount Battery that has the identical fake leather-based paneling that options on the sunshine’s physique. With 99Wh/6900mAh of lithium-ion power, the battery frees you as much as shoot in any location with out being tethered to a mains provide.
Each Max variations ship with a silver ergonomically designed deal with that you would be able to maintain whereas lighting a topic on location. Within the studio, you’ll be able to mount the deal with onto a lightweight stand. I used to be lent two Hobolite branded tripods so we may connect the handle-mounted Avant Max and Mini Max onto these hands-free stands. The stands have been fast and straightforward to deploy because of a collection of sturdy and tactile twist-to-extend rings. The silver Hobolite stand that sits on high of the sunshine stand may be angled via 180º with precision because of a ratcheting mechanism that may be locked firmly into the specified angle to mild your topic.
Two knurled dials beneath the LCD display screen allow you to regulate brightness and color temperature in levels Kelvin. The dials additionally operate as buttons. (Picture credit score: George Cairns / Digital Digital camera World)
Colored gel domes connect to the lamp through magnets. Right here’s the Midnight colored Avant Max with a purple dome. (Picture credit score: George Cairns / Digital Digital camera World)
Each the Avant Max and the Mini Max are bi-color lamps, so that they solely emit mild between the colour temperature vary of a heat 2700 levels Okay to a cooler 6500K. Due to this fact a vital characteristic of the Avant Max and the Mini Max Creator Kits is the inclusion of a set of colored gel domes. These coloured gels may be magnetically hooked up to every mild instantly to creatively change the sunshine’s shade (and alter the temper of the shot). Each lights additionally ship with magnetic ‘barn doorways’ that allow you to manage the unfold of sunshine being emitted. You’ll be able to nonetheless connect a coloured dome to the lights when they’re sporting a barn door.
Hobolite Avant Max and Mini Max: Efficiency
To check each the Avant Max and the Mini Max I took them right into a studio and mounted them on Hobolite mild stands. I popped the bigger Avant Max on the 250 cm Hobolite Mild Stand (90’’). and prolonged it to go top. The Avant Max’s provided metallic clamp permits me to connect its energy unit to the sunshine stand (somewhat than have it dangling free).
I hooked up the Mini Max to the marginally shorter Hobolite Adjustable LED Mild Stand 210 cm (82.7’’). I powered the Avant Max by plugging it into the mains. Through the shoot, the onboard fan did kick in nevertheless it was so quiet that it didn’t register in my recording – try our provided check video. I powered the Max Mini utilizing its attachable battery, which I had beforehand charged through a USB-C cable. The batteries on each kits have a bit of display screen that signifies their degree of cost whenever you press a button.
Each lights have the identical technique of adjusting their output. There are two knurled dials on the aspect that additionally operate as buttons. One dial lets you modify shade temperature between a spread of 2700K – 6500K to be able to complement different mild sources (comparable to daylight from a window or tungsten mild from a bulb). The opposite dial lets you modify the depth. To hurry issues up you’ll be able to press each dials like buttons to leap between a spread of settings in bigger increments (comparable to going from 50% brightness to 75% in a click on). An OLED display screen on the identical aspect because the dials lets you see the Depth and Colour Temperature settings. A smaller button on each lights jumps to Results mode. This lets you set off a variety of artistic lighting results such because the flashing of paparazzi cameras (utilizing a suitably cool shade temperature) to the hotter flickering mild of a fireplace (utilizing a decrease CT of 2700K).
As with most LEDs nowadays each the Avant Max and the Mini Max may be managed remotely through a Bluetooth-linked smartphone app. This enabled me to experiment with completely different shade temperature settings and particular results whereas I talked to the digicam.
The Hobolite app lets you change color temperature and brightness remotely on each LEDs, in addition to triggering animated video mild results. Right here we’re controlling the Mini Max. (Picture credit score: George Cairns / Digital Digital camera World)
After my studio check shoot, I traveled to interview cinematographer Andrew Rodger about his work on the Amazon Prime chart-topping ‘sharks on a aircraft’ film – ‘No Method Up.’ I made a decision to take the Hobolite Mini Max with me as I used to be filming in Andrew’s dwelling and didn’t understand how a lot area I must work in. Whereas I used to be organising the Hobolite Mini Max as a key mild (on the 250 cm Hobolite mild stand) Andrew commented on the Hobolite’s distinctive design as being harking back to a basic Hasselblad digicam (which was a praise to the Hobolite’s retro aesthetic look). Andrew additionally identified that LEDs such because the Hobolite have excessive CRI rankings, so flesh tones look devoted and correct. (The Mini Max and the Avant Max have a CRI of 96, which could be very near the utmost worth of 100).
As a result of Andrew’s film is about in a sunken (and shark-infested) aircraft there’s plenty of moody LED lighting within the film (See our interview right here…). So I made a decision to stay the inexperienced magnetic dome onto the Mini Max to solid a moody sub-aquatic inexperienced key mild onto Andrew’s face to echo the artistic lighting in his film. I recorded the interview on my iPhone 15 Professional Max capturing in Cinematic mode to get a pleasant blurred background. Try the interview extract on this evaluate’s supporting video.
Hobolite Avant Max and Mini Max: Verdict
The Hobolite Avant Max and the Mini Max are lovely LEDs, however they’re greater than their fashionable attractiveness. Because of each Creator Kits’ magnetic gel modifiers you’ll be able to change the temper of your footage. Each lights have 8 video results that you would be able to set off from the Hobolite app to boost dramas. Because of the app you’ll be able to change the colour temperature of each lights with ease whereas standing in entrance of the digicam, making these lights nice for self-operating performers or documentary makers. You’ll be able to sync each lights to the Hobolite app after which management each lights remotely. The primary distinction between the 2 is the Avant Max’s 7000 lux output in comparison with the Mini Max’s 4000, however I usually needed to dial down the depth of each lamps as 100% wasn’t required.
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Options
Each LEDs boast a variety of color temperatures however you want the Creator Equipment’s magnetic gels so as to add artistic colors.
★★★★☆
Design
The retro 60’s aesthetic of the physique (and the 2001 film model font on the display screen) give each lights high marks.
★★★★★
Efficiency
The Avant will illuminate a studio whereas the Mini is ideal for location work.
★★★★☆
Worth
These are luxurious objects because of their classic design and cheaper LEDs can be found.
★★★★★
✅ Purchase it…
If you wish to showcase it’s elegant retro look to shoppers or viewers.
You want correct CRI output for wholesome flesh tones.
🚫 Do not buy it…
If you happen to want a equipment with a carry case.
