Moving on from the Pocket LED Lights, Hobolite has two more lights in more of a Pro range. Introducing the Hobolite Avant. I’m a big fan of pretty much anything Hobolite produces these days, and this 100W Bi-Color Continous LED Light by Hobolite is fantastic for product shoots and portraits. Like all Hobolite products, it offers ease of use and convenience for so many different genres in and out of the studio. The major benefit of the Avant is that it’s still pretty small, and runs on power or batteries. Hobolite products, work straight out of the box, and are brilliant. I recently got to check out the Hobolite Avant 100W Bi-Colour continuous LED.
User-friendly design simplifies setup with an intuitive menu and quick start buttons. The integrated V-Mount allows for quick setup, to be up in running in no time allowing you to dive right into your work whenever inspiration strikes. The Avant is lightweight at 2.75 lbs, and delivers a dazzling 100W output across the entire color spectrum. This ensures the perfect complement to the light of your story. Let’s have a closer look!
Note: Blonde Robot (Australian Hobolite Distributor) sent the Hobolite Avant Creator kit to review and return. However, this is a completely independent review. All thoughts about this light are my own.
Pros
- Runs on batteries (max 50 mins on full power) or on Power
- Very cool and funky, great retro design, quite small and compact
- Variable controls for power and color temp (2700K — 6500K)
- Minimalist design
- Small and lightweight
- Intelligent cooling with heat sink and fan
- The fan is whisper quiet, great for video
- Easy to turn dials for power and temperature, and simple on/off switch
- All accessories, the diffuser, the grid, gels and barn doors are all magnetic.
Cons
- Battery (on full power) only lasts 50 mins, which can be a pain on a day trip without access to power
Hobolite Avant — Technical specifications
All of the technical specifications are from their website/marketing material.
- Output Power (Max): 100W
- Color Temperature Range: 2700K~6500K
- Luminous Flux: 8500lm (@6500K) / 6000lm (@2700K)
- Beam Angle: 450 @5% cd
- Magnetic Property: Yes (from Barn door mount)
- Cooling Method: built-in Fan
- Max Illuminance: 32706 LUX (@0.5m, 6500tK)
- Input AC – 100-240V, 50~60HZ / DC input power 5V
- App Control: Yes (Bluetooth 65.6 feet)
- Battery run time: 50 mins on full power, 3 hours on 25% power
- Dimensions: .329″ X 4.63″ X 4.91″ (without accessories)
- Net Weight: 2.75 lbs (without accessories) Creator Kit 10.45 lbs
- Operating temperature: 14-104F
- Screen: LCD Full Color
- Materials: Aircraft-grade aluminum
Hobolite Avant — Versatility
You can adjust the light intensity and the color. I like it set to 5600k. But that is really just a personal choice.
Ergonomics are great. It does have a fan, which is very quiet. The diffuser and grid work quite well to soften and direct the light. The Creator Kit comes with a fantastic Carbon fiber light stand and a sturdy carry pack to neatly fit everything inside (except the light stand and Lantern). I did not receive the Lantern which fits the Avant for review, but I did use it from another product and it gives beautiful soft illumination. There is a handy (optional) adaptor to use Bowen mount light modifiers too, which would have been super handy as I have loads of those.
Build quality
Small and sturdy, dials are firm and stable but easily turned. The accessories are all magnetic, making it a breeze to add and remove. It feels very sturdy and compact. Made of aircraft-grade aluminium. Funky retro look, a bit like an old-school film camera. Non-slip surface on the sides and it’s weather resistant.
Out of the box
It comes in a handy carry pack with the 100W Avant light, 100W power supply, D-tap cable, AC cord, barndoor, Honeycomb grid, diffuser Dome, 4 x colored gels, V-mount clamp, V-mount handle, 1 x 95Wh V mount battery, Carbon fibre tripod (light stand 240cm/7.87ft), 60cm/23.6″ lantern softbox (Creator AC/DC Kit) and Quick Start guide. (Creator Kit pictured). Please note that the standard kit does not have Light stand or Lantern.
Hobolite Avant — Portable with classic looks
Thanks to some innovative technology this light I was able to create some truly fabulous creative portraits, as well as some terrific product shots. Still quite small and compact but powerful enough for the studio, a fill light for video and for so many other uses – like still life, product photography or even in the studio. Versatile and adaptable to whatever you want to use it for. And the best part, it’s simple to use.
Mounting
I mounted mine on the supplied light stand. Let me just say I adore this light stand, sturdy but lightweight. My other studio light stands are quite heavy, but this is brilliant. So easy to setup and maneuver around the studio.
Setup
It’s so simple to use. However, to turn it on you press the power button. Adjust the dials for power and color temp. Add the barn doors, diffuser, grid or gels or lantern softbox and you’re ready to shoot. It’s that simple.
Gels and diffuser
The Hobolite Avant comes with a grid, dome diffuser and four gels: red, yellow, blue and green.
Hobolite Avant — A terrific lighting addition to your kit
I have been using this light in the studio for a variety of shoots from portraits to product photography. It’s a terrific light and very handy. The fact that it is so small, lightweight and easy to use is a big plus for me. Sample images below on Sony A7R V at 5600K. I used it for some creative portraits, especially as a secondary fill light. It gave beautiful soft and natural-looking light. Especially when using the diffuser. I also used it as a side light on some creative portraits in the studio with gels and a smoke machine.
Sample images
You can check out the Hobolite Avant 100W unboxing video below:
