GVM Pro SD650B Bi-Color LED Workshop And Beyond A Review

[@RegasDekker]

Wow! GVM moving up into the Aperture zone, well done GVM! Excellent review as always Sir, thank you!

[@ArtVideoProductions]

Hey man, thanks for stopping by. Yes indeed they are! BD-45R, YU 300R, YU150R and the Pro SD lines. If you are also into tube lights, GVM apparently is the ONLY one in the market that doesn't use internal batteries, it's a SONY battery that you can swap immediately after the battery dies! No more waiting 3 hours for a battery to charge.

[@YuvakTuladhar]

Your reviews are very thorough and I have already bought several lights based on your reviews. Very helpful!!!

[@ArtVideoProductions]

Thanks a lot Yuvak! That means a lot to me! Glad to be helping!!

[@NewLayer]

Great video as always! Someone linked me to the section showing the Fresnel lens/Bowens mount. I've found that I can't really use non-matching brand Fresnel lenses with any brands/lights since each brand designs their own so that the COB sits the proper distance from the lens glass for proper focusing. Some brands even have multiple Fresnel lenses for different lights in their own lineup! It would be nice to have 1 Fresnel to use for every light, but I don't trust them to work properly, even if they do fit without issue. Admittedly, I may have missed something else regarding modifier fitment since I didn't have time to watch the whole thing.

[@ArtVideoProductions]

That’s absolutely correct. Most fresnels are not a one type “fits all” even though to some extent, we can get away with a random fresnel on a random light to somewhat satisfying results, but a dedicated fresnel would be always better. I tried installing fresnels on the SD600Bi. It will NOT fit at ALL, because of the recessed Bowens issue. GVM has to either change / update the front or make an adapter which should be free for people who already own this light in the current hardware version.

[@NewLayer]

@@ArtVideoProductions 100% Even if it's a mismatch, it still works, just not as ideally as it could. Still definitely worth mentioning! Thanks for the clarification.

[@mabitzz9484]

@@ArtVideoProductionsSadly I don’t think they will. I own the light and it’s a reason for people to buy their modifiers which are hardly overpriced. The fitting fresnel 60 is coming out in December and it’s 300$… that’s like double the price of the fl20G.

[@carltonjones2915]

Thank you for another excellent review and workshop of a lighting fixture and how it fits in to a workflow for professional videographers and filmmakers. This unit would definitely be a rental reality for me. 👍🏾👍🏾

[@ArtVideoProductions]

Thanks Carlton!

[@Settoautofocus]

Great video and very informative

[@ArtVideoProductions]

Thanks man! I appreciate that.

[@GixrGuy]

Peace be with you! Thank you for this educational & insightful review of GVM's 650B video light. A question; When using the light in the Mall, was the light powered by V-Mount Batteries or Plugged In? Thanks again for a thorough review.

[@vaskoobscura_]

Very nice video thank you for such a though review.

[@ArtVideoProductions]

Thanks a lot! I appreciate it!

[@Cinegavo]

Amazing video. How much light does the gvm logo light emit when the unit is powered? Not sure what's with that design, really don't want the unnecessary spill on the side

[@ArtVideoProductions]

Slightly brighter than a “Dell” lit logo on a laptop.

[@JerryCastaldo_NYC]

Great video review! Very helpful. I'm going to buy this light as my main key light. I may buy another lower end GVM for a fill light. My question is, what GVM lights should I buy to use to light my green screen that will "cyc" down onto the floor (it's material, not a true cyc). I did buy a small LED panel for the back/hair light, but I don't want to buy green screen lights that are "overkill," but I also don't want to short change myself by trying to save money and not having even coverage for the green background. Thanks.

[@ArtVideoProductions]

@@JerryCastaldo_NYC green screen, you’ll need a lot of lights and place the subject NO CLOSER than 10 feet from the green screen. The “cheapest” way to do a green screen, if you know the inverse square law, simply place two lights of EQUAL DISTANCE AND BRIGHTNESS far away from both the green screen and the subject. That allows EVEN light distribution. Ideally, should be two identical lights of the same brand and model. If you can’t do that, make sure they have green magenta correction. You might also have to dial different color temperatures as each different light may be a few kelvin degrees off. I’d appreciate if you consider using my links in exchange for the info and tips. My link doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thanks. Thanks.

[@JerryCastaldo_NYC]

​@@ArtVideoProductions​@ArtVideoProductions I have had success doing what you're suggesting, but I'm being challenged with the floor and shadows from the hair light. I'm sure I'll figure it out.

[@ArtVideoProductions]

@@JerryCastaldo_NYC place the hair light with a GRID and as close as possible to the subject, thus allowing you to set a lesser power output. That will avoid unwanted intense light spill on the floor.

[@JerryCastaldo_NYC]

@@ArtVideoProductions Thanks again. If I do but the GVM SD650B, using your link of course, do you think I'd have success implementing it into my lighting setup using my Arri 650 watt Tungsten Fresnel, along with my Chimera Triolet Mogul Base Flood light? I do have softboxes for these two lights. This is not for my green screen setup, but rather for a wide 30' stage for my band. I'm wondering if I can adjust the GVM to properly match the lighting temps of those two lights that I have already. Or should I just sell them and go with additional lower output GVM's so they all match the GVM650B?

[@JerryCastaldo_NYC]

@@ArtVideoProductions Ok, thanks so much, I will

[@sainag1143]

Is it has super megenta shift and less lux??? True???

[@EVM133]

34:18 truer words have never been said 😂

[@EVM133]

All seriousness I’ve learned so much from this video! Even stuff that would seem elementary

[@ArtVideoProductions]

@@EVM133 Thanks man.

[@simon_sky]

Help needed! Is it worth the extra money over the 500W? And is it, in that case worth almost the same money as the Nanlite Forza FC-500B? Is at this point GVM Pro comparable to the overall quality of Nanlite? I need to take a decision next week on what to buy! Thanks

[@RobertJohnPhotography]

As always, great review.The weight of the head is 14.8 lb. My Forza 720 which is 800 Watt light weighs 11.7 lb. And you have to remove the tightening screw on softboxes or it scrapes the face of the light. Along with super short head cable. That's a total deal breaker for me. I hate when these companies put pro on there lights and they're not. Studio mode on most lights means as soon as it receives power it turns on.Example, if light is plugged into electric outlet controlled by a light switch, it will turn on and off from the switch and not the ballast. Glad you pointed those things out. What is the length of that short head lead? Once again great review.

[@ArtVideoProductions]

Thanks Robert for your feedback. I have to come back to my studio and measure that for you. I'm guessing is no shorter than 6' I also like to mount the ballast as close as possible to the light (any light). This way, I can raise the light decently high and still capable of accessing the ballasts' control knobs and buttons. As for powering via AC or DC, with the “warning” message in red, all you have to do is to first power off the ballast, THEN remove the cable. You can’t yank the AC cable off as the ballast will sense something is missing, which makes sense. The ballast needs to reset to DC. For the price, honestly, I think it's a good deal regardless of those cons. I just came back from the BILD EXPO B&H event in New York. I was working there as an exhibitor tech for lighting. Please remind me to measure the head lead for you, p[referably between times of 12:00pm to 6pm so I can have access to the light in front of me. Thanks again man.

[@mscadenn]

Does the gvm sd600 have the same problem with the modifiers?

[@ArtVideoProductions]

No it does not. Sorry for the very late reply. I just saw this message.

[@amberbaudler6383]

have you ever seen the T6 or T5 warning signal? Whenever I turn my on I get that warning message

[@ArtVideoProductions]

Never seen that! No errors or warnings of any kind. Try unplugging everything and reconnect. On the ballast, set it to LOW power first when a LED light is cold. And for any light including Aputure, wait 15 minutes to warm up before your shoot. The color accuracy is better with a warmed up light.

[@RobertBoehmMedia]

Have you looked at the 200 and 300 watt versions? I’m hoping they are similarly pretty good?

[@ArtVideoProductions]

I would say they are identical. Just a power difference.

[@RobertBoehmMedia]

@@ArtVideoProductions i appreciate your insight. Thank you!

[@ArtVideoProductions]

@@RobertBoehmMedia I appreciate you as well brother. Thanks for watching my content.

[@alejandrojaen2305]

Does the battery last 1 hour on 100% per battery or is it 1hour between both of them?

[@ArtVideoProductions]

325 watts divided by whatever watt-hour your battery is capable of. If you have two 200 watt hour batteries which will combine to 400 watts = 1.2 hours of use (theoretically) since this happens usually with a brand new battery.

[@alejandrojaen2305]

If I were to buy one light between the GVM SD650D PRO BI-COLOR and GVM SD600D BI-COLOR, which one should I buy? Im looking for a powerful light to compliment my smaller weaker lights.

[@ArtVideoProductions]

That’s a tough one. I have both and I use both. The Pro however, you’ll have the issue with the Softbox until they come up with a solution for an adapter to compensate for the lack of space needed to fit a Softbox, or making a SD650 PRO Mark II, while the GVM SD650D doesn’t have that issue. And cosmetically… the PRO is made of metal, the SD 600D is metal and plastic and has a plastic locking knob. But the SD 600D performance is excellent as well. Back to the PRO, if you’re using a Softbox, simply remove temporarily the Softbox locking knob then put it back when not using for this light. It fits without issues as seen in my demo. Please use my links if buying any of these. It helps me a lot and doesn’t cost anything extra.

[@bohdandoval9621]

@@ArtVideoProductions On B&H it says the SD600D has double the output as teh 650B. How is that possible?

[@ArtVideoProductions]

@@bohdandoval9621 no, it’s definitely a mistake. Ignore that nonsense. Either one of these lights will deliver the 600 watts you’re paying for. Keep in mind, the 650B, almost no Softbox will fit this unit without scratching the front. And when they do, you have to remove the rotation locking knob off the Softbox. No fresnel fits either. Maybe the GVM fresnel brand which I don’t have so I’m not sure.

[@lawrencegress9831]

Great job.

[@ArtVideoProductions]

Thanks Lawrence, and thanks for watching!

[@GVMLEDLIGHTS]

Epic! 😍

[@wilkhaynes]

@gvm what is the solution regarding attaching a fresnel lens? I bought the light and found I had the same problem. I had bought 3 different fresnel mounts thinking I could find one that would work. Tried contacting costumer support but no response. A light this powerful needs the option to attach a fresnel. Please provide a solution.

[@Francisfphoto_]

I thought you shoot in clog3 with your R3.

[@ArtVideoProductions]

When needed, I sure do, but not for this set / indoor / night style scenario. As you know, Clog3 is used when we need a higher level of dynamic range on shadows and highlights, (bright windows, outdoors, anything that requires a high contrast in details for shadows and highlights, all that stuff, which is not needed in this lighting controlled scenario where I can dial the lights at any brightness level including the background. Also, the picture profiles (neutral/ CineTech, vivid etc, has nothing to do with a Clog. You can still keep your picture profile and throw Clog on top. They are independent. Thanks for watching and comments. I hope that helps? 😊

[@Francisfphoto_]

@@ArtVideoProductions totally yes! Also clog3 has noisier shadows… But what do you mean in the last sentence? Picture profile is 8bit baked in image, clog3 is 10bit logarithm image. How do you use clog3 and the picture profile at the same time?

[@ArtVideoProductions]

@@Francisfphoto_ I don’t recall saying anything related to bit rate or anything with logarithm. Reminding you that, Clog is not a picture profile. If you turn that on it simply applies on top of whatever profile you have chosen.

[@Francisfphoto_]

@@ArtVideoProductions Okok, I thought CLOG was like using raw in photography, that picture profiles only applied to jpeg. Sorry then.

[@recardosands9948]

Good video as always but from the view a professional DoP, I would rather spend the extra money for the extras that the Aputure 600x offers.

[@ArtVideoProductions]

Make sure you see this light first at BH display. For $999, it’s hard to pass. Unless, you need the light wet, then get the 600X.

[@recardosands9948]

@@ArtVideoProductions Like I said good video as always but as for me a grip/electric rental company owner. Lighting companies needs to stop listing certain fixtures as pro and the fixtures lack pro features. Build quality, IP rating and accurate color etc is what makes a light pro.( At least to me). This fixture wouldn't last on my truck as a rental item. This fixture in my opinion should be listed as a bi-color studio fixture not as a pro fixture, not even as an alternative to a pro fixture.

[@ArtVideoProductions]

@@recardosands9948 👌

[@brettalexander.studio]

GVM lights are not meant for rental Houses 🤣 they are for film students and smaller scope independent professionals... Yes, you should pony up the $ for higher end units if you plan on renting them out and them being used and abused. But these lights are great for indie professionals and they seem to be getting better and better ❤

[@ArtVideoProductions]

@@brettalexander.studio I’ve rented an ARRI Alexa (the client pays for). The same way I won’t break that camera, when I rent something or especially my gear, nothing gets broken or abused. If they put me on that spot, I won’t work for that film company. My gear comes first. No one touches it.I just don’t understand why most people are so reckless with gear. 🤷‍♂️ As for the GVM lights, these ones will take the same “beating” as an ARRI. It’s the same aluminum. If you drop an ARRI on concrete, it will break. They are also not meant for that. Fir the price, you can’t beat. That’s my 50 cents…

[@dymonmein]

Kinda disappointing review… I was waiting for some realistic use cases, but you just used it like a regular 150w COB. Didn’t even use the combo stand lol. The reason it doesn’t fit a bowens mount softbox, is this powerful a light isn’t usually used that way. Usually it’ll be used with different degree reflectors, through a scrim or a book light, or bounce, or silk, etc etc etc. The coverage area and distance is much greater, and that’s the purpose behind all that power. But we only got to see it used at like 4%… :( Open that baby up on a booklight or through a silk or diff; toss on an ND and lets get some super soft keys and edges, but buttery fat bokeh, 3400 white balance.. chefs kiss! missed opportunity :( oh well, next time. No hate btw. Love your content man, you do an amazing job, keep it up! 👏

[@ArtVideoProductions]

Thanks for your comments. Yeah man, no worries…But…i have to disagree with some things you mentioned. It looks like you didn’t watch the whole video or skipped things a lot. 1- I did use / demo this light at 100% outside my store and with the Softbox, and 650 watts is standard size of light I often use and higher, and often set to 100% it was not enough on that scenario in the demo. In some sets, I need FOUR 600 watt lights to light a single person in the middle of a car dealer store surrounded by windows. I also use some serious power lights such as the Joker 300 HMI lights much brighter than a 650 LED. 2- I’m pretty busy with my business schedule as a full time shooter. sometimes I can take these lights on set sometimes I can’t. If you want to see me doing the (all out) demos you wanted to see, watch my Godox M600Bi video which I took it on set. 3- I have combo stands and I suggested some in the video as well. Reason I placed the GVM 650 on a regular stand to show what happens if you do place that light on it. And inside my studio when no one is around, I’ll put that GVM 650 on an “iPhone stand” if I wanted, but never on a set. I’m sure that my video was at least 0.00001% useful for you. Take care.

[@brettalexander.studio]

Love mine but I wonder if someone at GVM could design a bowens to Bowens adapter to essentially extend it enough to use certain modifiers. I actually had to modify my godox lantern bowens mount to get it to work. Also Agree that the fire and candle effect needs work forsure.

[@ArtVideoProductions]

I personally talked with them at BH Expo. When I mentioned that Bowens problem, they were already aware of it. So let’s see what they’ll come up with cuz I also need a fix for that. For now, all you have to do is to remove that knob and insert the Softbox carefully with some finesse as the ring will easily rotate without that locking knob.

[@damienlandeau]

Hey! Great review! I spoke about it with them by email, they could release a Fresnel at the end of December. In the meantime, do you have a solution to DIY an adapter to use them with the Godox fresnels for example?

[@ArtVideoProductions]

@@damienlandeau that’s great they will be releasing a Fresnel! No DIY. Simply temporarily remove that locking knob from the Softbox as shown.

[@damienlandeau]

@@ArtVideoProductions Thanks for your answer. Yes I know, I asked for Fresnel 😎

[@mabitzz9484]

@@damienlandeauthe issue for me is that they are pricing the fresnel at 300$ which is ridicules considering that Nanlite and Aputures Fresnels are at 150-200 and in the case of Nanlite even with Barn Doors included