JeCal Productions' Jesse Calis tests the Godox RS100Bi, a 100 W bi-color COB light built for compact, on-location filmmaking setups.
Jesse Calis from JeCal Productions reviews the Godox RS100Bi, a compact 100 W bi-color COB light aimed at filmmakers and content creators who need a portable key light. The unit offers a color range of 2800 K to 6500 K, a CRI of 96 and TLCI of 97, stepless 0 to 100% dimming, and 11 built-in lighting effects, controlled either onboard or through the Godox Light app.
It is compatible with Godox S-mount accessories, including softboxes, spotlights and beam modifiers, though these are sold separately. A version with a wider color range, the full RGB RS100R, is also available at a higher price.
Running on internal battery power rather than an external pack, the RS100Bi delivers up to 54 minutes of runtime at full brightness, longer at reduced output. Jesse reckons the build is solid and the form factor closer to a large flashlight than a typical COB fixture, making it noticeably more compact than comparable lights once fixtures and modifiers are accounted for. Used bare, the light produces a hard source and depends on modifiers to soften for subject lighting, though it can work unmodified for background fill.
Jesse lists the light's strengths as its compact size, decent output for a 100 W fixture, accurate color reproduction and bi-color flexibility, and ease of setup. Limitations include reduced headroom against strong daylight or with large modifiers, and he reckons that that battery life could be longer.
Priced at around $229 for the light alone, Jesse positions the RS100Bi as well suited to solo filmmakers, small production teams, interviews, and product or YouTube content.
"It's not trying to be the biggest or most powerful light on the market," he says. "Instead, it focuses on being something you can easily take with you and adapt to different situations."