Zhiyun Molus G200 review (2023) versatile and affordable light

The Zhiyun Molus G200 was made by the same people who made the cool and small 100W pocket COB light (the Molus X100). It is a powerful light, especially for studio work. The G200 is a bicolor 200W COB video light, but it does so much more than just light up video. It’s pretty easy to use right out of the box. It needs power to work, so you can’t really take it outside. But since there are no batteries, once it’s plugged in, it’s ready to go.

Zhiyun Molus G200: Description

This light is very bright. You can choose any number between 1% and 100%. I’ve used it to take pictures of products, make behind-the-scenes and set-up movies, and even take pictures of people. The Zhiyun Molus G200 is a new 200W LED light that is part of the Molus line. It has a normal Bowens S mount, so you can attach inexpensive light modifiers.

The idea behind the Molus G200 was to make a high-power COB LED light that could be used in theaters, for live streaming, and for other lighting tasks. The Molus G200 has a shape that isn’t like many other LED lights on the market, and it looks quite different, too. It looks like a Sony Venice Rialto with a Bowens mount in some ways.

Zhiyun Molus G200 Specifications Table

The Zhiyun Molus G200 is a bicolor light, which means it can make both warm and cool white light. It also has a high CRI and TLCI rating, which means it can show colors correctly.

Zhiyun Molus G200: Build and Handling

There are two main parts to the Molus G200. The LED is in a black-and-grey box. This strong light source is only 67.5mm thick, which makes it very small. A second box of about the same size is both the power pack for the G200 and the control box. The controller/power supply also comes with a handy strap that lets you hang it on your light stand and keep it close to you while you use it. The device has two knobs on it.

The Molus G200’s brightness can be changed between 0% and 100% by turning the switch on the left that says “Dim.” The CCT setting on the right controls the color temperature. You can also use the right dial as a button to jump more quickly to preset color temperatures instead of having to dial them in directly. If you press both dials at the same time, the Max mode is activated, and the power goes from 200W to 300W. The controller also has a small monochrome screen that shows things like lighting levels and color temperature.

Zhiyun Molus G200: Setup

It’s very easy to use. Set it up on a light stand, plug it in, and connect the charger to it. Just flip the switch to turn it on, and you’re ready to go. Change the power and color temperature with the knobs. Add a light or softbox, then take a picture. It’s really that easy. I used it in a studio portrait shoot with a 90cm octobox reflector and a large curved reflector for beautiful soft lighting. I had to raise my ISO to 640, but the images are beautiful.

Zhiyun Molus G200: Cooling

COB LED lights make a lot of heat, so it’s not too surprising that ZHIYUN decided to separate the COB from the power source and controller. This will help a lot with cooling. ZHIYUN uses a cooling system called “DynaVort Cooling System,” which has a heat sink and a FOC fan.

There is a big fan in the MOLUS G200 light head, but there are no settings to change how big the fan is. Even when running at full speed for long amounts of time in the normal mode, the fans aren’t too loud. In MAX Extreme mode, the fans, especially the one in the light head, make a lot of noise. You wouldn’t want to use this mode to record something important. Even after an hour of being on at 100% in MAX Extreme mode, the housing wasn’t that hot, and you could still touch it.

Zhiyun Molus G200: Performance

This little light might change the way you think about COB LED lights because it uses some new technology. Even though it is small and compact, it is very strong and can be used for professional lighting inside (or outside if there is a power source nearby). Great for both video (even livestreaming) and product/portrait photos. It can be used for many different things and can be changed to fit your needs. The best part is that it’s easy to use. On Max mode, the Molus G200’s output was much too bright for my studio setup, and the highlights of my subject were totally blown out.

With standard lights, you have to wait for them to cool down for a long time before you can take them down. LED lights run much cooler than standard glass lamps, and the DynaVort cooling system on the Molus G200 kept the light from getting too hot to touch, even when I turned it up to its maximum 300W output. I didn’t hear the fan running either, so it didn’t get in the way of my audio recording. You can see how the Molus G200 works in our supporting movie. The Molus G200 is on a moving head that lets you turn it 180 degrees, so it should be able to light up the subject from any angle you want.

The ZY Vega app can be used to handle the Molus G200, which is a nice touch. Swiping the sliders in the app is faster and easier than turning the knobs on the real controller. This is true for both brightness and color temperature settings. You can also tap on preset buttons in the app to jump to certain color temperatures instead of pushing the controller’s CCT button to go back and forth between the same presets.

Zhiyun Molus G200: Pros and Cons

The Zhiyun Molus G200 is a powerful and flexible LED video light that can be used for studio shoots, outdoor productions, and live streaming, among other things. With a maximum output of 200 watts that can be increased to 300 watts in Max mode, it is very bright for how small it is.

Final Words

It is a wonderful light that would be an asset to any studio. A huge bonus is the fact that it is so compact and unburdensome to carry around. In terms of performance, it more than holds its own against far more capable competition. This series would not be complete without the inclusion of the Bowens mount. I give this a perfect score.