Nanlite FC-120B LED Spotlight

Nanlite’s FC-120B Bi-Colour LED light is a compact yet powerful point source light that you can hand-hold and take outdoors.

The FC-120B (left) and Forza 60C (right)

FC-120B specifications

Bi-Colour
2700K – 6500K
17, 450 lux at 1m with 45° reflector, 5600K
CRI: 96 average
TLCI: 98 average
Rated power: 145W
Maximum output power: 120W
FM mount
12 pre-installed effects
Weight: 960 grams
Can be powered by: AC adaptor, optional V-mount battery via grip, PD charger
Modern LCD display with sans-serif font and more adjustable than the FS line
No Magenta/Green tunability

Construction

The FC-120B is made of hard plastic all around. The grill on the bottom is metal however. This makes the overall unit very lightweight and easy to handle with one hand. A minor concern is the attachment of the junior receiver on the bottom grill. It looks like it is screwed into and glued on to the bottom grill which might serve as the weak point in the whole system. Throughout my uses though, I’ve had no problems whatsoever. Other than this, everything else handled well on first use.

FM-Mount

The FC-120B uses Nanlite’s FM mount, which is the same mount used on the Forza 60C and 150B. There are plenty of modifiers already available in this mount so if you have them, rest assured you can use them with the FC-120B (and FC-60B). I was particularly happy that it is compatible with the PJ-FMM projector attachment that I have.

Some of the available FM mount modifiers. The Lantern soft box is using the Bowens mount adaptor.

If you have Bowens mount modifiers, you can also use these with the provided FM to Bowens mount adaptor.

V-Mount battery grip

One of the best things about having a compact light at your disposal is its portability. In studio it’s easy to move these lights around to wherever you want them to be. And with the optional BT-BG-XLR4 battery grip, it’s even easier to move around as it allows you to power the FC-120B with V-mount batteries.

This battery grip has a 4-pin XLR connector so I can only assume it will be compatible with the FC-300B and FC-500B lights as well—power dependent.

The battery grip is made of plastic and feels hollow. The construction is very similar to that of the battery grip for the Forza 60C. It serves its purpose well though.

Foam case

The FC line of lights come in its own hard foam case. I am thankful it comes with a case as the FS line of lights do not. I’ve always had to create make-shift padded bags whenever I headed out the door with the FS-300B. This foam case is also a great alternative to the fabric cases that the Forza line comes in. Everything packs neatly within it and you should have no problems transporting it to your production environment.

The FC line of lights have updated LCD screens compared to the FS line of lights. I appreciate this as the designer in me always found the FS menu system a little hard to read with its serif fonts. With the sans-serif treatment, we also have additional options that make this system a little more useful.

You can choose from which version of the wireless 2.4GHz protocol to use.

Maximum output will provide the maximum intensity of light. Constant output will provide the same light output across all colour temperature changes.

DMX settings allow you to control the light from a console.

There are three different screen brightness levels you can choose from based on your needs.

There are multiple fan speeds with the maximum light output changing with these settings. 100% output with Smart and Full. 50% maximum output at Low, and 15% maximum output with the fan turned off.

You can also rotate the screen upside down for when you mount the light upside down.

Nanlink application

The Nanlink 2.0 app on iOS is a much more reliable app compared to the prior version. The app seems to keep its connection to the lights better than before. The app had no problems finding and connecting to the FC-120B light and controlling it as well.

You have full control over the light with the app, including customizing the special effects in many ways such as adding add-ons to your effects, which you can’t do on the light itself.

When you have a favourite setup, be sure to save it in the Preset tab so you can quickly access it later. The best part of the presets is, these are available across all lights and not just the ones you made the preset on.

Final thoughts

The stylish FC-120B from Nanlite provides a powerful light in a compact footprint that can be used for both indoor and outdoor use. It’s light enough to hand-hold—and with the optional V-mount battery grip, it adds portability to its list of features, which to me is the standout feature. The FM-mount provides ample options for modifiers and I love that I can use it with the projector as well.

The included foam case is light, sturdy, and provides enough padding so that you can safely transport your light to your production environment.

The FC-120B is a welcome addition to the FC line of lights that includes the FC-60B, FC-300B, and FC-500B.

A Special Thank You to Taku Kumabe

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Thank you, Taku, for your generosity and collaboration!