Arri Skypanel S60-c VS Sunnyxiao Caster C02P

Arri Skypanel S60-c VS Sunnyxiao Caster C02P

The SUNNYXIAO CASTER C02P 450W RGBW Is a LED Panel with a high power 2×1 and CCT range of 2700K to 10000K. It is presented as a low cost alternative to lights such as ARRI SkyPanel S-60C, Creamsource Vortex8, Litepanels Gemine 2×1 and Rotolight Titan X2.

The panel features red, green, blue and white (RGBW) calibrated LEDs that allow it to produce white light at any CCT from 2700K to 10000K. It is claimed to be capable of producing vivid and saturated colours.

The Caster C02P is part of SUNNYXIAO's "Caster" series, which includes LED panel lights from 220W to 1500W.

MAIN FEATURES OF SUNNYXIAO CASTER C02P

• High output;
• Lightweight design of 12.5 kg;
• Cost-effective panel light;
• Easy and flexible for installation;
• Lifetime over 50,000 hours;
• CRI>95, TLCI>95, CCT: 2700-10000K;
• Multiple control modes: CRMX, APP, WI-FI, wired DMX, wireless DMX

SUNNYXIAO CASTER C02P Led lighting was primarily designed to be an ARRI SkyPanel S60-C alternative. If you owned a SkyPanel and wanted a spare or additional unit, then you could get a Caster for the price of half a SkyPanel. Similarly, if you owned SkyPanels and wanted some additional lower cost units that could be used in conjunction with the SkyPanels, the Caster would also work.

The main strength of Caster is to provide the same features but at half the price. This is an important aspect now more than before, as we find ourselves in a market where the number of projects is going up, but the budget for them is going down. On paper, the advantages are clear. However, in this blog we are going to see how it is applied in practice.

When used at 5600K, the Caster C02P emits 13,104 lx at a distance of 1 m (3 ft). At 3 m (9.8 ft) you get an output of 1,456 lx. These are pretty good results for a 2×1 panel.

Size and weight

The Caster C02P light panels weigh 4.5 kg less than the Skypanel S60-C. Within this weight is the built-in power supply, eliminating the need to transport and handle ballast. At the same time, the light has two integrated handles that make it easy to carry and pick up.

Weight

• SUNNYXIAO C02P 12.5 kg / 27.55 lb.
• ARRI S60-C Skypanel 17 kg (37.47 lb)

QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION

Skypanel S60-c panels have stood the test of time. The Caster panels certainly show signs of being able to cope with prolonged use and demanding shoots. The outer surface coating is very well protected and not susceptible to scratching.

Much of the outer casing of the Caster C02P panel is made of some form of aluminium or similar material. It also has an IP23 weatherproof rating so it can be used in light drizzle. This is an improvement over Skypanel's IP20, which offers the same protection against dust but no protection against water. The Caster panel adapts hard plastic support braces to its base. This also allows you to place the device on the floor without dropping it. It's a small but welcome feature.

SUNNYXIAO C02P offers a sturdy frame similar to the skypanel although it does not have a yoke for standing upright.

Control

The Sunnyxiao Caster range offers an app called ColorExpress that allows you to control the lights from your mobile phone or tablet. Similar to Astera. This is an indispensable feature that allows the gaffer to control the lights quickly and easily.

This means there is no need to attach an accessory to the lighting kit or lower the height of the tripod to access the menus from the built-in panel display.

The SUNNYXIAO C02P features fairly intuitive and easy to use controls. There are 6 direct access buttons. Four of them are for accessing the CCT, HSI, GEL and EFFECT modes. The other two are for MENU and LOCK. When scrolling through the different modes of operation, the representation is shown in easy to understand graphical illustrations.

Beam angle

The beam angle of the Sunnyxiao C02P aims to be similar to that of the Skypanel S60 110 and 115 respectively. Generally, the panels offer a wide beam width that allows a large area to be covered at close range and in soft light. The CreamSource Vortex 8 panels are the big exception, as they have an angle of 20. It is thanks to this narrow angle that they maintain high luminous values over long distances, aiming to approach the characteristics of hard light floodlights.

Performance

To my surprise, the Sunnyxiao C02P panel offers higher luminous efficiency than any other soft light. Not only Arri. However, in terms of colour fidelity values, it does remain similar to Skypanel.

Performance at 5600K (With diffuser panel)

• SUNNYXIAO CO2P 13600 lx 5704 0.0
• Creamsource Vortex8 10200 lx 5983K 0.0
• ARRI S60-C SkyPanel 10900 lx 5708K 0.0

Output at 3200K (With diffuser panel)

• SUNNYXIAO CO2P 14700 lx 3304K 0.3
• Creamsource Vortex8 8830 lx 3242K 0.0
• ARRI S60-C SkyPanel 10400 lx 3225K 0.1

Conclusion

Sunnyxiao's intentions to compete directly with Arri are clear. The Caster panels aim to offer a direct version of the Skypanel with better performance at a lower price. This is understandable considering that Skypanels have been on the market for 8 years. However, it is worth mentioning that the Caster panels have managed to outperform the current competitors as well, even though it is becoming increasingly difficult to find noticeable differences in soft light panels.

Although Caster panels offer improvements in terms of performance, I believe that the main advantage lies in the price. Not only is it a more affordable product for smaller productions, but it allows you to double the number of light sources for larger projects and expand your creative freedoms.

Price

• SUNNYXIAO CASTER CO2P.   3,339 USD
• ARRI SkyPanel S60-C.   6,820 USD