Used CLAR Illumi Max 300 High Power 5600K LED Light (132,000 lux @ 0.5m

2022-07-06T09:02:21

Very accurate color. Power output rivals Apature product of same wattage. Add the Good 30 degree facetted reflector for an additional 1-stop output! I hope they will consider offering the 500w again. I have the 120s, 300s, and 500 units and they are great!

michael w.

2022-01-27T07:34:55

This light is cheap which is great, but it does not stack up against its competitors. It is not actually daylight balanced. It is closer to about 5000k. It also has a green cast. The ballast is pretty cheap so when you set down the ballast it shuts down and you have to unplug for a few minutes to reset it. It's brightness does not stack up against competitors. I bought it to be a powerful key, but I find myself still using my 300d instead because the 500 Clar is only about a half stop brighter than my 300d. Spend the extra money and get the 600D.

donald m.

2022-01-02T15:54:16

High color fidelity!!!

YUVAK T.

2021-12-01T10:16:06

Bought on sale and it's great value. Hopefully this unit would last. Its brightness drops considerably through a moderate size modifier. Nonetheless, it's great light.

THOMAS W.

2021-09-13T03:50:27

excellent product. thank you

YESICA H.

2021-06-21T09:08:36

This light is extremely powerful and for the cost it can't be beat. It does however feel a little greenish to me but that may just be my eyes.

MICHAEL S.

2021-05-06T08:14:58

I purchased two of these after having a pair of IllumiMax 120 lights for a year or so. This setup is nice. The build quality is good. The cables are very long and the carrying case is sufficient. The Bowens sleeve on one of my reflectors is spinning on the shell of the reflector, but I may be able to crimp them together. I use these lights to balance daylight, fill a room or illuminate a subject from a great distance (with my fresnel heads). My wife thought they were overkill until she needed them. The fans are reasonably quiet, even at full power. Overall, these were a great purchase.

JOHANNA B.

2021-03-01T07:17:15

Great value and solid piece of equipment.

Greg B.

2021-02-28T09:48:25

Excellent quality, super bright.

Ethan W.

2021-02-21T11:26:31

For the price, this light is freaking amazing. its got a little bit of a color shift but honestly worth it.

JOHN R.

2021-01-17T15:58:51

The color, the power and the build of this light , can't be beat at this price point. I can't even remove a star for the noisy fan otherwise I'd just be greedy.

OSCAR V.

2021-01-17T10:05:38

It’s a workhorse! Over a year of use and I can’t complain. Great light.

JOSE M.

2021-01-11T07:51:12

Amazing light, very powerful for price point

JORGE P.

2020-12-15T07:19:26

Great lights. My advise would be to skip the 300 model and get the 350. It's only a bit more expensive, but way better than the 300 version. I'm a professional DP and I've used the 300 since it came out. Great light overall, but my 2 complaints are the need for 2 ballasts and the LOUD fan noise in one of those ballasts. CLAR released an upgrade and called it the 350. Honestly, I'm not sure why they still sell the 300 version. The 350 has slightly higher output, only 1 ballast, and it's super quiet now. And it's only a bit more expensive. There is no reason to buy the 300 anymore. I own the 350 and am looking for an excuse to sell my older 300 to replace that with the 350. Solid construction and has never failed me. The remote is great and can link multiple CLAR lights to one remote. I use a 60" Glow softbox on this thing and it's like a super soft sun. Great for interviews and the key light.

BRENT P.

2020-12-14T07:04:34

excellent light I like it most recommended

Mundher L.

2020-11-29T19:00:58

Love this light. I purchased this strobe mainly for my pet photography among other projects. I have an Xplor 600 Pro that I was using but this continuos light increases my keepers as I have no flash when taking pet photos. Now I need to save to purchase the CLAR 500!!

ARTHUR R.

2020-09-29T13:01:23

The light quality is very nice, as is the build quality. Regarding output, it was about the same as my Arri 650W in spot focus. The case is really nice, too. My issue is with the fan noise and components. It’s three separate pieces: Light, power supply, and control module. For my needs, it’s just too much kit to setup. The fan is quiet, but definitely audible in the recording. Overall, it’s a good product.

GEOFF W.

2020-09-17T13:27:10

I bought 2 300s about a year ago now and have used them on a variety of jobs. The light is a pretty solid one for the money, but it's not nearly as refined or sturdy as an Aputure or either more 'up market' light. Output is impressive, doesn't seem to have a cast of any other color from what I've seen, and it's not a light I worry much about damaging. The Bowens release has worked great and allowed me to mount spotlights and softboxes aplenty. Construction is fairly sturdy and nothing major has broken in the use I've given these units. The drawbacks are numerous however, one of the most obvious and obnoxious is cable length. The lead from the controller to the light is barely long enough to cover a 4' length of a large C stand, meaning you have to hand the controller from a knob or clamp off the highest extension of the light for it to reach. This then forces you to keep the power box near the controller because the cable between those isn't much longer either. If either the controller or power box had provisions for clamping onto a pole this wouldn't be too stressful, but out of the box you're left hanging these from knobs on your stands... Fader only goes to 10%, power unit fans are noisy on a set and largely unavoidable, and the bags have had a few seams fail on me (inside). Lastly I just recently had one of the power boxes mounting rings bust loose mid shoot and dangle the controller by the strap (thankfully it got jammed on the light stand as it fell and stopped it). So ultimately if you're on a tight budget and want a firehouse of output for the cheapest possible price, then these are for you. If you're wanting a professional quality product that is versatile, strong, quiet, free of malfunctions, hiccups, issues.... then this isn't the one. For me, I wish I had just popped for the Aputure 300d ii that I'd been eyeballing forever, but alas that 2 for 1 price point got me. For a lot of my work these are fine, but I'm already considering offloading these and getting an Aputure instead.

GRAHAM D.

2020-09-10T20:39:14

Absolutely the perfect travel light pack. Originally purchased as a backlight, but will get two more with soft boxes. Initially got excited over the remote control, but it did not work. Would give 5 stars if remote had worked.

K T.

2020-07-30T14:38:42

You can’t beat the quality and price of this light. I’m planning on buying a second one.

CARLTON W.

2020-02-10T07:19:49

I bought a second unit because this LED lamp was impressive. But you need really powerful V-mount batteries to use this lamp without AC power. (2) 190Wh batteries were "NOT" sufficient. I bought (2) 250Wh v-mounts and got 2 hrs at 50% brightness. But otherwise this lamp is a great performing and is a budget friendly option.

Jack O.

2020-01-06T07:07:42

This light is bright… no, you don’t understand… it’s BRIGHT. It’s like turning on the sun! I really like it. My only concern is the fan noise from the power unit, but that’s not really a big problem. Totally worth the money.

JESSIE M.

2019-12-18T08:37:00

I love this light! It’s bright and perfect for children’s portraits!

JONATHAN R.

2019-12-05T07:42:36

Awesome light, very bright.

eddie n.

2019-11-17T09:33:17

This light has amazed me. The build quality, the features, the quality of light output, and just how bright it is. Some improvements could be made though like any product such as: an app to control the light, the wires are a mess especially the power supply, a better way to mount the control box to a light stand, and a fresnel lens to work with the bicolor leds. Also when I opened the box and pulled the plastic off there was red dust stuck to the light all over. Luckily it came right off.

Matthew T.

2019-10-09T09:20:29

Was doing a short film and needed a good light. I was renting Aputure 120D for some time and I wanted a light on my own and I was on budget. So I purchased Clar Ilumi max 300. I see people out there who compare this with aputure 300.. but I would say there is no comparison. I felt even aputure 120d brightly lit than this product. But wait, I am not talking anything ill about this this product. This is very decent for the money. I used once with 3 people table scene and it was decent enough with 50% in a place which had some decent fill lights already present. I have used this only once.. so will need to wait to see if this would last good. I will sure give an update if it breaks.. if you don't see any update.. it means its working good.. Overall its good product if on budget.

Pradeep S.

2019-10-05T10:22:53

Decently bright, although less than I expected. I already own a 200w COB LED from another manufacturer. Compared them with the same 8" reflector bowl and found the difference to be a little more than 1/2 stop. One is punching above it's weight, the other below. My biggest complaints are the power supply noise, and the inability to move it beyond the reach of the included XLR-type 3 pin connecting cable. I tried extending it with a standard 6' and 15' cable, and found that the unit would quickly shut off. Probably an impedance issue. The fan on the power brick is relatively small and spins continuously, giving you the steady 'woosh' of a desktop computer circa 2002. A larger, slower-turning fan or heat-sensitive thermostat and RPM speed controller would be a BIG help here. Second best 'fix' would be a longer cable allowing for further placement of the power unit.

Oren A.

2019-09-08T10:22:47

You cannot beat this light at it price point. After watching Robert Hall's video on this lite I decided to give it try. It live up to his review and exceeded my expectations. It's extremely small and very quit.

Darryl L.

2019-08-19T05:21:42

This is a pretty decent looking light. It came with a very nice case. After I connected the various cables, attached a softbox and turned it on, I have to say I was rather underwhelmed by it's output. I've never actually used the Aputure 120 so I can't make an honest comparison. I also do not know if this lights bi-color capability is detracting from it's output but it (imho) only seems to be slightly brighter than the Came TV 55 wt boltzen led. At any rate, priced at $300 or less, it seems to be a value.

DISMAS W.

2019-08-14T08:30:01

When my coworker purchased this light at the original price, we thought we'd found a killer deal. A COB LED with the power and quality you get from the Aputure 300d. Head to head, there is literally no difference between these two lights. We've tested! At $ this light is an amazing deal. At $399 it's probably the lighting deal of 2019.

JASON B.