About NANLITE
Overview
NANLITE is a Chinese professional lighting brand specializing in LED lighting for photography, filmmaking, video production, broadcasting, live streaming, and content creation. The brand was created by NANGUANG, a lighting manufacturer founded in 1992, and officially launched internationally in 2019. 1
NANLITE has become particularly known for making relatively compact, versatile LED fixtures that combine professional color quality and lighting control with prices and form factors accessible to independent filmmakers, photographers, YouTubers, studios, and small production crews.
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Brand | NANLITE |
| Parent company | NANGUANG / Guangdong Nanguang Photo & Video Systems |
| Origin | China |
| Parent company founded | 1992 |
| NANLITE launched | 2019 |
| Industry | Professional photo/video lighting |
| Main technology | LED continuous lighting |
| Major products | COB spotlights, LED panels, RGB lights, tube lights, modifiers and accessories |
| Notable series | Forza, PavoTube, PavoSlim, FC, FS, Compac, MixPanel, Alien |
| Target users | Photographers, filmmakers, cinematographers, content creators, broadcasters and studios |
| Distribution | International / global dealer network |
The parent company traces its history to May 1992, when founder Lin BiGuang established Nanguang Camera Accessories Company. The business subsequently developed into a specialist imaging-lighting manufacturer.
The NANLITE brand itself was officially introduced in 2019, with the aim of creating a dedicated lighting brand for modern image makers and content creators.
1992 — NANGUANG is founded
The story of NANLITE begins with its parent company, NANGUANG.
According to the company’s history, founder Lin BiGuang was originally a middle-school teacher with a strong interest in photography. In 1992, he founded Nanguang Camera Accessories Company after finding that existing photographic accessories did not adequately meet his needs. 2
Over the following decades, the company moved increasingly toward professional imaging equipment and lighting.
Its experience in manufacturing, LED technology, optical engineering and production eventually provided the foundation for the modern NANLITE brand.
2000s–2010s — Development of LED lighting
Before NANLITE became a recognizable international brand, NANGUANG was already developing LED lighting products for photography and video.
The company says that it accumulated decades of experience in the imaging-equipment industry and developed its own manufacturing capabilities and quality-control processes.
This manufacturing background is important to understanding NANLITE: it is not simply a marketing brand that outsources every product to third-party factories. NANLITE states that the vast majority of its products are manufactured in its own factory, allowing the company to control design, production and quality.
2019 — Birth of NANLITE
2019 was the key turning point.
NANGUANG created NANLITE as a dedicated brand focused on modern LED lighting for photographers, filmmakers and other image creators. NANLITE was officially launched at NAB 2019.
The idea was to make professional continuous lighting more accessible.
Traditional professional film lighting could be:
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large
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heavy
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expensive
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power-hungry
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complicated to operate
NANLITE positioned itself around a different proposition:
professional-quality LED lighting in compact, practical and relatively affordable packages.
This philosophy became particularly visible through the Forza series.
Forza — the series that established NANLITE
One of NANLITE’s most important product families is Forza.
The Forza line is based primarily around COB-style LED spotlights. These lights resemble the conventional “monolight” form factor used by photographers, but are designed as continuous LED sources rather than photographic flash units.
The concept is straightforward:
small body + high output + controllable LED source + professional accessories.
The family has expanded substantially over time, ranging from small portable fixtures to high-output production lights. NANLITE’s current catalog includes models such as the Forza 60 series, Forza 150, Forza 300, Forza 500 and Forza 720.
Forza helped establish NANLITE’s reputation among independent filmmakers and photographers because the lights could provide substantial output without requiring the size and infrastructure traditionally associated with larger cinema fixtures.
PavoTube — NANLITE’s most recognizable product family
If Forza represents NANLITE’s spotlight/COB identity, PavoTube represents its tube-light identity.
PavoTube lights are elongated LED tubes designed to be both practical lighting sources and creative elements within a scene.
They can be used for:
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background lighting
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practical-looking lights
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colored accents
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music videos
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interviews
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photography
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film sets
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livestreaming
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product shoots
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architectural/interior scenes
The current PavoTube family includes different lengths and generations, including the PavoTube II 6C, 15C, 30C, 60XR and other variants. NANLITE’s current range includes both RGB/color models and more advanced versions with wireless control features.
One of the major advantages is portability. NANLITE states that certain PavoTube models can operate from built-in rechargeable batteries, with some models offering multiple hours of operation depending on brightness and configuration.
Product Ecosystem
NANLITE is no longer simply a company selling a few LED lights. It has developed into a fairly broad lighting ecosystem.
A. COB / spotlight lights
The Forza, FC and FS families cover a large part of NANLITE’s traditional monolight-style lighting.
These are useful for:
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key lighting
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interviews
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portrait photography
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studio work
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filmmaking
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commercial production
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livestreaming
The current catalog contains both daylight/bicolor and full-color fixtures.
B. LED tube lights
The PavoTube family is designed for portable and creative lighting.
These are particularly popular for situations where conventional rectangular LED panels or COB fixtures are inconvenient.
The current PavoTube lineup ranges from very small battery-powered units to long professional tubes, with some models offering RGB/color control, pixel effects and CRMX wireless control. 3
C. LED panels
NANLITE also produces flat LED panels.
Current product families include:
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PavoSlim
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MixPanel
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Compac
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Alien
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LumiPad
The PavoSlim range, for example, is designed around relatively thin LED panels, including large-format professional fixtures. NANLITE’s current PavoSlim 360C is a 4×2 RGBWW panel with wireless and DMX/CRMX control. 4
D. RGB and full-color lighting
A major part of modern NANLITE products is color control.
Depending on the model, NANLITE lights can provide combinations of:
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variable color temperature
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RGB color
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HSI control
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saturation adjustment
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green/magenta adjustment
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lighting effects
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pixel effects
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color presets
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wireless control
This allows the same fixture to function as both a conventional white-light source and a creative effects light.
E. Lighting modifiers
NANLITE also manufactures accessories designed to shape and control its lights.
These include:
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softboxes
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reflectors
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Fresnel lenses
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projection attachments
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grids
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mounting accessories
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tube accessories
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adapters
The company currently offers both Bowens-mount and FM-mount accessories depending on the fixture. 5
This is significant because the light itself is only one part of a professional lighting system. Modifiers determine how that light is actually shaped on set.
Color quality
One of NANLITE’s major selling points is color accuracy.
Professional lighting is not simply about brightness. A light needs to reproduce skin tones, clothing, products and environmental colors accurately.
NANLITE uses specifications such as:
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CRI
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TLCI
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SSI
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color-temperature accuracy
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green/magenta adjustment
For example, NANLITE currently advertises certain PavoTube models with CRI values around 97 and TLCI values around 98. 6
Higher color-quality scores generally mean that objects illuminated by the light can be reproduced more naturally on camera.
For filmmakers, this is particularly important because inaccurate lighting can create additional color-correction work in post-production.
Lighting control
Modern NANLITE fixtures increasingly support multiple methods of control.
Depending on the model, users may have access to:
On-board controls
Physical controls and displays on the fixture itself.
NANLINK app
NANLITE’s lighting-control ecosystem includes NANLINK, allowing compatible fixtures to be controlled wirelessly.
Bluetooth
Some lights can communicate with mobile devices through Bluetooth.
2.4 GHz wireless control
Certain products support dedicated wireless remote-control systems.
DMX/RDM
Higher-end fixtures can integrate into professional lighting environments using DMX/RDM.
CRMX
Some professional NANLITE fixtures support LumenRadio CRMX, allowing integration into more sophisticated wireless lighting-control systems.
This means NANLITE products can scale from a single creator working alone to a multi-light professional production.
Who uses NANLITE?
NANLITE’s market is unusually broad.
Photographers
Portrait photographers can use NANLITE fixtures as:
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key lights
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fill lights
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rim lights
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background lights
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creative RGB sources
Continuous lighting also provides an important advantage over flash: you can see the lighting effect before taking the picture.
Filmmakers
For filmmaking, NANLITE provides fixtures for:
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interviews
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short films
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commercials
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music videos
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documentaries
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independent films
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narrative productions
The combination of COB fixtures, tubes, panels and modifiers allows filmmakers to build complete lighting setups around one brand.
Content creators
YouTube creators, streamers and social-media creators represent another important market.
A creator might use:
Forza/FC → key light
PavoTube → background/accent
PavoSlim/Compac → fill light
This makes NANLITE suitable for relatively small studios as well as professional production environments.
Commercial and professional production
At the higher end, NANLITE also produces substantially more powerful fixtures.
The current catalog includes high-output Forza and FC fixtures, including models in the hundreds of watts and professional-control configurations.
Thus, the brand occupies a spectrum from individual creator → photographer → small production company → professional studio.
Brand Distinctions
It is important to distinguish between related brands under the NANGUANG umbrella.
NANGUANG
NANGUANG is the parent company/manufacturer with roots going back to 1992.
NANLITE
NANLITE is the brand primarily aimed at photographers, filmmakers, content creators and a broad professional/enthusiast market.
NANLUX
NANLUX is another brand from the NANGUANG family, positioned toward higher-end professional cinema and large-scale production lighting.
The company’s Japanese site, for example, describes NANGUANG as the group behind NANLITE and NANLUX, while also identifying GUTEK as another member of the family. 7
A simplified way of looking at the ecosystem is:
NANGUANG
↓
NANLITE — broad professional photo/video lighting
NANLUX — high-end cinema lighting
GUTEK — professional equipment protection/cases
Manufacturing philosophy
Manufacturing is one of the more interesting aspects of NANLITE.
The company emphasizes that it controls much of its own production rather than simply purchasing finished lights from unrelated OEM factories.
In a 2022 company statement, NANLITE said that the vast majority of its products were manufactured in its own facility, allowing it to control the process from design through manufacturing and shipping.
This is strategically important because lighting products involve many interconnected elements:
LED emitters → electronics → thermal management → optics → firmware → mechanical design → accessories → quality control.
Having greater control over production can make it easier for a manufacturer to maintain consistency across product generations.
Global expansion
Although NANLITE originated in China, it has developed an international dealer and distribution network.
In 2022, the company said its products were being sold in more than 85 countries, with more than 900 employees and annual production exceeding one million products across the company.
NANLITE has subsequently established regional websites, distributors and support operations in different markets.
For example, NANLITE’s U.S. operation provides product sales, warranty, repair, firmware and dealer-support resources.
Sustainability
NANLITE and its parent company have also increasingly emphasized sustainability.
In 2024, NANLITE published a sustainability statement describing efforts involving:
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energy and resource conservation
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environmentally responsible materials
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RoHS-certified materials
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FSC-certified paperboard
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product repair
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manufacturing practices
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longer-term product support
The company says that its manufacturing control makes it easier to implement environmental practices across production.
This is becoming increasingly relevant in professional production equipment, where manufacturers are under pressure not only to improve energy efficiency but also to make equipment more repairable and durable.
Design philosophy
The overall NANLITE philosophy can be summarized in several ideas.
1. Compactness
Many NANLITE products attempt to provide relatively high output from relatively small fixtures.
The Forza line is a particularly good example.
2. Versatility
A single light can often operate as:
white light + RGB light + effects light + remotely controlled fixture.
3. Accessibility
NANLITE has historically positioned itself between inexpensive consumer lighting and very expensive cinema equipment.
The company itself describes its products as intended to provide high-quality LED lighting that can serve creators from their first shoots through professional-level work.
4. Ecosystem thinking
Rather than selling isolated lights, NANLITE builds families of lights, modifiers and control systems that can work together.
Current Status
As of 2026, NANLITE’s catalog has expanded well beyond the original compact LED-light concept.
Its current portfolio includes:
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high-output COB spotlights
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bicolor fixtures
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RGB/full-color fixtures
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LED tubes
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thin LED panels
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large-format panels
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creator lights
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projection systems
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modifiers
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wireless-control systems
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professional accessories
The current U.S. catalog, for example, lists PavoTube, Forza, PavoSlim, Creator Lights and Modifiers as major categories, while current products include fixtures such as the Forza 720/720B, PavoTube II series, PavoSlim, FC series and Alien panels. 8
Summary
NANLITE is a China-origin professional LED lighting brand created by NANGUANG in 2019, best known for combining relatively compact, versatile and color-accurate LED fixtures with an increasingly sophisticated ecosystem of modifiers and wireless/professional lighting controls for photographers, filmmakers and content creators.
If you are familiar with the camera industry, think of NANLITE this way:
NANGUANG = the manufacturing company and parent organization
NANLITE = the broad professional/creator lighting brand
Forza = powerful COB spotlights
PavoTube = RGB LED tubes
PavoSlim / Alien / Compac / MixPanel = LED panels
NANLINK = lighting-control ecosystem
Modifiers = the tools that shape the light
Together, they make NANLITE less of a single “LED light brand” and more of a complete lighting platform for modern image-making.
