Minute Review – Kinotehnik Practilite 602

by Johnnie BehiriApril 12^th, 2016

Kinotehnik were kind enough to send me their new Practilite 602, a small but powerful bi-colour light source, for evaluation. For the past two months, I’ve left aside my trusted Cineroid LM400 and made worked with the three-piece Practilite 602 kit. Primarily, I used the 602 lights during casual documentary work but I also found them to be useful when filming on a small green screen setup.

Although the Practilite 602 lights fall under the same price range as their competitors, they’re not modestly priced, with a cost of $967 per unit. However, I’d say that they’re worth the money—they’re compact, versatile, easy to operate and extremely well built.

 This little LED Fresnel comes equipped with a 4-way barn door and you can download its light control App for free. Looking for a quick, portable diffuser solution, I attached a small Soft Box to the Kinotechnik Practilite 602 (for direct lighting). I also used a 5-in-1 Portable Triangle 43 Inch Lighting Reflector/Diffuser Kit with Grip for non-direct lighting.

Here are some facts about the Kinotehnik Practilite 602:

• It’s strong enough for everyday use and battery computability makes it perfect for run & gun
• TLCI measurements are 95 for tungsten and 92 for daylight. CRI is 96
• Colour temperature range from 3000K to 6200K
• It has an adjustable 15 to 75-degree beam angle. The spot/flood function works perfectly
• The 3.2″ 80mm fresnel lens gives a very consistent intensity
• You can wirelessly control the light via an App 

Practilite 602 Pros:

• The light remains cool to the touch even after extended use
• Boost mode increases output up to around 140% but limits colour temp to 4500K
• There is a quiet fan onboard, and even in boost mode, it becomes just a whisper
• Universal AC/DC power supply
• The Bluetooth connection is solid (was tested up to 30 feet) and you can control up to 6 fixtures with “Practilite Remote Control App”. The control functions include light intensity, variable colour temperature and “blink” mode to help identify the light you are dealing with.

Practilite 602 Cons:

• Due to the on/off button placement, it’s easy to accidentally turn the light off just by holding it
• At $967, price is something to be considered

Conclusion:

Despite its price tag, the  Kinotehnik Practilite 602 is a great working tool for anyone who is looking for a high-quality LED Fresnel solution. I can only hope that Kinotechnik will decide on assembling a 3 light kit and by doing so be able to lower the price a bit—giving “on the road” documentary filmmakers a total portable solution and not just a single light option.

For more information, please head over to the Kinotechnik site