Great affordable RGB light but one big con
By Alex
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2026-03-14
Really well made and affordable RGB light, but one big issue is that these RGB lights all require a ballast even this one (LA300R) and unlike the LA600R which has a latch on the side to secure the ballast, this LA300R does not and you have to leave it on the ground (it has rubber pads on the corners for this) but it is massively disappointing for me that Godox couldn't have just included the ballast attachment for this light. Otherwise, I love the light. Materials feel good, fan is soft, and light head itself is light and easy to move, but this ballast situation leaves me concerned. But if you intend to park this light permanently, then this is not so much of an issue.
Affordable, Fully Featured RGB Do It All! Super Bright!
By Kevin
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2025-07-29
Purchased these as an upgrade from the Godox SZ300R when I heard they were slightly lighter weight (5.5 lbs) and 50% brighter than the SZ300R.
They compare really well despite being half the price.
PROS:
Absurdly Bright, about 92k Lux at 1m with included reflector. And you can use this additional brightness because the Fans, even at close range, have a soft, low frequency hum.
Fans on Max (Fans High) don't have high pitch noise, but a pleasing low hum that does not interfere with dialog recording. Can easily be removed using RX10's Voice Denoise at around -6dB.
Really Nice, Lightweight Roller Case. I wouldn't stack anything heavy on top of it or use it on a plane, but for throwing in the backseat or the trunk it's fine. Good wheels, very easy to move around. Easy on the back. Well-placed plastic handles on the top and bottom and a good telescoping handle for rolling. Very Very Easy to move these 3 lights around, and not too heavy, for a 3 light kit.
Smaller Form Factor/Lighter Weight, which is great when shooting in small bedroom interiors. Now I can actually use my Aputure Lantern in small paces, for some gorgeous wraparound. And the LA300R's output is strong enough to punch thru the diffusion, even in HSI mode.
Works Great with Godox Light App. Firmware upgrade via USBA was painless.
Bowens mount is strong, and Easily supports Aputure Lantern and Aputure Light Dome Mini iii modifiers.
The yoke can support modifiers well and locks the light securely in place. The Ratcheting handle is pretty cool.
CONS:
Included power cable way too short and I don't like the lock. Can be remedied by replacing with StarTech's 12ft locking cable.
Hanging the power brick can be accomplished, counter-intuitively, by threading the threaded part of the included safety cables thru the hole in the power brick FIRST, then screwing in on the other end. BUT, I found it a bit unbalanced and I feel this could wear on the cable over time, so I cannibalized the Adapter Holder, velcro pouches that attach to C-stands from my Godox SZ300R's, which worked really well.
NOTE: The included AC power cables and safety cables can be found *Underneath* the velcro inside of the roller case when you open it up. I didn't realize this until I emailed Godox support, who got back to me in one business day, which was great.
Unlike the Godox SZ300R, the LA300R in FAN OFF/MUTE Mode *does emit a bit of a high pitch noise in close (like 3ft) proximity to a boomed mic. So I *WOULD NOT* recommend using these units in FAN OFF mode in close (3ft) proximity. But, FANS HIGH (Max) has a pleasing low hum that doesn't interfere with dialog capture/no significant overlap with human voice frequencies, even in small spaces. Whereas the SZ300R *DID* have a high pitch noise with it's fan, around the midrange, that prevented me from using the SZ300R with fans on in small interiors, meaning I got about 30% CCT and 70% HSI on the SZ300R with fans off. ...Whereas the LA300R I won't be using in small spaces with FANS OFF because the high pitch noise when fans are off. I *WILL* be using the LA300R's with FANS HIGH all the time, because the fan noise is negligble, probably the quietest fan noise I've encountered on this kind of COB RGB light. The LA300R fans don't interfere with dialogue, and the fans noise is low frequency and easily removed entirely in post, if needed.
One flaw, the bowens mount doesn't appear deep enough to securely hold the Aputure Fresnel 2X. It will snap into place but you can easily lift the Aputure Fresnel 2X up and off of the mount by lifiting from the bottom. So I would *NOT* trust the LA300R to securely hold the Aputure Fresnel 2X.
However, the Aputure Lantern and Aputure Light Dome Mini iii both snapped and twisted/locked in to the bowens mount securely without issue. I would trust the bowens mount with those attachments. I suspect the older design of the Aputure Fresnel 2X and it's deeper attachment sections make it so it doesn't twist-lock into place, unlike the other modifiers which secured perfectly well without issue.
The base of the Yoke when locked to your cstand can twist a little (left or right) out of position if you bump into the fixture. Not a huge deal but something to be aware of. The Yoke does lock firmly in place vertically very well and doesn't sag.
Overall, it's another win from Godox.
Good quality, Good Price, Great output, Great Fans, Lightweight, Nice Roller Case.
