The NANLITE PavoTube II 6CP is a 10-inch RGBWW tube light that you can mount, hide, or hold in your hand almost anywhere. Its small size makes it easy to place in tight spots like car interiors, shelves, or room corners, while still giving you strong white light, bright colors, and useful built-in lighting effects.
The NANLITE PavoTube II 6CP stands out from many mini tube lights because it solves real shooting needs. It is brighter than the older PavoTube II 6C, lasts longer on battery, offers a wide 2400K to 12000K color temperature range, and adds Gel mode for fast color matching. If you need one compact tube light that works as a practical light, a soft accent, or a creative color source, the 6CP is a smart and flexible choice.
Key takeaways of the NANLITE PavoTube II 6CP
- Brighter and lasts longer than the 6C, with a bigger 3200mAh battery.
- Much wider white range (2400–12000K) plus ±150 green/magenta shift for fixing ugly mixed light.
- Gel mode adds 460 digital Lee/Rosco gels, great for matching existing looks fast.
- Same size and mounts as the 6C, so old accessories still fit.
- Best for accents, practicals, tight spaces, and travel kits, not for lighting big rooms alone.
The new light engine (Nebula C4) and what that means
One of the biggest upgrades in the 6CP is the light engine inside it, called the Nebula C4 RGBW engine. A light engine is the core system that mixes colors and controls brightness. The Nebula C4 is better than the one in the older 6C model because it mixes light more smoothly and produces stronger output from the same size body.
In real use, this means colors look cleaner and more even. When you pick soft colors like pastel blues, light pinks, or gentle greens, the light does not look patchy or rough. Whites also look more stable. For anyone who shoots people or products, this matters because uneven color can make skin look strange or make products look cheap.
Features of the NANLITE PavoTube II 6CP
1. About 10% brighter
Nanlite says the 6CP is about 10 percent brighter than the 6C. At 5600K, it reaches around 661 lux at 0.5 meters (about arm’s length). At 1 meter, it drops to around 164 lux.
These numbers tell you something important. The light is strong when it is close to your subject, but like all small tube lights, it loses power quickly when you move it farther away. So the 6CP is not meant to light a whole room by itself. Instead, it works best as a close accent light, a practical light you can hide in the scene, a rim light behind your subject, or a small fill light when placed near the face.
2. The white light range (CCT)
The 6CP has a much wider white light range than the older 6C. It goes from 2400K on the warm end to 12000K on the cool end. The 6C only went up to about 7500K.
This wide range gives you more freedom. When you need a very warm look, like candle light, sunset, or old tungsten bulbs, 2400K lets you match that feel without guessing. When you need very cool light, like cloudy daylight through a window or blue icy tones, 12000K helps you blend the tube into that world. In short, the light can match more environments without looking out of place.
3. Green and magenta adjustment (tint control)
Another key feature is the green and magenta shift control. The 6CP allows you to push the light toward green or toward magenta, up to ±150.
This sounds technical, but it solves a common problem. Many places have ugly lighting, especially offices, shops, and older buildings. Those lights often have a green cast that makes skin look sick or makes videos look cheap. With tint control, you can correct that. You can add magenta to cancel green in the room, or add green if you need to match a greenish practical light. This makes your lighting blend better and saves you time in color grading later.
4. RGB color modes and smooth color mixing
Because the 6CP is RGBWW, it can create deep saturated colors and also soft natural shades. You can control colors using HSI mode (hue, saturation, intensity), RGB values, or through presets in the Nanlink app.
What makes the 6CP better than many cheap RGB tubes is that it creates colors without strange shifts or washed-out tones. Strong reds look red, not orange. Blues hold their depth without turning purple. Pastels stay smooth. This is partly because of the Nebula C4 engine and partly because Nanlite has tuned the color system for film and photo use.
5. Gel mode and the built-in Lee/Rosco gel library
Gel mode is one of the most useful new features that people don’t fully explain. The 6CP includes about 460 digital gels based on Lee and Rosco gel libraries.
In real work, gels are used to create specific film looks or to match lighting on set. With Gel mode, you don’t need to guess a color in HSI. You just pick the gel that matches your look, like a classic CTO, CTB, straw, steel blue, or party gel. That makes matching faster and more accurate, especially when you are working with other lights that already use physical gels. Gel mode also helps continuity. When you shoot a scene across different days, you can return to the exact same gel setting.
6. Built-in effects
The 6CP has built-in effects like fire, candle, police lights, lightning, TV flicker, and more. These effects are useful when you want movement or drama in the scene without extra gear.
Even if you don’t use effects every day, they are helpful for quick B-roll, music videos, short films, or social content. The nice part is that these effects can also be controlled and synced through the app when you use more than one tube.
7. Battery size, runtime, and charging
The battery in the 6CP is bigger than the one in the 6C. It is rated at 3200mAh. Nanlite states it can run about 78 minutes at 100 percent brightness, and about 177 minutes at 50 percent.
In practice, this is a real improvement. Many people use small tubes at 10-50 percent brightness for accents, and at those levels, the 6CP can last for hours. That means less stopping to charge and less stress during shoots. Charging is through USB-C. The light supports 5V/2A charging, and you can power it while using it if you have a good power bank or adapter.
8. Physical design, mounting, and portability
Nanlite kept the body almost the same size as the 6C, which is good because it stays simple and compatible. It has magnets inside so you can stick it to metal surfaces. It also has two 1/4-20 mounting threads, so it can go on tripods, magic arms, clamps, or small stands.
The tube is light enough to hold in your hand for moving light effects, but solid enough for regular set use. And because it shares the same shape as the 6C, older clips, grids, and holders still work.
9. Controls on the body and control through the Nanlink app
You can control the light directly from the buttons and screen on the tube. The menu system is clearer than older models and lets you switch between CCT, HSI, Gel, and Effects without much fuss.
For deeper control, you can use Nanlink App 2.0 through Bluetooth. The 6CP also supports NFC pairing on compatible phones, which makes connecting faster. The app matters most when you use several Nanlite lights together. You can group them, match settings, and run synced effects. For people building a small lighting kit, this is a big workflow win.
10. Color accuracy and reliability for real shoots
Nanlite rates the 6CP at CRI 95 and TLCI 95, and also gives TM-30 scores around Rf 92 and Rg 100.
In simple terms, this means the light reproduces colors well. Skin tones look normal if your white balance is correct. Product colors don’t shift in strange ways. This is one reason Nanlite tubes are trusted on professional sets.
Ten practical lighting setups you can copy today
These are simple, repeatable ideas that show what a 10-inch tube is best at.
1. Hidden car interior practical
- Stick the tube low on the dash or footwell using magnets.
- Set CCT to match street light (often 3000–4500K).
- Add a touch of minus green if faces go sickly.
2. Clean rim light for interviews
- Place the tube behind and slightly above your subject.
- Use 5600K or match your key.
- Dim until it just separates the shoulder line.
3. Product gradient background
- Lay the tube close to the background paper.
- Use RGB mode for color fades.
- Move it closer for a tighter, stronger gradient.
4. Fake window strip
- Tape the tube vertically beside frame.
- Push cool CCT (7000–9000K).
- Add diffusion if you see harsh lines.
5. Tabletop bounce
- Point tube into white foam board beside your subject.
- Use CCT mode so your highlights stay clean.
- Great for food and cosmetics.
6. Motivated TV glow
- Put tube behind TV pointing at wall.
- Use “TV” effect or slow CCT loop.
- Keeps the room alive without needing a big setup.
7. Under-shelf practical
- Magnet it under a shelf, bar, or cabinet.
- Set 2700–3200K.
- It reads like a real fixture.
8. Portrait color accent
- Hold tube off-camera at 45°.
- Use a saturated hue at low brightness.
- Instant mood without ruining skin tone.
9. Police / emergency B-roll
- Place two tubes left and right.
- Run “Police Car” effect.
- Keep brightness moderate so it doesn’t clip.
10. Mini light wall
- Line up 3–6 tubes side by side.
- Group in Nanlink app for synced FX.
- Creates a clean, cheap “LED panel” look.
Pricing and availability of the NANLITE PavoTube II 6CP
The NANLITE PavoTube II 6CP is widely available through major photo and video retailers and Nanlite dealers, and it typically sells for about $89 USD for a single 10-inch tube; for instance, B&H Photo lists it at $89 and currently shows it as in stock, with similar pricing appearing across the broader Nanlite PavoTube retail channel, though your final price can vary a bit by country due to tax, shipping, or bundle deals.
CREDIT – https://www.newsshooter.com/2025/11/19/nanlite-pavotube-ii-6cp-first-look-at-interbee-2025/
https://www.redsharknews.com/nanlite-pavotube-ii-6cp-the-classic-led-tube-updated
