Anova Pro III from Rotolight

Weighing only 3.4kg The Anova Pro III is Rotolight’s most powerful and durable light yet. The body has been redesigned to be more durable and offers an IP65 rating for use in less-than-ideal weather conditions. The peak power output at 1m has also been increased to 22,000 lux which is roughly equivalent to the output of two high-end flashguns or one lower monolight at full power.

A fast and hybrid workflow

A brand-new patented feature of this new model is Rotolight’s ‘magic eye’ technology, an optical light sensor that's built right into the front of the light, the Anova Pro III can automatically measure and match to any Kelvin or HSI Colour on set, eliminating the need for a light meter and enabling content creators and filmmakers to easily balance lights on set.

Rotolight have been pioneering LED technology since 2009 and the Anova Pro III is the apex of this experience, the Anova Pro III positions itself as the LED light that finally can replace heavier, lower-powered monolights and speedlights. While LED lighting may not suit every photographic situation out there the Anova Pro III offers a persuasive and cost-effective option for professionals with a hybrid workflow who don’t want to compromise on quality, having to switch between different lighting systems for videos and stills. The light is HSS capable great for fast action photography and has a 96 CRI rating ensuring natural skin tones.

Anova Pro III features

Stylish and user-friendly interface

Rotolight has done a great job of keeping the Anova Pro III lightweight and portable while not feeling tacky and cheap, a fine balance to strike. The stylish red control dials are made of high-durability aluminium, something you can expect from a brand that fabricates its products in the same UK facility also used by Boeing Aerospace and Red Bull Formula 1.

The Anova Pro III also has a full-colour touchscreen which is responsive and easy to navigate making the operation of the light intuitive and engaging, the light settings can also be adjusted from compatible flash triggers. The Anova Pro III uses two V lock batteries which gives an impressive battery life of 1h 30mins of continuous full power light or 80,000 full power flashes.

Getting hands-on

In these test shots I took during a hands-on experience at the Rotolight launch event I was very impressed by the smooth falloff and gorgeous soft light output, the way the two different colours blended together was beautiful.

The light produced by the Anova Pro III is flattering on skin textures and fabrics, even challenging reflective ones like the model is wearing here. This is crucial for fashion and portrait photographers, giving a realistic and pleasing impression of the way fabrics and skin look.

While the Anova Pro III may not be as bright as some higher-powered monolights the fact you can see what your light is doing at all times and watch how the light changes depending on different distances and angles really helps photographers visualise the final photo.

The ability to see different colours in front of you and vary their intensity and shade to fine-tune the atmosphere is a huge asset in a creative tool and aids composition greatly, especially with a lot of photographers being visual learners, we need to be able to see what we have in our heads to really involve ourselves in the story we are trying to create.

Here you can see the Anova Pro III in use, the spread of the light is very even and the two colours blend beautifully on the model and the clothing.

For product photography

From the perspective of a product and archival photographer, I can see the Anova Pro III being a game-changing solution both in terms of light output and portability. For still life sets and flat lay shots, the lightweight design of all Rotolight’s products makes them perfect for positioning in awkward angles or places where you wouldn’t feel safe placing a heavy monolight such as ceiling beams, shelves and other high-up and precarious but often useful lighting positions.

For product photography, the maximum light output at 1 meter can be shaped using Rotolight’s growing range of modifiers, including the world’s first digital softbox, barn doors and honeycomb grids.

For fashion photography

I feel that many fashion and product photographers will consider this light as a strong contender among other lighting brands, with the built-in colour gels and CineSFX Rotolight making the Anova Pro III an incredibly versatile light for both fashion photos and fashion films.

Coming from more traditional metered flash photography, I believe that Rotolight is a great way for any photographer to understand the behaviour of light better while being more precise in adjustment and offering them an easy route to the world of videography too.

The fact that the Anova Pro III can also be controlled by flash triggers from Profoto, Elinchrom, Godox, Neewer or Pixapro shows that Rotolight is making it easier than ever before to transition between lighting systems for users of other brands. For photographers who need more than one light, a setup of multiple Rotolight models such as some Aeos and Neo fill lights can fine-tune a scene to give the exact look the photographer or videographer is after.

Conclusion

The cost-saving side of the Anova Pro III is something people may overlook but does make a lot of sense the more you think about it. The new magic eye feature eliminates the need to purchase a light meter in addition to the fact you also won’t need to purchase a separate pack of colour gels, gone are the days of trying to attach the gels to the front of your light and worrying about the material getting hot then melting onto the flash tube itself.

LED technology reduces the wasted heat energy while also reducing the power consumption of the components significantly at the same time. For studios on a budget, the new Anova Pro III makes a great investment as a piece of multipurpose kit and will certainly help them save money on their electricity bill.

I think the Anova Pro III is equally a great investment for either a learner or a pro, it’s solidly built, versatile and packed with cutting-edge technology.

Convinced yet?

If you are keen to get your hands on the Anova Pro III, it is available in the following kits:

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By Alex Mitchell
13 Dec 2023