Zhiyun Molus X100 RGB Review & Lab Test – Measured CRI, R9 & Output

Zhiyun Molus X100 RGB - Technical Analysis

The Molus X100 RGB is a compact 100-watt RGB COB light from Zhiyun with white light from 2,500K to 10,000K as well as full-colour RGB operation. Measurements were taken at a distance of 1 m. White light and RGB were measured without modifiers, plus three additional measurements with reflectors, for a total of 39 individual measurements (linear mode).

With a total score of 89.0, the X100 RGB is the second-best RGB light in our LED database so far, just behind Zhiyun’s own M60Ultra (90.3). The individual scores, however, are anything but balanced. Power and RGB are strong, while the colour score of 65.9 is one of the lowest we have recorded to date: in our database, only one other light sits below it, and among the RGB lights it is the weakest. Power (85.8) and usability (73.2), on the other hand, are slightly above the median of the other lights. The analysis below shows where the colour-score gap comes from. The section “How It Compares” further down summarises how the X100 RGB stacks up against our other lights on the individual measurements.

🔍 Key Measurements (White Light, 100%, 1 m)

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🔎 Performance Analysis

💡 Light Output

Unmodified, the Molus X100 RGB reaches 3,431 lux at 5500K, 3,344 lux at 6500K and 3,292 lux at 10,000K at a distance of 1 m. As a bare COB light, it spreads its output over a wide angle, so these values cannot be compared directly with those of a focusing panel light such as the M60Ultra, which reaches higher unmodified values thanks to its lens system.

The real strength of the X100 RGB shows up with a reflector. With the kit reflector, output rises to 15,169 lux (EV 12.57), and with the standard reflector to 20,887 lux (EV 13.03), 4.4 times and more than six times the unmodified value respectively. Among the RGB COB lights we have measured so far, that puts it at the upper end. Only a 150-watt model reached higher values, and the X100 RGB comes close with just 100 W. Across all lights in our database, EV 13.03 is a solid upper midfield (7th of 18, with a median of around EV 12.9). This is also reflected in the power score of 85.8.

The dimming behaviour is close to linear. At 10% power, the light delivers between 11.1 and 13.6% of maximum brightness, and at 50% between 53 and 56%. At the low end, the light is therefore slightly brighter than the set value. That is not quite as tight as the M60Ultra (11 to 11.5% at 10%), but it remains predictable in practice. By comparison this is unremarkable: most of the other lights in our measurements also deliver around 10 to 14% of maximum brightness at 10% power.

Brightness distribution across the CCTs is very even from 3200K upwards. Between 3200K and 10,000K, output varies by only around 12%, and 5500K, 6500K and 10,000K are within 4% of each other. Even at 10,000K, the light still delivers 96% of its maximum. Only at the warm end does output drop more noticeably, by 22% at 2700K and 29% at 2500K. That is no outlier: most of the other lights we measured at 2700K lose between 7 and 37% compared with 5500K, with a median of around a fifth. The variation of around 12% between 3200K and 6500K is also midfield: the other lights range between 2 and 29%, and the most even ones stay at around 10% or below.

With the 55 cm beauty dish, the X100 RGB measures 1,378 lux. This value is not directly comparable with the focusing reflectors, since the beauty dish spreads the light over a much larger area.

Standout Features:

• ✅ High usable output with a reflector: 20,887 lux (EV 13.03) at just 100 W
• ✅ Even output from 3200K to 10,000K: variation of only around 12%, midfield among the lights we measured
• ✅ Near-linear dimming: 11–14% light output at 10% power
• ⚠️ Lower output at the warm end: -22% at 2700K, -29% at 2500K

🎨 Colour Rendering (White Light)

CRI (Ra) stays consistently high across the entire range, between 95.1 and 97.2. The light is strongest at the warm end. At 2700K, it reaches Ra 97.2 and R9 99.0, and at 2500K R9 is still 97.0. At the warm end, the X100 RGB therefore sits in the top group compared with our other lights: at 2700K, Ra, R9 and Rf (96) are among the highest values we have measured. In the daylight range, Ra of 95.5 to 95.7 is slightly below the median of the other lights, which is around 97.

In the daylight range, R9 drops to 83.0 at both 5500K and 6500K, before rising again to 96.0 at 10,000K. The M60Ultra shows the same U-shaped pattern, but stays slightly higher in the middle of the range at 84–86. Most lights in our lab reports stay at around 90 or higher in the daylight range (median: 92 at 5500K and 93 at 6500K), and only two of the other lights fall below that. An R9 of 83 is still usable for skin tones, but it is clearly not a top value.

TM-30 Rf drops from 96 at the warm end to 93 at 5500K, 92 at 6500K and 89 at 10,000K. Rg stays between 102 and 103 up to 6500K, a slight oversaturation that is usually perceived as pleasant. Compared with our other lights this is a rather high value: at 2700K, none of the eight other lights has a higher Rg, and at the other colour temperatures the X100 RGB sits at or slightly above the median. At 10,000K, Rg falls to 98. Here, greens lose saturation (hue bin 7: -13% chroma) and fidelity in the blue-cyan range drops to 81 and 78 (hue bins 10 and 11).

The SSI, the Spectral Similarity Index, is the most interesting value here. At 2500K, the X100 RGB reaches an SSI of 91, and at 2700K 88. These are excellent values for warm light. Compared with our other lights, however, the value at 2700K sits right in the middle of the field: the other lights we measured at this setting reach 87 to 89. The 82 at 3200K is also exactly the median. Towards daylight, however, the SSI drops to 71 at 5500K, 67 at 6500K and 59 at 10,000K. That puts the X100 RGB slightly below the median of the other lights (72 at 5500K, 69 at 6500K), and at 6500K only one other light sits lower. The best of the other lights reaches 84 to 86 in the daylight range. Note that the SSI is determined at the colour temperature actually reached, which for the X100 RGB at 6500K means 7,533K.

The reason can be seen in the spectrum. At the daylight settings, the light shows a pronounced blue peak around 451 nm, a dip around 480 nm and too little energy in the violet range below 430 nm. The Academy SSI deviation chart in the data overview shows exactly this pattern. At warm colour temperatures, these deviations are much smaller, which explains the high SSI values there.

Standout Features:

• ✅ Consistently high CRI: Ra 95.1–97.2 across the entire range
• ✅ Excellent warm light: SSI 91 at 2500K, SSI 88 and R9 99.0 at 2700K
• ⚠️ R9 drop in the daylight range: 83.0 at 5500K/6500K, lower than almost all other lights we have measured
• ⚠️ SSI drops sharply towards daylight: 71 at 5500K, 67 at 6500K, 59 at 10,000K

🌡️ CCT Accuracy

The deviation in Mired (MK-1) is more meaningful than the raw Kelvin difference, since the Kelvin scale is not linear:

At the warm end, the X100 RGB is precise. 2700K is hit almost exactly at 3.40 MK-1, and 2500K stays below the threshold of around 10 MK-1 at which a shift becomes perceptible, at 8.50 MK-1. At 2700K, that puts it in the midfield of the lights we have measured (median around 3.8 MK-1).

From 3200K upwards, the light runs increasingly cool. At 3200K, the deviation of 12.65 MK-1 sits just above the threshold, and only two of the other lights deviate more there (median around 5 MK-1). In the daylight range, it becomes clearly visible. 5500K measures 6,013K (15.51 MK-1), and 6500K measures 7,533K (21.10 MK-1). At 5500K only one other light deviates more, and at 6500K none: this is the largest deviation we have recorded in any of our lab reports so far. For comparison, the median of the other lights is around 5 MK-1 (5500K) and 6 MK-1 (6500K). At 10,000K, the light measures 12,293K (18.65 MK-1). Compared with the M60Ultra, which stays at 4.04 and 3.02 MK-1 at 5500K and 6500K, this is a clear step back.

The Duv values are consistently low, ranging from -0.0037 to -0.0006. All of them sit slightly below the Planckian locus, meaning a very slight shift towards magenta, but none of them produce a visible colour cast. That is within the usual range: depending on the setting, the median of the other lights is 0.001 to 0.004, and individual lights deviate far more, at 0.012 to 0.014. The deviation therefore happens along the colour-temperature axis and not as a green or magenta tint. That makes it easier to correct: if you need to match the X100 RGB with daylight or other calibrated lights, set the Kelvin value slightly lower or check it with a colour meter.

An additional finding from the reflector measurements: with a reflector, the light measures much closer to the target at 5500K, namely 5,633K with the standard reflector (about 4 MK-1) and 5,757K with the kit reflector (about 8 MK-1). R9 also rises to 93 to 94 there. The data does not show clearly why. At least at 5500K, the deviation is therefore much smaller with a reflector. We have no reflector measurements for other colour temperatures.

Standout Features:

• ✅ Very accurate at the warm end: 3.40 MK-1 at 2700K
• ✅ Neutral Duv across the entire range: no visible green or magenta cast
• ⚠️ Light runs cool in the daylight range: 15.51 MK-1 at 5500K, 21.10 MK-1 at 6500K
• ⚠️ Large deviation at 10,000K: 12,293K measured, 18.65 MK-1

🔅 CCT Stability Across Dimming Levels

Even more relevant in practice than the deviation at 100% is how stable the colour temperature stays when dimming:

Here the X100 RGB shows its biggest weakness. The colour temperature shifts noticeably with the brightness level, and not even in a consistent direction. The warm settings and 10,000K get warmer when dimmed down, while 5500K gets cooler at 10%. Only 6500K remains stable, with a spread of just 5.1 MK-1.

The effect is most pronounced at 3200K. At 10%, the light measures only 2,783K instead of 3,335K at 100%, a spread of 59.5 MK-1. That is more than a quarter CTO and clearly visible. In earlier lab reports, we already flagged a spread of around 10 MK-1 as a weakness. Here it is up to six times as much. A look at the other lights shows how unusual this is: at 3200K, the spread of the other lights has a median of around 4 MK-1, with the worst value at 27 MK-1. At 5500K, the median is also around 4 MK-1, with the worst value at 11.6 MK-1. At both settings, the X100 RGB therefore shows the largest drift of the lights for which we evaluated the dimming levels. At 2500K, 2700K, 6500K and 10,000K, we did not measure most of the other lights across the dimming levels, so no comparison is possible there.

In practice, this means that anyone who dims the light significantly should check the white balance again, especially with warm looks. For setups where several lights or cameras have to match exactly, it is better to keep the X100 RGB at a fixed level and control brightness via distance or diffusion instead.

Together with the CCT deviation in the daylight range and the SSI drop towards daylight, this is the main reason for the low colour score of 65.9. The colour rendering itself, measured by Ra, R9 and TM-30, is good to very good. What pulls the score down is the calibration.

Standout Features:

• ✅ Stable at 6500K: spread of only 5.1 MK-1 between 10% and 100%
• ⚠️ Strong CCT shift when dimming: up to 59.5 MK-1 at 3200K (2,783K at 10%), the highest value in our measurements
• ⚠️ Inconsistent direction of the shift: warm settings get warmer, 5500K gets cooler when dimmed

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🌈 RGB Analysis

*Magenta is a non-spectral purple hue; the wavelength given refers to its complementary dominant.

With an RGB score of 131.1, the X100 RGB sits clearly at the top of our database, just behind the M60Ultra (135.0) and well ahead of the two other lights with an RGB score, which land at around 64. In RGB mode, the light is significantly better calibrated than in white-light mode.

This shows up above all in hue accuracy. Red is hit exactly at 0.0°, cyan deviates by only -2.9° and yellow by +3.5°. Yellow in particular is remarkable, since a pure yellow is difficult to mix from RGB. The M60Ultra deviates by +10.6° here. Green, at +5.6°, is also within a good range. The largest deviation is blue at +15.8°, which leans slightly towards violet. Magenta, at +9.5°, leans towards pink, which is consistent with its high red share of 74.3%.

The primary colours reach a high purity. Red reaches 96.7% with R 97.4, G 2.2 and B 0.4, and blue 95.1% with 93.2% blue share. The red channel is spectrally fairly broad, with a peak at 651 nm and a long tail into deep red. That explains why red purity remains slightly below the 99.4% of the M60Ultra. For mixed colours, purity is naturally lower, since several channels are driven at once (cyan: G 60.1/B 36.8; magenta: R 74.3/B 23.1). That is technically normal for an RGB system.

In terms of brightness, cyan (1,159 lux) and green (1,052 lux) appear photometrically brightest, while red (234 lux), magenta (283 lux) and blue (319 lux) appear significantly darker. This partly comes down to spectral eye sensitivity, since lux is weighted towards green. Relative to its own white-light output, however, red is noticeably weak on the X100 RGB at just 6.8% of the 5500K value. On the M60Ultra, it is 11.5%, and across the other RGB lights for which we evaluated this, red lands at around 10 to 15%. For deep red or magenta looks over a larger area, there is therefore little headroom, and the light has to be placed closer or used with a reflector.

Standout Features:

• ✅ Very strong RGB score: 131.1
• ✅ Precise hues for red, yellow and cyan: 0.0°, +3.5° and -2.9°
• ✅ High purity for primary colours: red 96.7%, blue 95.1%
• ⚠️ Hue shift for blue and magenta: +15.8° and +9.5°
• ⚠️ Low output for red and magenta: 234 and 283 lux, little headroom for large deep-red looks

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🔋 Build, Accessories, Power Supply & Fan

Build & operation: The buttons are made of metal and feel solid, which suits a light that is regularly carried around and set up. The display, however, is not a colour screen. For an RGB light, that is a shame, since a colour display would make it easier to see the selected colour and settings at a glance.

App: As with all other Zhiyun lights, the X100 RGB can be controlled via the ZY Vega app. The app works well and gives access to all features, so the light can be set up conveniently even when it is mounted high or out of reach.

Accessories & mount: An attachment lens is included and does a good job. Barndoors are also included straight away. The downside is the mount: modifiers have to lock into the Zhiyun mount, so existing modifiers cannot simply be used. A Bowens adapter is available, but it has a reflector built in, so the light always passes through this reflector first. Other accessories such as a softbox and a projection attachment are also available, so the system can be extended in a meaningful way.

Power supply: The X100 RGB can be powered via USB-C, by battery via an external battery grip, or from the mains. That makes it flexible both for mobile use and in the studio. However, none of the connections lock, so a cable can be pulled out if someone catches it on set. There is also no auto power-on: when power is connected, the light does not switch on by itself. Anyone who switches their lights via power strips or smart plugs has to turn the X100 RGB on manually every time.

Fan: The fan is quiet in operation, but it does not reach the level of the M60Ultra. For most interviews this is unproblematic. For very quiet sound recordings directly next to the light, however, it is worth keeping in mind.

Standout Features:

• ✅ Metal buttons: solid, durable controls
• ✅ ZY Vega app with full access to all features
• ✅ Attachment lens and barndoors included, more accessories such as a softbox and projection attachment available
• ✅ Flexible power supply: USB-C, battery grip and mains
• ✅ Quiet fan, though not at the level of the M60Ultra
• ⚠️ Proprietary Zhiyun mount: Bowens only via an adapter with a built-in reflector
• ⚠️ No locking connectors
• ⚠️ No auto power-on when power is connected
• ⚠️ No colour screen

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📊 How It Compares

To help you put the numbers into context, here is the X100 RGB set directly against the other lights we have measured so far. The comparison values come from our LED database and the measurement data of our previous lab reports, deliberately without naming individual models. Depending on the measurement, between 3 and 19 comparison lights are available, since not every light was measured at every setting.

We calculated the R9 comparison values from the raw spectra. A control calculation on the X100 RGB deviates from the lab values by less than one point.

The picture is clear: at the warm end and in RGB mode, the X100 RGB is in the top group, and for light output, dimming behaviour and output evenness it sits in or slightly above the midfield. It falls out of the field in daylight calibration and in colour-temperature stability across dimming levels. Those two points explain the low colour score of 65.9.

✅ Strengths

1. High usable output with a reflector → Up to 20,887 lux (EV 13.03) at just 100 W, at the upper end of the RGB COB lights we have measured
2. Excellent warm light → SSI 91 at 2500K, SSI 88, R9 99.0 and just 3.40 MK-1 at 2700K
3. Strong, well-calibrated RGB → RGB score 131.1, red hit exactly, yellow only +3.5°
4. Consistently high colour rendering → Ra 95.1–97.2, TM-30 Rf 89–96
5. Even output from 3200K to 10,000K → Variation of only around 12%, midfield among the lights we measured
6. Flexible power supply → USB-C, battery grip and mains
7. Good accessory system and app → Attachment lens and barndoors included, ZY Vega app with all features
8. Solid metal buttons and a quiet fan

⚠️ Weaknesses

1. CCT accuracy in the daylight range → 5500K measures 6,013K (15.51 MK-1), 6500K measures 7,533K (21.10 MK-1)
2. CCT shift when dimming → Up to 59.5 MK-1 at 3200K, the warm settings get significantly warmer when dimmed down, by far the largest drift in our measurements
3. R9 and SSI in the daylight range → R9 83.0 at 5500K/6500K, SSI 71/67
4. Low output for red and magenta in RGB mode → 234 and 283 lux, little headroom for large deep-red looks
5. Proprietary mount → Bowens modifiers only via an adapter with a built-in reflector
6. No locking connectors and no auto power-on
7. No colour screen

📉 Practical Applications

Ideal for: → Warm lighting moods and tungsten looks: excellent values at 2500K and 2700K → Mobile productions and content creation: compact size, USB-C and battery grip → Creative RGB applications: high RGB score, accurate hues for red, yellow and cyan → Punchy key or effect light with a reflector or lens: high usable output at 100 W

Use with caution: → Mixing with daylight or other calibrated lights at 5500K/6500K: the light runs noticeably cool → Heavily dimmed setups requiring a constant colour temperature: strong CCT shift at low levels → Large deep-red or magenta looks: limited output in these colours → Existing Bowens modifier collections: only usable via the adapter → Setups with switched power strips or smart plugs: no auto power-on

📌 Conclusion

The Zhiyun Molus X100 RGB is, by the numbers, a light with two clear sides. On one side, it delivers a lot of usable light for a compact 100-watt RGB light, especially with a reflector, strong and well-calibrated RGB colours and excellent warm light with an SSI of up to 91. On the other side, the white-light calibration falls short in the daylight range. 5500K and 6500K run noticeably cool, and the colour temperature shifts significantly when dimming, by up to 59.5 MK-1 at 3200K. Both are outliers compared with our other lights: for drift across dimming levels and for the deviation at 6500K, the X100 RGB has the worst values of all the lights compared. That is the main reason for the low colour score of 65.9, even though colour rendering itself, with Ra above 95, remains at a high level. Anyone who works mostly with warm light or RGB will hardly notice these weaknesses. Anyone who needs to match the light precisely with daylight or other calibrated lights should measure and correct it.

In practice, the overall package is convincing. The ZY Vega app offers all features, the metal buttons feel solid, the included attachment lens with barndoors works well and the power supply via USB-C, battery grip or mains is flexible. The proprietary mount is a drawback for anyone with existing Bowens modifiers, since the adapter always brings its built-in reflector with it. Locking connectors, an auto power-on and a colour screen are also missing. The fan is quiet, but not quite as inconspicuous as on the M60Ultra.

Data Overview

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TM-30-18

TM-30 Multi Report

TM-30 Comparison

Multiple Measurements in Direct Comparison

Report selection by CCT

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Color Vector Graphic

Reference and test as closed 16-bin curves.

Click a CES cell to view vector and detail values.

Normalized Spectral Power Distribution

TM-30 Dashboard

Local shifts and radial visualization as in the standard report.

Local Chroma Shift (Rcs,hj)

Local Hue Shift (Rhs,hj)

Local Color Fidelity (Rf,hj)

Click one of the three local titles to see a short explanation of meaning and visual impact.

Color Sample Fidelity (Rf,CESi)

Direct overview of all 99 CES samples with fidelity values.

Measure Comparisons

Additional comparison view analogous to the TM-30 reference representation.

Color Evaluation Samples

Highlighted skin-tone areas provide practical orientation for portrait colors. Click to zoom.

Click a CES cell to view the comparison in the popup.

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Disclaimer

This product was provided to us by Zhiyun for testing and we were allowed to keep it after completing the review. This review reflects our independent, unbiased opinion. We did not receive any monetary compensation or other benefits for this publication. All measurements were performed in our own lab and are reproducible. The results are based on the measured data and our analysis.

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