The world of lighting is saturated with options, but when two fixtures are this close in quality and this different in scale, the choice gets genuinely interesting. That is exactly the case with the Aputure Nova P300c and Nova P600c. Designed to serve hybrid photo and video creatives, both lights offer RGBWW color flexibility, pro-level output, and excellent build quality. But which one makes the most sense for your work and your space?
I recently rented both lights for a corporate video shoot. Not having extensive experience with either, I tested them side by side to determine where I would reach for one over the other. Originally, I planned to use both on the shoot — but I only ended up pulling out one of them, and the reason why gets to the heart of this comparison.
Output and Spread: Where the P600c Pulls Ahead
There's no denying it: the Nova P600c is a beast when it comes to output. It delivers twice the brightness of the Nova P300c, which makes a meaningful difference when working in bright environments, pushing light through large modifiers, or needing flexibility on set. But beyond raw output, the P600c is also twice as wide as the P300c, which creates significantly more horizontal spill. Whether that's a blessing or a curse depends entirely on the situation.
A Real-World Test: Corporate Interview Setup
For this shoot, I was inside a client's office and needed a large, soft, directional key light — something that would produce cinematic light on the far side of the face with a natural falloff toward camera. The overhead fluorescents couldn't be turned off without affecting the entire building, so I blacked them out with blackwrap in our shooting area and used floppy flags to contain spill from the rest of the office. I then rigged a 6x6 diffusion frame with the P600c aimed through it, which produced a subtle Rembrandt pattern. The wide spread of the P600c filled the frame with soft, even, wraparound light, while the diffusion further expanded and softened the source.
For separation, I added a tube light behind the subject as a soft backlight. I skipped a fill entirely — the spread of the key was wide enough that adding fill would have flattened the image. We ran two cameras: an A-cam on a slider with an 85mm lens and a B-cam on a 50mm for a wider cutting option. A boom mic on a stand and a circular polarizer on the window completed the setup, the latter used to reduce reflections off the frosted glass wall beside us.
Does the P300c Hold Its Own?
In hindsight, the Nova P300c would have handled this shoot. I never had the P600c anywhere near full power, and with a 6x6 diffusion frame in play, the P300c is more than capable of producing an ultra-soft cinematic key in a controlled interior. I chose the P600c for its larger surface area and greater spread, and it was the right call — but for a similar setup in the future, I'd seriously consider bringing only the P300c. The smaller form factor is a real-world advantage: the P300c and its case take up significantly less space in a vehicle, which matters when you're not working out of a production van. For small-to-medium interior spaces, the P300c is the smarter choice. For larger studio environments or scenes that demand a single light to carry the whole look, the P600c earns its place.
Build Quality and Shared Features
Both lights are built to a standard that competes with fixtures like the Arri SkyPanel, at a fraction of the cost — and that price difference doesn't come at the expense of quality. The fixture bodies are aluminum with a solid yoke, weather-resistant connections, and silent fan cooling, which is important for dialogue-heavy shoots in tight spaces. The P600c is the heavier of the two, but neither is unmanageable for a solo operator.
On the feature side, both the Nova P300c and Nova P600c share Aputure's RGBWW chip, delivering CRI/TLCI ratings of 95+ with consistent output across the full dimming range. Both offer CCT mode, HSI mode, and a Gel mode with hundreds of production-standard gel emulations. They include 15 lighting effects — paparazzi, police lights, fire, and more — along with Sidus Link app control and DMX for remote operation. The core difference between the two is not quality, but quantity and spread.
Can These Replace Strobes for Photo Work?
One question I wanted to answer for myself: could these lights serve as a viable continuous-light solution for photography, eliminating the need for strobes entirely? Specifically, could I use a pair of these alongside something like an Aputure 300d for an e-commerce fashion shoot and leave the strobes at home? I've long wanted a single-lighting ecosystem for both photo and video work, and after using these on set, I believe the answer is yes — with the right exposure settings and a subject that can hold still. The output is there. The color quality is there. The question is workflow preference, not capability.
The Verdict
After testing both lights professionally, my choice is clear: if I were buying one light today, it would be the Aputure Nova P300c. It has more than enough output for interviews, portraits, and commercial and editorial work. It's compact, easier to transport, and performs excellently in the spaces most photographers and videographers actually shoot in.
The Nova P600c is a worthy investment if you regularly light large spaces, rely on big frames for diffusion, or need a single fixture to carry an entire scene. But for solo operators and small crews who prioritize mobility and flexibility, the P300c wins on practicality without sacrificing much in the way of output. My concern going in was whether the P300c would be bright enough. In most situations, it is — and then some. That's why it's first on my list.
Disclosure: I am not sponsored by Aputure. I rented these lights to answer a question I had for myself, and figured others might have the same one.
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