When Rhett Owen, director of the film department at Hope Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, got his hands on the Nanlite PavoSlim 120C and 240C LED panels, his expectations were modest. But the experience left a strong impression—especially for video teams looking to streamline setup, save space, and elevate the quality of their shoots.
Churches are always looking for gear that’s cost-effective but won’t let them down. This is that kind of product.
“These lights are ready for almost any kind of set we walk into,” says Owen. “For a normal church film team or a typical video shoot, I’d feel comfortable taking them everywhere.”
The PavoSlim 120C is a 1x2-foot RGBWW LED panel (WW stands for warm white), while the 240C measures 2x2 feet. Both are lightweight, flat, and built for fast-paced environments. Hope Community’s film team used them across multiple projects—from traditional sit-down interviews to stylized kids’ content and creative sermon series openers.
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Compact Without Compromise
Owen’s initial surprise wasn’t about the light output or color range—it was the packaging. “The way they’re organized in the case is just smart,” he says. “You can keep the softbox attached to the light, close the case, and it’s ready to go.” The semi-rigid transport cases include custom compartments for each component, including the ballast, cables, softbox, and grid.
For churches that don’t have the luxury of dedicated studio space, the ease of setup and teardown is a welcome feature. “You can pull it out and have it lighting your subject within 30 seconds,” says Owen.
These lights are ready for almost any kind of set we walk into… I’d feel comfortable taking them everywhere.
Brightness and Color Versatility
The output from the PavoSlim panels impressed Owen and his team. Both models deliver vivid, saturated colors and smooth dimming across a wide range of color temperatures—from a warm 2700K to a crisp 7500K. Compared to Nanlite’s older Forza Series fixtures in use at the church, which cap out around 6000K, the PavoSlim offers extended flexibility.
On a recent kids’ video shoot, the team used color-chase effects to add movement and atmosphere. “We wanted to throw color across a wide area, so we took the grid off and let it spill,” Owen explains. “It worked really well.”
These lighting effects—familiar to Nanlite users from their PavoTube Series—come built-in and are ideal for stylized content or adding subtle mood shifts. For more standard interviews, the lights served equally well as a soft key and fill setup.
“We used the 240C as our main key with the softbox and grid, and the 120C as the fill,” says Owen. “It knocked it out of the park.”
With the softbox attached, it’s only about six inches thick… I don’t have to block half the room just to get the look I want.
Slim Profile, Big Impact
Traditional key lighting setups often involve large softboxes mounted on high-output fixtures. Not so with the PavoSlim. “With the softbox attached, it’s only about six inches thick,” Owen notes. “That’s saving a ton of space on set. I don’t have to block half the room just to get the look I want.”
This smaller footprint helps in tight spaces, whether shooting in a classroom, living room, or makeshift studio. And with mounting options like baby pins and flexible clamp adapters included, the PavoSlims integrate easily with standard grip gear.
They can be hard, soft, colorful, or subtle—and they fit in a case that’s easy to carry into a location.
All-in-One Practicality
Each unit ships with essential accessories: a quick-setup softbox, light control grid, and mounting hardware. The lights’ RGBWW output allows for nuanced lighting design, whether simulating warm natural-looking light, stylized backlight, or daylight window fill.
Owen says these features—combined with the ability to quickly shape the light with the grid or go full bare for atmospheric fills—give his team a single tool that works across multiple shooting styles. “It can be hard, soft, colorful, or subtle. And it fits in a case that’s easy to stack in a van or carry into a location.”
We replaced our standard key light with the PavoSlim 240C—and it knocked it out of the park.
Built with Church Filmmakers in Mind
Priced at $799, Nanlite’s PavoSlim 120C offers high-end functionality without blowing out a typical church budget. The PavoSlim 240C has a list price of $1299. “They’re a great value for what you get,” says Owen. “Churches are always looking for gear that’s cost-effective but won’t let them down.”
For churches trying to do more with less—less space, less time, fewer hands on set—these lights present a compelling solution. They’re well-suited to live action interviews, creative series bumpers, narrative storytelling, and even lighting large environmental scenes.
“The flexibility is what stands out most,” says Owen. “I can use these to light people, light sets, simulate natural lights, or build entire looks out of color. They’ve become a go-to option for us.”
Hope Community Church uses a mix of Sony FS5s, Sony A7S III cameras, and Blackmagic Studio and Pocket Cinema models. The team typically matches footage in post and works in DaVinci Resolve. “Most of our interviews are Rec. 709,” Owen explains. “When we want something more cinematic, we use a power grade based on Kodak film stocks.”
They save space, save time, and give us more room to be creative.
Final Thoughts
As churches look for smarter ways to produce compelling video content—whether for live streams, story videos, social media, or sermon bumpers—lighting becomes a key consideration. The Nanlite PavoSlim 120C and 240C offer serious output, beautiful color, and fast, intuitive setup in a package that’s ideal for churches on the move.
Owen sums it up simply: “They save space, save time, and give us more room to be creative. That’s a win in my book.”
