Amaran Halo 100x (2nd Keylight)

What it is

The amaran Halo 100x is a 100W bi-color COB with a full-size Bowens mount, rated at up to 84W of light output and 4,890 lux at one meter bare. Color temperature runs 2,700K to 6,500K with CRI 96+ and TLCI 97+. The body is unusually small for a Bowens fixture — roughly 5.2 by 4.7 by 2.2 inches — and it can be powered from the included AC supply or from USB-C PD, which is the interesting part. It takes app control over Bluetooth with NFC pairing, and the fan is rated at 28 dBA.

Why it’s on this list

A key light alone gives you a face. A second light gives you separation — a rim on the shoulder and hair that lifts the subject off the background, or a fill that opens the shadow side without flattening it. That second light does not need to be as bright as the key, because it is usually working closer or doing less work. Buying two 200W lights is a mistake most people make once.

The Halo 100x pairs cleanly with the 200x because it is the same system: same color range, same mount, same app. Set one color temperature across the room and the two match. And because it accepts USB-C PD, this is also the light that leaves the studio — a battery bank you already own can run it.

What to know before you buy

• Half the output of the 200x, not slightly less. 4,890 lux versus 10,530 lux at one meter. Once you put it in a softbox, it is a fill and rim light, not a key for a large space.
• USB-C PD has conditions. To get full output you need a charger or power bank that can actually deliver the wattage. A weak brick will run the light dim. Read the requirement before you assume your existing charger will do.
• Bi-color, not RGB. If the job of your second light is a colored background wash, buy a full-color fixture instead.
• Modifiers cost extra. Bowens mount means the ecosystem is wide open, but nothing comes in the box. A stand and a modifier are part of the real price.
• If this is your only light, reconsider. As a sole key in a small room it works. In anything bigger, or through a large softbox, you will wish you had bought the 200x once and been done.