Almost exactly a year after Rotolight introduced the game-changing AEOS 2 and NEO 3 LED lights, the British lighting powerhouse has revealed the next generation of LEDs to enter the fray; the Rotolight AEOS 2 PRO Edition and the NEO 3 PRO Edition.

At first glance, you might be fooled into thinking that the new iterations of the popular AEOS and NEO series, [the most successful photography & video LED light ever in Kickstarter history, no less] have arrived with a few hardware flourishes. Sure, the red anodised metallic features, including control wheels on the NEO 3 PRO Edition and the stunning red anodised handles on the AEOS 2 PRO Edition, make for a satisfying point of difference from their predecessors, but don’t be fooled into thinking that’s it. The new Rotolight AEOS 2 & NEO 3 PRO Editions feature numerous new features and additional benefits that promise to enhance the user experience while boosting performance.

Rotolight AEOS 2 & NEO 3 PRO Editions: Key Features  

• Brightness Boost: Up to +25% greater continuous light output than previous models, giving more power whenever it’s required.   
• Wireless Flash Trigger Compatibility: Inbuilt Godox, Profoto, Elinchrom, Neewer & Pixapro flash receivers [an industry first], provide ultimate flexibility for photographers wanting to wirelessly integrate Rotolight into existing systems or utilise transmitters they already own with Rotolight’s worlds first RGBWW HSS flash capability. Flash in any Kelvin from 3000-10,000, 16.7Million colours or 2500 digital GELS, with zero recycle time so you never miss a shot. 
• Masters of Light™ Preset Packs: Including over 100+ built-in exclusive special effects, GEL and HSI colour presets and accompanying tutorial videos from some of the world’s leading photographers and Emmy-winning filmmakers at your fingertips. With SFX presets designed by Two-time Emmy® Award winner Roy Wagner (Nightmare on Elm Street, House, Ray Donovan), Emmy® Winning Visual FX Veteran Stefan Lange, [Batman, Tombraider, No Time to Die], Cinematographer of the Year 2021, Denson Baker, [The Colour Room, Ophelia, The Lumineers] and HSI/Gel presets designed by leading portrait and fashion photographers, Jake Hicks, Sam Nash and Jason Lanier. Simply select your favourite creatives’ presets directly from within the light or via the Rotolight app, with an on-screen colour preview,  delivering powerful creative options that save precious time on shoot.
• Kelvin Presets [CCT mode] Featuring all-new ‘quick-access’ Kelvin presets in CCT mode giving quick access to popular lighting scenarios including 5600K [daylight], 3200K tungsten, 4600K [midpoint], saving time on shoot. 
• Hardware Upgrades: Featuring signature PRO editions solid aluminium dials on NEO 3 and metallic red anodised handles on AEOS 2.  
• 4 NEW Special FX (SFX) for filmmakers: Including ‘Fireworks’, ‘Candle’, ‘Disco’ and ‘Throb’ along with numerous enhancements to many of the existing suite of SFX already found in the standard models, designed by Emmy Award-winning Visual FX veteran Stefan Lange.  
• True Aperture Dimming [FDIM]: Utilising patent-protected Rotolight technology, calculate and display the light output as an F-stop for a subject at a given distance, ISO and shutter speed, eliminating the need for a light meter. 

Rod Aaron Gammons, CEO, Rotolight, said: “We’re delighted to announce Rotolight’s latest campaign and the launch of the NEO 3 and AEOS 2 PRO Editions, which utilise state-of-the-art technology to provide the ultimate lighting tools for photographers and filmmakers around the world. Our engineering teams have been hard at work to deliver the latest features and enhancements, and we’re really excited to see what our customers create with these new lights”

It’s fair to say that, since their launch in the autumn of 2021, the British-made NEO 3 and AEOS 2 both enjoyed industry-wide praise from the creative community and press alike. The innovative lighting tools have gone on to sell tens of thousands of units and have won multiple awards. With this in mind, it’s hard to believe that, just a year later, Rotolight has managed to pack up to 25% more punch into the already market-leading output in its field. Pair this with the broadened trigger compatibility, and clever new F-Dim feature, which basically negates the need for a light meter by calculating [and displaying] the light output expressed as an F-stop for a subject at a given distance, ISO, and shutter speed, and you already have products that punch way beyond their light-weight.

Master of Light Presets

PhotoBite was invited to attend a pre-launch press event in London’s trendy Hoxton. The swanky studio provided the perfect opportunity for us to get up close and personal with the new lights from Rotolight, and we were treated to an in-depth introduction to the new features by Rotolight CEO, Rod Aaron Gammons, followed by a comprehensive demo from Master of Light, Jake Hicks.

Prior to demonstrating the lights, along with his bespoke preset pack, Jake gave the packed room an overview of his journey from strobe to constant light and from tungsten to LED. More of this in an upcoming interview.

Suffice to say, though, that the 100+ presets that have been packed into the new Rotolight AEOS 2 and NEO 3 PRO Editions, are reason enough to upgrade your lighting game. I mean, who can argue with the luxury of being able to effortlessly switch to a colour palette that’s been provided by one of the best creatives on the planet? With presets from Roy Wagner, Emmy® Award-winning Visual FX Veteran Stefan Lange, Denson Baker, and HSI/Gels from portrait and fashion photographers, Jake Hicks, Sam Nash and Jason Lanier, the presets give creatives the ability to produce stunning lighting combinations with the greatest of ease. All with the ability to personalise and store for future use… The mind boggles.

Furthermore, Rotolight has made the preset packs available as a stand-alone purchase option for existing AEOS 2 and NEO 3 owners for just £48. Surely a no-brainer and something that should make those who invested into the system a year ago very happy indeed.

“As soon as I saw the light they had on my subject and how that colour dropped off on the skin, it was immediately obvious to me it was going to make my life a lot easier. Ultimately it all comes down to quality of light, you have to see it to believe it” Rotolight Master of Light, Jake Hicks.

Pricing and Availability

The new Rotolight AEOS 2 and NEO 3 PRO Editions are available to back via Indiegogo now, with the campaign running through until the 18th of November 2022. 

Various individual products, accessories and bundles are available to back via the campaign, including a NEO 3 PRO Image Maker Kit, which comprises NEO 3, diffusion dome, battery, charger, carry case, ball head and cold shoe at RRP £649 [inc VT].

An AEOS 2 PRO Image Maker Kit, which comprises AEOS 2, Diffusion Dome, Yoke, Shoulder Bag, Battery and Charger is also available for RRP £1799 inc VAT.

Backers will get up to 25% off these before November 18th. Tap HERE to find out more

Watch the campaign launch video below to see what’s been packed into these new LED powerhouses and hold tight for PhotoBite’s hands-on review, which will be going live very soon.