This is an interesting little light. It has an impressive range of light control. Being small, however, means it needs to be fairly close to whatever you are lighting up to make a significant lighting impact.
The light is very well built and sturdy. I like the two metal control knobs on the side - they feel robust and work well. There are even a couple of flared pieces of the case that help protect the knobs from accidentally being turned. There are two 1/4-20 threaded sockets - one on top, one on the bottom - so you can mount this to a standard tripod or other support.
There are three different modes of operation. The first one is white light mode. In this mode, you can control the brightness from 1% to 100%. You can also control the color temperature from 2500 K to 9900 K. For reference, a typical incandescent light bulb emits 2800 K light and daylight (from a blue sky) is about 6000 K. So, the range of color temperature available in this mode is impressive.
The second mode is HSI mode where HSI stands for Hue, Saturation, Intensity. Go look up an HSI color wheel. You can vary the hue from 0 degrees to 360 degrees, i.e. all the way around the color wheel. You can vary the saturation from 0% (white) to 100% (fully intense color). Intensity can be varied from 1% to 100%. You could use this mode to set the light as needed for a colorful accent light, for example.
The third mode lets you choose one of 21 "Effects" modes. There are different strobe effects, color chase effects, "club" lighting effects, flame effects, and others. Probably the most visually impressive is the "Police" effect where the light repeatedly alternates a series of blue flashes with a series of red flashes. It is eye-catching.
The light comes with short USB-A to USB-C charging cord. It take a few hours to charge the light fully but you get a lot of life from each charge.
The light also comes with a cold shoe adapter for mounting to a camera or some other compatible support. the cold shoe adapter is made of metal so make sure you do not try to mount the light on the HOT shoe of some DLSR. You might short out the hot shoe and damage your camera.
The light has a pair of magnets built into the back so that you can stick it to a piece of metal instead of using a tripod. In practice, the magnets are kind of weak. While they will hold it to, say, a refrigerator door or the side of an old Steelcase desk, the light slowly slides down the door. I wouldn't count on using the magnets to hold the light to anything.
This is a pretty small light and, for that reason, it doesn't put out a huge amount of light. There is only so much light you can get out of the LED array. So, this is mostly suited for lighting up smaller objects within a few feet. A darkened room enhances the effectiveness of the light.
My light came with two "gifts". One is a small tripod that can be used to hold the light. It really isn't very useful because (a) it is only about 3" tall and (b) it has no tilt head. Thus, the light can only be aimed parallel to the table or whatever surface the tripod is standing on. You can't tilt it up, for example, to point it at someone's face.
The second "gift" is more useful. It is a white, translucent rubber cover that turns the light into a tiny softbox. It does soften the light but at the expense of range and intensity. Also, the cover is close enough to the 1/4-20 sockets that it interferes with using a tripod. You might need to cut away a part of the cover near the sockets if you choose to use a tripod and the cover at the same time.
So, an interesting little light with an impressive amount of color control that is good for small subjects within several feet or so of the light.
The light is very well built and sturdy. I like the two metal control knobs on the side - they feel robust and work well. There are even a couple of flared pieces of the case that help protect the knobs from accidentally being turned. There are two 1/4-20 threaded sockets - one on top, one on the bottom - so you can mount this to a standard tripod or other support.
There are three different modes of operation. The first one is white light mode. In this mode, you can control the brightness from 1% to 100%. You can also control the color temperature from 2500 K to 9900 K. For reference, a typical incandescent light bulb emits 2800 K light and daylight (from a blue sky) is about 6000 K. So, the range of color temperature available in this mode is impressive.
The second mode is HSI mode where HSI stands for Hue, Saturation, Intensity. Go look up an HSI color wheel. You can vary the hue from 0 degrees to 360 degrees, i.e. all the way around the color wheel. You can vary the saturation from 0% (white) to 100% (fully intense color). Intensity can be varied from 1% to 100%. You could use this mode to set the light as needed for a colorful accent light, for example.
The third mode lets you choose one of 21 "Effects" modes. There are different strobe effects, color chase effects, "club" lighting effects, flame effects, and others. Probably the most visually impressive is the "Police" effect where the light repeatedly alternates a series of blue flashes with a series of red flashes. It is eye-catching.
The light comes with short USB-A to USB-C charging cord. It take a few hours to charge the light fully but you get a lot of life from each charge.
The light also comes with a cold shoe adapter for mounting to a camera or some other compatible support. the cold shoe adapter is made of metal so make sure you do not try to mount the light on the HOT shoe of some DLSR. You might short out the hot shoe and damage your camera.
The light has a pair of magnets built into the back so that you can stick it to a piece of metal instead of using a tripod. In practice, the magnets are kind of weak. While they will hold it to, say, a refrigerator door or the side of an old Steelcase desk, the light slowly slides down the door. I wouldn't count on using the magnets to hold the light to anything.
This is a pretty small light and, for that reason, it doesn't put out a huge amount of light. There is only so much light you can get out of the LED array. So, this is mostly suited for lighting up smaller objects within a few feet. A darkened room enhances the effectiveness of the light.
My light came with two "gifts". One is a small tripod that can be used to hold the light. It really isn't very useful because (a) it is only about 3" tall and (b) it has no tilt head. Thus, the light can only be aimed parallel to the table or whatever surface the tripod is standing on. You can't tilt it up, for example, to point it at someone's face.
The second "gift" is more useful. It is a white, translucent rubber cover that turns the light into a tiny softbox. It does soften the light but at the expense of range and intensity. Also, the cover is close enough to the 1/4-20 sockets that it interferes with using a tripod. You might need to cut away a part of the cover near the sockets if you choose to use a tripod and the cover at the same time.
So, an interesting little light with an impressive amount of color control that is good for small subjects within several feet or so of the light.
20/11/2023
This light was a great addition to my GoPro since they dont have a flash built in or night mode. The light has some really fun settings to add effects to your video and pictures.
19/11/2023
This little light is quite the unit. It is very bright and easily adjustable with rotary dials on the side which are a huge improvement over paddle switches or touchscreen adjustments. Sometimes the mechanical way to do something is just easier and more intuitive. It comes with a small stand that is nice but it would be great if it were a little taller. What is really a nice add-on however is a silicone feeling gel screen that fits over the unit all the way around, with cutouts for the adjustments. It really makes a nice soft glow out of a fairly bright light that should be very useful for video and eliminating shadows. Additionally, and I think this is very helpful, there is a small LED screen on the rear that displays the mode that the light is in since there are more than one, and the temperature that the light is displaying, which is very handy. Seems like a quality product.
19/11/2023
This is a great little light. Very bright and feels well built. Metal knobs on the side for controlling the light. It also has two 1/4" threaded inserts (one on top, one on the bottom). The kit includes the light, a USB C to USB A charging cable, a hot shoe mount, a clip mount, a silicon diffuser, and a mini tripod. There is also a magnet on the back to allow mounting to a flat metal surface.
The light has multiple modes including white, with adjustable color temp, RGB, and quite a few effects. The diffuser works great. Unlike most lights like this, with the diffuser on you can't see the individual LEDs. It does a great job. Battery life is good, and recharging is via USB C which is nice. The light can also work plugged in for extended use.
The light has multiple modes including white, with adjustable color temp, RGB, and quite a few effects. The diffuser works great. Unlike most lights like this, with the diffuser on you can't see the individual LEDs. It does a great job. Battery life is good, and recharging is via USB C which is nice. The light can also work plugged in for extended use.
19/11/2023
This all around is one of the most unique LED lights I've used! My first major pro is the tactility of the knobs and button. They're light but they click nicely as you move them from mode to mode. The button even has a really solid click. That being said it's also super light weight but it doesn't feel cheap. It feels solidly built like a kids toy from 10-20 years ago but has such professional use ability too. There is so many different mode options and fine adjustments to certain levels. It also gets impressively bright for such a small light. I haven't had a ton of chances to use it but when I have it's worked perfectly. I've only charged it once even with several hours of use it's still going. I think the only annoyance is the threading attachments that come with it. They feel a bit cheaper and finicky. Overall though they don't take away from the light at all. I plan on buying more myself to use for different use cases I think it's well worth it for the price!
18/11/2023
I have plenty of camera lights but this is one of my favorites.
The build quality feels solid and durable.
The color features (RGB) are great for creative lighting effects for photography or videos.
I especially love the small display screen that shows you battery percentage and light brightness levels.
The only short coming is the built in magnet. The magnet doesn’t have enough holding power to securely mount itself to a tripod or magnetic surface.
Considering the brightness and quality of the light, that is certainly not a deal breaker!
It has universal threads on the top and the bottom.
Awesome light.
The build quality feels solid and durable.
The color features (RGB) are great for creative lighting effects for photography or videos.
I especially love the small display screen that shows you battery percentage and light brightness levels.
The only short coming is the built in magnet. The magnet doesn’t have enough holding power to securely mount itself to a tripod or magnetic surface.
Considering the brightness and quality of the light, that is certainly not a deal breaker!
It has universal threads on the top and the bottom.
Awesome light.
13/11/2023
I've wanted a little photo light for years, but just recently got around to picking some up. This one stood out because of its adorable design, and it turns out that it's actually pretty decent to boot.
First, the packaging. As others have noted, does indeed look a lot like a tofu tub. The sliding lid isn't the most secure (I'm guessing reviewer Eleven's second adapter nut slipped out through the gap during shipping), and the whole thing isn't super study, but it would be sufficient for storing the light on a shelf or in a hard-sided case with other items.
The light itself is excellent. It's not too heavy, so it shouldn't tip a camera rig or a small tripod, but it doesn't feel like a toy, either. It seems fairly sturdy. I would feel comfortable tossing it into a camera bag or suitcase without any additional protection.
All functionality is controlled by a pair of knobs (one that can spin endlessly in tactile increments, one with four positions) and a button. The button is flush with the back of the case, and the knobs are protected by little protrusions from the case. The button is satisfyingly clicky, and I found the knobs fairly easy to turn. This is good, because you'll be turning them a lot. The four-position one controls whether the light is off, or in white light, colored light, or effect mode. It puts up a good level of resistance, and I don' think it could be easily bumped into a different mode by accident. The endless spinner, meanwhile, handles all color, color temperature, saturation, and brightness changes. It has slightly less resistance, and I did accidentally nudge it by a click a couple of times, but it's still very hard to bump it any further than that without meaning to. The endless wheel seems fairly sturdy, but if there's one concern I have about this device, it's how well that wheel will handle being turned the tens of thousands of times that regular usage over the years will require.
The light modes seem pretty good. The diffuser seems to do a good job of blending the output from the different LEDs. At lower brightnesses you can see the individual LEDs through the diffuser, but the effect isn't visible on camera at all unless you point the camera right at the light and adjust the exposure to meter based on the light itself, which isn't a terribly common use case.
The white light mode adjusts in increments of 100 Kelvin, and I was able to tune it to be indistinguishable from the light from various household lamps of different color temperatures. The brightness is pretty high, even when turned down to 1%, which could be an issue for some situations, but is probably ideal for a lot of photographic uses. I do not have the equipment or expertise to verify the claimed Color Rendering Index, but the light does generally seem to be accurate.
The colored light mode is a bit annoying to use, as others have mentioned, because of the necessity of turning the wheel as many as 180 clicks to get to the other side of the color wheel. It also seems like there can be a slight "jump" in color, for lack of a better term, when reaching the primary colors (red, green, blue). It's not too much of a jump, though, and when combined with the saturation adjustment, there are plenty of colors to pick from for any given situation.
The effects mode is a bit of a mixed bag. Some, like the color cycle modes and the rave modes, seem more like they were added for padding than functionality. The police lights mode and the TV mode, however, could be of use for filmmaking purposes.
The USB-C charging port is a nice, forward-looking touch. The included cable is only a few inches long, but better than nothing, I guess. Any old USB-C cable should work instead, if you need more length. The light will function while plugged in, if you wanted to do an extended shoot or timelapse. It does seem to continue to charge if used while plugged in.
The inclusion of two 1/4-inch screw mount points is nice, although maybe not strictly necessary for most uses. The cold shoe adapter technically works, as long as your unit actually comes with both of the required nuts, but even then it's a bit looser than I would like.
The built-in magnets are a bit of a disappointment. They can technically hold the light's weight, but the slick plastic back means it will slide down any smooth surface you attach it to. If the magnets are an important part of the product to your use case, I would invest in some type of rubbery tape to put on the back for some extra grip.
(The attached photos show the same scene with ambient light, the Tofu at 4200K, and the Tofu with a blue tint.)
First, the packaging. As others have noted, does indeed look a lot like a tofu tub. The sliding lid isn't the most secure (I'm guessing reviewer Eleven's second adapter nut slipped out through the gap during shipping), and the whole thing isn't super study, but it would be sufficient for storing the light on a shelf or in a hard-sided case with other items.
The light itself is excellent. It's not too heavy, so it shouldn't tip a camera rig or a small tripod, but it doesn't feel like a toy, either. It seems fairly sturdy. I would feel comfortable tossing it into a camera bag or suitcase without any additional protection.
All functionality is controlled by a pair of knobs (one that can spin endlessly in tactile increments, one with four positions) and a button. The button is flush with the back of the case, and the knobs are protected by little protrusions from the case. The button is satisfyingly clicky, and I found the knobs fairly easy to turn. This is good, because you'll be turning them a lot. The four-position one controls whether the light is off, or in white light, colored light, or effect mode. It puts up a good level of resistance, and I don' think it could be easily bumped into a different mode by accident. The endless spinner, meanwhile, handles all color, color temperature, saturation, and brightness changes. It has slightly less resistance, and I did accidentally nudge it by a click a couple of times, but it's still very hard to bump it any further than that without meaning to. The endless wheel seems fairly sturdy, but if there's one concern I have about this device, it's how well that wheel will handle being turned the tens of thousands of times that regular usage over the years will require.
The light modes seem pretty good. The diffuser seems to do a good job of blending the output from the different LEDs. At lower brightnesses you can see the individual LEDs through the diffuser, but the effect isn't visible on camera at all unless you point the camera right at the light and adjust the exposure to meter based on the light itself, which isn't a terribly common use case.
The white light mode adjusts in increments of 100 Kelvin, and I was able to tune it to be indistinguishable from the light from various household lamps of different color temperatures. The brightness is pretty high, even when turned down to 1%, which could be an issue for some situations, but is probably ideal for a lot of photographic uses. I do not have the equipment or expertise to verify the claimed Color Rendering Index, but the light does generally seem to be accurate.
The colored light mode is a bit annoying to use, as others have mentioned, because of the necessity of turning the wheel as many as 180 clicks to get to the other side of the color wheel. It also seems like there can be a slight "jump" in color, for lack of a better term, when reaching the primary colors (red, green, blue). It's not too much of a jump, though, and when combined with the saturation adjustment, there are plenty of colors to pick from for any given situation.
The effects mode is a bit of a mixed bag. Some, like the color cycle modes and the rave modes, seem more like they were added for padding than functionality. The police lights mode and the TV mode, however, could be of use for filmmaking purposes.
The USB-C charging port is a nice, forward-looking touch. The included cable is only a few inches long, but better than nothing, I guess. Any old USB-C cable should work instead, if you need more length. The light will function while plugged in, if you wanted to do an extended shoot or timelapse. It does seem to continue to charge if used while plugged in.
The inclusion of two 1/4-inch screw mount points is nice, although maybe not strictly necessary for most uses. The cold shoe adapter technically works, as long as your unit actually comes with both of the required nuts, but even then it's a bit looser than I would like.
The built-in magnets are a bit of a disappointment. They can technically hold the light's weight, but the slick plastic back means it will slide down any smooth surface you attach it to. If the magnets are an important part of the product to your use case, I would invest in some type of rubbery tape to put on the back for some extra grip.
(The attached photos show the same scene with ambient light, the Tofu at 4200K, and the Tofu with a blue tint.)
09/11/2023
This camera light has so many different options to it. You can change the brightness, sautration, and color. It even has different types of strobe lights such as police, ambulance, and fire. Really worth the money
07/11/2023
This is something I will probably keep on or near my desk all the time. The size and brightness of this little light is a great addition to anyone's shooting setup. My only complaint is even at the lowest setting, this thing is bright! The color flashing and other features are something I'm not likely to use much, but the temperature controls on the whites and the other colors are very useful. Magnets are not super strong but that could be great for some.
07/11/2023