RGB Multi-Function Two-in-One Video Light & Power Bank, Built-in 4000mAh, for SLR Camera, Mobile Phone, Vlog, Photography Light

SKU: GW51.0116

  • 49.99
Overall Rating 4.9   96
Reviews
5
The obvious choice for lights in this size and price class.
This is a review of the simorr Vibe P96L, with an ASIN of B09G98NRQZ.UPDATE(2022/10/04): My previous burn time value was incorrect - I think I must have accidentally changed the brightness while testing it, as I’ve now found it to be less. I’m correcting the battery section below, accordingly. I am very sorry for the mistake. END OF UPDATEI’ve been working on reviewing a similar product, and realized I kept comparing it to this, so I thought I should probably come back here and write this up to reference. Also, it’s worth noting that simorr is a sub-brand of SmallRig, and, for a bias alert, I have a bit of a corporate crush on SmallRig, but this is one of the products that’s produced that effect.In summary, if you understand the limitations of these, you’ll probably love them. I got one, used it for about a week, and promptly ordered a second one.To the best I can determine, there are a total of two negatives, but both seem due to tradeoffs on keeping these as small as they are, while doing their key functions as well as they do.* Battery - burn time is around 52 minutes at full brightness and 4700K (my usual test color temperature).* Diffuser - If your subject is within a few inches of the light, you might want a supplemental diffuser. The built in one is very decidedly biased toward output over spread.As for the positives, it’s quite the list:* Size - the listing includes the measurements (108mm x 60mm x 11mm), but, to put that in better perspective, these are smaller than any smartphone since about 2011. You will almost always be able to find a spot for one or more of these in your bag or pockets.* Build - their housing is an aluminum casting that’s then been (beautifully) precision milled in the right places. I’ve been far less kind to them than I’ve intended, and they’ve proven to be quite rugged so far.* Controls - all of the controls are quick to find with your fingers and easy to tell apart by touch. Given that simorr hasn’t buried anything important in a menu system or such, you can operate these lights rather easily without having to focus on them, if needed. Further, each control is well suited to its task. A button cycles modes. A physical slider switch (with a nice click to it) is the on-off (and settings are retained). A simple wheel adjusts the brightness. Finally, a multi-function rocker/button hybrid cycles between extra variables in each mode, if relevant, and then lets you adjust them … including hold-to-accelerate functionality. It’s all shockingly intuitive.* Firmware - it’s not only super-snappy at responding to the controls, but, *very* importantly, the system also provides battery estimates, both in terms of burn time and charge time, which err slightly on the conservative side - i.e. short for burn and long for charge, while still being close. I’ve found this to be very useful so far. Oh, it also appears to do tricks in terms of battery health maintenance, but don’t take my guess regarding that as gospel.* Display - if the light is on, so is the display (this is important, I’ve found) and you can easily read it in virtually any lighting condition. This is possibly one of the best uses of an OLED screen in an embedded context that I’ve ever seen. Also, especially with the ease of distinguishing the controls without looking, this makes it dead simple to operate in the dark.* Brightness - regrettably, I don’t have a good way to measure it, but these are the brightest lights of their general size class that I’ve gotten to play with so far, and that’s including things that’re significantly more bulky. I’ve been very positively impressed.* Price - despite all the good things I’ve listed here, these are within a small percentage of many products that don’t have even half the positives. I’m far from having comprehensively explored the product space, but, so far, these seem like the clear winner on bang for buck.Obviously, I’m calling these a solid 5-star product. I’d be really surprised if there’s anything similar that’s significantly better at an all nearby price.P.S. I’ve omitted coverage of the video effects modes - I feel I don’t know that subject well enough to comment, but I also think that’s something which is quite unlikely to be as important to most users as the points I did cover.
22/12/2021