Godox ML100R - Just another small LED light?

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Let’s be real: the market is currently flooded with these small, lightweight RGB lights rated at 100W or less. So, is the latest little palm-sized lamp from Godox any different? Is there anything that makes this ML100R stand out? Hear me out on this, but yes, I actually think this light is worth getting, but maybe not for the reasons you’d think.

Disclaimer: Godox sent me this product for review. They are not paying me for this review, and all my opinions are my own.

*The Godox ML100R. What makes it special?*

What is the ML100R

So what is the ML100R? It’s a small, full-RGB LED light from Godox, and it comes in at under $200. In fact, at the time of writing, it's £179 here in the U.K. via Essential Photo.

Features

Let’s also quickly go over the key features of the light, as although most of these lamps are much the same at this point, it’s worth highlighting them so you can see who this is aimed at.

Full RGB
Input Power: 110W
Kelvin Range: 1800K - 10,000K
CRI: 95
TLCI: 95
Brightness: 0%-100% (adjustable in whole % increments)
Godox Mount (not Bowens S-fit)

Things to be aware of

So all pretty standard stuff, but I will highlight a couple of points here. As with many of these more affordable Godox lights, they utilise many of the RGB chips to round out their seemingly large Kelvin range. For example, the Bi-Colour version of this same light (ML100Bi) has a far smaller Kelvin range of 2800K-6500K. So if you were after more accurate Kelvin colours, I’d stick between that range on the full colour ML100R as well. But truth be told, most of us won't notice a difference, especially once you've colour graded your final shot.

The CRI and TLCI is a little lower than you may be used to seeing, as many more expensive lights are around the 97 to 98 range these days. Again, this is only really apparent for those pixel-peepers who need that ultimate consistent colour. For most folks, you simply won't notice anything, and again, it’s even less apparent once you've colour graded your final image etc.

The brightness only being adjustable in whole percentages is a shame, as I do love the fine control of 1/10 of a percentage on other lights, and this is especially apparent at the bottom end of power, where even small adjustments have a larger impact on output. Oddly, this light is surprisingly bright, even at 1%, its lowest adjustable power. Again, only a very minor gripe and not an issue at all in the grand scheme of things.

Lastly, we have the light mount itself. On this little unit, Godox have gone for its own proprietary mount, the Godox Mount. Many of you may be very used to using the now classic Bowens or S-fit attachment, but Godox has opted for its own version in this instance. There is actually a lot to unpack with this, and I’ll get into it in more detail below.

Not your typical light

Okay, so we’ve seen the breakdown; we’ve looked at some of the choices and compromises Godox has made with this little light, so let’s look at why those choices may have been made and let’s try to see how they fit with our work.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that if you're reading this article from me, my guess is that you're somewhat experienced. You quite likely own a decent, high-end camera, and you've quite likely amassed several lights over the years. How can I possibly assume all this? Firstly, I’ve been doing this for a very long time, and many of you have been following my work from the beginning, AKA you’ve been doing this a long time too, and secondly, you're not watching a light review on TikTok!

No shade to those who do, but a younger generation is not reading articles like they used to. Why do I bring this up? Because many of you here are used to far more powerful lights and with a lot more features, and you’re also far more comfortable paying for those extra features and that extra power. So again, I urge you to stick with me as I explain this little light.

You may have noticed that I came across as a little harsh in my observations on the light so far, regarding the Kelvin range, the CRI and TLCI ‘only’ being 95, and nitpicking that I can only control the power in whole percentages.

It may seem a little harsh to some of you, but I also understand that my readers are accustomed to a certain quality and output from their lights. Granted, we have to pay for that privilege, but that’s what we’ve come to expect.

A New Generation of Lights

I opened this article by saying that the market is being flooded by this new wave of tiny RGB LED lights, and I mean it. Look at any of the core lighting brands, big and small, and you’ll see they’re all bringing out new lines of these baby LEDs. So what makes them stand apart? The specs are all pretty similar at this point, and LEDs are in a great spot, with decent lights available at a very affordable price compared to even a few short years ago.

And let me elaborate on that price-point aspect. Yes, this little light, like many of its competitors, is not winning any quality-and-power-output contests, but its crazy-low price reflects that. Today, we can get a full RGB 100W light for less than $200. No, it’s not with the highest light quality available, and no, it's not going to overpower the sun, but for most people, this is more than enough light to get the job done.

Today we have a new generation of creators who are live-streaming, vlogging, and shooting ‘reels’ on a regular basis. They and their audiences aren't too concerned about losing a couple of pips of CRI, or about the Green chip coming on by 2% when the Kelvin dips below 2500K. A new generation is shooting ‘content’, and they are fortunate to have tons of affordable lighting options to help capture it.

So, Why Review the ML100R?

So if I’m not overly blown away by the features compared to what I’m typically used to, why review the light? After all, I’ve simply listed the features anyone can read on the website; I knew what I was getting before it arrived.

If I knew that this light wasn’t for me, why would I agree to review it?

The simple answer is, the modifiers.

The Modifiers

Here is where Godox starts to easily pull ahead of its competitors, and I’ll be blunt: it isn’t even close.

A while back, Godox reached out to me and asked if I’d like to review the ML100R. Trust me, in recent months, I've had scores of requests to review these baby LED lights from many brands, but I typically turn them down for all the reasons I've listed above. So when Godox asked, I said I'd only review the light if I could also get my hands on a couple of their new and more unique modifiers to go with it.

They agreed, and here we are.

The modifiers in question were specifically the new LED Projection unit (ML-SP) and the new Air Soft Tube (ML-S1A).

I’ve actually already released a targeted review on the Projection Unit. It wasn't my intention, but I was so blown away by the remarkable performance that I chose to share my thoughts on it. If you're interested, you can check that review out here:

Godox Spotlight - ML-SP LED Projection Review

In fact, in my closing thoughts on this spotlight, I actually stated,

…”I honestly think this spotlight warrants the additional purchase of a light just to use it.”

And I stand by that. The ML-SP was such a good projection unit that I honestly believe it warrants purchasing this ML100R light just to use it.

The Godox Mount

The Godox Mount refers to the attachment method for lighting modifiers to the light itself. For many years, Godox has simply used the Bowens mount or S-Fit, but with the introduction of these much smaller lights, It has been utilising its own mount much more.

The sceptical may just think they're doing this so you have to buy their own modifiers, and although I'm sure there’s some truth to that, the reality is that with these small lights, a far larger attachment point becomes a little unwieldy. In fact, I've seen other brands stick to the S-Fit, and the mounting point is so large relative to the light that the attachment point hangs over the edge of the light itself.

And to be clear, Godox has converters that make it very easy to use your S-Fit modifiers on their Godox Mount lights, and they’re not at all expensive if you really want to use something specific on the little light. But with the Godox Mount, Godox has been able to tailor several excellent modifiers for their lights. Of course, there is the aforementioned Projection Unit that I thought was outstanding, but their inflatable Air Soft Tube is also quite remarkable, and again, offers a very unique look.

I’ll share some shots below where I used the Air Soft Tube as a key-light to show you what I mean.

The purple light on the face above is cast from the ML100R with the Air Soft Tube attached.

In the BTS above, you can clearly see the effect the tube is having on the model's face with that dusty purple colour, and that’s a fairly unique quality of light.

If you’re interested in seeing the entire breakdown of that LightBox Shoot, you can read the full article here:

How to Create: The Lightbox Setup

In the images below, the warmer, yellow light on the models face is cast from the Air Soft Tube.

Below are some BTS shots from that shoot, and again, you can see that the Air Soft Tube is attached to the ML100R light. Note that this light is being powered via the Godox BG02 95W5 Battery Grip.

The Air Soft Tube

I mentioned that I was very impressed by this tube, and I even went so far as to say that I think it offers a unique-looking light. There are a couple of reasons for this, but mainly it's the size and spread of light for portraits. The human face is mostly the same size, so there are many modifiers suited to lighting it effectively. This tube, for example, is unique among the other LED tubes I own in that it is much thicker and therefore produces a much softer, more even light when held just above the subject. If you compare this to a regular tube, you’ll find a much harder light thanks to its thinner width.

Of course, you could just use a regular softbox instead, right? Well, not exactly. The reason this light excels over regular softboxes is again due to that width. It’s not as tall as a regular softbox, thereby allowing you to bring it very close to the model without it showing up in-shot.

Why does it need to be so close? This won't be for everyone's work, but I like my key lights close to my subject to ensure a very quick drop-off of light down the body, thereby creating that very dramatic shape and contouring on the face and body.

This Air Soft Tube achieves this perfectly, and again, I think it does such a good job in doing so that the ML100R is worth the purchase alone just to have access to this Air Soft Tube.

If you’re curious, the Air Soft Tube utilises a drawstring to actually attach it to the ML100R and its included Lens Reflector. The Air Soft Tube comes with a one-way hand pump that lets you inflate the tube in about 30 seconds. I’m sure you could blow it up much faster with a few human puffs, but I'd personally avoid introducing moisture and bacteria from your mouth into the tube.

*This relatively inexpensive Air Soft Tube provides a surprisingly impressive light quality and is very quick to set up.*

What about the Light?

I’ve gushed over the Godox Mount modifiers enough; what about the actual ML100R light?

*All of the ML100R light kits I’ve seen come with everything you need to get started. The light, power brick, lightstand attachment, and the lens reflector.*

Modes

I mentioned the core features above, but the ML100R also has a couple of other modes worth highlighting here. For example, it has the standard CCT (Kelvin) mode, as well as HSI (Hue Saturation Intensity), RGBW, and FX modes. That FX mode is the one with 14 unique lighting effects, such as cop car, candle flicker, TV flicker, etc.

In CCT mode, you also get access to the Green/Magenta shift option.

The ML100R also has a settings mode where you can adjust a variety of settings, including Bluetooth, Fan speed, Display brightness, Languages, Quick Boot, Factory Reset, and Fixture Info.

It’s also worth noting that this is a full-colour screen. This is a great addition, but sadly they barely use its ‘full-colour’ aspect. The settings menu displays coloured symbols for Bluetooth and Fan, etc., but, oddly, the HSI and RGBW menus are completely devoid of any colour.

*The ML100R has a full colour screen, but sadly it isn’t used when in the colour modes in any way.*

Ergonomics

All menus are navigated via a large, easily operable dial on the side. This wheel is also used to confirm your choices by pressing it inwards from the side. I will note that this may seem minor, but the change is a welcome addition, as previous Godox lights had a very sensitive wheel, and you could accidentally confirm something in the menu by simply scrolling a little too quickly. This new confirmation method is a welcome change.

*The new adjustable wheel and selection input is a welcome addition.*

Other than that, you have two buttons on the back to access power, menus and modes.

*The ML100R is very simple. Two buttons, a dial, and a screen.*

Lastly, you have a very generously sized, big red button to detach the modifiers. Large enough that it is even possible to easily remove the standard lens with one hand.

*A very obvious red button to remove modifiers. Easy enough to even operate with one hand, but not so sensitive that you’ll knock it accidentally.*

Attachment Point

Lastly, you also have a well-designed attachment point on the base of the light. This is your typical quarter-inch screw thread, but it also comes with two well-placed notches that, again, ensure that the light sits very snugly without the need to over-tighten any thumbscrews.

The lighting kits also come with a specific lightstand bracket with the same notches, which makes them very solid when attached. The battery pack I have also has these notches on its receiver, and even the projection unit I have for this light has them. This is a well-thought-out system, and it all works very well together, especially given that many of these small lights rely solely on friction to keep them in place. This is noticeably more secure in every aspect.

*A very robust and simple attachment point design. You don’t need to rely on over-tightening anything when using this system.*

Power

This light comes with a cable and a power brick, which are included in all the packs I’ve seen available. It can, of course, be battery-powered, but you would need to purchase the power brick separately.

The light has its own 20V DC port, but it's also very nice to see a USB-C port on this light. This means that it becomes very easy to use any number of USB-C power packs to run this light.

*You can plug your included 20V DC power supply into the ML100R, but it also allows for other USB-C power banks to be used too.*

Lens Reflector

Lastly, I will add that all the ML100R packs I've seen online also include the very excellent ML-L15 Lens Reflector. Again, this is a custom-made modifier for the Godox Mount, specifically the ML line of Godox lights. So even straight out of the box, you already have a very usable light and modifier to get started with.

*The included ML-L15 reflector lens gives a decent spread of light straight out of the box.*

The Verdict

So look, I get it; this has been a very odd light review in that I’ve really only spoken about the modifiers and how amazing they are. The reality is, a lot of these min-LEDs are all fairly similar now, but for me, Godox is putting their lights head and shoulders above their competitors thanks to their very unique and truly excellent Godox Mount modifiers.

Sadly, these mini-LEDs can’t really utilise the bigger S-Fit mount effectively, and even if you do use a converter, remember that the little COB light is swamped by the big S-Fit modifier surrounding it. Godox has decided to make specific modifiers tailored to the far smaller COB lights, and they have done so very effectively, so much so that I stand by the fact that the ML100R is simply worth the purchase to get access to those modifiers alone.

*Godox has a ML-GB S-Fit converter if you really want to use some of your own S-Fit modifiers on the ML100R.*

If you’re in the market for excellent, truly unique lighting modifiers that offer you a variety of lighting looks, I’d seriously consider this ML100R light as a byproduct of that purchase. Plus, you can never have enough lights, and my money is on you using this light with its unique modifiers more often than you think. No, the 100W isn’t a ton of power, and that is still the biggest downside and caveat to all of this, but, and I can only speak on personal experience, I think these modifiers are so good in fact, that I've opted to raise my ISO up to 400 and even ISO 800 in the studio just so I could make use of them!

*Even though the ML100R is only 100W, I still find myself using it, just to gain access to some of its outstanding modifiers!*

Take what you will from that, but I’m as shocked as you are!

Products Used

For transparency, as I mentioned at the top, this is not a sponsored post, nor am I being paid. Godox sent me the items to test and leave my feedback, and as such, none of the links below are affiliate links, and I do not make any money on clicks. The links will take you to Essential Photo here in the UK. They’re good guys, and I’ve worked with them in the past. By all means, source the best store in your own region.

ML100R Compact Portable RGB LED Video Light With ML-L15 Lens Reflector

Essential Photo Website Link

Godox ML-S1A Air Soft Tube

Godox Official Website

ML-SP Series Godox-Mount Projection Attachment Kit For Godox ML-Series (ML-SP19/ML-SP36/ML-SP50)

Essential Photo Website Link

BG02 95W5 Battery Grip By Godox

Essential Photo Website Link

Donate & Support

I've always wanted my photography education on here to be free, so although there is no paywall to any of my -Technique Tuesdays-, any and all support is greatly appreciated. ❤️

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book.

||

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book. ||

JHP Livestreams…

I livestream every other Tuesday night via YouTube and there I answer your questions, critique your shots, take community images into Photoshop to work on them and discuss all manner of lighting tips and techniques. I look forward to seeing you and your work there real soon. Jake Hicks Photography - YouTube

All of my more advanced lighting classes are now available online!

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All of my more advanced lighting classes are now available online! ||

LEARN MORE ABOUT MY ONLINE WORKSHOPS

How to Create: The Lightbox Setup

Donate & Support

I've always wanted my photography education on here to be free, so although there is no paywall to any of my -Technique Tuesdays-, any and all support is greatly appreciated. ❤️

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book.

||

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book. ||

I recently posted a series of images on my Instagram titled ‘Don’t do this’. I was referring to the many dos and don'ts of photography that I often explain to students and photographers I mentor. ‘Do try to have catchlights in the eyes.’ ‘Do place your light above eye-level.’ ‘Do use complementary colours’, and so on. Of course, with these dos, I also have many don’ts. ‘Don’t use green on the skin.’ ‘Don’t place your backlight too low.’ And, ‘don’t under-light your subject’.

***The recent IG Post in Question:*** *Breaking the rules with photography may be more popular than you think…*

But rules are often just suggestions when it comes to art, and I’ve recently been looking at several ways in which I can push and bend those ‘rules’, and this lightbox project was one such experiment in rule breaking, specifically, ‘don’t under-light your subject.’

To be clear, when I say ‘don't under-light your subject ’, I'm referring to lighting the subject from below, which typically creates unflattering shadows. So how can I combat this normally very unsightly look that is often referred to as ‘monster lighting’ and is only commonly used in Hammer horror movies from the 1960s?!

Lean into it

One tip I’ll offer right away for overcoming these atypical lighting problems is to lean into them. Don’t be delicate with it; instead, double down and make them a feature. Make it clear this wasn't simply a case of you getting lucky with typically bad lighting. And this is where the giant lightbox idea came from. Make the under-light the core feature of the image.

The Lightbox Plans

Thankfully, with modern software, you can overcome some lighting issues before you even step into the studio. One such program is Set.a.light 3D, and I've been using this software since its release to design and set my lights before I even pick up the camera. Set.a.light 3D allows you to place and position lights in a 3D studio environment to see how the light will fall and interact with the subject and background. The software has scores of prebuilt lights for you to use, and in the latest version, you can even create your own light from your own specifications. Sadly, that version wasn’t out when I made my lightbox, but I was still able to design and build my own lightbox in this 3D studio with great accuracy by entering exact measurements and playing with the design until I was happy with how it performed and lit my 3D subject.

*Here is the early initial design for my lightbox. Using the program Set.a.Light 3D, I was able to get a good idea of how large the box needed to be to sufficiently light my model from below.*

I’m showcasing the original design in version 3 of Set.a.Light 3D above, but this was built in the older version 2, where you couldn’t actually generate your own light from a user-designed light shape. But that didn't matter too much to me, as I knew the dimensions of the lights I intended to use in the lightbox, and you can see them as the beige squares in the diagram above.

The core benefit of designing the lightbox in this software was to determine exactly how large it needed to be for a model to sit on top of it. Obviously, making a huge lightbox is the easiest way to overcome these concerns, but the cost and practicality of making, moving, and even storing it are all considerations.

The Surface

Lastly, one of my biggest concerns from the start was model safety. How thick did the transparent lightbox top need to be so that it wouldn't buckle, bend or ultimately break and allow her to disappear through the middle of the box? I did a bunch of research and ran some tests based on the box size and the subject's predicted weight and distribution. For example, would tempered glass be better, or should I use Perspex? If I use Perspex, how thick would the Perspex need to be to ensure it doesn't bend under the weight? And if so, how wide should the lip of the box be to accommodate any movement or shrinkage of surface width due to bending?

Ultimately, I opted for Perspex over tempered glass due to safety concerns. I then estimated the subject's weight and tested for both evenly distributed and focused weight distributions. For example, the model is standing on one leg with all the weight in one spot, versus her sitting down, spreading the weight over multiple points of contact.

With all that in mind, I erred on the side of caution and then added a few extra millimetres of thickness to the Perspex for good measure, and I ultimately asked my carpenter to make the lightbox top from 20mm Perspex. When the box was finally delivered, it had inch-thick Perspex (closer to 25mm, likely because he got a deal on that specific thickness and that was more than fine by me), and it's bombproof! The model could tapdance on that thing, and it wouldn’t move at all!

I will add that the Perspex and its unique thickness are what drive up the cost of this build. I think I was fortunate with mine. Yes, I did have to wait a couple of weeks for it to be made, but that wait was likely due to the carpenter getting a good deal on Perspex somewhere, which we were waiting on to complete the project.

Final Design

I’ll share the exact dimensions and specs of the final design I settled on below. Click any image to make it full screen.

The Build

I’m sure to many of you, this is a simple build. Essentially, it’s just a large wooden box with a few sections cut out, and with the right tools and materials on hand, it might even be a quick build. I even looked into the practicality of doing it myself, but I didn’t have the right tools or materials, so I decided to see how much it would actually cost to have a professional carpenter make it. A quick look online in your region and you’ll likely find a service that puts customers in contact with local tradesfolk. Here in the UK, I found MyBuilder.com, which lets you post your job online (I uploaded all of the plans and specifications you saw above), and local carpenters can bid to take it on. I quickly had a few offers, and within a day or so I’d settled on a local carpenter who said he could build the lightbox for a very good price and even deliver it if I could wait a few weeks. This was fine by me, and a few weeks later, the finished lightbox was delivered (ironically, it actually arrived during one of my livestreams, and some of you may even remember me dragging the raw unit into the office at the time).

Lightbox in the Raw

The lightbox arrived in its raw, unpainted form because it was cheaper and faster. If you’re doing something similar and don't have the space to paint it yourself, you can, of course, ask your carpenter to paint it for you.

*The unpainted lightbox with the Rotolight Titan X1’s in situ and the undiffused Perspex in place.*

In the top image above, the lightbox is without the Perspex. In the second image, you can now see the lightbox with my intended lights in place and the Perspex inserted.

It’s worth noting that you could use a variety of lights instead of the Rotolight Titan X1’s I’m using, and several brands make cost-effective LED panels that would fit perfectly in here too. In fact, later in the article, you'll see me using a Godox UP150R LED panel to light my model from above. If I’d had another of those panels, it would have worked great in the lightbox as well.

Diffusion

Ironically, this part was trickier than I’d imagined. How do I properly diffuse the top of the box? I’d originally designed the lightbox around me using two Rotolight Titan X1’s inside, and many of the lightbox measurements were made with these large LED heads in mind. Yes, the Titans have their own diffusion, but having a deeper lightbox not only allowed me a little light control but also let the LEDs spread their light before it reached the top, thereby giving me a more even spread of light across the surface of Perspex.

Note that the deeper the lights in the box, the more the light goes straight up rather than immediately spreading out to the sides, similar to using barndoors on the front of your light to control it. This was another benefit of mocking up this lightbox in 3D beforehand, as its depth was fundamental to the final light control.

So, although the Titan lights are large, they certainly didn't completely fill the lightbox, which meant I had to diffuse the Perspex surface somehow. I could have had the Perspex surface sanded down to give it a frosted look, but I chose not to, as it would have left me with almost no way to control the diffusion level later, if needed. In the end, I went with diffusing the Perspex with my own diffusion gel from LEE filters. They sell rolls of diffusion gels in many, many thicknesses and diffusion levels, and I had a roll left over from a previous shoot, so I used that.

*An initial quick test with only a single sheet of diffusion gel in place.*

In the shot above, you can see that my initial test was not promising. This is with one sheet of diffusion gel, and with the light source only a few inches away, the gel simply doesn't have a chance to diffuse the light properly.

First Test

This first test was quite literally the day after the lightbox arrived. I had another shoot lined up for something else, but I simply had to test the lightbox out, but bear in mind that I hadn't even painted it yet. The following couple of images show the unpainted light box with only a single sheet of diffusion gel in place.

*Before I could stop her, the model quickly took it upon herself to stress-test the lightbox by placing all her weight onto her tiptoes! Thankfully, at 25mm, the Perspex never even budged.*

With only a single sheet of diffusion gel, the lightbox was producing very bright hot-spots at the heart of the light. This immediately showed me that I would need much more diffusion to even out the light below.

If you look closely, you can see the bare wood, which was the first indication to me that I had to paint it white, not black. Secondly, you can see the diffusion is not very diffused at all, and the hot-spots are pretty aggressive.

Lastly, look at how there is no bending in the Perspex, even though the model immediately begins testing the box's limits by placing all her weight on the smallest point possible, right in the middle!!! That was all the unsolicited proof that I needed that the inch-thick Perspex is bombproof!

Getting it Painted

Initial test out of the way, the next step was to get it painted. You may have noticed, that In my original plans, I had thought I'd paint the box black, but after doing that quick test shoot with the lightbox in its raw, unpainted state, I quickly realised that there was no way to keep the lightbox out of the final image in any reasonable way, so ultimately I felt it would be easier to include the lightbox in shot if it was painted white.

*After a couple of coats of matte white emulsion paint, the lightbox was finally finished.*

Nothing too tricky about this part. A couple of coats of white emulsion paint (ensure that it’s matte) and you’re good to go.

Final Form

Once painted and with (I think) 4 or 5 sheets of diffusion gel in place, the lightbox is finally ready to shoot. You may think that ‘the more diffusion, the better’, and although this is initially true, you also need to remember that the more diffusion gels you add to the box, the less light power you’re letting through, so a compromise needs to be reached somewhere, and this seems a good spot to me.

The Setup

As always, I’ll share the final images below, but first, let's go over the setup and what's involved.

*The Godox UP150R LiteWafer LED panel in the back, as well as the ML100R LED light with ML-S1A Air Soft Tube in front. -Have I ever mentioned how much I hate these barcodes instead of light names!!*

*You see me using the Godox BG02 95W5 Battery Grip on the LED light here.*

*This tube is a remarkable lighting modifier, and I’d urge you to try it out.*

*I have the egg crate (grid) attached to the Godox UP150R panel here to help keep the light off the white background next to it.*

*The control box dangling from the bit of string here shows that I’m at 65% power and 10,000K. This is to give an icy-cold light to that key on the model.*

*Here you can see that I’ve attached the UP150R panel above my model with a C-Stand boom and knuckle.*

As you can see in the lighting design above, we essentially have 4 lights. The lightbox and 3 others. The Godox UP150R LiteWafer panel is above and slightly behind the model. This is to highlight the hair and face when the model looks straight up. We have the ML100R with the ML-S1A Air Soft Tube slightly in front, and that is very delicately illuminating the face with that dusty purple colour. Note that I’m using that with the Godox BG02 95W5 Battery Grip in these BTS images. Next, we have our large softbox behind us acting as a fill, and lastly, of course, we have our star, the lightbox lighting our model from below.

Camera Settings

Camera - Fujifilm GFX 50SII
Lens - Fuji GF 63mm f2.8
Shutter Speed - 1/125th
Aperture - f2.8
ISO - 100
Kelvin - 4500K
Focal Length - 63mm (~50mm 35mm equivalent)

TL;DR/ADHD/Artist Setup Explanation

Set up white backdrop behind model
Position model on top of large custom lightbox
Place LED panel above model and just behind - set to ‘white’
Place LED tube light in front of model - set to ‘purple’
Have large soft box behind you - set to ‘blue’

Kit Used

Godox UP150R LiteWafer LED panel
Godox ML100R LED Head
Godox ML-S1A Air Soft Tube
Godox BG02 95W5 Battery Grip
Large Softbox & Head
White backdrop
C-Stands and clamps
Custom Lightbox w/ 2x Rotolight Titan X1’s

Final Shots

Click on any of the shots below to fill the screen

I’ve only shared a few of the final shots here as this article is already very image-heavy. But I’ve shared a lot more of them on my Instagram if you’d like to check them out.

Jake Hicks Photography Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakehicksphotography/

Featured model: Kelly Klein: https://www.instagram.com/kellyklein001/

Closing Comments

I’m absolutely in love with the final shots! The delicate lighting on the body is perfect with strong tonality in both the shadows and highlights, plus I also love where I landed on the final colours. You can see in my initial 3D setup diagram that I was most of the way there with the colours I thought I wanted: cold blue tones overall, coupled with a splash of that more engaging purple on the face, all accented by that bright cool-white light from behind. I was essentially there, but on the day I loved this idea of the model emerging from this eerie pool of light, hence the more greenish glow from below via the lightbox in the final shots.

As many of you know, I’ve almost entirely switched to LEDs now over flash, and this shoot is a great example of why. Firstly, it’s almost impossible to get this incredibly delicate light on the subject’s skin with flash. Flash emanates from a central point, which inherently creates hot-spots, especially on skin, and especially when the lights are brought in incredibly close, like I'm doing here in this shoot.

Secondly, LEDs give me incredible and immediate control over the colours in my work. Had I been shooting flash, I’d have had just a handful of colour choices at my fingertips on the day, but with LEDs, I can tweak and adjust colour harmonies that aren't possible with limited gel colours. This really is as close as you can get to painting with light, as once you have the knowledge and confidence to play with delicate colours like this in real-time as you’re shooting, you’re able to produce some truly beautiful and unique colour palettes in your work.

Don’t Do This…

Of course, this finally brings me back to the original shoot idea of trying to break my own rules. I mentioned at the start how I often advise and guide new photographers via one-2-one training and mentoring, and I’ll invariably warn them of things that they really shouldn't do in their photography. Of course, these dos and don'ts are just guidelines, but they are guidelines for a reason. You shouldn't typically colour the skin with green light, and you really shouldn't ever light someone from below outside of a cheesy horror scene.

But by sidestepping some of these guidelines, we can often create unique imagery. Yes, it is far harder to take a great image that tries to break the rules, but that effort can pay off, and judging by the popularity of the photos I just posted that showcase a model very clearly being lit from below, that extra effort was worth it.

Definitely be sure to know some tips and guidelines before you start shooting, as I think you’ll find far greater success if you know the rules before you break them. All I’d encourage you to do is test some of these rules for yourself. Don’t blindly follow someone else's rules for photography; be sure to form your own opinions based on your own mistakes and successes. And good luck!

Need a Head Start?

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One-2-One Mentoring

I’m typically terrible at self-promotion, but if you feel you could benefit from a few tips and techniques to get you headed in the right direction, or maybe you’ve been shooting for a while and want more guidance on your personal style, get in touch. I’ve been helping photographers from all over the world develop their skills and their photography businesses for many years. Maybe I can help you too.

Learn more

Products Used

Note: None of the links below is affiliated links, and I do not make any money on clicks. The links will take you to Essential Photo here in the UK. They’re good guys, and I’ve worked with them in the past. By all means, source the best store in your own region.

LiteWafer UP150R Ultra-Slim Full-Colour RGB LED Light Panel K1 Kit

Essential Photo Website Link

ML100R Compact Portable RGB LED Video Light With ML-L15 Lens Reflector

Essential Photo Website Link

Godox ML-S1A Air Soft Tube

Godox Official Website

BG02 95W5 Battery Grip By Godox

Essential Photo Website Link

Donate & Support

I've always wanted my photography education on here to be free, so although there is no paywall to any of my -Technique Tuesdays-, any and all support is greatly appreciated. ❤️

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book.

||

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book. ||

JHP Livestreams…

All of my more advanced lighting classes are now available online!

||

All of my more advanced lighting classes are now available online! ||

LEARN MORE ABOUT MY ONLINE WORKSHOPS

The Problem with LEDs

Donate & Support

I've always wanted my photography education on here to be free, so although there is no paywall to any of my -Technique Tuesdays-, any and all support is greatly appreciated. ❤️

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book.

||

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book. ||

Many of you already know that I’ve been heavily invested in LEDs for a couple of years now. In fact, apart from the occasional niche speedlight setup, I’ve not used flash for a single shoot in well over a year. During that time, I’ve reviewed scores of incredible LEDs, all touting features simply not possible with flash. So, you’ve all heard me praising the benefits of LEDs, but as with anything in life, there are always tradeoffs.

No one product is perfect at everything, and LEDs are no different. So, if you’re a strobist and thinking of jumping in with LEDs, what are some limitations or quirks of LEDs you need to be aware of?

Power

This is the elephant in the room, and to be fair, this is the question I get asked the most: “Are LEDs powerful enough?” This is, of course, subjective, and the answer is very much contingent on what you’re going to be shooting. For me, 90% of my work is done in a controlled studio environment or at least on locations where I can cover or block unwanted light. So for me, yes, LEDs are absolutely more than powerful enough for what I need. But let’s be real, LEDs are nowhere near as powerful as most strobes.

One common misconception is that a 500Ws strobe (flash) is the same as a 500W LED. It’s an easy mistake to make, and I think some brands may even lean into that misunderstanding on occasion. But the key is to remember that flashes are measured in watt-seconds, not continuous watts or draw like LED lights.

One gives you a very intense light for a fraction of a second, and the other is a continuous power output. A 500Ws flash can deliver hundreds of thousands of lumens, whereas a 500W LED may only reach 50-75,000 lumens.

Or in non-nerd speak, a 500Ws strobe at 2m (6.5ft) reads 1/125th second, ISO 100 and just under f22. A 500W LED at the same distance is 1/125th second, ISO 100 and just under f8.

I just went next door to the studio to test this myself, so variables like room size, brand, modifier used, etc., will affect the results slightly, but it does illustrate the power gap between these two units.

Click to enlarge: On the left is the 500Ws strobe set to full power. On the right is a 500W LED set to full power. You simply cannot compare the two 500W/s in terms of power as the flash is around 3 stops brighter than the LED.

With a 500Ws strobe being around 3 stops brighter than a 500W LED, the difference is certainly noticeable, and if you think that doesn’t seem like much, remember that every stop of light is double the amount of light, so that’s like the difference between a 125Ws strobe and a 1000Ws strobe. The instantaneous power output of flash is extremely bright, and if you think your work needs that extra power, there really is no substitute.

Client Comfort

I’ve just spoken about the power output differences between flash and LED, and some of you may be thinking that LEDs are getting brighter all the time and that maybe it’s just worth waiting until LEDs are powerful enough to compete with flash. I’ve no doubt that LEDs will get more powerful, but the practicality of that brightness also needs to be considered.

Think about a client sitting in front of a 500W LED. I just went into the studio to test it and, yeah, you definitely know you’re sitting in front of a bright light at full power! It’d be pretty miserable for extended periods, so I really wouldn’t want to subject a client to anything much brighter than that for extended periods.

Flash has none of that client discomfort, as the bright flash is only on for a fraction of a second. In fact, before the shot is taken, all the client sees is a very dim (by comparison) modelling lamp, and this can have more impact on the final shot than just the client's comfort.

Remember, our eyes do their best to limit harsh brightness by constricting our pupils into a tiny dot. Conversely, in dim lighting, pupils dilate to let in as much light as possible, and it is widely believed that these dilated pupils are perceived as more attractive for several reasons.

Click to enlarge: In the images above, you have the continuous bright light of an LED on the left and the very small pupil as a result. On the right, you have the dilated pupil of the eye taking in the much dimmer light of the strobes modelling bulb. When the flash fires, we capture an image of the eye before the pupil has time to constrict, yielding a beautifully large pupil.

Many portrait photographers will actively seek these dilated pupils in their work as they believe the final image shows their subject in the best possible way. Bright LED lights make these dilated pupils almost impossible to capture, whereas this look is relatively easy to achieve with flash.

Freezing Motion

This is another major factor that may well impact the type of work you produce. I’ve spoken about flash durations in the past and how, no matter what your shutter speed is set to, the subject, when being captured by flash, is actually frozen by the flash duration of ~1/4000th of a second and not your actual shutter speed choice. So, even if your shutter speed is 1/250th second, the subject is captured at ~1/4000th.

This is not the case with LEDs. With LEDs, your subject is always captured based on your shutter speed.

Click to enlarge: My Bowens XMT strobes actually showed you the flash duration, depending on the power you were using. At its lowest 2.0 power, the flash duration was actually 1/10,309th sec, compared to 1/222th sec at full power. When using flash, it’s not your shutter speed that dictates the amount of visible motion in the shot.

So if you’re someone who shoots a lot of fast-moving subjects like children and dancers, maybe even fast-moving clothing and hair, and you’ve been doing so with a shutter speed of 1/250th with flash, you may not get the exact same results with LEDs. Remember that although your camera was set to 1/250th of a second, the flash was actually freezing them at ~1/4000th.

Click to enlarge: I’d encourage you to click this image and view it full screen. If you look closely, you can see a ton of movement in this shot, especially in the hair. This image was taken at 1/15th of a second, and it’s simply not possible to capture this type of energy and sense of motion in a shot while using flash.

Again, this is very dependent on the work that you do, but even slight blurring in hair and clothes can have an impact on the final image, especially if you’re someone who shoots for composites. Masking and cutting out subjects with crisp, sharp hair and clothes is far easier than masking out moving objects with slightly blurred, feathered edges.

Chromatic Adaptation

This topic is a little more niche and may not affect your work as much as it affects mine. If you’re not familiar with ‘chromatic adaptation’, it refers to our eyes' natural ability to white-balance and colour-correct the world around us. Most people don’t tend to see the rich orange dawn and sunset, as our eyes try to balance them out so we see the world in a more uniform tone. This ability is so strong, however, that we can often be tricked or fooled by it and because it happens so subtly and gradually, many of us aren't even aware of it happening.

Why is this a bad thing? When I used to shoot with flash in the studio, I’d typically have some ‘house lights’ on, or the normal ceiling lights most rooms have. The flashes had coloured gels, but the modelling bulbs weren't bright enough to overpower the room's overall colour. This meant the client's eyes weren't adjusting to the coloured gels and remained neutral due to the overhead studio lights. That way, when I fired a shot and showed them the resulting brightly coloured flash image, they loved what they saw.

With LEDs, I need to be far more mindful of chromatic adaptation affecting the client's eyes, as the bright, very colourful LEDs are always on and overpowering the room colour. This is a very nerdy topic that I’ve covered in more detail in the past, but if the room is bright blue due to the LEDs, our eyes will try to neutralise that so that when the client sees the resulting image with their ‘neutralised’ eyes, the shot doesn't look anywhere near as blue as they had hoped.

I covered this in a little more detail in a video cut from one of my previous livestreams. It shows some examples of chromatic adaptation at work and how companies can use it in interesting ways. Take a look at the video below to learn more.

This is a very real problem and one that needs a little experience and confidence to overcome, because remember, it's not just the client's eyes getting fooled, it's yours too. Like I say, this is a very real factor that needs to be addressed. Ever notice why the ceilings in rooms are always white, even if the walls are painted a certain colour? Interior design uses the ceiling as a neutral ‘anchor’, and our eyes use it as a point of reference to colour the surrounding walls. Paint the ceiling the same colour as the walls, and our eyes will adapt to it, and the room's walls will lose their visible colour value as a result.

Brightly coloured LED shoots lack a white ceiling as a neutral reference point, and this can skew colour perception for the client and us. Faith in the hue values and Kelvin settings on our cameras is enough for us experienced photographers, but you may have to convince the client that you need to take them outside to a well-lit neutral-coloured room and show them the final images; otherwise, you’ll never achieve the specific blue colour they're after.

As a final note on this, I’m not talking hypotheticals here, and I genuinely do have to either take clients out of the room to a more neutral-coloured space or give their eyes time to adjust to the room with the house lights back on. I’ll leave it up to you as to whether you want to try and explain chromatic adaptation to your clients, but just be warned that this is a fairly esoteric concept to many, and you're probably just far better off just turning the house lights on, and then taking your time on purpose before showing the clients the images. But, be warned, if you’re tethering and the client is looking at the shots as they come in and chromatic adaptation has taken hold, you’ll find it tough to explain the problem beyond ‘trust me bro’.

Speed and Safety

I spent well over a decade working in studios with cables crisscrossing and spider-webbing the floor. It’s a problem I didn’t know I had, as I’d never known anything else. So when I got some battery-powered strobes, I had no idea how much faster and easier it was to avoid all those cables on the floor. Not to mention, cableless strobes are infinitely safer, without the risk of clients or models tripping over unsecured cables, which can result in, at best, having to buy a new light, and, at worst, them getting hurt and suing you.

It’s kind of ironic then that I only had this quality of life for a few short years before I brought all the cables back into the studio when I switched everything over to LEDs.

Sure, there are many battery-powered LED lights that run without cables. But for studio shooters who need the extra power, nearly all the LEDs over 100W will need to be plugged in. Yes, there are options for attaching battery packs, but if you’re in the studio shooting for many hours, it’s just easier to keep them plugged in rather than switching batteries in and out all the time.

With this cable issue in mind, I actively seek out LEDs that don't require additional cables to the control box or ballast. This box often needs to be secured, and the cables will need to be tidied away or, ideally, taped down on a busy set. All this takes time, and if you don’t have that time to spare, just popping a single battery-powered monoblock strobe on a stand and shooting is a very desirable alternative.

Click to enlarge: I spent years dealing with flash cables until I finally got my battery-powered strobes. And then, all the cables came back with the more powerful LEDs. Cables aren't just an inconvenience; they can be a safety issue too. With this in mind, I try to avoid the additional cables that LEDs with external control boxes come with, as the studio can look like a spiderweb very quickly once you have several lights set up.

Banding

I’ve left this point until last, as it’s not an issue that arises with all LEDs and in all shots, but if this banding issue does appear in your images, it can be utterly devastating, and the reason it's so devastating is that you may well not notice it until it's far too late.

So what is this ‘banding’ issue? The technology in LED lights is a little different from that of many other lights you may be used to, as most lights are simply either on or off. However, some LEDs operate a little differently, and some cheaper or early LEDs essentially turn on and off very rapidly, thereby flickering. This flicker is so fast that our eyes don't notice it, but our cameras can, especially when you're shooting at higher shutter speeds.

*Click to enlarge: The above images are taken with the same LED light, the only difference between these two shots, is the shutter speed used.*

This flickering or frequency of LEDs is measured in Hertz and indicates how many times per second they turn on and off. Now, you may have looked at the images above and been shocked by how bad the flicker is and the resulting rainbow banding, but I’m sure most of us would spot that in a photoshoot. And I agree, the images above are among the worst I’ve ever seen in terms of banding, but sadly, they can often be far more subtle, and consequently, far more damaging than that, as they may well go undetected while shooting.

*Click to enlarge: This is the same image taken at 1/4000th sec, the only difference is that I’ve sharpened the image on the right in post.*

Take a look at the image above. This is the same image on both the left and right; the only difference is that I sharpened the right version in post. At first glance, you may not have spotted that banding on the left, and remember, this is a white wall that makes it far easier to see. But once you’ve wrapped the shoot and got home, sharpening these images reveals an ugly effect that is almost impossible to fix.

The LED flicker issue and the resulting image banding are a whole article in their own right, so I won't get too sidetracked by the boring technical details here. The quick version is that this banding mainly appears on old or cheaper LED lights. That said, some of the tests I’ve shown you here are from reputable brands. The other very important factor is that the banding only really shows itself when shooting at fast shutter speeds or when the LED light is set to a very low power, and combining fast shutter speeds with low-powered, cheaper LEDs is all but guaranteed to produce a hideous banding effect.

But this flickering and subsequent banding isn't a new problem; in fact, it could be argued to be a feature in some situations. After all, it's one of the reasons why LEDs are so cheap for us to run at home in our house lights. Many of them flicker faster than our human eyes can detect, thereby reducing the power they consume and the heat they produce.

Sadly, this is also why I think some people get chronic headaches from certain lights, while other people don't. Some people, sadly, can see the flicker, which causes huge strain on their eyes and brains. In fact, this happened to my wife until I checked her work LED lights and switched them out for better bulbs, which has now fixed the headache problem for her.

As I mentioned, the flickering and banding is a huge can of worms that I find odd more people aren't talking about, but in short, I’d urge you to invest in some very good LEDs if you’re thinking about shooting at faster shutter speeds, as some of the good ones have absolutely zero flicker at any shutter speed and power output.

If you’re interested in more information about this banding issue, take a look at my livestream cut, which covers my findings in more detail.

LEDs Vs Flash and Me

Click to enlarge: LEDs do have some caveats, especially for those of us used to certain features already present in flash. But with features like their millions of colours that I can fine-tune at will, the pros far outweigh the cons for me.

Ultimately, the limitations of LEDs I’ve outlined above are only limitations if they affect you and your work. In fact, I’ve noted the continuous light and the inability to freeze motion as limitations, but for my work, I see them as positives. I’m no longer limited to every shot being frozen at 1/4000th of a second, and I like that I can use my shutter speed for creative control again. But your mileage may vary. The power output doesn't affect me as I simply close the curtains and carry on shooting if the sun comes out. I’m not overly concerned with dilated pupils in my work, so I’m fine with the brighter lights on set. Now that I’m aware of the chromatic adaptation problem, I work around it by showing the clients their images in a neutrally lit room. The cables everywhere can be a pain, but I worked with the problem for many years before, and I can work with it again now. Lastly, I use high-quality LEDs and rarely shoot above 1/125th of a second, so banding is not a concern for me either.

Click to enlarge: The comparatively low power of LEDs vs flash can be an issue, but again, the benefits like having unique-shaped LED lights like tubes, more than outweigh the fact that I have to shoot at ISO 400 instead of ISO 100 with flash.

No single lighting solution is perfect for every scenario. Yes, there are certainly some downsides to working with LEDs, especially if you’re someone who is used to working with flash. But for me, the millions of colours, the Kelvin and saturation sliders, the ease of colour matching, and the ability to use all my old vintage film cameras in the studio again far outweigh these downsides.

Donate & Support

I've always wanted my photography education on here to be free, so although there is no paywall to any of my -Technique Tuesdays-, any and all support is greatly appreciated. ❤️

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book.

||

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book. ||

JHP Livestreams…

All of my more advanced lighting classes are now available online!

||

All of my more advanced lighting classes are now available online! ||

LEARN MORE ABOUT MY ONLINE WORKSHOPS

Godox Spotlight - ML-SP LED Projection Review

Donate & Support

I've always wanted my photography education on here to be free, so although there is no paywall to any of my -Technique Tuesdays-, any and all support is greatly appreciated. ❤️

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book.

||

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book. ||

I’ve reviewed scores of these modifiers over the years. From the early days of the original Bowens Universal Spot Attachment back in 2014, to the subsequent eBay Optical Spot knock-offs and 3rd party copies, all the way up to the far more modern and sophisticated, albeit monstrous, projection attachments. But now, in this new era of more powerful LEDs in smaller packages, we’re seeing a new wave of spotlight attachments. Sure, they’re a lot smaller and more compact, but are they any good?

Disclaimer: Godox sent me this product for review. They are not paying me for this review, and all my opinions are my own.

*One thing that is immediately obvious with the Godox ML-SP LED Projection unit, is just how small it is! Surely it can’t hold its own against far bigger spotlights.*

What are Spotlight modifiers?

So what are these spotlight modifiers I’m referring to? If you’ve never seen or used them before, they are hard-light modifiers that shine a very controlled spot of light onto your subject or background. What makes these modifiers different to other hard light modifiers, like grids and snoots, for example, is their ability to focus that spot of light, and they do this via an actual lens at the front of the modifier.

The focusable spot of light has many uses and benefits. Firstly, there is zero spill of light anywhere except where it’s pointed, and secondly, we can now apply gobos to that focused light.

*Neil Osman faking moonlight through trees. The branches are the gobo that casts shadows on the scene.*

What’s a gobo?

Gobo is short for go-between and refers to an element placed between the light and the subject/background. Back in the early days of cinema, you’d place whole tree branches in front of the light to get that dappled light effect, but today, with these more modern tools, we can make gobos that replicate that same look via a small metal disk with holes laser cut into it.

The metal disk or gobo is then placed in the spotlight modifier, and by focusing the lens at the front, we can control the dappled light pattern wherever we want.

Of course, with this new technology, we can not only replicate tree branches but almost anything we want, and today there are scores and scores of gobos, including everything from company logos to stars, spots, geometric patterns, and, of course, the obligatory window blinds.

The Good, the Bad and the Worse

I established at the start that there are now a lot of these spotlight modifiers available today, and now that we know what these spotlights are supposed to do, what makes one spotlight bad and another one good?

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve reviewed scores of these modifiers in the past, and the reason I keep being sent them for review is that I use them all the time in my work. Sure, you may not know that I’ve used one in a shot, but you don’t always have to use these spotlights with a gobo in place. These spotlights can create a truly beautiful hard light that is hard to beat with any other type of modifier. But perhaps I should rephrase that statement: ‘good’ spotlight modifiers create truly beautiful hard light, as sadly not all spotlights are created equal. So what makes one good and one bad?

Spotlight Trifecta

Light Spread - How wide can we spread the light in any given area?
Vignetting - How much light do we lose towards the edges of the spotlight?
Brightness - How much light is lost as it passes through the spotlight?

Whenever I review any of these spotlights, I consider these three factors crucial to determining whether the spotlight is viable. So let’s take a look at the brand new ‘Godox-Mount LED Projection ML-SP’ and see how it fares.

Godox-Mount LED Projection ML-SP

First off, what’s included? Thankfully, it comes in its own padded carry case. This may not seem like a big deal, but when packing for a shoot, it’s very handy to have everything all ready to go in its own pack so that you're not hunting around for the accessories and gobos that go with it before you leave.

Inside, we have the spotlight itself, the lens (typically already attached -more on that below), the gobo holder, the colour frame (gel holder), some gobos and the instructions.

The Lens

This will be the most important aspect of any spotlight attachment, and the new Godox one here is no different. This lens pretty much dictates all three aspects of the Spotlight Trifecta I mentioned above, and you should be careful about which lens you choose when purchasing. Yes, you can purchase different lenses later on, but be sure to get the right lens for you and your work first.

The Godox-Mount LED Projection ML-SP can take any of the three available lenses: 19°, 36°, or 50°. I opted for the 50° as that’s the widest lens, and I’ll explain that in a moment. Remember, these lenses are measured in beam angle, not in mm, unlike other lenses.

*You can choose from 3 lens choices. The 19°, 36°, or 50°. I opted for the widest one at 50°.*

What lens should you choose?

The 50° lens is the widest, which means it spreads the circle of light over the widest area at the shortest distance. For much of my work, I work in smaller sets, on location or even in home studios. So, to spread the light over a wide area in a small studio is perfect for me. But, if you need this spot to be further away from that subject or background, then you’ll need to be mindful of how much that spotlight will spread. For example, let's say you shoot a lot of film sets and you’re shooting wide sets where you absolutely cannot have the lights and lightstands in shot. Instead, you’ll need to move your spotlight much farther away from the talent; therefore, a 36° or 19° lens may be better for you and your work.

*Choosing the right spotlight lens for your work is crucial.*

Are there any downsides to the wider lens?

An argument can be made that it’s also possible to channel and flag the light from the wider lens using the inbuilt blades. Thereby making the wider lens the best choice for all scenarios. Although this is technically true, you can indeed cut the light down into a very small spot or slice with the internal blades, the wider lens will result in less power reaching the target. That wider lens is designed to spread the power of the light over a wider area, so when we cut that light down, you ultimately have less light at the target than if you used a longer, more focused lens to begin with.

TL;DR: If you shoot in home studios or smaller locations like offices. I recommend the 50° lens. If you’re planning to shoot in wider sets and place the light farther away from the talent, go for the 19° or 36° lens.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that, like many other spotlights, this one comes with a Canon EF mount as standard. In theory, you can, of course, use any Canon EF lens on this spotlight, but just be warned that those lenses are not specifically designed for this spotlight and, as such, will likely not offer you great results. Remember, most Canon lenses are designed to focus light entering the lens, whereas the lenses on this spotlight are specifically designed to focus light leaving the lens.

*The ML-SP will accept EF-mount lenses although keep in mind that the lenses designed for the ML-SP will provide the best results.*

Focusing

Another unique aspect of this spotlight is how it focuses the light and, more importantly, its gobos. Nearly every other spotlight I’ve tested uses the same focus method. A push-and-pull focusing method that requires you to move the entire lens barrel closer to or farther away using a thumbscrew to tighten it off. This is painfully inaccurate and, in most cases, extremely ineffective. Remember, these lenses are designed to be as bright as possible on the modifier, which means they have an insanely shallow depth of field, making it very tricky to get your gobo pin-sharp. Once again, though, Godox has solved this issue by allowing you to fine-tune the spotlight's focus via a highly accurate, friction-based rotating lens, making pin-sharp focus extremely easy.

The Gobos

Nearly all of these spotlights come with a mini pack of gobos to get you started. As I stated earlier, there are hundreds to choose from if you need something specific, but this pack covers 10 different options to get you started.

*Included with the ML-SP is a selection of 10 gobos. (The ones in blue just haven’t had their protective film removed)*

Colour Frame

This is simply a frame held to the front of the spotlight with a thumbscrew on the side. In a world of RGB LEDs, it’s unlikely you’ll need this. But if you’re one of those crazy people who only buy daylight LED lights and not RGB ones, you could, of course, use this gel holder to secure your little squares of vintage gels like the Victorian squire that you are.

*You likely won’t need this gel holder, but it’s nice to have.*

Gobo Holder

This is the tool you actually place your gobo into before lowering it into your spotlight. At first glance, this seems like a standard gobo holder, but there are actually a couple of unique and fairly clever design choices here that bear further inspection.

Firstly, most gobo holders are simply two sheets of metal, often hinged at the bottom. You simply drop your gobo between the two sheets of metal and drop it into the spotlight. There’s nothing overly wrong with this design, and it does the job, but there are a couple of annoying things that can happen when you do this. Firstly, and most importantly, that hinge doesn’t always stay closed, which can leave a gap at the top of the spotlight where you've dropped the gobo. As you may well imagine, this gap is now letting out light, and in some extreme cases, I've had to cover it with a cloth because it was bouncing light around the set. This holder is not hinged; in fact, it's a disk that you have to unscrew, drop your gobo into and then screw back in place. This means the entire gobo holder is now one enclosed unit when placed into the spotlight, thereby eliminating any chance of light spilling out.

*The design of the gobo holder means that there is almost no light at all being lost or escaping the gobo slot.*

This screw-in disk approach also has another benefit: it keeps the gobo extremely flat and flush against the holder. This, in turn, results in an extremely crisp gobo shadow when focused. Why is this a big deal? Remember when I said that other gobo holders were hinged? Well, those don't always keep the gobo inside, flush against the holder, and this results in a gobo that is almost impossible to focus from edge to edge. Essentially, these spotlights aim to push as much light as possible out, and as a result, the lens they use has an EXTREMELY shallow depth of field. So, if your gobo isn't set perfectly flush against the holder inside, you may get the top of the gobo in focus on the wall, but the bottom of the gobo will be out of focus. This problem is exacerbated the smaller the spotlight gets, so Godox have come up with a very clever solution, as I’m sure a hinged holder would plague a small spotlight like this one.

The only downside of this screw-in holder is getting the gobo into just the right position before you screw it into place… but Godox have already thought about that, and they have a solution to that other very annoying gobo issue that I’ll discuss below.

Unique Rotating Barrel

This spotlight has a very unique feature that I've actually never seen before on another spotlight unit, and that’s the fact that the front of the entire unit spins. Yes, the entire front element spins, and it even has degree markings on the barrel to show you exact angles.

Why is this useful?

Firstly, the issue of a wonky gobo is incredibly annoying. If you’ve never used a gobo in one of these units before, you need to know to place the gobo upside down and back to front, as the lens will flip and reverse the design. So with that new orientation in mind, you also need to make sure its level…. once flipped and inverted! Consequently, you rarely get it perfect the first time, and you often need to remove the holder, slightly rotate the gobo and try again. But with this new ML-SP unit, you don’t need to worry about the rotation of the gobo in the holder, as you can just spin the barrel once it's in place and adjust it later.

*The barrel of the ML-SP can be rotated. This is actually more useful than you may think.*

Blade Adjustments

If I’m being honest, I don’t typically use gobos very often; instead, I use these spotlights to cut slices of light across the background or the model. Instead of using a gobo with a slice in it, I often opt for the spotlight’s internal blades to craft a slice of light. This is easy to do, and you simply bring them together to get the size of slice you want. The issue comes when you want to angle that slice, for example, place that slice of light at 45 degrees across the wall behind the model. This seems simple enough, but these blades are typically designed to go up and down and from side to side. The slot housing the blades doesn't often allow you to angle them at extreme angles, and even if you can, you can often lose light in the corners as a consequence.

But this isn’t a problem with Godox’s new rotating barrel. Simply place the blades together at right angles to maximise the spread of light, and then rotate the whole barrel afterwards to the desired angle.

This is one of those features you didn’t know you needed until you have it.

*One of the benefits of the rotating barrel, is the ability to cast slices of light at any angle.*

The Shots

Let me show you a recent shoot where I used the spotlight and the blade-angle feature in the background.

Click on any of the images above to fit them to your screen.

If you’re interested in seeing the rest of that shoot as well as lighting diagrams and a breakdown of how it was shot, take a look at my recent review of the Godox LiteWafer to learn more.

LiteWafer UP150R LED Panel Review

Trifecta Test

We’ve seen the features of this new Godox Projection unit, but no matter how good they are, I assure you they’re all completely mute if the unit fails the trifecta test. Features are nice to have, but light quality is always the most important part of any modifier.

Light Spread

Just a reminder: I have the 50° lens, the widest available for this unit.

At 2m I was able to get a spot of around 2m in diameter across my white backdrop. And for scale against the other images, it's worth remembering that my backdrop is 2m wide.

Spoiler Alert: But that’s extremely good!

I won't be naming any names here, but let's look at the competition with their widest available lenses attached.

Firstly, yes, I have a lot of spotlights, and no, this isn’t all of them. As I mentioned above, remember that this backdrop is 2m wide, and you can see that none of these reaches the edges of it like the ML-SP above did. Again, this is a remarkable spread of light from the ML-SP for such a small unit.

Vignetting

This is a way to describe how dark the edges of the spot are compared to the centre of the spot, and you can liken this to a hot-spot from other modifiers. As lenses have gotten better and these spotlights have gotten more advanced, so have the lenses attached to them. For me, the cleaner the edge-to-edge brightness, the better, as dealing with an exposure range across the light on a wall or subject can be problematic.

Firslty lets take a look at the edges of the spot from our ML-SP. Note that to make it easier to see any variance in the exposure across the spot, all of these images are underexposed by one stop.

*Above is the ML-SP under-exposed by one stop to show any vignetting towards the edges.*

If you’re new to these spotlight modifiers and not sure what you’re looking at or for, note that this one is very good. It’s almost the same exposure at the centre as it is at the edges. It’s also worth highlighting that this hot-spot effect is more pronounced in wider-lens spots. Therefore, the bigger the spot, the more noticeable the vignetting towards the edges becomes. So again, a spot of this size with minimal vignetting is excellent.

Below, I‘ll share some competition spotlights for comparison.

Above, you can see how the vignetting compares across a wide range of spotlights. Most show far brighter centres than edge,s and only one is excellent down there in the bottom left, but that one is very expensive and a colossal unit with a lens on it almost the same size as the entire ML-SP.

Brightness

This speaks to how much light is lost as it passes through the spotlight. This is often highly dependent on the lens, and those spotlights that use actual camera lenses tend to lose a tremendous amount of light due to all the elements and aperture leaves inside them. The ML-SP lens, on the other hand, is very clean and has very little inside it to limit the light.

For context, I’m using the Godox ML100R LED with the spotlight, which is a 100W LED.

Note that the light and spotlight are 2m away from the background. The light was set to 100% power, and the resulting exposure was ISO 400 / Shutter Speed 1/125th / f2.8 ½.

Without the spotlight attached, the ML100R at full power at 2m away gets ISO 400 / Shutter Speed 1/125th / f5.6.

TL;DR The spotlight loses around 1.5 stops of light. In my experience, this is pretty good, as some of these spotlight and lens combos can lose as much as 3 or 4 stops of power. The 1.5 stops of light loss is certainly manageable.

Other Factors

Size

The body of the ML-SP is very small and far smaller than any other spotlight I've tested. This is excellent if you're someone on the go, or working by yourself and cant carry a ton of kit. Plus, this may not be a modifer you use all the time, with this being so small, you would feel fine to bring it along ‘just in case’.

Weight

The ML-SP may be small, but it certainly isn’t lightweight. This is good and bad, of course, because the reason why it’s heavy is due to the entire unit being made of metal, and it all feels incredibly well-made. But that comes at a cost and at over 2 ½ ibs / 2.2kgs, you’ll certainly know it’s in your bag.

Compatability

I’m referring to what this spotlight will actually attach to. What light can we actually shine through it? Remember, the smaller size of this unit means it isn’t your standard Bowens S-fit modifier; instead, it uses the Godox proprietary mount that is seemingly only the ML series of COB lights. At this time, there are only a handful of lights, and the brightest among them are a 100W full-colour ML100R and a 150W ML150Bi. This could be an issue for some, as it most likely means you will have to buy a light along with the ML-SP. The other consideration here is power. At this time, the brightest full colour ML series light is only 100W. Is that enough power for your work? I’ve shot with this unit a couple of times now, and I will say that due to the large spread of light you get from this spotlight, you don't need to put it so far away from the subject, and therefore, you don't need as much light to operate it. That said, my ISO was still at 400. Can you make this work for you and your work?

What about conversions?

Although converting S-fit modifers to ML Series lights is very easy, and I was sent one of the adapters, going the other way is not so simple. For example, in this instance, we want the ML-SP to fit onto an S-fit light. To my knowledge, and I did a little research of my own, I cannot find any adapter that turns ML modifiers into S-fit lights. Maybe this changes in the future, but typically it's easier to scale up than to scale down. If that converter exists, do please let me know, as Id love to try this spotlight on a larger, more powerful light myself.

*The ML-SP spotlight uses a Godox propriety mount which means it can only be attached to other Godox ML series lights.*

In Conclusion

Overall, this is an excellent spotlight and arguably one of the best I’ve ever tested, especially when you consider its very small size.

The Pros

Very small unit and far smaller than any other spotlight I’ve tested.
Huge spot size in small spaces, and this is even more impressive when you consider how small the unit itself is.
Very clean edge-to-edge brightness with very minimal vignetting.
I love the lens and how easy it is to focus compared to other spots with a push-and-pull knob system that is very tricky to use accurately.
Clever gobo holder that ensures the gobos are always flush to the unit and keeps them focused across their entirety.
A rotating barrel that allows for easy slices of light with the internal blades at any angle.

The Cons

The spotlight is small, but it’s far from lightweight. At over a kilo, you certainly know when you’ve packed it.
Limited compatibility with other lights. At this time, the ML-SP only works with other ML lights; the brightest they get is 100W.

Final Thoughts

There are many pros to this spotlight and very few cons. Sadly, those few cons are its compatibility with other lights; more importantly, the power of light it can be used with is limited.

It’s very rare that I would recommend this, but if you’re someone like me who uses spotlights in their work a lot, and you’re somebody who works in tighter spaces a lot of the time, like offices or home studios, I honestly think this spotlight warrants the additional purchase of a light just to use it. Granted, that light is only 100W, but given the size and spread of the spotlight, and how clean the resulting light is, I think having a light dedicated solely to this spotlight is actually worth it.

Products Used

For transparency, as I mentioned at the top, this is not a sponsored post, nor am I being paid. Godox sent me the items to test and leave my feedback, and as such, none of the links below is affiliated links, and I do not make any money on clicks. The links will take you to Essential Photo here in the UK. They’re good guys, and I’ve worked with them in the past. By all means, source the best store in your own region.

ML-SP Series Godox-Mount Projection Attachment Kit For Godox ML-Series (ML-SP19/ML-SP36/ML-SP50)

Essential Photo Website Link

ML100R Compact Portable RGB LED Video Light With ML-L15 Lens Reflector

Essential Photo Website Link

BG02 95W5 Battery Grip By Godox

Essential Photo Website Link

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Godox LiteWafer UP150R LED Panel - Unfinished?

Donate & Support

I've always wanted my photography education on here to be free, so although there is no paywall to any of my -Technique Tuesdays-, any and all support is greatly appreciated. ❤️

PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book.

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PLUS: Donate any amount and I’ll send you a link to the hi-res print version of my studio lighting book. ||

This isn’t Godox’s first LED panel, far from it, plus Godox is extremely versed in all manner of LED lights at this point. I’ve also been very fortunate to test several of these LEDs from Godox in all shapes and sizes over the years, so I was pretty confident this new unit would produce some beautiful-looking light. But what I wasn’t expecting, was to be disappointed by a few other aspects of this light.

Disclaimer: Godox sent me this product for review. They are not paying me for this review and all my opinions are my own. - Make the most of this one, as after this review, I may not get asked again!

Note that the LiteWafer UP150R comes in a padded zip case, and everything you need to start shooting is inside.

As I mentioned, this LiteWafer UP150R isn’t Godox’s first LED panel, but it’s probably their most professional in terms of light quality. Godox has its FL series of panels, which, although good, doesn’t have the same high colour quality as these new units. The FL series niche is as flexible lightweight panels, and as such, the LED grouping on those is very spread out, and they aren't as bright as a result (yes, they make a 200 as well as the 100, but that’s simply 2x 100w side by side).

*On the left you have the older Godox panel. This was the flexible FL100 and on the right you have the solid UP150 LiteWafer.*

So when Godox announced their LED panel touting a brighter, more colour-accurate light, I was keen to see what it could do. The new LiteWafer UP150R is, of course, half a stop brighter than the FP100Rs (or so it appears on paper. In reality, this new panel is actually much brighter, but more on that later.) It is also a solid panel and not flexible like the FLs, and far sturdier by comparison.

Size & Weight

It should go without saying, but as with any LED panel, this one is incredibly thin and fairly lightweight.

Height = 13.94" (35.4CM)
Length = 26.77” (67.9CM)
Width/Thickness = 0.95” (2.4CM)
Weight = 7.05 lb (3.2kg)

Brightness

It’s worth reiterating again here, but if you’re a flash photographer coming to LEDs for the first time, you’d be forgiven for being a little confused when it comes to power outputs. With flash, it was pretty easy. A 500W is brighter than a 250W strobe, and everybody clearly understood and accepted that. LEDs are a little trickier and have a bit more nuance, especially when companies tend to lean into the confusion, too.

The confusion comes from the fact that flashes are measured in watt-seconds, not continuous watts or draw like LED lights. I’ll cover this in more detail another time, but the other core factor that throws people off is how that power is distributed. Nearly every flash ever made produces light via a single, relatively small flash tube. LED panels like the ones we're looking at here today do the opposite. They generate brightness on the target by using a large number of tiny points of light spread over a larger area. So, although some LED panels claim to be quite bright, in reality, they are just larger and produce more volume of light. Remember, the FL200 is just two FL100 panels side by side; it's not a panel that is twice as bright.

Why am I explaining all of this? Just be thankful that I’m not covering why single points of light, like flash power, drop off differently than panels do because the inverse square law doesn't apply to them. The reason I’m highlighting this here is to hopefully encourage you to start looking at lux outputs at specific distances from specific lights. I’ll caveat that by saying this is only really important with panels, with LED COB lights, they produce light from a single point, like a flash, so they are far easier to compare.

If lux values are new to you, then it’s simply the actual amount of light in lumens that reaches a surface and is not based on the power draw of the light nor the watt-seconds of the light.

Edit: I’m reading this back, and I appreciate that this all sounds very complicated; sadly, there is no other way to explain it. TL;DR If you're comparing single-point lights (LED COB lights), you can confidently rely on the fact that a 500W light will always be brighter than a 300W light. If it’s panels like the ones I’m looking at here, you just need to remember that size plays a huge role in the light's overall brightness.

The point?

All this to say that this value of light measurement is very useful with panels, as the LEDs on the panels themselves can modify the light as it leaves the source, and the LiteWafer UP150R does exactly that. So, although you read this panel's power as 150, with the lenses covering all the separate LEDs on this panel, it can produce much brighter light.

If we take a closer look at the LEDs laid across the panel, we can see they are all covered by those dome-like mini lenses. It's elements like this in LED panels that can drastically affect the power output, over simply looking at the number on the box.

If we look at the lux on the older FL100 LED panel, we'll see it’s significantly lower.

FL100 - LUX at 1m = 3,300
UP150R - LUX at 1m = 20,400

To be clear, this data is taken from the Godow website, as I don’t have access to the older FL100 to test it myself, but even if there’s a little ‘rounding’ involved here, it should illustrate my point that when it comes to panel outputs, we simply can't look at the number on the tin.

Real Talk

Nerd-numbers are great, but they mean a little less to those of us who actually use the lights day to day in the studio. So what does all that lux, light drop-off, LED lenses, and inverse-square laws actually translate to when we pick up the camera?

At 1m, with the UP150R at 100% power, set to 5600K, I got ISO 100 - Shutter Speed 1/125th - f8

That’s very respectable, and that will typically be more than bright enough for what most of us do, especially as many of us like to shoot wide-open apertures in the studio, and if you were shooting at f1.4, for example, you’d have to adjust your shutter speed all the way up to 1/4000th of a second.

Features

Now that we’ve gotten the brightness and power questions out of the way, as I know that’s what I get asked the most, what are some of the other features of this new LED panel?

LED lights have all had similar-ish features for a long time now, and that’s not a bad thing, but I doubt you’ll find any surprises here on the LiteWafer UP150R either. You have your CRT mode, the HSI mode and RGBW mode, the gels mode and of course, no LED would be complete without those lighting effects (FX) like police lights and campfires.

As I said, it's all pretty standard for RGB LEDs these days, and it has been for a while now. That said, there is one menu that may be new to some of you, and that’s the ‘Curve’ menu up there. This relates to the ‘dimming curves’ on the light and is really only relevant to videographers and not of much use to us photographers, as it controls how smoothly the light will dim at the bottom end or how bright it gets at the top end. Mostly, this is used for a clean, very smooth fade to black, since the typical linear curve most of us use can be jarring. Again, nice to have the option, but not particularly useful for us photographers. Note: You'll notice the type of dimming curve you're using at the top of the menu on nearly every screen. This is a nice touch, so you don't forget to change the curve back and wonder why your light is giving you odd values.

Actually Using the Light

So far, I’ve jumped ahead to inform you of the core areas most of us are interested in. How bright is it? And what can it do? With that covered, let’s rewind a second and talk about the process of actually using this light and how it performs on set.

Unboxing and Setting Up

I’ll cover what’s included with the unit and what options you have when using the light. The light itself is controlled via an external control box. That box is plugged into the wall and the panel itself, and now you have a control box you can hang from the stand to adjust the light, even if it's mounted up high and out of reach. Both the power cable and the cable connecting the panel to the control box are generously long, and each comes with velcro ties to keep them tidy when not in use.

You also have a couple of options for how you use your panel.

You simply set the bare panel on the stand. No diffusion. No control. - Not my recommendation, but you could.
Attach either of the two levels of diffusion to the panel, but don’t control the light.
Attach the included softbox to the panel, then choose whether to add diffusion to it. This would give you some control of the light and offer you a more specular final look.
Attach the softbox, then attach your choice of diffusion to it.
Lastly, attach the softbox, attach the diffusion, and then finally add the softbox grid that comes included.

One last feature with how you set this all up is how you stow the panel when not in use. With the softbox and diffusion attached, you can fold in the sides and then fold down the top and bottom panels. The whole unit can then be Velcro’d shut via tabs on the sides. I don’t think it’s designed to be folded away with the grid attached, but I do it with mine, and it’s fine. It even goes back in its box with the softbox and grid attached when its velcro’d down.

Concerns

As I’m talking about the setup and unit itself, now is probably a good time to go over a couple of my concerns with this unit. When it comes to attaching this panel to a lightstand, you first need to attach a pin to the back of the unit via an included bracket. It’s not overly complicated, of course, but with 4 lugs that need to be attached to the panel itself, it will only go on one way. So, although a little fiddly, this is fine, although some indicators or lines to line up the plate and panel would have helped.

The real concern comes when you try to attach that pin to the bracket that Godox has supplied to ultimately attach the light to a stand. The bracket does not seem purpose-built for that task, and as such, when you insert the long pin into the bracket, the whole light now hangs down at a concerning angle. Again, this is due to the hole for the pin being far larger than the pin itself, resulting in significant movement of the pin within the sheath.

It’s this very loose fit of the pin in the bracket that had me concerned, and I spent some time just checking that I’d somehow not missed something, as it really didn’t seem an appropriate attachment for the task at hand at all.

*One of the very real concerns with this new panel, was the bracket that attaches it to the stand. It simply didn’t seem safe.*

In fact, my concern about this bracket and attachment pin was such that I simply opted not to risk the light on the stand above the model when I shot with it. An LED panel like this is not simply to be used as a softbox in front of the model, and I would regularly use a panel such as this above a model as a hair-light or even top-light, and the bracket and attachment system that Godox has supplied with this light simply doesn't seem robust enough to do that. Certainly not with any confidence anyway.

As a result, I simply used the panel with a C-stand grip instead of the supplied bracket for the entire shoot.

*Sadly, I found the supplied bracket so loose that I wasn’t comfortable using it above my model, so I opted for a far more supportive alternative instead.*

I will just add that I find this somewhat surprising from Godox. They’ve been in this game for a little while now, and they have scores of exceptional lights under their belts at this point, so to make a seemingly obvious and fairly concerning error like this when it comes to the attachment is surprising. And I don’t think this is just me being unfair or overly harsh. The attachment point is a big deal because the unit is not lightweight and needs proper support. Yes, I understand why that pin needs to be so long, as it gives the light room to tilt down without getting in its own way, but there are far better ways to do this, and several other companies have already solved this issue. So again, it’s surprising to see Godox fumble this one, and I actually have every expectation that this will be updated and adjusted very quickly.

Shooting with the LiteWafer

As you’d expect from a Godox light like this, the light itself performed well, and I used it in a variety of setups during the shoots as both a key from the side and above, plus I also used it as a hair light and a fill, so this light is very versatile in what it does. Below, I’ll share some results from a recent shoot where I used the panel from the side in a vertical orientation and from above the model in a horizontal orientation.

Model: Kelly Klein

Camera Settings

Camera - Nikon D850 / Fuji GFX50 II
Lens - 50mm/63mm
Shutter Speed - 1/125th
Aperture - f2.8
ISO - 400
Kelvin - ~4500K
Focal Length - 50/63mm

Kit Used

Godox LiteWafer UP150R
Godox ML100R (100W LED Light)
Godox ML-SP (Projection Attachment)
Godox BG02 (battery grip)
Large Softbox

Colours & Kelvin

As I’m sure is very apparent by now, this light offers millions of colours via the onboard colour modes, and its colour consistency puts it among the best LEDs on the market. For the curious among you, the UP150R has a TLCI of ~98 and a CRI of ~97. As I said, very high, and even more colour-accurate than Godox’s previous panel lights.

True Kelvin Scales

I do have to add that there seems to be a shift in the industry regarding how Kelvin values are recorded in these RGB lights. If you’re not aware, RGB lights have multiple chips, each of which turns on to display a different colour, and when viewed as a whole, these chips combine to create any colour we need.

As you can see in the image above, the surface of the LED panel is covered with a variety of chips that, when combined, produce the colour we need. You have your RGB chip, and then you have your cool- and warm-Kelvin chips. When in Kelvin (CRT) mode, the RGB chips aren’t typically on. In reality, many brands occasionally add a little green to give more realistic skin tones, and maybe some blue at the top end as well.

In recent years, when a brand releases a new line of LED lights, they will often offer an RGB version and a Daylight (Kelvin) version light. If you’ve been paying attention, you may have also noticed that the daylight version has a Kelvin range that is strangely far smaller than the full RGB version of the light.

Here’s an example

Daylight Head: Kelvin 2800K-6500K
RGB Head: Kelvin 1800K-10000K

So how is that possible? How can the dedicated Kelvin head have a smaller Kelvin range than the RGB head? The answer is that they can ‘simulate’ low and high Kelvin values using the RGB chips in conjunction with the Kelvin chips. So when the RGB head's Kelvin dips below 2800K, the RGB (namely R & G mixed to create orange) turns on and starts to take over.

Is this a big deal?

No, not really, as most photographers won’t notice the Kelvin being off slightly, even though I've certainly noticed some green in low ‘Kelvins’ from certain RGB heads. Couple this with the fact that we can white-balance fairly well in post and colour-grade the final image, and the difference when the extreme Kelvins are off is negligible. That said, I would still prefer brands to be honest about where their actual true Kelvin chips start and end, and I’d encourage you to keep an eye on those figures, as Godox is far from the only brand that does this.

Closing Comments

Overall, this is a great light, and LEDs being where they are today in terms of quality, you’d certainly expect that from Godox. Millions of colours to choose from and a very wide Kelvin range to play with, even if the extremes of that range aren’t truly Kelvin colours. You have a few useful colour modes on the light, as well as the usual FX modes for specific video looks, too.

The controls are good, and I like that they've switched from a dial button to a dial that can be pressed in from the side. This stops all of the mis-presses that used to happen on other units. The screen on the control box is also full-colour, which is very cool. Many of them, surprisingly, aren't, and it's nice to see them here.

*Dangling a control box on a cord rather than clamping it to the stand is not only annoying but also invariably causes it to swing around, making the screen unviewable when shooting.*

I have to add that I’m not a fan of the dangling control box on a bit of bungee cord. What are we doing with that? Since when did we think that wouldn't be incredibly annoying to have dangling and clattering about from a stand? The norm up until now has been a control box that is attached to the stand via a clamp. This can often be removed if needed. Instead, Godox has opted for a cheap bit of rope in this instance, and it's extremely annoying as it not only clatters about when you move the stand up and down, but it invariably hangs to one side, and now I can’t see the power of the light when I look over at it. Obviously, this is to save money, but it's an annoyance I’d rather not see become the norm from Godox.

Of course, annoyances and minor gripes aside, I can work around them. One thing that I sadly couldn't justify working around when using this light on a shoot, was my safety concerns with that attachment clamp.

Again, I’m surprised by Godox for this, and I can’t help but feel like this light was rushed out and not finished, as this isn't like them at all. The clamp does not seem purpose-built for this panel at all, and it appears to have been pulled off and repurposed from another unit.

The light and the pin are hanging at a very awkward angle, and the pin's collar is so loose that it feels unstable. To this end, it simply feels very unsafe. Sure, there’s minimal risk if you just plan on using this panel on a stand in front of a model. If it falls off, you only damage the light. But panels like this, especially now that they are becoming so low-profile and lightweight, are perfect solutions for hair lights and top lights, and, as I said earlier, I honestly did not feel in any way comfortable hanging that light above my model on the day. So much so, in fact, that I felt I had to swap out the included bracket for one of my own.

I’ve laboured this bracket point above, so I won't repeat myself, but I feel like this shouldn't be the case. This isn't a new problem, and many other brands have their own solutions to it, many of which are industry standard. Again, I’m surprised Godox let this through quality control, and I’d be very surprised if we didn't see a new update to this panel with that bracket concern fixed.

I hope Godox takes this feedback on board, and that I haven't sullied any relationships by posting this. With something as important as talent safety under these lights, we simply cannot take any chances, and I’m sure they will address this bracket issue extremely quickly. I certainly don’t like writing a review like this either, as it’s not my job, I don’t get paid, so it brings me no joy to write a piece on a product I simply cant recommend.

But do stay tuned, as this is not the only product Godox has sent me, and I was fortunate enough to test a few new items that genuinely blew me away. Their new blow-up tube produces a beautiful light, and, for a modifier that you can essentially carry in your pocket, that’s pretty incredible. Plus, I was sent a baby projector that uses gobos (I used it on the shoot above to create the slice of light behind the model), and trust me, this thing is insanely good for its size! So like I said, stay tuned as we have far better, more pleasurable reviews to come!

*Edit - June 15 2026

I’m very pleased to update this review with some feedback from Godox. They kindly took a look at my review and expressed concern about my findings regarding their bracket. In the interim, they suggest the ‘Universal Swivel Holder’ and replied with this:

“This is an additional reinforced support stand we included to address the stability and safety concern you mentioned. You can switch to this stand for use. It has been tested and verified multiple times by our product team and is confirmed to have no safety issues.”

They later went on to acknowledge my concerns with the supplied bracket and replied with this:

“When we originally shipped the UP150R to you, it was from our initial kit configuration. At that stage, we considered that the target users of the UP150R are generally not entry-level creators. Many of them, especially studio users, already own mounting hardware and support systems, so they may not necessarily rely on the included bracket.
For that reason, the original kit was designed with a more cost-effective mounting solution to help keep the overall purchase price lower. The more robust bracket version is significantly more expensive, and not every user requires that level of stability. For users who need an absolutely solid mounting solution, we offer a stronger bracket as an optional purchase.
Based on feedback from the first batch of products, our product team is currently evaluating whether the more robust bracket should become part of the standard kit in future production runs, replacing the less rigid bracket included in your test sample. We would appreciate it if you could share this background with your audience as part of your review.”

I’m very pleased to hear that Godox is taking this feedback from users like myself on board, and the core takeaway, from my point of view, is this: “…currently evaluating whether the more robust bracket should become part of the standard kit in future production runs”.

Nothing is perfect straight out of the gate, so let’s hope reviews like mine and others can highlight some points that the engineers can learn from and improve upon in future products.

Products Used

For transparency, as I mentioned at the top, this is not a sponsored post, nor am I being paid. Godox sent me the items to test and leave my feedback, and as such, none of the links below is affiliated links, and I do not make any money on clicks. The links will take you to Essential Photo here in the UK. They’re good guys, and I’ve worked with them in the past. By all means, source the best store in your own region.