I have been using this for a couple months now, during that time I have had ample opportunity to use it on several different kinds of shoot.
So to answer the most relevant question first - Is it worth its price (currently £33.99 incl delivery in the UK)?
Short answer - Yes
It has several features which make it worthwhile, and even without those it would still be a decent buy for that price.
You can vary the amount of light output by use of 2 switches on the back of the light. This means it is not infinitely variable but has a decent number of 'steps' (12) so I didn't find this to be an issue.
It has 2 powering options - 6AA batteries OR 2 Canon NB-3L
There is a mounting plate for these included and you can actually insert this while the light is loaded with AA batteries, which means you can have a 'spare' power source ready to go at all times in the light.
There is a switch on the back of the light which allows you to select which batteries to use as well as giving access to the lights internal charging option. This is the best part for me, the light is also a charger which can connect via its mini USB port to any USB charge/Hub/Computer you have handy. So you can charge with a simple USB cable and not worry about using another 'wall wart adapter'. This was particularly relevant when I was in Japan as I wouldn't have wanted to fit another charger and power supply into my bag. On top of that if you need to remove the batteries to charge them there is a much higher probability they will not be put back in leaving you on a shoot with not batteries.
On each edge there is a mounting point which allows these lights, (and also the smaller version of this light) to be joined together to form a panel with as many lights as you need. The connector also mounts onto the shoe mount found on most DSLRs & video cameras, on the underside of the connector is a hole which allows the light to be screwed onto any standard tripod or Gorilla Pod (which is where this light spent much of its time!).
The light emitted is at 5500k which is in the right range for sunlight and daylight balanced fluorescent bulbs. This one of the few areas for improvement I can see. Light is not always at this colour temperature, (although I favour having a cool light if I have to choose) it would be a great if there was some provision for colour gels to be mounted in front of the light. That way the lights colour temperature could be modified for any situation quickly and easily. It is still possible to tape a gel to the front but it is always less fuss to be able to just drop one into a simple slot on the front.
Finally here is the video review with some sample time-lapse footage at the end and underneath a night test in my garden -
Click here to visit the 7 Day Shop product page
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