I had to restart at 0:53; lost in that mesmerizing woodgrain, was oblivious to anything else. ;) I really appreciate your thoroughness in the information that you have provided in your recent videos. You have a gift and a unique value to the sharing of your knowledge and experience. Well done!
Great vid! You checked all of the boxes for me as far as what i needed to know. Especially with the comparisons to both of the aputure lights, which i have been currently in the process of trying to figure out which to acquire. Probably going to go ahead and pick this one up. Seems like a no brainer after this vid. So thanks alot!
Just got my hands on the new x21 Pro. fiddled together a small review. But hey, I'm just not the nerd who can tell people how it compares to the Aputure in specs and tech. Do something! Please!
I haven't done a side by side, sorry. But the ratings on the websites are as follows: Sokani: 2400LUX/0.3M 1000LUX/0.5M 200LUX/1M Aputure M9: 900lux/0.3m 350lux/0.5m 80lux/1.0m And those numbers would make sense based on the amount of bulbs too. It's probably just that at less than 1000lux, it's very hard to tell the difference. I hope that helps. I wish I could do a side by side to tell you, but I don't have the M9 anymore.
Great video! Does this light remember the brightness setting when you turn it off/on or do a full reboot? Or do you have to set the brightness level each time? Thanks!
I just did a video on this light and the clip on diffuser. Mentioned your channel, so maybe I can send a few people your way. Thanks for all the great videos.
Thanks for the review. I have two gripes with this product: 1. Given the short battery life, the need to power/charge the unit with the fragile micro USB port is a serious design flaw. Micro USB ports always fail, and I don't buy products that use them. 2. Why do companies make cases too small to contain the product and included accessories (specifically the included gells)? Yeah, I realize smaller = cheaper, but I see this all the time and it seems so stupid. The product seems pretty good for the price, but I would much rather vote with my dollars on the Aputure products. Thanks again for the review.
I'm with ya on USB-B. I'd rather have C, as well. The price was just too compelling for me, though, I was willing to accept 1-2 quirks. I'm always keeping an eye out for cool new lights. Perhaps the next one will match your needs! 😃
@@geraldundone Cheap gear has its place, and sometimes worth the risk of short term use. I've had too many products fail due to flakey micro/mini USB and HDMI ports that I avoid them whenever possible. Those interfaces are consumer level that may be OK in limited, stationary use, but they just don't hold up well under professional location use. Its such a shame that manufacturers will skimp on such an important component to save a few pennies.
@@cinialvespow1054 Relax, I'm just making an observation about micro USB in general. FWIW, even pro gear uses micro USB and micro HDMI. Both of which are extremely fragile. The same issue with cases being too small is also not exclusive to consumer/pro-sumer products. I have a Manfrotto tripod bag that won't allow room for the video head.
Hi Gerald, I watched this review an age ago (very impressed) and I bought the light as a result. Then a month or so after buying it, it died - wouldn't charge o turn on. Problem is Sokani refused to respond to any contact I made - and I tried everything. Has this been an experience you've had with them or heard about? Do they even exist anymore? Thanks mate.
I just replied above this happened twice to me. If you open it you'll see the powerbutton or the micro usb entrance is loose from the board and the complete device is useless because not repairable.
Would love to see u put this behind a softbox or even just a big translucent sheet .5m away from the source. See how well it matches the softness of your original panel at max brightness.
I am a wedding filmmaker and still learning about lights. I am looking to buy a small and bright Bi-color light but now those RGB lights make me very confused. I don't know which one is the best option for me. Originally I was thinking to buy Aputure AL-F7. I would really appreciate your suggestions.
Gerald is walking library! Thanks, very helpful! So stupid question... what do you recommend as a 1/4 male/male to mount on clamps, bars, gimbal, etc. Anyone will do, or do you prefer a specific one for a specif reason, or some kind of combo build out for gimbal to mount light + mic + monitor... obviously weight would be something to consider, quality and or easy detachment.
I find it weird that the color accuracy is marked higher than the M9, because in other reviews where they show the difference between both light, the M9 did look to render skin better (which is why I got more M9 rather than this).
i wish you turned off the lights so we could actually see it's output with the gels. I've been having a hard time finding reviews of images ad videos using the light in action.
Hey Gerald, What are your camera settings. Using both your main and the little light. What I really wanted to know is how do you play with camera settings based on light source? Thanks in advance.
Yo, if you can drop an amazon.co.uk affiliate link I'm going to buy two of these next month. Was going to buy the MX but it seems 2 of these will do a far better job at 2/3 of the price. Also great video once again. Looking forward to more stuff from you ^^
Thanks, mate. 😃 Here's the link: amzn.to/2QkAU0Z They're low on stock right now, but Sokani told me that they'll be getting more stock soon. Thanks for the kind words and thoughtfulness. Cheers!
@@geraldundone thanks! Out of stock though. According to the reviewer there the light discharges within 3 days when not in use - supposedly it uses power even when turned off. Is this correct in your experience?
It's one of those weird things where it doesn't actively charge, but if the power is low enough it can keep it from dying sooner. And if you put it in standby it will charge until you need it again. So, not really a power supply, but kind of a trickle charge.
What about the less expensive Bestlight Photo Studio 176 for $35 which is almost 1400 lumen? (opposed to this one at 300...??) What am I missing? Thanks
Thanks. I've started doing that more recently. I use Genius links now so it autodetects and redirects to the correct amazon. Good to know that it was worth doing! Cheers. 😃
This could definitely work, but if you have a little more budget, I'd look at this option as well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cUiMoi5WKhM.html
i've lost 2 of these now.. the power button and the micro usb is very crappy attached to the board and it just lets loose and the complete device has become useless..
Thanks, keep us posted! I ended up ordering that last one on Amazon after all. It'll be fun to easily swap out the gels and experiment for different results on the fly.
Bought 2 from your video... the light quality was great but both lights lasted 1 day. The power buttons stick and are extremely poorly made. The lights are now just useless paper weights.
Sry man, but I think you are really wrong with this one: This is less bright then the m9 and therefore less powerful. Why would you state a light as more powerful when it is less bright? :D don't get that.
That's craziness! It looks like the original, cheaper Canadian listing is gone. That makes it much cheaper to just buy from amazon.com and pay the $13 in duties. Only con will be longer shipping times.
