BOLING BL-P1 RGB LED Full Color Camera/Camcorder Light, Pocket Size Rechargeable Video Light with 2500k-8500k Color Range, 9 Common Scenario simulations Vlog with Premium Aluminum Alloy Shell

(After a year, or so, of use I'm editing this review with just this one added caution: Do not assume that you can leave a USB power supply plugged into the BL-P1 and then leave the light on for an extended period of time. I made that mistake, so as to use it as a reading light. The unit overheated and died. I should have checked with the manufacturer, I suppose, to see if that was advisable. Aside from that, the review below still stands. But I do miss this great light, now.)Some great reviews convinced me that the Boling BL-P1 light was worth a try, and I was happy to see that INSSTRO, with whom I'd had great success ordering other gear for my photography/videography business, was offering the light through Amazon. So two days after placing the order, I was playing with this amazing product.The BL-P1 has nearly everything going for it but a catchy name. It's list of capabilities is both long and impressive, serving capably as a compact on-camera light or off-camera key, fill, hair or background light. In my workflow, it will often be employed in product photography. While one of my favorite attributes is its compact size, it also pumps out amazingly bright light for such a small package. And its output can be adjusted from 100% all the way down to 0%, unlike many LED systems. Color temperature is adjustable from 2500K - 8500K, and a nifty little LCD readout on the rear panel displays the % of power, the color temperature selected and the mode you have selected. In addition to the variable light mode, the BL-P1 is a cell-phone-sized special effects production machine that produces RGB for that spot of color a scene might need, without the need for a gel, plus simulations of lightning, police, ambulance, fire truck flashing lights and more.Recharging the built in battery is easy from any USB charger, using the supplied USB-C cable, and the battery life is very respectable, and seems to be just as reported in the specs.The construction is impressive: both rugged and precision are the words that come to mind. And the Transformer-like mounting arm is like something out of a robotics lab, sturdy, smooth operating and ingeniously designed to provide a wealth of 1/4"-20 mounting holes and possible mounting angles, whether used on a camera hot shoe, camera cage, a pole or stand, attached to your favorite grip gear or free-standing, using the arm as, well... a leg.The power switch sits on the top edge, and has a tactile feel, allowing easy activation in the dark, and the other controls are all on the end opposite the mounting bracket.The unit comes with a rugged little adapter for mounting to a hot or cold shoe. A real bonus is the well designed carrying case that is also provided. The case is equipped with a long, protective flap with hook-and-loop closure, two snap-down strips on the back for belt or strap attachment and a small allen wrench, secreted away behind a velcroesque flap to ensure you'll have it handy should you wish to detach the mounting bracket from the light. The two straps can be re-routed through near-flush loops on the back of the case to allow them to better fit a narrower belt or strap. Quite clever.All in all, the Boling BL-P1 from INSSTRO is my new favorite LED light source, and is already subconciously suggesting video scene ideas that will employ its multiple talents.

This is a very versatile light. In addition to standard LED panel features that you tend to get, with variable brightness and color temperature, this is also an RGB LED, which means you can create virtually any color light by just tweaking the settings!Before we get into the light's features and how well this light works, I wanted to quickly mention the form factor. The light panel itself is 2 3/4" x 4 7/8" x 5/8" (7cm x 12.4cm x 1.5cm). On the side opposite the controls is a wonderful, fully articulating mounting bracket. This bracket adds another 3/4” (2cm) to the width of the whole package, but it’s great because right out of the box you can slap this light on any tripod and position it at any angle.So this light is nice and small. Smaller than my iPhone 7+, making it easily pocketable.The controls are nice and easy.On top you have a dedicated power switch, which I like a lot. On similar style lights, you have a set switch, which doubles as a power switch, which isn't bad, but I really like the dedicated sliding power switch on this light. Also on top is the USB-C charging port. Which is awesome. I have long hated all variations of the USB mini and micro ports. Good riddance to those ports.If you're looking at the back of the light, on the left is the bracket, and on the right you have the set switch for changing modes. The light has three modes.Standard mode, where you can control the overall brightness, and the color temperatureIn this mode you control the color temperature with the FN wheel, and set the brightness with the dim wheel.In RGB mode, the color is set in degrees from 0º-360º, starting with red at 0º and moving through orange, yellow green, blue, purple, violet, and ending with magenta at 360ºThere’s a handy chart on the back showing you the degree setting for particular colors, but even without that it’s easy enough to figure it out as the color of the light actively changes as you change the setting.By default, when you enter into RGB mode, your in color selection mode, and to change the color you use the FN wheel.If you want to change the saturation of the color you’ve chosen, you can press the FN wheel, which also acts as a button, to switch the setting from color to saturation, and then use the FN wheel to set the saturation level. Press the FN wheel again to switch back to changing the color.And just as in standard mode, you can use the dim switch to change how bright the light is.The last mode is Scene mode, where you can choose from various lighting scene emulations like police lights, strobing colors, etc..., and again, regardless of the mode chosen, you control how bright the light is with the dim wheel.All in all, this is a great light. My only complaint is that the dim wheel is not very smooth. It’s very easy to spin the wheel and make big changes to the brightness, but making very small changes requires a little fiddling.All in all great light