Achieving professional-looking photos and videos can often feel like an uphill battle, especially when dealing with inconsistent or poor lighting conditions. As someone who frequently found myself in situations where the ambient light just wasn’t cutting it, whether for capturing product shots, filming interviews, or even just getting a well-lit webcam feed, I knew I needed a solution. The frustration of blurry, grainy, or poorly coloured footage was a constant hurdle, and the potential complications of not solving this – like clients being unhappy, my work looking unprofessional, or simply being unable to capture the moment as intended – were significant motivators to find a reliable lighting source. A good, portable light would have made a world of difference in those early days.
Before diving into a specific product, it’s essential to understand what these types of lights are designed for and who they benefit most. On-camera lights, like the VIJIM VL100C Bi-Color LED Video Light, are primarily used to provide supplementary fill light or key light directly from your camera’s hot shoe or a nearby mount. They are sought after by photographers and videographers who need portable, flexible lighting on the go. The problems they solve range from filling in harsh shadows and illuminating subjects in low light to adding catchlights to eyes and controlling the overall mood and color temperature of a scene.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone who works in varied locations, shoots spontaneously, or needs a compact lighting solution that’s easy to set up and adjust quickly. This includes vloggers, content creators, mobile journalists, wedding photographers needing fill, or anyone recording video calls or streams where desk space is limited. Who might not benefit as much? Someone needing powerful, broad light coverage for large sets (they would need larger studio lights) or someone working exclusively in controlled studio environments with existing comprehensive lighting setups. Before purchasing an on-camera LED video light, you should consider factors like brightness (measured in Lux or Lumens), colour accuracy (CRI value), colour temperature range (measured in Kelvin), battery life and charging options, size and portability, mounting options, and the build quality. Understanding these aspects will help you determine if a particular light meets your specific needs.
- 【100 High CRI95+ LED Beads & Soft Light Board】The VIJIM VL100C led video light adopts 100pcs High Quality Color Rendering Index 95+ beads and the Max Brightness up to 900Lm(2500K-6500K),lager...
- 【3 Color Mode Adjustable】The camera photo light provide 50 white light beads and 50 warm light beads, color temperature 2500K-6500K. Warm light, Nature light and Cold light,you can adjust it...
- 【Built-in 2000mAh Rechargeable Battery】The rechargeable camera light is built-in 2000mAh rechargeable lithium battery, charging time is 3 hours, maximum brightness output up to 120 minutes,...
Meet the VIJIM VL100C Bi-Color LED Video Light
The VIJIM VL100C Bi-Color LED Video Light presents itself as a compact yet powerful solution for portable photo and video lighting. The promise it makes is straightforward: to provide bright, high-quality, and adjustable lighting wherever you need it, easily mounted on your camera or other supports. When you purchase the 2-pack, you receive two of these small LED camera lights, along with universal hot shoe adapters and USB-C charging cables.
Compared to larger, professional studio panels, the VL100C is significantly smaller and less powerful, but its strength lies in its portability and convenience. Compared to older, non-bi-color mini LED lights, the VL100C offers the crucial ability to adjust colour temperature, providing much greater versatility. This particular LED fill lamp is well-suited for content creators, mobile videographers, and photographers who need a supplementary or main light source in tight spaces or on the go. It’s probably not for feature film cinematographers or large-scale studio portrait photographers who require much higher output and specialized lighting controls.
Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons:
Pros:
* Excellent colour accuracy (CRI 95+) for natural tones.
* Adjustable bi-color temperature (2500K-6500K) for versatility.
* Compact and portable design, easy to carry.
* Built-in rechargeable battery with decent life.
* Multiple cold shoe mounts for system expansion.
Cons:
* Maximum brightness might be insufficient for lighting large areas.
* Battery can drain even when the light is switched off if left for extended periods.
* Potential battery degradation over time if left uncharged/drained.
* Control wheels are small, requiring fine adjustments.
- 【100 High CRI95+ LED Beads & Soft Light Board】The VIJIM VL100C led video light adopts 100pcs High Quality Color Rendering Index 95+ beads and the Max Brightness up to 900Lm(2500K-6500K),lager...
- 【5000mAh Hightly Capacity Rechargeable Battery】Built-in 5000mAh rechargeable battery, USB Type-C charging port, supports to 180 minutes at maximum brightness, making it a hassle-free way of...
- 【Portable LED Video Light】The new version SmallRig P96 RGB Video Light adopts 96 high effective light beads, illumination angle up to 120°, the brightness can reach toppest CRI95 cab completely...
Diving Deep into What It Offers
After having used the VIJIM VL100C lights for a considerable time, I can genuinely speak to their performance across their key features. These are the aspects that really make or break a portable light, and the VL100C has proven itself to be a reliable tool in my kit, though not without a few quirks.
High CRI and Soft Light Quality
One of the standout features of the VIJIM VL100C is its claim of 100 High CRI95+ LED beads and a soft light board. In practice, this translates remarkably well. The colour rendering is genuinely impressive for such a small and affordable light. When shooting photos or videos, the colours of your subject – be it skin tones, clothing, or objects – appear accurate and true to life. A high CRI (Colour Rendering Index) of 95+ means that the light spectrum is very close to natural daylight, preventing weird colour casts or desaturation that lower CRI lights can cause. This is crucial for professional-looking results where accurate colour representation is important, such as product photography, makeup tutorials, or interviews.
The integrated soft light board also makes a noticeable difference. Instead of harsh, pinpoint shadows you might get from exposed LED beads, the light is diffused, creating softer, more flattering illumination. This is particularly beneficial when using the light close to your subject, as it reduces harsh lines and creates a more even spread of light. It gives the effect of a small softbox without the added bulk, making it much more pleasant to use directly on-camera or as a close fill light. The maximum brightness is rated up to 900Lm, which is quite bright for its size, providing ample light for close-up work or as a strong fill in moderately lit environments. The 120° lighting angle also helps in covering a decent area despite the light’s small footprint. For quick shoots where setting up a full softbox isn’t feasible, this soft light quality is a significant advantage.
Bi-Color Temperature Control
The ability to adjust the colour temperature is a game-changer for a portable light in this category. The VIJIM VL100C features 50 white light beads and 50 warm light beads, allowing you to seamlessly transition the colour temperature from a warm 2500K to a cool 6500K. This is controlled by a small wheel on the side, which allows for quick and intuitive adjustments.
Why is this important? Matching the colour temperature of your light to the ambient light is key to achieving a natural look. If you’re shooting indoors under warm incandescent bulbs, you can dial the VL100C down to match that warmth. If you’re shooting outdoors in cooler daylight or trying to mimic that look, you can set it higher towards 6500K. This flexibility means your subjects won’t have a strange colour cast, and your footage will look much more cohesive. Furthermore, you can use the different colour temperatures creatively – using warm light for a cozy, intimate feel or cool light for a more modern, clean look. The smooth adjustment via the wheel, as opposed to stepped settings on some lights, allows you to fine-tune the light to perfection. Having used both ends of the spectrum and everything in between, I appreciate how easy it is to blend this light with existing lighting or use it to set a specific mood.
Built-in Rechargeable Battery and Power Options
The integrated 2000mAh rechargeable lithium battery is a major convenience factor. It means you’re not constantly buying disposable batteries or tethered to a power outlet. The listed charging time is around 3 hours, which I’ve found to be reasonably accurate. Battery life varies significantly depending on the brightness level; at maximum brightness, you can expect about 120 minutes (2 hours) of continuous light, while at minimum brightness, it can last up to 480 minutes (8 hours). For most of my use cases, which involve bursts of recording or photography, the battery life at moderate brightness levels has been sufficient for a typical outing or shoot.
The inclusion of a USB Type-C charging port is excellent, as it uses a modern standard cable that I already have plenty of. This makes charging convenient, whether from a wall adapter, power bank, or even a laptop. A very practical benefit is the ability to use the light while it’s charging. This is a lifesaver if you’re in a longer recording session and the battery starts to run low – just plug it in, and you can keep going. This feature isn’t always present on portable lights and adds significant value.
However, it’s important to address a potential disadvantage highlighted in some user experiences: the battery might suffer from constant drain even when the switch is off if left unused for long periods. While I haven’t experienced a complete battery failure, I have noticed that if I leave the light sitting in my bag for several weeks without use, the charge level drops more than I would expect from a truly off state. This suggests a slight parasitic drain. To mitigate this, regular charging or storing it with a decent charge seems wise. For users who store it away for extended periods, this could potentially lead to the battery dying prematurely if not managed.
Rich Expandability and Multi-Mount Options
Despite its small size, the design of the VIJIM VL100C offers surprising expandability. It features four cold shoe mounts around the edges (top, bottom, left, right). This is incredibly useful as it allows you to attach other accessories directly to the light itself, creating a more compact setup. For example, you could mount a microphone receiver, another small LED light for stacking brightness or different angles, or other small accessories. This modularity is a huge plus for simplifying a mobile rig.
Furthermore, the base of the light is equipped with a universal hot shoe adapter that also has a 1/4-inch screw thread on the bottom. This standard threading means you can mount the light onto almost anything: your camera’s hot shoe, a tripod, a light stand, a flexible arm, or any other support with a 1/4-inch screw. The hot shoe adapter also has a tilt mechanism, allowing you to angle the light up or down to direct it precisely where you need it. This combination of built-in cold shoe mounts and the versatile base mount makes the LED camera light extremely adaptable to various shooting scenarios and setups. I’ve used it mounted on my camera, on a small desk tripod for video calls, and even attached to a magic arm clamped to a shelf – the mounting flexibility has been invaluable.
What Other Users Are Saying
I’ve seen many positive comments from others online who have used the VIJIM VL100C. Many users praise its brightness relative to its size and cost, noting that it provides ample light for close-up work. The adjustable colour temperature is frequently highlighted as a major benefit, offering flexibility that sets it apart from single-colour lights. People also appreciate the convenience of the built-in rechargeable battery and the ability to use the light while it’s plugged in. Several reviewers mentioned how portable and easy to use it is, making it great for travel or spontaneous shoots. The colour accuracy (CRI) is also a point of praise, with users showing how much difference the light makes in photo and video quality, giving images a high-quality appearance. While some noted the small size initially, they often found it practical and comfortable to work with, providing surprising power for its dimensions. A recurring point, mirroring my experience, is the value it offers for the price. However, a few users have encountered issues with the battery, particularly if the light is left unused for extended periods, mentioning that the battery might die completely or stop holding a charge, suggesting it requires regular recharging even when stored.
Final Thoughts and Recommendation
Dealing with poor lighting can severely impact the quality of your photo and video work, leading to unsatisfactory results and wasted effort. This problem needs a reliable, portable solution to ensure your subjects are well-lit and your colours are accurate, regardless of your shooting environment. The VIJIM VL100C Bi-Color LED Video Light is an excellent fit for solving this problem for several key reasons. Its high CRI ensures beautiful, accurate colours, while the adjustable bi-color temperature allows you to adapt to any lighting situation or creative need. The compact size, rechargeable battery (with the ability to use while charging), and versatile mounting options make it incredibly practical for creators on the go. If you’re looking for an affordable, portable, and versatile lighting solution to elevate your photos and videos, this light is definitely worth considering. To learn more and purchase this effective photo and video lighting tool, click here to check it out.
Last update on 2025-06-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API