The Luxli Fiddle Pocket is a small, powerful light that can be used for both portraits and video. I chose to test it out for some still life photos. I also used the flashing red and blue strobe — simulating a police light — to prank my son … but that’s a different story.
First, the Luxli Fiddle RGB LED Light Specs
- Rugged & portable aluminum construction
- 1550+ Lux at 19.7″ from 2800° to 10,000°K
- Integrated battery with 3-hour runtime
- Bluetooth 5 with 100′ wireless range
- Precise hue & saturation control
- 150 x digital gel filters
- Luxli Composer App for iOS/Android
- Full-color LCD interface
- USB Type-C 18W charger included
- 2 x 1/4″-20 mounting points
Using the Luxli Fiddle light on a still life photoshoot
Normally I would use a studio strobe or a speedlight mounted off-camera. The setup isn’t too complicated but it does require extra equipment and a light meter to dial in-camera settings. Using continuous light lets you bypass this setup and enables you to see how the light interacts with the scene.
Using the Luxli Fiddle light, I was able to place the light exactly where I wanted it and then adjusted the strength and color of the light from my phone. This made shooting very relaxing and comfortable.
Image: Setup_Light
Avoid camera shake, stabilize the camera
Strobes and speedlights are designed to freeze action. This allows you to shoot at a slow shutter speed with or without a tripod.
Continuous light doesn’t have this luxury. It isn’t designed to freeze action so stabilizing the camera to avoid camera shake is very important. For this shoot, I was able to lay the camera flat on the table and slowed my shutter speed until my camera’s meter gave me the correct exposure. Luxli Fiddle light’s power surprised me. I was able to maintain a respectable shutter speed and keep my ISO low.
If your camera supports it, use live view or use a mirrorless camera to see exactly what you’re shooting before you press the shutter button.
My overall thoughts
The Luxli Fiddle is a small, powerful, versatile light. I wouldn’t use it as a key light for a portrait shoot, but I would recommend it for a still life shoot and as a fill light for videos. The battery life is amazing even when using it at full power.
If you shoot a lot of still life or you are just starting out with video, I would recommend adding the Luxli Fiddle light to your photo gear list.