GEAR LATEST LEDS IN THE STICK OF TIME!
Zhiyun’s timely expansion into pro-style lighting continues with the new Fiveray F100 RGB LED light stick that mixes consumer-style pricing and styling with high-end performance. Weighing just 950g/2.1lb, the F100 is designed for one-handed control, but can be mounted on a stand with its 1/4in-20 thread at the base. It needs this, since the rounded bottom makes it difficult to stand up on its own. It’s a shame there’s no extra mounting point on the side or back to offer more options. For just £199/$249, the combo kit includes a two- leaf barn door, a diffuser that can be stretched over the top to make a small softbox, a grid to direct the light and a decent carrying case. There’s a USB-C lead to charge up the light’s six internal 2600mAh cells – which provide over an hour of runtime at 50% power. Pay a little extra and you get a mains adapter. You can also buy the light in either black or white, which might be important if you want it as a practical. Zhiyun says the F100 has up to five times the number of LEDs as some competitors, to provide ultra-bright output. Spec-wise, it can output 2300 lux at its 100W maximum power from 1m/3.3ft away. That’s obviously with the colour temperature set to provide maximum power at around 4000K. The CRI reaches 96+ and TLCI 97+ to guarantee lighting fidelity. The bottom of the unit has the screen and control wheel where you make setting changes. The wheel doesn’t feel like it’s made of the greatest-quality plastic, but it was fine during our tests. The light can be used as a fill, key, hair or practical light and has many options to fit alongside other lights as part of a kit. In CCT mode, you can set the colour temperature to 2700-6200K. Changing to full-colour hue, saturation, intensity (HSI) mode via the control dial lets you adjust hue from 0-360°, and both saturation and intensity from 0-100% – which gives access to very rich, vibrant colours. The F100 also offers six built-in special effects – TV, faulty bulb, candle, flash, fire and SOS. To keep the light cool, the F100 has Zhiyun’s latest intelligent cooling system. The six fans are virtually silent but can’t be turned completely off. It’s this combination of professional features like cooling fans and accurate lighting – plus consumer features like the included accessories – that make the Zhiyun Fiveray F100 a compelling buy. It’s not the longest tube light on the market, but offers plenty of value for money.
BLUE MONDAY Even a bleak day can be brightened up with a splash of colour from the Zhiyun Fiveray F100 RGB tube
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