Smaller Studio Lights > VILTROX VL-500T

[nelsonic]

Last year I bought a pair of Godox SL-60W LED studio lights #3 and they are really good.
I've used them in a few videos and in the temporary setup in the studio.
The Godox SL-60W have 3 (fairly major) issues with them when it comes to using them in a small space:

1. Fans are very loud. The fan automatically & immediately comes on even if the brightness is low. And it's very audible if it's near to the microphone. IMO this is a deal-breaker in a small studio setup. I looked into replacing the fans with silent ones Godox SL-60W Fan Upgrade #19 but it's €35 for a pair of replacement fans and at least 1h of very fiddly work to disassemble/reassemble. I think I prefer to keep them "original" and use them for situations where the light is far enough from the subject/microphone.
2. Size! With the soft box attached, the SL-60W are very large. It feels like they are occupying half the room (in the small studio). I would have preferred it if they were much smaller. Again their size is not an issue in a larger room/studio. My goal is to attach the lights to the Sit/Stand Desk (which is on casters) and be able to move the whole setup around to easily change the background from Green Screen to White
3. Too Bright the lowest brightness is 10% and it's still too much at 1 meter. These output 4500 Lumens at 1M so even at 10%, having a pair of them on it still 900 lumens on your face (450 lumens x 2).

Budget LED Studio Edgelight! Viltrox VL-500T

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Viltrox-VL-500T-CRI-95-Ultra-Thin-LED-Studio-Light-3200K-5500K-F-DSLR-B8B5/293662261293

There are more and better reviews on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/FlapJack-VILTROX-Bi-Color-Portrait-Photography/dp/B07N4HWGJ5

Thinking of getting a pair of these and fixing them to my standing desk so they move with the desk.

[nelsonic]

The £50 (€56) from China lights do not include batteries, stands or AC adapters and the seller does not stock them.

It's the same if I buy the lights (individually) on Amazon (US/UK/ES/etc.):
https://www.amazon.com/VILTROX-Professional-3300K-5600K-Video-Lights/dp/B07JKT95H9#customerReviews

I have spare stands, but I don't have any suitable AC Adapters ... 😞

Reviewing the Spec on the Viltrox Website: http://www.viltrox.com/en/index.php?m=index&a=show&cid=152&id=239

We see that the type of Battery that it uses is Li-battery NP-F550 (the Sony Camera Li-Po batteries).
These AC Adapters, when purchased separately, cost around €15 online.

Cheapest I found them was €13,04 on AliExpress: https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/4000191818278.html

Two Lights ...

I want to get two lights so that I have a Key and Fill light, see: any lighting tutorial ... #3 (comment)
This will mean €56 + €13 = €69 per light or €138 for a pair.

Set of Two Lights With AC Adapters and Stands

on the Official Vitrox Store (Ali Express) these cost €204.68 and are shipped from China (4-6 weeks):
https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/32979931987.html

On Amazon ES they are €140.26 and shipped in 3-4 days.
https://www.amazon.es/VILTROX-VL-500T-iluminacion-video-suave/dp/B07PVF12HQ/

Side Note: It's not a good sign when they offer "Financing" on a product that costs €140 ...
who is buying lights they can't afford? It's not like they are a necessity. 🤷‍♂️
I guess maybe when I was a student/poor and if I wanted to make content and needed lights, it could have been helpful ...
But even then, just save up the money until you can afford to buy them cash. The delayed gratification will motivate you to work/save faster to reach your goal. Also, the offer is only applicable if you sign up to a year of Amazon Prime at €4.99/month ... Fine for people who are already members of the Bezos Club not so fine if not.

Given that buying the set of 2 lights including the 2 AC Power Adapters from Spain with much faster delivery is only €2 more expensive than buying the lights and power supplies separately from China (4 - 6 weeks, more like 8 weeks in our experience because of Covid delays ...), I think it makes sense to buy them from Amazon ES.

My plan is to "hack" the stands so that I can integrate them into my standing desk.

So if I get the stands for €1 each I won't be as concerned about cutting off the base and transforming them.

[nelsonic]

@iteles FYI: I placed the order on Amazon.es using a PT Card to avoid currency conversion.

[iteles]

Good plan. Expertly researched as always.