VL119 RGB Handheld Light Wand is the exciting big brother of Ulanzi's VL110 Magnetic RGB Tube Light. With its extremely creative lighting options that can be used in a variety of situations, the VL119 is definitely worth the investment.
EXTERNAL FUNCTIONS
Ulanzi Light Wand weighs only 205 grams and is 500 mm long from base to tip. It provides the user with an illumination intensity of 355 mm, illuminating half the diameter of the 37 mm rod. This allows for a helpful 120-degree illumination angle. The handle features an on/off button on the side, right where the user's right thumb rests. Directly above is the USB-C charging port, and the rod comes with a USB-to-USB-C charging cable. The light is controlled by four buttons arranged next to each other in a square pattern beneath a small LED panel that easily guides you through the settings. If you've used Ulanzi lights before, you'll find the menu more than comfortable. A ¼-20" Mounting screw and a tab to attach a lanyard or wrist strap.
CREATIVE LIGHTING OPTIONS
With countless versions of LED lights flooding the market, a different perspective is needed—pardon the pun—and that's exactly what the VL119 offers. With its lightsaber shape, it expands the creative application possibilities immeasurably, for example:
- Light painting in the background of a subject you want to highlight.
- Creative lighting of a wide variety of products with any light color of the spectrum, both directly and indirectly.
- Creative lighting of a model from behind or from the front.
- As main light, rim light, back light or mood light for any subject to be filmed or photographed.
- Simulation of lighting effects with the 20 different lighting scenarios (including emergency services, fireworks, television, fire, broken/flickering fluorescent tubes, strobe light in white and multi-colored, etc.).
- And, of course, the simulation of a Star Wars battle scene.
Not to mention the applications outside of photography, when I think of my children using it to have a disco with their friends.
KELVIN LIGHT OPTIONS
The VL119 also offers a constant and adjustable Kelvin light temperature, with an adjustable temperature range of 2500K - 9000K, with 5500K being natural daylight. Combined with the light intensity adjustment from 1% - 100%, this allows you to solve a wide variety of lighting tasks. The light intensity can be increased in single digit increments, or by holding down the "+" or "-" button, you can increase in increments of 10.
COLOR SERIES
Do you need a wide color spectrum? In addition to the Kelvin characteristics of this light stick, you can choose from a full 360-degree color gamut, with hue, saturation, and brightness fully adjustable at every level. The photo above from Ulanzi shows some of the numerous available color options.
ILLUMINANCE (BRIGHTNESS)
This is always a difficult aspect to convey for any light. At a distance of 33 cm, the perceived illuminance is 395 lux. At 50 cm, it drops to 178 lux, and at 1 meter further, it drops to 52 lux.For comparison, the light of a full moon is 1 lux, the average illuminance in a family living room is 50 lux, and the average illuminance in a school classroom or lecture hall is 250 lux and in a supermarket is 750 lux. The VL119 RGB Light Wand therefore offers a lot of light for its size, weight, and price.
THE DISPLAY
All of this can be tracked on the OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, which is quite small, even though Ulanzi uses most of the available space on the handle for this display format. I found it difficult to read the display when the light stick was set to full power. The display itself summarizes a lot of information in a small space, including the light setting, remaining battery charge, the ability to select from submenus, effective percentage indicators, and descriptive text so you know which light setting you're using.
BATTERY LIFE
When I tested the light at full intensity, it ran for 95 minutes, which is impressive for the built-in 2000mAh rechargeable lithium battery. Charging takes 120 minutes, which requires some development. As an ideal product, I think it should last longer than it takes to charge, but you can use it while charging, which is a huge advantage.
THE KEYS
I really like the layout of the buttons on the VL119 light stick. The on and off buttons are very convenient for situations where you can't see or remember where all the buttons are. The four control buttons: Mode, Select, + & - are located together but slightly separated, which is very helpful. They feel plasticky, but there's a satisfying click when you press one of the buttons. The mode button lets you switch between RGB, CCT, and scene selection. The select button lets you navigate through the options of your chosen mode. The + and - buttons then allow you to select the desired lighting result within the selected mode. After using the light in various situations, I realized that it's easy to accidentally press the buttons and change the light setting if you're not careful. It would be a great addition to have a "lock" switch on the handle that disables the buttons when pressed. This would further improve the user experience.
ASSEMBLY AND TRANSPORT
At the base of the VL119 handle is a ¼20"-Internal thread that allows you to attach the light to a variety of mounts and tripods, increasing its versatility. The lanyard closure ensures security when you want to hang the light on your wrist, from a bag, a hook, etc. In the image above, you can also see that there is a slight grip pattern on the back of the handle.
SUMMARY
The VL119 RGB Handheld Light Wand from Ulanzi is a wonderful addition to your camera or filmmaking equipment. It's lightweight and comfortable to hold, offers many easily selectable lighting options, and the 330 mm long light bar means you can expand your creativity even further. You can get it from Ulanzi for a very affordable price of €35.56. buy here.
