Pixel P50 Panel Light REVIEW

Good all-around video light

As more and more people work from home and feature video conferences as part of their typical workday, the need for easy-to-use, budget-friendly lighting options has become a necessity. There are ways to accomplish simple lighting abilities without elaborate set-ups and this video panel light from Pixel is one of those options. This light can provide a wide color temperature range with up to 3600 lumens of brightness so that you never sit in the dark while on video again. The light’s package comes with a stand and desk clamp so that it can be integrated into your workspace without being intrusive.

DETAILS

This light can be used for many different projects including video conferencing, portrait shooting, product photography, and even fill light for video. The light kit saves space thanks to its desk clamp and it’s easy to carry and assemble. There are two options for power – the included power adapter or NP-F series batteries (not included). The LCD display on the back of the light is a memory display and settings will stay the same as the last time you used the light. There are several items included in the kit: 1 x LED panel light, 1 x C-clamp stand (fit thickness 0.3-3.3 inches), 1 x power adapter, and 1 x wireless controller (1pc CR2032 battery included).

USER EXPERIENCE

The first step in the user experience for this light is assembling the desk mount. The addition of the desk clamp is one of the main features of this light and to me, it’s one of the biggest differentiators I value the most about it. To assemble the piece together you simply screw the stand arm into the clamp and then tighten the screw-mount onto the arm. The entire assembly is very lightweight and any desk or tabletop should be able to hold it with no problems. 

A small instruction manual is included with the light. While the light is pretty self-explanatory, I would have liked it if the instructions were more clear. For example, under the wireless control section, the first step says, “Make sure the master and slave light in the same channel.” This section of the instruction is supposed to be describing how to use the remote control and to my knowledge, you can’t pair this video light to another light. So, the provided text really doesn’t describe how to best use the remote at all. 

Operation of the light is very easy to understand. You first plug the power into the light (either by cable or battery) and then flip the power switch to the ‘on’ position. It’s important to note here that the power switch goes two different ways – one way it will turn on the power if the light is connected via battery and the other way, it will work if it’s connected by power cable.

The light comes with a wireless remote control that is powered by a CR2032 battery (included). The light is very responsive to inputs made on the remote. I tried to trick the light by pointing the remote away from the light and the light still responded. With the remote, you can control the power, brightness, and color temperature of the light. I did, however, notice that the channel selection is made independently on the light and the remote – meaning you can’t change the channel selection for the light on the remote. The same is true for the group setting. 

The LCD display on the light and on the remote are both very easy to read. They both show the brightness level, the color temperature setting, the group setting, and the channel. The display on the remote also shows a battery level and the display on the light shows whether or not the light is receiving power through a DC adapter or batteries.

The light has a built-in diffuser – installed over the LED bulbs. This helps to soften the light in a balanced way. This feature also eliminates the need for additional modifiers for the light. That said, it would have been nice if some lighting gels were included. Even though the color temperature is adjustable, the light panel only displays white light and it would be nice for gels to be included in case the mood of a scene needed to be changed. 

The 15.4-inch panel produces 3600 lumens of brightness and is 100% dimmable. You can change its brightness with precise point-by-point turn of the dial (either on the light or the remote), or you can change the brightness by 25% increments on the light or remote using the quick brightness adjust button.

One of the biggest advantages to this video light is its wide color temperature range. The light can be displayed in variables from 3000K (warm) to 8000K (cool). This is great for versatility within video or photography shoots. It allows you to control the style of the product you are shooting. If you are capturing an interview, it might be best to go with a warmer light so that your subject doesn’t look sickly, but if you are taking photos of a product, cooler light might make it pop more. The Pixel Video Light give you the ability to dial in the exact amount of warm or cool white light you want to use.

The product description calls this out as ‘two-way power supply,’ but I think that’s kind of a misnomer. You have the option to select either the DC adapter or batteries to power the light. The battery option is a standard NP-F series batteries (not included). The DC power adapter and cable are included with the light’s kit. I like having the choice between the two power sources but tend to rely on the wired power adapter. It’s more consistent even though you have to deal with carting around the power brick and associated cables. 

CONCLUSION 

All-in-all this is a great multi-purpose light. It’s affordable and very versatile. It’s also very portable due to its lightweight. I sort of wish some sort of bag or container was included with the kit so that it was better protected when not in use, but you get a lot from this light given its retail price. It’s an easy to use, budget-friendly light kit that can be integrated into your workspace seamlessly. It’s a great asset for people who need a little extra light for video conferences as well as certain photography projects.

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