Light & Motion CLx10 Review

Constant lighting has come a long way in recent years, going from a rare sight to commonplace for both stills and video.

One of the most interesting aspects of constant lighting is the different approaches taken by manufacturers. Many follow standard panel design using DIP type LEDs, whereas others such as Light & Motion utilise the latest COB (Chip on Board) LED technology.

This new LED style has many advantages: improved light efficiency, glare and light loss, and an incredibly bright light emittance.

There are also a few downsides to this technology. The first is that these LEDs emit an incredibly hard bright light, so they should never be used directly without some diffusion as they can be dangerous to the eyes.

The second issue is that the closely packed COB LED design produces a staggering amount of heat. Think traditional tungsten bulbs rather than the LEDs we’ve become used too.

The CLx10 is the latest version of Light & Motion’s compact LED constant light, and at 10,000 lumens, it challenges the power of many strobes.

Like all Light & Motions gear, the CLx design is compact and robust. I have some Light & Motion bike lights that are fast approaching 20 years of age.

The design is unique, check online, and you’ll see patents filed for the front section of the lamp, which can be interchanged between the ultra-bright 5600k head or a tungsten equivalent, although at a lesser power.

Power comes from the internal rechargeable battery, which will supply charge for 45 minutes at full beam. That might not sound like a great deal, but using the light at that brightness is unlikely. Reducing the intensity dramatically increases usage to 15 hours for the lowest brightness of 500 lumens.

Like the build quality of the bike lights that have been a permanent fixture on my bike for almost two decades, the CLx10 has a robust and water-resistant build. The main body is built from various materials, including tough black plastic and metal.

The resulting aesthetics give the lamp a striking look that I like. However, checking over the lamp and a few aspects of the build are in stark contrast.

Firstly the lighting stand mount, which is solid, features two adjustment screws to tighten the clamp to the stand. The knobs are injection moulded in what looks like cheap shiny plastic; they work fine, but don’t match the rest of the quality.

Then there’s the shrowd that covers the front lamp element. The design is faultless when it comes to functionality, but there’s a bit of play. This play does not affect the light’s operation in any way, but it’s a niggle.

Then there’s the three main control buttons across the top of the unit. These feel cheap compared to everything else; these should have been the rubberised push type that features on the companies’ bike lights.

I must point out that these three points don’t detract from how the light functions, but at the same time, they feel like they should be better.

When it comes to using the CLx10 light, it’s not as straight forward as a simple on and off. Firstly the on/off switch is rotated, and the lamp powers up.

Then to switch on the light, it’s a quick tap of any of the three buttons followed by the front or back button to increase or decrease the brightness.

Brightness can be adjusted from 500 lumens to 10,000 lumens. As a COB LED is in use, cooling is important, so from 0 to 4000 lumens, the internal fan is off, 4000 to 6000 lumens the fan kicks in, above 6000, the fan goes into overdrive.

The fan’s noise is nice and quiet, between 4000 and 6000 lumens, but above 6000, it makes quite a noise, so it can only be used at a distance if recording audio.

The middle button acts as the mode select and enables access to the limited functions and features, including the wireless operation groups with the Elinchrom controller.

As the CLx10 has a fixed 5600K Kelvin colour temperature light with a 120º beam angle, any changes to the light spread and temperature are made through the front mounted accessories and gels.

Our review sample arrived with the 25 and 50º lenses that can be fitted directly to the front. Alongside these direct-attach accessories are a range of adapters that enable you to fit a wide range of options, including those from Elinchrom, Bowens, Profoto and Westcott.

The accessories that arrived with the review kit are Fresnel 50º, 25º lens, Diffusion dome, Gel Adapter, Barn Doors, Profoto adapter ring.

Powering the lamp is a built-in battery that can supply the unit with 45 minutes of power at full brightness. As you drop the power, the battery life extends to a maximum of 15 hours at 500 lumens which is impressive.

As well as being powered by the internal battery, you can also connect to the mains, which is a good option. However, it would have been nice to see the ability to plug-in into an external power source such as a D-Tap.

I was excited to use the CLx10; the brightness and size meant flexibility that would suit using in a good variety of situations. Its arrival between lockdowns was perfect time-wise.

I had a series of interviews and performances to film, and the small light seemed like an ideal solution.

As ever, before leaving for the first job, I had to heed my own advice and checked the light and diffusers to sample the light spread, brightness, and any issues.

To check out the light throw, basic operation and spread, I directed the light at a blank wall. This showed a nice all-round spread at a distance of 4m and then I checked through the full power range. Next, I popped on the diffuser dome, which helped soften the light considerably.

The next accessory to check were the barn doors, these push-fit securely into the unit’s front, and then you can adjust as required. Although the light is hard, the light edge from the throw is very soft, so if you’re looking for a hard edge, this isn’t possible.

Two of the main accessories are the 25º Fresnel and 50º optical lens.

Mounting the 25º Fresnel brings the light into spotlight like focus. You instantly notice that against a blank wall, there are very visible signs of yellow fringing. You can also see the tightly packed LEDs’ shadows that create a grid pattern on the wall when not using the diffuser dome.

Increase the distance for the subject, and this effect disappears. Add the diffuser dome, and the lamp then creates a really nice usable light.

Adding the barn doors to the 25º Fresnel lens has little effect on cutting the light.

Unlike the 25º Fresnel lens, which push fits onto the front of the unit, the 50º lens attaches in place of the clear LED protector or light dome. Once in place, the throw of light is nice, but the size of the 50º means that you can no longer attach the barn doors or filter holder. However, it does feature a diffused front element which makes it ideal for use for interviews.

The final option that arrived with the review kit was the 82mm Gel holder, which again pushes into the unit’s front.

Light Motion Clx10 for video use

Having run through the options and familiarised myself with the various accessories’ effects, it was time to head out and test the lamp in the field.

The first stop was to use the lamp for a series of interviews. I positioned the lamp as the main lighting source with two other lamps to add subtle side fill and another for backlighting.

The light fall diffused by a Profoto diffuser produced an ideal working light with plenty of illumination to match the scene.

I dialled the light down to 5000 Lumens and positioned the light at the height of about 2m, angled down at the subject from a distance of 3m.

I was pleased with the effect. I kept the brightness at 6000 lumens below due to those fans’ noise, but that seemed more than enough for each situation.

The next test was a full choir; my usual lighting was nowhere near powerful enough for what was needed. The addition of social distancing, meaning everyone was well spread out, all further added to the technical issues.

However, again diffused and cranked up to the max with a distance of over 10 meters; using the lamp shining down on the choir was just enough to lift the tone.

Overall, I was impressed with the light’s brightness; the only real issue was finding it too bright if not properly diffused for those being filmed and the fan noise when audio is critical.

Light & Motion Clx10 for photography use

I’ve been using the small Rotolight NEO’s for a couple of years for product and portrait shoots. I like using the constant light as it’s good to see how the light reacts with the subject and cuts out the need to take too many test shots.

However much I like constant lighting, I’ve found you can’t get that punch in detail that you can with flash. There’s also the issue that you lose quite a bit of its power once you diffuse the light.

At 10,000 lumens, that should be more than enough light for almost any situation, but as that light is hard, as with a flash, the issue comes with diffusing or bouncing the light.

This is where the CLx10 comes into its own; it has the power to be diffused and bounced.

Using large Manfrotto diffusers proved an ideal solution for both product and portrait photography. They instantly eliminate the harshness and diffuse the light beautifully.

I also set two large reflection panels to bounce the light; again, all that power enables a decent illumination amount.

Fitting the CLx10 with Profoto diffusers gives that extra level of control and flexibility. Again, with so much control over the brightness, it’s easy to get the lighting effect I was after.

Overall used for photography, the CLx10 performed exceptionally well.

The Light & Motion CLx10 is a bit of a mixed bag. The performance blasts any other constant lighting solution in this price range out of the water, and it’s incredibly flexible.

However, a few small issues with the design start to bug you the more you use the lamp.

The first is the play from the front shrowd, there’s no way to stop this unless you tape it, and there doesn’t seem any reason for it to have been designed this way. While this movement is annoying, it doesn’t affect performance.

Likewise, the lighting stand mount ing knobs and top three buttons’ quality are also questionable, but they have no adverse effect on the performance.

There are also a few features that I would like to have seen. An app rather than the Elinchrom remote would have been a better solution, the remote feels dated, and while it works well, it doesn’t give you the depth of engagement and control you get from a good app or control desk.

Then there are the barn doors; while they do a job, the light isn’t as focused or hard as I would like, at least not enough to cut properly in a clean, creative fashion.

Otherwise, there’s no getting away from the fact that the CLx10 is an incredible light, and the issues are minor; this is by far the best and most versatile LED light that I have come across.

What makes it stand out aside from the 10,000 lumens of power is it’s flexibility when it comes to use.

It’s incredibly adaptable but does require you as a photographer or videographer to rethink lighting to a certain degree because of it’s size and power.

For studio, field or any situation and location, the CLx10 is a great constant light solution if you can afford it.