Pixel 2 K80C Full Color LED Video Light Review

The Pixel 2 K80C Full Color LED video Light kit is a complete solution in one very neat package. Lights, power adapters, diffusers and stands (Two of each) are arranged neatly in the canvas carryall.
The carryall bag measures in at 59x35x28cm and with everything contained within only weighs in at 8.14kg, that’s incredibly small and light for a full lighting kit.

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On the front of each panel are 552 SMD LED Beads. These LEDs are set into groups that enable the different colour effects produced through the controls on the back of each unit. 156 of these LEDs are cool, 156 are warm, and 240 are RGB; this means that the colour temperature can be adjusted from 2600K-10000K and feature step-less dimming from 0 to 100%.

At the brightest setting, each light is capable of producing 45W of illumination, which is impressive.

As well as the colour temperature adjustment, the lights feature 9 scene modes. These modes can be selected through the panel controls and enable SOS, Police, Ambulance, Fireworks, Lightning 1, Lightning 2, TV Screen, RGB Circle 1 and RGB Circle 2. This feature is especially useful for creating on-set lighting effects.

One of the big features that instantly stood out was the group control. This means that one light can be assigned as the master and the others as slaves. Once this has been set up, all others adjust to match as you adjust the settings on the master light.

These features really do set these lights out as fully feature packed for the price.

Setting up, you start to see how comprehensive a kit this is. The light panels might seem small, but the amount of light they produce is more than adequate for most interviews, and small video productions; they really are quite impressive.

The lighting stands are simple but seem robust, and on first use, it took a bit to ease them to full height. After the initial setup, the stands freed up, and the clamps and locks all worked well, holding the height and position of the stand as they were moved around the studio.
While the stands are perfectly good for the K80C’s they have been designed to hold, I would still be careful of overtightening the clamps.

Pop the lights on top and bolt-on as with any other brand of light using the standard fitting. Once in place, the power adapter in the kit can be plugged in. A power selection switch on the back gives you the option to use NP F970 batteries if you’re using these lights on location. You can pick up a decent dual battery set with a charger for less than £50, you’d need two for the two lights, but that additional £100 spent is well worth it.

Once everything is set, the barn doors can be folded out to reveal the lights. The barn doors are a nice feature and are fixed by screws. The barn doors are designed as a permanent fixture, which is no bad thing, but if you decide to remove them, they’re just held on with Allen Key bolts.

In the bag, along with the lights, are two diffusers, the material for these is good, but the design makes them extremely difficult to fit. Once you have slotted them into place, the diffusers do work, but they’re close to the LEDs and as ever, using a diffuser on a stand with a bit of distance from the subject is a much better idea.

On the back of the lamps are the main controls, and there’s a small LCD screen that shows the lights settings as you adjust.
The layout of the controls is simple, with the GP and CH buttons controlling the lighting groups. To use this control you need to make sure each light is on the same group, and channel, then once both lights are set the same it enables you to control the settings of both lights wirelessly. As you make the adjustments, the slave light mirrors the master lights settings rather than giving complete individual control.

However, after using the light on a couple of test shots, I found that adjusting the lights, switching the channel on the master, and then readjusting the master as required meant that you could individually control the lights, which was a major benefit when it’s just you filming.

The other controls enable you to adjust the brightness and colour temperature, and the dial below the buttons gives you a nice analogue feel to the adjustment.

The final option is the Mode button. This fires up the special effects modes and works surprisingly well.

The lights in use

These lights pack in far more than you would expect for a lighting solution at this price. Once set up, the lights are easy to sync, enabling you to adjust the colour temperature and brightness of both lights from one unit. If you need to take individual control, switching the channel after adjusting the first light was a quick solution.

Although the panels only measure 24x24cm, they produce a decent amount of light, and I found myself tuning them down to around 25-50% brightness for most situations. The use of the barn doors enabled a good amount of flexibility.

I was disappointed with the diffusers. These seemed a little bit of an afterthought compared with the rest of the design and build of the lights. But, the inclusion of the diffusers is good to see.

Overall after using the panels, I’ve been quite taken aback by how good they have been. The brightness is excellent, and the colour temperature is consistent for all shoots.

The barn doors are small, as are the lights but do enable a good amount of manipulation. I’m also really impressed by the scope of the RGB LEDs. These enable plenty of flexibility over the light, not just changing the colour temperature in the normal video light sense, but pushing it through the full spectrum of colour.

So if you want blue, red or green illumination; then the Pixel 2 K80C will enable you to have it.

For more information on the Pixel 2 K80C please check out pixelhk.com

The Pixel 2 K80C Full Color LED Video Light kit will have wide appeal. Firstly the price makes it a good entry-level product, then as the kit features everything you need to set up basic studio-style lighting there’s very little not to like.

The complete nature of this lighting kit makes it an ideal solution for any small business that needs to create videos in house. The lights and the control is easy to understand, and with the barn doors built in, there’s little to go wrong.

For students and amateur filmmakers, there’s plenty to like here too. The grouping of lights and wireless control makes them exceptionally flexible.

Then there’s the actual quality of the light. Considering the price, the CRI Index of 97 is impressive, and that value seems to stand up in use.

These are starter lights, so some of the options will seem limiting as you progress as a videographer. You can’t easily add lighting modifiers, etc, but then that’s not what a set of lights in this price bracket are designed to do.

If you need lighting for your corporate and product videos or are a student or amateur filmmaker, then the Pixel 2 K80C Full Color LED Video Lighting kit is definitely what you need.