As an admirer of Lume Cube technology, I was delighted when Lume Cube offered to send me their Tube Light Mini for review! However, having tested several similar lights before reviewing these two units. Would they stand up against their counterparts?
Lume Cube Tube Light Mini — Initial Impressions
What immediately caught my attention was its size. Although dubbed as “Mini,” this lighting tool still measures one foot long with impressive light output. Impressively, its small footprint and 0.75 lb weight make it more compact than taller LED RGB lighting tools from Fiveray or Raya; therefore making for enhanced mobility compared with these taller lighting tools from Fiveray or Raya. There is also a 4-foot version available; but filmmakers and content creators on the move may prefer using just one or two mini versions for their needs.
Carry case is made of hard-shell material for stylish transport. Inside are wrist strap, mini tripod and USB cable for convenient charging. Light itself features a sleek yet durable aluminum body construction designed for drop resistance and shock absorption, rotating magnetic end caps with rotating magnetic end caps to quickly mount to magnetic surfaces, plus 1/4″-20 female mounts on both ends – an incredibly handy feature!
Before using the light, I discovered even more incredible features. For instance, its weatherproof nature allows you to shoot without worry in bad weather (though you should still consider your other gear). Furthermore, this light serves as a USB power bank so it can charge mobile phones.
I appreciate products with versatile uses; however, with typical small light battery lives of only 102 minutes at full power and 192 minutes at 50% power, be wary when charging. Furthermore, its LED screen displays your battery status down to the minute – much more useful than a battery bar indicator with general estimates.
Lume Cube Tube Light Mini: Functionality
Like other Lume Cube products, its design is both elegant and intuitive. There is a power switch, button, selector wheel and menu to control it all – from its full spectrum RGB illumination with 124 LEDs at 950 lumens with an incredible CRI rating of 96+ to full temperature adjustments from 2700-7500K as well as advanced HSI and CCT adjustment to ensure accuracy.
CCT lights offer a convenient green/magenta tint control that enables near perfect scene color matching, with stepless brightness control from 0-100% brightness levels and producing rich, bold, vibrant hues that you are sure to be satisfied by.
There are seven fun and useful special effects included with this app, such as siren, candle, TV, lightning, fire, strobe and color looping. I find the fire effect most convincing; all other effects offer speed settings to improve realism.
Lume Cube Tube Light Mini — Lume Control App
The Lume Control app is exceptional. Simply visit the Set Menu on your light, toggle Bluetooth on, and you can quickly pair your device with it using this app. While loading may take some time (if it hangs, restart it), once connected it’s lightning-fast. Turn effects on or off with ease while selecting desired brightness levels for brightness temperature hue. Your light instantly responds to these settings for total control!
What really amazes me about the photo eyedropper is its amazing accuracy in changing light to specific hues. When I tried it on various objects on my desk, it was astonishingly accurate in providing accurate illumination of each selected hue.
