There have been a few photography and videography orientated flashlights / torches released in 2024. The SmallRig RF 10C is a zoomable flashlight, which SmallRig calls a "Portable Focusable LED Video Light". It can switch between 5600K daylight, sunset orange, red, and blue colors; and comes with 20 gobo filters.
Disclaimer
The SmallRig RF 10C was purchased with my own funds.
Portraits using the SmallRig RF 10C. Model: @tay.tay.x_
Design and Construction
The SmallRig RF 10C specifications are below:
Product Dimensions: 154.0 x 52.0 x 49.0mm
Package Dimensions: 175.0 x 103.0 x 103.0mm
Net Weight: 422.0g / 14.9oz
Gross Weight: 702.8 ± 10g / 24.8 ± 0.4oz
Material(s): Aluminum Alloy, ABS
Power: 10W
Number of LED Beads: 4
Color Options: Sunset Orange, Blue, White, Red
CRI Ra: ≥96
Charging Voltage: 5V/2A
Battery Specifications: 3.7V / 7500mAh / 27.75Wh
Battery Life: Approximately 3H (Full Power)
USB-C Input: Charging at 5V/2A; 10W Max Input; Charging Time ≤6H
The SmallRig RF 10C Portable Focusable LED Video Light / Videography spotlight / Zoomable flashlight is much chunkier than the Ulanzi LM07 that I tested earlier the year. However, the RF 10C has more battery capacity, and gobo functionality. The light includes three 1/4"-20 tripod threads, 2 on the side, and 2 on the tail. The package included 20 filters, a silicone bracket for filters, carry bag, user manual, and USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
The 7500mAh Li-ion battery pack is included, but is unfortunately non-user replaceable. It is thus not possible to monitor battery health/capacity over time. The light has integrated USB-C charging, and worked with a variety of different USB chargers.
It is noted that the SmallRig RF 10C is very similar to the Sidande Four Color Light, including identical gobos. Presumably made by the same OEM?
There is no diffuser included. The head diameter is too large for use with light painting connectors. I'm presuming the head diameter has to be of a reasonable size to allow for the gobo projection capabilities.
User Interface
The SmallRig RF10C has a single rotary and push switch, situated on the side of the light. An indicator light is situated around the base of the switch. The user interface is as follows:
On - rotate switch 180 degrees.
Change brightness - rotate switch anti-clockwise (decrease) or clockwise (increase brightness). There a 10 brightness steps (from approx. 10% to 100%), and the light flashes to indicate max or min brightness. The brightness level changes are not instantaneous.
Change LED - click switch. White > Red > Sunset > Blue (last mode memory)
Off - hold switch for 2secs.
Zoom is performed by push/pull. There is no separate focus.
Charging is indicated by a pulsing green light, which is solid once charged. There is no battery capacity indictor which should be commonplace on a light designed for photography and videography.
The user interface is designed to prevent accidental activation for static illumination such as portraits, rather than fine control of on and off for light painting illumination purposes.
Beam, Output, and Runtime
The SmallRig RF 10C has 4 LEDs and aspheric zoom optics. These LEDs are of unknown manufacturer and model. The LEDs are 5600K daylight white, sunset orange (wide spectrum), red (monochromatic), and blue (wide spectrum). These are arranged in a quad pattern, which does cause some variation in brightness uniformity across the field as all LEDs are slightly offset from axis. Zoom lights allow for more fine control of the beam than conventional flashlights. However, they do have many compromises compared to fixed lens flashlights, notably inferior heat handling, inferior waterproofing, and loss of lumens within the optics when zoomed. The zoom optics can change the beam angle between 40 to 120 degrees. I was very impressed by the wide angle, useful for portraits in tight spaces.
The zoom optics (edge artifact and field uniformity) are much better than the smaller Ulanzi LM07. Whilst there is no visible hotspot to the human eye, photos show otherwise. I would advise using a negative exposure compensation to make sure that the centre of the beam is not overexposed. You may need to use local adjustments in post processing to even out the brightness.
The light comes with a silicone hood, which allows for the use of 20 flexible plastic gobos. These have a matte and glossy side, and I'm not sure which way around they should be, but there was less beam artifact with matte side facing out. I was quite impressed with the gobo options. Due to the optics, they are increasingly out of focus with increasing distance, but still useful for a portable light within a 4m light to subject distance. The sample photos later in this review were at a 2.1m light to wall distance. This light should thus be marketed as "zoomable" rather than "focusable", as it cannot focus.
Some of the gobos do limit the available angle of the useable light beam, but most can still illuminate a model head to toe at 2m distance. There are also some small circle gobos for narrowing down the beam beyond the 40 degree zoom angle. There is some beam artifacts (more so at full zoom) due to internal reflections within the optics, resulting in the parts of the beam that should be attenuated by the gobo still having noticeable light. However, these are expected compromises due to the portable design of this light compared to larger, heavier, and considerably more expensive studio gobo projector lights.
CCT, colour rendering index (CRI), and tint (DUV) were tested with an Opple Light Meter Pro 3, at the flood end of the zoom, 100% output, with the centre of the beam aimed at the light meter.
Daylight white 5600K mode - CCT 6064K, CRI 98.6 Ra, Tint -0.0029 DUV.
Sunset orange - CCT 1912K, CRI 60.8 Ra, Tint +0.0097 DUV.
The daylight white mode is cooler than the claimed 5600K at 6064K. It has an impressively high CRI at 98.6 Ra, and is very good for rendering skin tones. The tint is also pleasantly neutral, with a very slight hint of magenta. I wasn't sure if the sunset orange would be full spectrum or monochromatic. It appears to be full spectrum with a very warm CCT of 1912K, CRI of 60.8, and a slight green tint. Whilst I'm happy that it is full spectrum, I would prefer a >90 CRI 1800K(ish) white emitter instead of a 60 CRI Orange emitter. Blue appears to have a wide spectrum as some other colours can be rendered. The Blue is a "proper" Blue, and thankfully not the (almost UV like) Forensic Blue found on many flashlights that rapidly oversaturates camera sensors. It will cause some fluorescence, which is a good thing! Red is monochromatic.
For brightness, I tested both illuminance and lumens, with comparisons against other portable photography lights. Illuminance is the preferred photometric for comparing lights for photography and videography, as it measures the brightness of an illuminated object at a specified distance.
Illuminance:
SmallRig RF 10C 5600K 100% zoomed - 464 lux/1m.
SmallRig RF 10C 5600K 100% flood - 250 lux/1m.
Ulanzi LM07 5500K 100% zoomed - 2462 lux/1m.
Ulanzi LM07 5500K 100% flood - 431 lux/1m.
Aputure MC Pro 5600K 100% - 535 lux/1m.
Zhiyun M40 Panel 5600K 50% - 1148 lux/1m.
Convoy S21F 5700k 3/4 mode @10mins - 1109 lux/1m.
SmallRig RC 60B 5600K 100% with Reflector - 12440 lux/1m.
Note: my light meter tends to over-estimate lux by 25%. These lights were all tested with the same light meter.
Lumens:
SmallRig RF 10C 5600K 100% zoomed - 211 lumens.
SmallRig RF 10C 5600K 100% flood - 432 lumens.
Ulanzi LM07 5500K 100% zoomed - 196 lumens.
Ulanzi LM07 5500K 100% flood - 345 lumens.
Convoy S21F 5700k 3/4 mode @10mins - 637 lumens.
For the light's size, the lumen output was a bit disappointing being only slightly more than the smaller Ulanzi LM07 photography zoom light, and far less than other (smaller) flashlights useful for photography such as the Convoy S21F. Due to the wide zoom and flood angles spreading out the lumens, the illuminance is relatively low, being outclassed by all of the lights in the comparison. In a photoshoot with no other ambient brightness, the light at full flood and 100% brightness, and 2.1m light to wall distance, exposures were f/2.8, 1/80sec, ISO5000-12800, with -1EV exposure compensation. As long as you are OK with using high ISOs (which is much easier these days with AI denoise), then the brightness is useable. I can see very little use for any brightness level other than 100%.
Brightness remained fairly consistent throughout the >3 hour runtime. The outside of the light was only warm when run on full power, and I think SmallRig should be able to increase brightness on future versions as long as there is a good thermal path and the LEDs can handle the required increase in current.
SmallRig RF 10C beam profile photos on full zoom, and full flood.
Conclusion
Positives:
Good range of gobos.
Very wide zoom angle useful for tight spaces.
"Daylight 5600K mode" has excellent CRI and tint.
Useful choice of daylight white, sunset orange, red, and (a decent) blue.
Stable brightness during runtime.
USB-C charging.
3 tripod mounts.
Negatives:
Brightness could be improved.
Non-removeable battery.
UI is not great for light painting.
"Sunset Orange mode" is low CRI. (1800K 90CRI would be better).
Not focusable (only zoomable).
No battery percentage charge indication.
No diffuser.
The SmallRig RF 10C is a very unique flashlight. It is most useful as a portable gobo projector for portrait photography in non-studio settings (for example no access to a power supply), with lots of creative opportunities. Brightness could be improved, and the projected beam is increasingly out of focus with distance. Negative exposure compensation and high ISOs may be required for camera settings. The RF 10C can also be used (with some UI limitations) as a zoom light for short distance/nearfield light painting illumination using white, sunset, red, and blue light.
Whilst this light is larger and heavier than the Ulanzi LM07, the SmallRig RF 10C is much more useful due to the wider zoom angle and gobos. I managed to get great results using this light for a model photoshoot.
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