Review: Sandmarc Prolight lights make a great addition to your lighting bag

Sandmarc might not be known for its lighting products, but these two LED lights are compact, adaptable, and usefully powerful.                                                      

Sandmarc Prolight. Image: Sandmarc.

I love portable gear that fits into small kit bags, and the two new Prolight lights from Sandmarc looked like a highly attractive proposition, only they not just fit into a small bag, but your pocket as well. The two models are split up into a Bi-Color model (US$99.99), and an RGB edition (US$129.99). Let’s take a look and see what you get for the money.

Sandmarc Prolight specifications and build quality

The two lights, in terms of the lighting face, are of a similar dimension to a large smartphone. The RGB Edition is marginally thicker than the Bi-Color model, but both have the same dimensions for the lighting face itself.

Construction wise they are made with an all-metal body, with a 1/4” screw thread on the base. They are reassuringly robust feeling, and although they are lightweight they are ‘weighty’ enough to feel high quality. These are nothing like the inexpensive knock-off style lights that you might find on eBay or Amazon.

The Sandmarc Prolight RGB Edition.

The lights are charged via a USB-C cable, while a small button turns them on and off. On the rear of the body there’s a colour LCD display, which shows you the current settings of the light. In the case of the RGB model this is the hue angle, saturation level, and brightness. Despite being primarily marketed as a coloured light, by reducing the saturation to zero it can also become a companion ‘white’ light to the Bi-Color model. The latter can be set to any level between 3000K and 6500K in steps of 100K. These modes and settings are adjusted by way of a multi-purpose switch/rocker lever on the side of the body.

The RGB Edition also has some special effects modes that cycle through the colours or produces flashing effects. This could be an SOS signal in an emergency, or a lightning effect that you could place on a set behind a window or curtain. Although this would probably work best in a close up rather than for lighting a room with the effect. It’s pretty neat to have these options though.

Both lights contain 3000mAh batteries and run at 15W maximum. Both models have a high CRI rating, with the Bi-color version being rated at 95+ and the RGB Edition 96+. Sandmarc claims that the Bi-Color version produces 1500 Lux at 0.5m, while the RGB is slightly lower at 770 Lux. These figures are slightly reduced if you use the supplied silicon diffusers that can be pulled over the lights for a softer look.

Rear display and settings on the Sandmarc Prolight RGB Edition.

In use

As I mentioned, the lights have a 1/4” screw thread on their base, so if you want to use them on a lighting stand you will need an adaptor. However these are really the sorts of lights you can break out anywhere. For example mounting in nooks and crannies, or sticking them to a wall, or taking nighttime shots outdoors. They are literally small enough to put into your pocket, so they can be carried around very easily indeed.

The size doesn’t bely their power though. They are surprisingly bright in practice. The RGB Edition in particular is great for getting creative with. You can set it to output some pretty zany colours, or you can dial it right back to just add the merest hint of a colour tone into a shot. The adjustment seems pretty much infinitely adjustable to any colour or saturation level you care to imagine.

Combining the RGB Edition and Bi-Color for a quick social media shot.

While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that one of these could be your main go-to key light, if pushed they could certainly be put to that use in the right circumstances. One useful thing I found was that I could power the lights while they were being charged by a USB power bank. This opens up the possibility of either using a battery based power bank to power them for longer periods, or hooking them up to a USB based wall power supply if you need to use them for long periods. Sandmarc claim that the lights should last for 90 minutes at full power. My own experience suggests that in real world use they last less long, although as mentioned, they can be charged whilst in use.

Conclusions

The Sandmarc Prolights would appear to represent very good value. They can be mounted anywhere and be used as anything from an eye light to a small key, or as an accent light. They can be hidden in the background and used to create interest to backdrops, or be used as ‘fake practical’ lights, such as pretending to be the light being emitted from a television for instance.

These are by no means the only mini LED lights of this type on the market, but the Sandmarc Prolights are very nicely built, easy to use, and the fact that they can also be powered from a USB bank extends their usefulness. They are also inexpensive enough that you could buy a few of them to have handy on any shoot.

The two lights can also be purchased as a bundle for US$199.99. Visit the Sandmarc website for more information.