Posts in Camera Gear

For more info on this light, check it out on Amazon (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/40y6pVB

I was very impressed with how small this light was when I pulled it out of the box. Solidly built out of aluminum. All the buttons and dials feel solid on it. Definitely get the combo kit as it gives you a mini Softbox with adapter, which is super really useful and it also gives you a bowens mount adapter. The light is so small it looks a little silly on the back of this huge adapter, but it works, so I can’t complain.

Has a nice case for the light and it’s power cables, including a reflector, with some sort of rubber diffusion cover to put over top. The diffusion cover allows more light to pass through than the soft box.

Fan noise is low and relatively pleasant sounding. Not a high-pitched whine or something that’s gonna be noticeable when filming dialogue.

Overall 👍🏼👍🏼

I wasn’t expecting much given the price point of this follow focus, but Neewer has been putting out some decent quality gear, so I gave it a shot. I was not disappointed! The build quality of the focus is solid, all aluminum bracket with aluminum hard stops on the wheel. I really like the rubberized grip on the wheel, which feels nice on the fingers and in the hand. Something you always pay attention when choosing a follow focus is how much play there is in the gearing when you change directions, and I must say that this follow focus is pretty tight. There is a tiny bit of play when you change directions but barely noticeable.

The kit comes with a 15 mm rod and rod mount for your camera or cage, so if you don’t already have rod to mount it to, you’re all set with this kit. Just keep in mind how long of Roger gonna need to get the follow focus over your lens as the raw that is included is only about four or 5 inches long. The kit also comes with a universal lens gear, which works in a pinch, but I recommend buying custom-made gears for your lenses as the universal lens gear is a pain to take on and off if you’re switching lenses and the tail of it gets in the way in your camera set up.

That being said, if you are in the market for a budget follow focus I would definitely recommend this!

Love that this light wand comes with a carrying case and accessories… a bit pricey though🧐

As far as I can tell, this is exactly the same as the FR100C RGB light wand that Zhiyune came out with last year, just with the added accessories. Don’t get me wrong, the FR100C is great, so I have no complaints about this version… I’m just not sure if the accessories, as awesome as they are, are worth the same amount as the light wand. This combo kit is basically double what the light wand is by itself.

That being said, the additional accessories are nice. I do like having the barn doors attached to the light wand as this helps control the spill of the light. It comes with a stretchy diffusion cloth to put over the barn doors. This is a bit finicky to get on as it’s pretty tight, and unless you are holding the light really close to somebody’s face, I don’t see much difference in the light quality without it versus with it.🤷

 I am excited about the case and the 120W charging adapter. The light itself is pretty robust, but I still don’t like it banging around my car or storage space. The included bag is lightly padded, but enough to keep the light from getting scratched and helps keep all the accessories together. By taking out the Power adapter, I can fit my second light wand in beside it, and have both of them together💪 also, the power adapter is nice to have while on set as at full power the light only lasts 20 to 30 minutes, and charging via usbc is not the quickest, so with the adapter, I can quickly charge one light while I am using the other.

All in all, I like this upgraded kit, but i don’t think the price is justified by the extra accessories you get.

Impressed with how small and compact this tripod is while still packing some powerful features into it. Even with the ball head on it, the tripod is nice and lightweight, I don’t hesitate to throw it onto a backpack for taking out and about. 

I really like an unusual feature that they have included in the twist locks on the legs and center column. At first, when loosening the legs,, after about a quarter of a turn, there is a bit of a catch, and I thought that there was an issue with the twist lock. However, I realize that all the twist locks on the legs and on the center column, have a bit of a catch after you loosen it about a quarter of a turn. This is a really nice function as the leg will not slide in or out until after you turn the twist lock past the catch, then the leg will slide easily. This allows you to gauge how far you need to loosen the twist lock to be able to make your adjustments. Other tripods I’ve had that have twist-locks on them, I’m always losing the locks way too much or not enough and getting frustrated with how long it takes me to make adjustments. This tripod make things easy and fast to quickly adjust the height of it.😎

Another cool feature on it is that the ball head has , what I would call, a drag setting for how much resistance you want on the ball head. This way, if you have your camera set up on it and you loosen the ball head, it’s not just going to flop over when you loosen it at all the way. This is a great safety function and helps a lot when you have a heavier camera set up on it.

My one gripe with the tripod is when, adjusting the angle of the legs, you have to pull out a little clip at the top of the leg, where it connects to the center column. This is pretty standard, but there is no spring that allows the clip to pop back into place once you’ve made your adjustment. You have to push the clip back in so that the leg locks at the angle you want it to be at. This can be a safety hazard as you can easily forget to pop it back in to lock the leg in place and you might not notice it until you put your camera on it and the leg slips.🙀 Just make sure you remember to lock the legs when making adjustments! 

Other than that, I’m really liking this tripod. It comes with a nice padded carrying case with a shoulder strap. The tripod is lightweight and well-made. Great addition to anybody’s travel outdoor kit!