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Equipment Related Lighting Gear Viltrox

Viltrox H18 Tube Light

Viltrox sent me this interesting two sided tube light to check out and make a video on. This overview follows my collaboration terms I’ve defined with brands. I usually keep the devices sent to me, but they have no say in the content of anything I create. If products sent to me are low quality I simply don’t make a video and will return it to the manufacturer at their own expense.

Check it out on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3MDp1j9
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Or the official Viltrox store (not affiliated): https://viltroxstore.com/products/viltrox-h18

Watch the overview on YouTube. At the end of this article I have a full transcript if you prefer to read.

https://youtu.be/aUr-Sd17SEM

I used AI to generate this short article below from the transcript of the video so there might be a few quirks I could have missed after reviewing it! You can check out Viltrox’s product page for additional specifications or to verify something (link not affiliated). Or go to the Amazon product page.

Introduction:
The Viltrox H18 tube light is a versatile lighting tool that offers both RGB and bi-color options. With its compact design and numerous features, this portable light provides flexibility for various lighting needs. In this article, we will explore the key features and specifications of the Viltrox H18 tube light based on a transcript of a video review by Photography Banzai.

The light has two 1/4th-20 mounts. One on each end.
  1. Dual Lighting Options:
    The Viltrox H18 tube light features RGB lighting on one side and bi-color lighting on the other side. This versatility allows users to create a wide range of lighting effects to suit their specific requirements.
  2. Portability and Design:
    The Viltrox H18 tube light is designed with portability in mind. It is lightweight and comes with a paper manual for easy reference. The light also includes a switching adapter and an indicator for charging.
  3. Easy Control:
    The light has a user-friendly interface with a dial that clicks in every direction and a center button for switching between bi-color and RGB modes. By holding down the center button, users can toggle between the two lighting options.
  4. Connectivity and Accessories:
    The Viltrox H18 tube light features a DC input of 24 volts and 1 amp. It is equipped with a 1/4th-20 mount, allowing for easy attachment to various accessories. The light also has a removable barn door, providing further control over the light’s direction.
  5. LED Beads and Color Temperature:
    With 192 LED beads, the Viltrox H18 tube light delivers even and consistent lighting. It offers a bi-color temperature range of 2800 Kelvin to 6800 Kelvin, allowing users to adjust the color temperature according to their preferences.
  6. Luminance and Power:
    The Viltrox H18 tube light provides a maximum luminance of 2770 Lux at 5600 Kelvin and 100% power at a distance of 0.7 meters. This output makes it suitable for various lighting scenarios, including accent lighting and color splashes.
  7. Wireless Control:
    For convenient wireless control, users can utilize the Weeylite Pro app, which enables adjustment of colors and settings on the light. Additionally, an optional RC-11 remote control is available for those who prefer a non-smartphone control option.
I’d consider something like this more of an accent light rather than a key light.
The Weeylite Pro app is the best wireless lighting control app I’ve used so far. No added junk from what I can tell and it works quickly. Changing colors is very easy among all of the other features of this light like bi-color and effects.
An example of light output at 100% with an APS-C camera at f/6.3, 1/50th, ISO 200.
Decent sized RGB capable lights like this can produce intense lighting conditions!

Conclusion:
The Viltrox H18 tube light offers a somewhat compact and certainly portable lighting solution with its RGB and bi-color capabilities in a tubular format. Its versatile features, including adjustable color temperature, wireless control, and two mounting options, make it a valuable tool for photographers, videographers, and content creators. Whether used as an accent light, backlight, or for creative color effects, the Viltrox H18 tube light provides flexibility and convenience.

Video transcript:

The Viltrox H18 tube light.
It has RGB on one side and  
bi-color on the other side.
A lot of options, very portable! 
Viltrox did send me this light 
to try out and make the video on. 
I will be keeping it.
Nice to have a paper manual. 
It’s got a switching adapter.
I have the light plugged in you can  
see there is an indicator for charging.
A little tripod thing… this is a  
little little guy!
Dial that clicks  
in every direction with a center button.
To switch between bi-color and RGB you’re just  
going to hold this center button down.
DC input, 24 volt one amp… 
Now you can see that 1/4th-20 as well 
as some vent holes. On the other end  
we have just the 1/4th-20.
The end here is eight sided,  
so it won’t roll around on you on accident.
The bare light itself is around 665.5 grams. 
There’s 192 LED beads, you have a pretty 
even light and there is built-in diffusion. 
Bi-color temperature from 
2800 Kelvin to 6800 Kelvin. 
Maximum luminance of a 2770 Lux at 5600 
Kelvin 100 power at 0.7 meters distance. 
The barn door is removable and you can 
of course rotate it to the bi-color side. 
We’ve got a light barrier!
If I want to control it  
wirelessly I get the Weeylite Pro app.
I can tap on there and adjust the colors. 
As long as the switch is on the light, you’re 
using it wirelessly… you can turn it on and off. 
You’ve got the CCT mode which 
is color temperature adjustment. 
HSL mode which is a form of the RGB adjustment, 
and then actual RGB adjustment mode. We can do  
red green and blue numbers.
Then you also have the COL  
mode which is basically predefined cards 
that you can use to get certain colors. 
As well as scene mode.
The RC-11 is optional,  
does not come with this package. But it is 
pretty nice and convenient if you don’t want  
to use a smartphone… and it’s doing its thing! 
Definitely a very nice addition to this light  
and the other Weeylite or Viltrox lights.
Considering the camera settings of 1/50th  
of a second F/6.3 ISO 200 on the camera, I have 
100 power currently in RGB mode on the H18… 
So we can just get an idea of what it looks like.
I do have a large light running in the background. 
I guess I could turn that off, 
so we’re going 100 full green. 
full blue…
full red wow! 
Teal going…
Got yellow.. kind  
of a pink.. I gotta get the orange in here!
5600 Kelvin color temperature 100 power… 
I can see this being a good accent or backlight.
Really depends on your setup  
and how close things are.
In this case when it’s going  
100 power at its best case scenario you can see 
what it looks like giving the camera settings. 
Video mode on the Z5 and you have a 
bunch of options to light your scene. 
In this case RGB may be not the 
best (choice as a key light)… 
Obviously the main benefit 
here is it has a battery. 
It’s relatively compact although 
it’s not lightweight I would say. 
I don’t think you’ll be using this for a 
key light, it’s 18 watts of power maximum,  
but I could see it good for accent lights. 
Back lights… adding color splashes to things. 
Uhh, maybe even doing some 
type of streaming setup. 
But I’d probably still reflect the lights off 
of something else, but who knows? It might work  
for you you just have to try things out.
There’s a lot here to potentially use and  
do things with and it’s up to 
your imagination in that case. 
Again, Viltrox send me the light to try out make 
the video on. Scott of Photography Banzai, thanks!