Many hardware-centric companies have released lights in 2023, and iFootage has joined the club! They released a COB fixture that is very color-accurate with a good solid build at a competitive price. Sounds interesting, right? Let’s dive into the review.
What’s Included in the Kit
Design and Features
The SL1 60DN is a 70-watt compact COB fixture with a fixed 5600K daylight color output and a mini Bowens-style mount for the included 55° reflector. The 130BNA is a bi-color light that is 130-watt.
The body and light stand receiver are all metal. Overall, it has an excellent build. I’m not a big fan of lights that don’t have a light stand mount fixed on them. Yes, it makes it smaller to pack, but you have to screw a light post on, then attach the dual receiver, so actually, you end up with more bulky parts to keep track of.
These dual light post receivers tend to be cheap and a bit floppy on the stand. I think it was a great decision to include the all-metal receiver.
If you want to use a Bowens mount modifier, an adapter for $19 USD is available. The Bowens adapter has a stand mount that helps balance the light with larger modifiers. I like this design since the SL1 60DN is so small, and it helps even though it’s only a few inches forward.
Powering
The fixture has a USB-C PD power option, which is great! You can use a PD Power brick or 100-watt PD charger. This makes for a very lightweight option, as the included AC power brick and cable are much bulkier.
Speaking of the AC option, the barrel plug that inserts into the fixtures does not lock and can pull out fairly easily. This happened to me while moving the light on a stand in the studio.
The female AC cord on the 60DN doesn’t lock into the power brick however the 130BNA does. This is a bit odd, and hopefully, in the future iFootage can get the 60DN model a locking version. With the 60DN, you have two points that can easily be unplugged.
Battery Option
No mounting options exist for an NP or mini V-mount battery on the light. However, iFootage has a V-Mount Handheld Grip for portable handheld use.
You can purchase a V-Mount with a clamp to mount on a light stand as well and use a D-Tap to barrel connector.
Controls
All the controls for the fixture are on the back. It’s simple to navigate with the dials and push in to select another option. The LCD is bright and easy to read.
There are two camps for on-board control as opposed to a controller box. The benefits of not having one more thing to plug in are great, but you lose local access to the menu if the light is above your head and need to bring the light down to make changes or get a ladder.
The good news here is that the app works well, and you can easily change the brightness and color with it. Apps are great but limit the user who controls the light.
Keeping it Cool
You wouldn’t think a small light would need a fan, but iFootage included one instead of a passive-style cooling system. While the light is only 70 watts, it gets hot in the compact form factor. Luckily, the fan is practically inaudible, and I didn’t find an issue with microphones near the light. Heat kills electronics, so hopefully, keeping the fixture cool will extend its life.
Color and Brightness Performance
The iFootage fixtures tout impressive color rendition, and these little fixtures perform very well.
As for output at 1 meter without the reflector, the 60DN comes in at 2130 LUX or 198 footcandles. With the 55-degree reflector attached, it gets 5110 LUX.
The reflector does an excellent job of narrowing the beam while also spreading it out reasonably well. You won’t get uniform light when using any reflector, but the iFootage version does work well and doesn’t create a very bright hot spot. I rarely use reflectors with COB lights. I prefer to bounce, and these work well for that, too.
All tests were performed with a Sekonic C-800 Spectromaster meter.
SL1 60DN Color and LUX
The White Balance came in at 5356K. Not bad for a 5600K rated fixture.
The TM30 test shows the 60DN performing very well, with an Rf score of 96 (100 being perfect). The Rg rating (saturation) of 102 means the light is slightly oversaturated by 2%. If you look at the graph, you can see a bit of magenta and yellow, which are the more saturated colors, but this is so slight—very good results for a budget fixture.
The CRI also looks great, with a Ra (average CRI) of 97.4 and an extended rating of 97.14. This is an excellent score. As you can see, the individual colors are very close to being similar without any big differences.
The fixture performed very well in all the tests. The TLCI came in at 99. This is impressive and makes the SL1 60DN a very well-performing overall fixture.
SL1 130BNA Color and LUX
3200K
At 3200K I got a reading of 2430 LUX or 226 foot candles. With the 55-degree reflector attached, it reaches 7710 LUX in the middle.
The white balance at 3200K is very close at 3163K.
The TM30 test shows the 130BNA performing very well, with an Rf score of 94 (100 being perfect). An Rg rating (saturation) of 99 means the light is slightly undersaturated by -1%. Looking at the graph, you can see a bit of Magenta and yellow/green being the less saturated colors.
The CRI also looks good, with a Ra (average CRI) of 94.3 and an extended rating of 93.51. This is a very good score. As you can see, some individual colors, such as R12 dark blue and R10, scored under 90, but the R13, R14, and R1, which are in the skin tone range, did very well in the mid-90s.
The TLCI came in at 98. A perfect score is 100. Nice.
5600K
At 5600K the fixture did very well with a reading of 5690K.
The TM30 reading is Rf 95 (100 being perfect) and An Rg rating (saturation) of 99.
The CRI Ra (average CRI) is 96.8 and has an extended rating of 96.47. This is a very good score. As you can see, the R12 (dark blue) scored 90.5 which is the lowest score of the fifteen color values.
The TLCI is 98.
Extended Bi-Color Ranges
I also took two more tests on the 130BNA in 2700K and 6500K to get an idea on how those would perform. These settings are very rare for me to use but I do use 4800K frequently when I have a mixture of lighting coming into a room.
2700K
With the super warm and fuzzy 2700K I got a TM30 rating of Rf 92 and Rg (saturation) of 97.
6500K
With the ultra daylight 6500K setting, I got a TM30 scores of Rf 94 and saturation Rg of 98.
All these scores are impressive, and color isn’t an issue. Well done, iFootage!
Softboxes
iFootage sent me two softboxes to try out. The 23.6″ / 60 cm dome and a 19.7″ / 50 cm Lantern.
Since the diffusers are designed for a Bowens Mount you will need to purchase a mini Bowens adapter to use them with both of the SL1 fixtures. As I mentioned earlier I like this design with its own light stand mount on the adapter. It’s made of plastic but doesn’t feel cheap. This helps with keeping the overall weight down as well.
The iFootage Bowens Mount Adapter with Stand Adapter is very affordable at $19 USD.
19.7″ / 50 cm iFootage Lantern Softbox
This lantern is small. It comes in at 19.7″ / 50 cm. The compact design is suitable for an overhead placement or fill light. You can also use it like a lamp and sneak it out of frame alongside a particle lamp on set.
It doesn’t include a skirt to control the spill. This would have been handy to have. I do like it as it’s compact and great for smaller setups. It uses a full-size Bowens mount.
The iFootage Lantern Softbox (20″) retails for $89 USD.
23.6″ / 60 cm iFootage Dome Softbox
The 23.6″ / 60 cm dome softbox uses the Bownes mount. This is a good thing as many COB lights share this mount.
The ribs are attached to the mount and click and lock into place. You have to use some force to get them to lock. It takes a few minutes to get all of the rods situated. I prefer the type where you basically push the mount down, and they all lock as well as one button to collapse. It takes a little more effort with the single locking rod. Breaking it down, you push each rods tab, and it unlocks. Repeat for each.
Once built, it is a nice and compact softbox. Included is a removable diffusion. You get only one density and an inner baffle to help reduce a hot spot. This size is great for interviews, tabletop light, and other tighter shots. Since it’s a smaller size, the light will fall off faster.
The 19.7″ / 50 cm Lantern and 23.6″ / 60 cm Dome Softbox are a good fit for the compact 160DN, 130BNA COB lights. I love having compact lights. They work well when big, punchy ones are overkill for tighter situations.
Here is a sample using both fixtures and the two diffusers. They are nice and soft and worked great for a headshot. That is the beauty of smaller fixtures. If you know you don’t need a lot of light, then lower wattage and smaller footprint lights are perfect.
Mini Bowens Mount Fresnel Lens
iFootage also has a 6″ Fresnel Lens (Mini Bowens Mount) that is compatible with both the SL1 60DN and 130BNA. It retails for $79 USD.
Key features
- For SL1 60DN/130BNA/130DNA
- Provides Refined Spotlight Effect
- 8 to 35° Angle Adjustment
- Easy-to-Use Design
More Options
This year we have seen several players in the small compact fixture space. amaran, Godex, Nanlite to name a few. While I haven’t used all the available options in the 60 to the 130-watt range, I think these iFootage lights have an edge in color rendition.
Final Thoughts
The 60DN and 130BNA are excellent fixtures with matching performance. They are both very color-accurate and will look great on talent as the skin tones will look more natural due to the color performance. While they are not super powerful, they are compact and have a nice bit of punch. The build quality is also excellent; with the light post receiver attached to the fixture, there is less fumbling to get it set up.
The softbox and lantern are also well-built and easy to use. I do like the newer designs from other companies that pitch super fast. At least you dont have to stick each rod into the mount.
The 60DN comes in at 2130 LUX, and the 130BNA bi-color light is 130-watt. The difference in output at 5600K is as follows:
- 60DN 5600K – 2130 LUX
- 130BNA at 5600K – 2430 LUX
While the bi-color fixture is brighter, it isn’t twice as bright. This is because Bi-Color mixes the different COB LEDs to achieve the different kelvin. The lesson here is getting the bi-color for a few bucks more is worth it since you have more versatility.
All in all, iFootage has developed a very good performing fixture, and they also use similar technology on their bigger, more powerful lights. Impressive for the first new lighting line from iFootage.
Pricing
The iFootage SL1 60DN and 130BNA are relatively new, and the good news is they’re in stock and ready to buy.
The SL1 60DN retails for $149 USD. A kit that includes a carrying case is available for $189. You have to weigh the $40 USD cost of the bag to see if it’s worth it, especially if you buy two or three and can put that money towards a hard case.
The SL1 130BNA Bi-Color kit retails for $299 USD, and the light without bag sells for $199 USD.
