I Finally Ditched my Apple Magic Mouse and it Changed my Life.

This isn’t a blog I ever expected to write. I loved my Apple Magic Mouse — but like everyone else, I had one major issue: when it runs out of battery, you can’t use it while it charge and until I had upgraded, I hadn’t realised what I was missing out on.

Whoever decided to put the charging port on the bottom clearly wasn’t thinking about real-world use.Whoever decided to put the charging port on the bottom clearly wasn’t thinking about real-world use.

This blog contains Amazon affiliate links; if after clicking of these, you make a purchase, I may receive a small kick back at no cost to you. This is great way to support the blog and allows me to get out and explore, review products and keep the content coming for this blog

Part of not wanting to move to any other mouse was down to me being a bit of an Apple fanboy and thinking they could do no wrong, but I saw some videos on YouTube whilst I was researching the Logitech MX Creative Console, and a lot of reviewers were talking about the MX range of mice and these piqued my interest. People were also talking about the keyboards that Logitech made, and it just so happened that I was on the lookout for a new keyboard after my Apple keyboard died and wouldn’t recharge. I had been making do with a cheap keyboard from Amazon, but I knew that this was a relationship that wasn’t going to last.

As I was browsing for keyboards, I found a deal on the keyboard which allowed me to buy the keyboard and the MX3 mouse was thrown in for an extra £10. Couple this with the corporate discount scheme that I am a member of and I had an offer than I couldn’t resist - they went straight in my basket. (I got the MX Keys S by the way, and it’s the best/nicest keyboard I have ever owned).

Now this isn’t intended to be an in depth review, more of an overview, but I will say that as per the title, this has been a life changer for me. The scroll function is much better, it feels smoother moving across my desk pad and the buttons are much quieter but still have a satisfying click. The ergonomics on this thing are awesome and it feels it feels great in the hand, with everything easily reachable without adjusting your grip. Oh, and it’s also fully customisable so you can make it do an absolute ton of things.

One of the things that has been great for me is the thumb wheel. This is configurable, but I am using it scroll between different tabs, especially when browsing. I need to have things open so I can switch between them when I am researching or need to look at different sources of information and having two browser windows open is just not enough!

Logitech MX Master 3S Mouse

View on Amazon

Logitech MX Keys S

View on Amazon

Logitech MX Keys S COMBO

View on Amazon

Logitech Creative Console

View on Amazon

The thumb wheel however isn’t just for switching tabs - that’s just what it does in one of its configurations. In Photoshop I have it mapped to brush size, in Premier Pro it scrolls my time line horizontally and in Lightroom I have it set to zoom in and out of my images.

Underneath the thumb wheel are two buttons (call front button and back button), which I have mapped to copy and paste in all applications and then there is the gestures button, another multifunction area of this mouse. I won’t bore you with all the mappings that I have set up, but having the ability to alt+tab between windows, without actually having to alt+tab is, for a new mouse nerd, awesome.

The LogiOptions+ app is where you can set all of your customisations up, and it’s really easy to do. I like doing this kind of thing and making my tools work for me, but even if this isn’t your kind of thing, it’s really quick and it’s really straightforward.

But the biggest plus for me? I can charge this thing without having to be without my mouse for a couple of hours. The charging is pretty swift (via USB C) and the battery lasts for well over a couple of weeks - I am not a heavy user, everything I am doing is related to either my photography or this website, I’m not using it for gaming, it’s very much studio/office/admin work so granted, the battery isn’t taking much of a hammering.

Compared to the Magic Mouse, this feels like a tool designed for actual productivity rather than aesthetics.

Should You Get One?

If you’ve got the budget — yes.

This is one of those tools that quietly transforms how you work. More speed, less friction, and far fewer interruptions.

Who Should Buy One?

• Photographers

• Videographers

• Editors

If your workflow relies on shortcuts, fast navigation, and switching between apps, this will genuinely improve your efficiency.

If you’re just doing basic admin, it’s probably overkill.

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Gear Review: Logitech MX Creative Creative Console - Keypad and Control Dial

In this Logitech MX Creative Console review, I take a hands-on look at whether this highly customisable control surface can genuinely speed up editing and streamline creative workflows and consider if this is a worthwhile upgrade for photographers and content creators.

This blog contains Amazon affiliate links - if you click one of these links and then make a qualifying purchase, I may receive a small kick back and this really helps to support the blog and the best of it is that it doesn’t cost you a single penny extra!

You can check current pricing here if you’re interested.

TL;DR

The Logitech MX Creative Console is a thoughtfully designed, highly customisable control surface that genuinely speeds up creative workflows making it an excellent investment for photographers, designers, and content creators looking to work smarter, not harder

Why Choose the Logitech MX Creative Console?

I am someone who likes to do his research because I like to get things right the first time, especially when I am spending money (or birthday vouchers!). There is a lot of hype around other macro-key products, particularly the Tour Box Elite and the longer standing Elgato Stream deck.

Alternatives to the MX Creative Console

I quickly ruled out the Stream Deck as it doesn’t have a scrub wheel and to buy something to compliment it means spending more money and another decision to find something that works and that I like.

The Tour Box was a serious consideration for me, the reviews are good, it looks smart and it works well with DaVinci reosolve, and it’s that last part that made the decision for me. Everyone online is telling me how good it is to edit in DaVinci using this, but I don’t edit enough video, let alone in DaVinci to make this worthwhile.

The MX Creative console however, works across most of the Adobe Creative Suite (it’s really strong in Photoshop and Lightroom) and is context aware so the buttons change depending on the software that you have open. It can even control aspects of your main operating system, which I find really handy.

First Impressions and Build Quality

What’s in The Box?

In the box, you get your keypad, your dialpad, a USB cable (because the keypad doesn’t connect via bluetooth, so I would like to see that improved in the future, though it does mean that there is no latency) and a stand which props up the keypad so that it rests at a good angle for you to work with. The underside of both of these components has some material stuck to it in order to create some friction to stop it sliding all over your desk. Mine are both placed on a large desk pad so I’m not too concerned about this, but I have tried it on a bare surface and it seems to hold up well.

Build Quality , Design & aesthetics

Straight out of the box you will notice that this thing is light, but that isn’t reflected in the quality of the materials, which feel solid enough and like they will be able to stand up to being sat on my desk for the next few years. That said, if I do want to take them anywhere with me, I would probably buy a case to transport them in. The wheel is made of metal and feels good under than hand.

A quick word on the unboxing, just because people like to know about that kind of thing: It was a solid 5 out of 10 in terms of excitement, it’s certainly not the experience you get from something like an Apple product. I will however point out that there is nothing in the packaging that can’t be recycled, so a full 10/10 on that front.

When it’s plugged in, the control buttons are bright and pretty vibrant - they look great on the desk. The buttons are soft and feel pretty satisfying to press, and that’s always nice.

You’ll also notice that there is a lot of similarity with the now discontinued Loupedeck line of products and suspect that this is no accident given that Logitech acquired Loupedeck in 2023 and sales from this brand were discontinued in March ‘25.

The console comes in two colours, graphite and pale grey. I have opted for the graphite for two reasons: Firstly, I have the MX Keys S, which are also a dark grey/graphite colour, as well as the MX Mouse 4 which is the same colour so aesthetically, it looks good and all ties together (not quite with my blue Mac, but that’s another story). Secondly, in my experience, light grey and white things that you are constantly touching often ended up looking quite grubby and I want them to carry looking good for longer.

Connection and Set-Up

The initial set-up is really easy and the LogiOptions+ software that comes with it is really intuitive and actually quite enjoyable to use.

The setup process is completely guided and you’ll need to grant a couple of permissions (I’m using a Mac so if you’re on a Windows machine then your experience here may differ slightly). The ‘easy to set up Logitech MX Creative Console’ would be a good (if slightly unimaginative) sales line for them.

Logi Options+ software setup

The software does a good job of detecting what you have installed on your computer and then you just need to select which ones you want to have shortcuts installed for. Each piece of software comes with some pre installed shortcuts/actions to get you started and this means that you pretty much can straight into playing with it.

Page one of your keypad is the system actions page, and this comes preloaded with things like volume controls, open Finder and music controls, and honestly, it’s really good.

I have added some more actions to the next available page to do things like cmd+tab and to close windows quickly. I have also added some buttons to open the apps that I use the most, so that’s all of my photo and video apps as well as things like Word and Mail. The other thing that I have done is to set up some buttons to open websites that I use frequently, like Google, Amazon, YouTube and of course, Squarespace!

We also need to talk about the contextual awareness of the whole system. It’s awesome. It’s quick and it’s intuitive. As soon as I switch from one app to the next, the pages have changed and my buttons are ready to go. Each of the Adobe apps has its own set of pre-installed shortcuts. Logitech have done a great job of picking the ones that they know we will need in each of the apps, I haven’t had to change much, but I do know that I can add anything I find isn’t there really quickly through the LogiOptions+ app.

The dialpad (or as I keep calling it, the wheel), is just as easy to set up. It’s far less visual than the keypad, and that’s ok. I think the two off set each other really well and having too much visual output on the dialpad would be information overload for a lot of people.

The main jog wheel feels really good under your fingers and moves smoothly, though I think one improvement I would like to see in future updates of the hardware is for it to have some kind of haptic feedback, it moves very smoothly, but that extra feedback would really complete the experience.

The same is true of the vertical scroll wheel, it feels good and works well but it would be much better with some feedback through the fingers. There are also four buttons on here, all of them fully customisable within each of the apps that you want you to set it up for.

Real World Usage: Editing Workflow Performance

I don’t think it would be going too far for me to say that this has been game changer for me. I have made some small changes to layouts, just to put the buttons that I use the most often in the right places for me, and I have added things that I use that weren’t programmed-in out of the box and I think I have got it just where I want it.

For example, editing a landscape image in Lightroom is now much quicker because I have my tools on my desk in front of me, I can use the dialpad to increase and decrease the value of sliders and I can bring tools and masks up really quickly with the touch of a button, rather than having to use several clicks.

I’m not just using it for anything photography related, but I am doing a lot of the day to stuff on my Mac from this, everything for launching websites to closing windows.

The MX Creative Console has sped up my workflow across all of the apps that I use, but the changes it has made for me in my creative apps are massive. I am much quicker and, dare I say it, better organised as a result of this; not just on my computer, but also I am more minded to keep my desk much clearer!

The contextual changes you will see are instant. For example, when I click to open Lightroom, the contextual awareness picks this up straight away and switches my keypad to the Lightroom icons. Pressing the buttons is instant as well, there’s no lag and the tool I have selected is ready to use. I think that this is partly down to the fact it is plugged into my computer, that being said, I haven’t had any noticeable lag with the dialpad, which is connected via Bluetooth.

The one thing I have noticed, other than what I have already mentioned is that the large wheel on the dialpad is touch sensitive, which is nice, but if you inadvertently catch this with your hand as you move around your desk then you can end up changing things that you didn’t want or need to.

How I use it in my own workflow

I have been thinking about how to speak about this, because it’s had a big impact on the way I am working and I only expect this to get bigger as I use it more.

But what has it actually done for me? It’s removed the need to memorise and recall shortcuts, and some the things I do regularly I am now building muscle memory for. I need a brush in Photoshop? I have a button for that now. Want to put in a radial or linear gradient? I have a button for that too. I can’t make my mind up if this is making me quicker or lazier. Perhaps both.

It has relieved the need for some of the longer shortcuts that I would use, which is nice, so now instead of cmd+shift+r for reseting an image, I have just one button to press. It also means that I am using my graphics pab slightly differently - the buttons I have on there are now largely redundant.

My graphics tablet’s buttons have always been a bit of a bit of a bugbear of mine, they are largely just in the way and I didn’t really use them. Having the MX Creative Console means that I no longer have to guess what I set these buttons up to do, because I can see the shortcuts in front of me. If you’re looking for a graphics tablet and the MX console isn’t for you then, then I’d recommend something like the Xencelabs Combo Medium.

Who Should Buy One?

• Photographers (Lightroom/Photoshop users)

• Designers (Photoshop/Illustrator)

• Video editors (Premiere Pro/DaVinci users)

• Productivity-focused users

This is going to appeal to a lot of people, especially those who want to streamline their work flow. Those of you who are willing to spend the time customising it so that it wors the way that you work will get the most of it - one of the biggest plusses for this is its customisability.

It works equally well across Lightroom, Photoshop and Premiere Pro. I have used it with some success in Davinci, but I don’t know this software well enough to give anything meaningful here other than ‘it works’ and it does the basic stuff I need it to.

If you’re looking to speed up your editing workflow and reduce reliance on keyboard shortcuts, this is one of the most effective upgrades you can make.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Fully customisable means that it will be suited to all workflows.

• Adpative/Context aware so keys change with your workflow and you don’t need to adjust.

• The tactile dial gives you some real precision control

• Two-part modular design means you can find the ideal placement for you on your desk.

• Is being regularly updated with more support

• The Logi Options+ software is intuitive and make set-up much easier.

• Not ‘laggy’ with the inputs and responsiveness

Cons

• Wired connectivity for the keypad means another cable trailing across your desk and another USB port used up.

• Setup and customisation can take a while, but worth it if you want to get the most out of it.

• If you already fly around the shortcuts, this might not be much of a benefit.

• Nine keys isn’t as many as some of the competitors, so you spend time moving through the pages.

• It’s quite lightweight so doesn’t feel as premium in the hand as some of its other competitors.

• Jog wheel could be improve by adding a notch/groove for a finger to sit in.

My Tips for Getting the Most out the MX Creative Console

• Spend time setting it up in the way that you want.

• Put the shortcuts you use or will need the most on the first couple of pages to save scrolling.

• Think about your desk placement and get it somewhere comfortable.

Should You Buy It?

In a word, yes. Especially if you fit into one the categories I have mentioned above. This is a truly great piece of kit and I am constantly finding new ways do things with it, its made me much more productive and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a button?

Where to buy the MX Creative Console.

The MX Creative Console is currently available on Amazon, I paid £175.04 on 2nd April 2026.

You can also buy straight from Logitech, who at the time of writing have some good deals avaialable so it’s worth a look there too.

Other retailers are available but if I try to list them all here it’s going to be a big list!

At around £175, it’s not cheap—but for something that you’ll use every single day, it’s an investment that quickly pays for itself in time saved.

Final Thoughts

This is great piece of kit that I have only owned for a week or so and it is already becoming an integral part of my workflow, which I am not sure what I would have been doing without. Paired with the MX Key S and MX Mouse it’s really helped my productivity. The mapping is great and means that you can really make each of these things your own, and make them work how you want them to work and think that this is one of the MX Console’s strengths.

Specs

Controls

• 9 LCD keys with dynamic app-aware icons
• Precision dial for fine adjustments
• Custom layouts for workflow optimisation
• Multi-page controls for extended functionality

Software

• Logi Options+ control platform
• Smart Actions (multi-step automation)
• Auto-switching profiles per application
• Plugin ecosystem for creative apps

Connectivity

• Bluetooth Low Energy
• USB-C charging and connection
• Up to 10m wireless range
• Rechargeable battery (dial module)

Compatibility

• Windows 10+ and macOS 12+
• Adobe Creative Cloud
• DaVinci Resolve & Final Cut Pro
• Affinity Suite and Figma

View on Amazon

All details correct as of 02/04/2026, tested using Apple Mac M1.

Gear Review: Godox X3 Pro Wireless Touchscreen TTL Flash Trigger.

Ahhh, flash triggers! For years (for me at least) these have been unnecessarily difficult to use bits of kit with complicated menus, too many buttons and some of the least intuitive things I have ever had in my photography set-up.

The Godox X3 Pro-C was launched in late 2025, with initial availability starting in September/October 2025 and changed that! It is something that I have been wishing someone would make for a number of years and finally something has come along that ticked a lot of the boxes I was hoping for.

I’ve had a number of different flashes and I still own some of them. One of the first sets was some Neewer off-camera flashes (the catchily titled Neewer NW-562 E-TTL Flash Speedlite), which came with their own triggers and a manual which contained some literal translations which were largely unhelpful. They were a lot of faffing, but once I got some settings dialled in for the transmitter and the receivers, I didn’t change them. I could just about work with the plethora of buttons and dials on the flash to change things like the output power and the zoom, and I did find it handy being able to reposition them. I still have them as they make useful lights that I can hide in scenes to light them more creatively.

I eventually upgraded to some more powerful strobes, this time from Godox and went for the Godox SK400III, which I paired with Godox XPRO-C TTL trigger. This was a real step-up from the previous trigger as now I could set up groups and store some different settings. Again however, I found this really complicated to use. The old style LCD screen was, I found, very confusing, difficult to use and to be quite honest, a bit of a pain. It did however give me some more flexibility and allowed me to do a little bit more. When I say ‘allowed’, what I mean is that I could control the strobes from the trigger rather than having to go and off fiddle with two set of buttons on two different flashes.

More recently, I have taken delivery of the Godox X3 Pro C Wireless Touchscreen TTL Flash Trigger. Yep, you guessed it, I got in the Black Friday sale last year, and I have had a couple of months to play with it before giving you my thoughts. One of my overriding thoughts is that they need to come up with some better names for these things!

This blog contains Amazon affiliate links and I may receive a small kick back if you make a qualifying purchase after you have clicked one of these links. This is a great way to support the blog, so a massive thank you goes to you if you choose to make a purchase, all of the money I make from this goes back into helping me to create reviews for the blog, it’t not a huge amount, but every little helps!

First Impressions:

This is much smaller than previous triggers that I have owned, yet you don’t lose any of the screen real estate that you want with a piece of gear like this. It’s light, which is a real bonus when you’re sticking it on the top of your camera via the hot shoe. One of the other things I like about it is that it has a built in rechargeable batter - HOORAY - no more faffing about with AA batteries which cost a fortune or rechargeable ones that never seem to last very long. The battery is rechargeable via a USB C cable which comes supplied.

It’s a lovely little object to hold, the plastics feel solid and the branding is fairly tame which means it looks quite subtle.

The touchscreen is bright and responsive. It’s also big enough that you’re not forever bumping icons you didn’t mean to and it’s not so sensitive that you’re accidentally changing your settings by just brushing against it.

There are 2 buttons on the right hand side, which give solid feedback when your press them (one of these will test fire the flash and the other is the power/menu button). Finally, on the same side, you have a multifunction wheel, which you can turn to navigate the menus and press to make selections, it has a reassuring click which lets you know you’ve made a selection. This might be handy if you’re working somewhere cold and are wearing gloves, or if you struggle to use your hands to make the changes via the touchscreen.

On the front of the unit there is an autofocus assist beam and at the bottom of it there is mechanical button which retracts a pin on the hot shoe to enable you to release it from the camera when you’re ready to pack down.

It came with about 60% charge already in the battery and to charge it to full took about 45 minutes. I don’t know what the full battery life is, but it’s been enough to get me through a full day’s shooting.

My Experience with The Trigger

I have really enjoyed using it so far. Once I had everything set up (which took no more than a few minutes after I had watched some YouTube videos), I was ready to go and shooting. I had someone booked in for some headshots not long after I took delivery of it and it got me through the whole session with no issues (I did have the old one on standby just incase I ran into any issues), I was able to make range of adjustments which synced to the strobes with no issue.

One thing I really like is that you can scan the 2.4ghz frequencies and the trigger will tell you which channels are the clearest ones for use in the environment you are, and then you can set this on the strobes and the trigger. I use each of my flashes in its own group and I don’t bother with the ID numbers as I am not often working in an environment which requires me to do this. I have however, messed around with creating different groups and using ID numbers for the purpose of this review, and have found that it’s a fairly straightforward process.

There is a slight lag from when you make changes on the trigger to them registering on the flash, whilst this hasn't been an issue for me, it’s something worth knowing. We're talking about delay of less than a second, but I know there are people who aren’t going to be into this.

What other features does it have?

One little ‘'bonus’ feature of this unit is that you can also use it as an intervalometer, but you will need to connect the trigger to the camera with 2.5mm TRS cable (male to male). These are less than a tenner for two if you click the link I have just posted, but a lot of you might find that you already have one of these knocking around at home somewhere, especially if you have purchased flash gear before.

One of the big plusses, for me at least, of this trigger is that it is a radio trigger so this does away with the need for line of sight to enable you to trigger the flash, which gives you some more flexibility on set/location and it saves the need for the use of optical slaves.

Switching between TTL and manual flash is straightforward, which is especially useful when working in changing light conditions.

The updatable firmware is also a huge bonus for lighting setups and products which are constantly evolving, and will reduce the need to keep spending money on buying new gear.

You can also change the trigger distance or range and you have two options here, 0-30 metres and 100m. I have found that when I am shooting in the studio, it’s much more reliable and has fewer misfires when working in the 0-30m setting. I haven’t used it outside yet, so can’t say if it works well up to 100m.

Finally, in the menus there is a function called ‘legacy’ which allows you to turn off all but one of the pins on the hotshot (the centre one), which means that it has greater functionality across a range of older camera bodies. You should be sure to check that your camera is compatible with the unit before you buy it.

Who is this for?

The Godox X3 Pro-C is ideal for photographers who want a compact, modern flash trigger without sacrificing control or reliability. It’s particularly well suited to Canon shooters who regularly work with off-camera flash and want a streamlined, clutter-free setup that travels easily. If you shoot on location, work with multiple light groups, or frequently switch between TTL and manual flash modes, the X3 Pro-C’s touchscreen interface and intuitive layout make lighting adjustments quick and efficient.

It’s also a strong choice for photographers moving away from optical triggering and into a radio-based workflow, offering dependable performance indoors and outdoors without line-of-sight limitations. Those who value portability, a clean camera setup, and fast access to lighting controls will appreciate what the X3 Pro-C offers.

However, photographers who prefer physical dials and buttons, work extensively in cold or wet conditions, or want interchangeable batteries may find a more traditional trigger a better fit.

Where Can I Buy One?

The easiest place to get one of these is on Amazon, where you will find it for around about £88. Make sure that you buy one which is compatible with your camera. There are a number of different versions, so don’t end up with something that you need to return! The ‘C’ in the name of this one stands for Canon, there is an ‘S’ for Sony and so on. They are clearly labelled with the camera brand on Amazon.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Bright touchscreen with intuitive navigation and operation.

• Small profile makes it great for travelling and on location marking.

• Supports Canon TTL metering and high speed sync

• Uses the Godox X system which gives compatibility across a wide range of flashes/strobes

• Built in USB C rechargeable battery negates the need for a high pile of AA batteries.

• High speed sync speed up to 1/8000 if your camera supports it.

Cons

• Touchscreen can be fiddly in cold and wet conditions

• Not hot shoe pass through. Once it’s attached, there is no way to connect anything else, which could be a limiting factor in some setups.

• More expensive than some other Godox triggers without much development around the core functionality.

Final Thoughts

The Godox X3 Pro-C is a strong choice for Canon photographers who want a modern, streamlined approach to off-camera flash control. It delivers reliable radio triggering, a clean and intuitive touchscreen interface, and a compact design that keeps camera setups lightweight and uncluttered. In real-world use, it offers all the core functionality most photographers need, from multi-group control and TTL support to High-Speed Sync for working in bright or fast-changing light.

While those who prefer physical buttons or interchangeable batteries may gravitate towards more traditional triggers, the X3 Pro-C excels in ease of use, portability and workflow efficiency. For photographers looking to simplify their lighting setup without compromising on control or performance, the Godox X3 Pro-C is a capable and well-designed trigger that fits comfortably into both studio and on-location workflows.

Technical Specifcations

Godox X3 Pro-C (Canon) – Specifications

Quick reference spec sheet

Compatibility

Canon EOS (E-TTL / E-TTL II)

Wireless system

Godox X 2.4GHz radio

Range

Up to approx. 100 m

Channels

32

Wireless ID

01–99

Groups

A–E + ALL

Flash modes

TTL, Manual, Multi

High-Speed Sync

Up to 1/8000s

Flash compensation

±3 EV (1/3-stop steps)

Sync modes

Front & rear curtain

Interface

Colour touchscreen

Power

Built-in rechargeable battery

Charging

USB-C

Firmware updates

Via USB-C

Mount

Canon hot shoe (quick-lock)

Remote control

Power & zoom control on compatible flashes

Size

Approx. 72 × 51 × 38 mm

Weight

Approx. 48 g

Gear Review: SmallRig Vibe P96L RGB Video Light

I’m sticking an extra entry in this week, as I wanted to review this light, 2 of which I received as Christmas gifts. These were things that I asked for after having done a bit of research so I had a decent idea of what I was getting and a rough idea of what it would do. This is my quick review after a couple of weeks of using them. I am going to try and keep this fairly short and concise.

This blog contains amazon affiliate links. If you click one of these links and then make a qualifying purchase, I may receive a small kickback - this is at no extra cost to you. This is a great way to support this blog and allows me to do things like creating these reviews.

So let’s jump into this quick review of the (not so) memorably named SmallRig Vibe P96L RGB Video Light.

Why Did I Get Them?

I wanted these not as video lights, which is there inteded purpose, but as small, portable, constant light sources that I could take out with me when I want to get a bit more creative, especially with macrophotography and when I want to use lower apertures, but keep the shutter speed as fast as I can. I don’t think I will use the effect feature that has been designed into these lights, but I will absolutely use the CCT and HSI functions (more on these features below), to creatively light some macro shots and to give myself some more creative flexibility. I have got some Pavotubes, but these are too big to cart around in my bag for occasional use so only really get used in the studio.

What’s in The Box?

This one is straightforward. You get the unit, an instruction leaflet and a charging cable (USB-C).They’re well packaged, and come in a well made Apple-esque box, which gives them plenty of protection on their journey.

First Impressions

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the build quality and look of these things. They look great and appear like they’re much expensive than the less-than £40 you have paid for them. I like the tacitly of the admittedly quite small buttons, and this will be beneficial when you’re working low light but could be problematic if you’re wearing gloves.

Interestingly, even though I got two of them, the amount of battery in each was vastly different. One was over 80% charged, whereas the other one almost completely flat. Don’t expect that you’re going to be able use it straight out of the box without having to charge it first.

Build Quality

These are really well made pieces of equipment. They are made out of an aluminium alloy which feels really premium, the front of them is covered in plastic which is textured and creates a nice bit of diffusion so you’re not just battling with bare LEDs. They measure around 108x60x11mm and weigh less than 120g, which means that they don’t take up much room in your bag and they’re not too heavy to carry around with you. It also means that they are small enough to hold in your hand but that they have a wide enough “base” to stand up on their own. They do have a 1/4” threaded tripod mount (female) if you want to attach them to anything, but if you want to mount them to your camera’s hot-shoe, you’re going to need to invest in something like the SMALLRIG Tilting Mount with Cold Shoe Adapter - I have a couple of these and they are great little bits of gear which will do the job of holding this light to your camera nicely without adding too much extra weight to your setup.

They aren’t weather sealed, so if you’re using them in poor conditions, or expect to be using them a lot in the rain, then look for a different, weather sealed option or plan ahead to make sure that you don’t get them soaked.

Ease of Use

These are really easy to use. The controls are simple, the LED display on the rear of the unit is clear, bright and easy to read. The buttons and dials on the top and side of the light are really tactile, which makes them easy to use when you’re working with limited light but might be a bit more of a challenge in cold weather or if you’re wearing gloves.

There is a mode switch on the top which cycle through the three modes, which are CCT, HSI and Effect.

CCT is Correlated Colour Temperature. The light has a range of around 2500 to 8000k and you can adjust the brightness and temperature this feature by using the wheels on the side of the unit. This will give you clean, accurate light. They are rated at CRI 96 so not too shabby in this regard, especially at this price point.

HSI is Hue, Saturation and Intensity. You can change the hue and saturation using the top wheel, which is “pressable”. Pressing the wheel in toggles between hue and saturation and you can adjust this by nudging the wheel up and down. Intensity (or brightness) is controlled using the bottom wheel. This will give you much more creative control.

Effect is exactly that. These are a group of pre-programmed settings which will create effects such the light from a TV, police, fire and ambulance lights and strobe effects. These aren’t something that I will use much as photographer, but those of you who shoot video may be able to find a use case for this. This will give you creativity and atmosphere.

These are all pretty intuitive and won’t take much learning, so ease of use gets a big thumbs up!

Battery

These come with a built-in rechargeable 1500 mAh lithium-ion battery, which charges fairly quickly and carries a decent amount of power. You can charge these with the supplied USB either hooked up to your computer or from a battery pack if you think you are going to run the battery down during a full day of shooting. I’ve been out with these for a full day and haven’t run them to empty, but this is going to be dependent on a number of variables such as the ambient temperature (they’ll not last as long in cold temperatures), how much your using them and what brightness you are using them at.

Who is This For?

The SmallRig Vibe P96L is best suited to photographers who need a compact, colour-accurate LED light for close-range work and creative lighting control. It’s a strong fit for product photography, still life, behind-the-scenes content and studio desk setups, where accurate colour rendering and quick adjustment matter more than raw power. With a CRI of 96, it’s particularly useful for photographers who want consistent, reliable colour when shooting details, textures or reflective surfaces. Its small size and built-in battery also make it a practical option for location work, travel photography and content creation, where portability and fast setup are essential. While it’s not designed to light large scenes or act as a primary key light, it works very well as a fill light, accent light or creative colour source for photographers looking to add flexibility to a lightweight setup.

Where Can I Buy Them?

I got mine from Amazon , and they cost £39.90. They are sold at wide range of photography retailers, so shop around for the best price.

SMALLRIG P96L RGB Video Light

Check price on Amazon ›

Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. High colour accuracy (CRI 96) – produces natural, reliable colour, particularly useful for product and still life photography

2. Wide colour temperature range (2500K–8000K) – easy to match daylight, tungsten or mixed lighting conditions

3. Full RGB control – useful for creative accents, backgrounds and experimental lighting

4. Compact and lightweight – ideal for desk setups, travel and location work

5. Built-in rechargeable battery – no need for external power; convenient for portable use

6. Simple, intuitive controls – quick adjustments without breaking workflow

7. Multiple mounting options – 1/4″ thread and cold shoe compatibility increase flexibility

8. Good value for money – strong feature set for its size and price point

Cons:

Limited output power – not suitable as a primary key light or for lighting large scenes

1. Best suited to close-range use – effectiveness drops quickly with distance

2. Small control buttons – can be fiddly when working quickly or with gloves outdoors

3. RGB effects more niche for photography – some modes are more useful for video than stills

4. No weather sealing – care needed when using outdoors in poor conditions

Conclusion

The SmallRig Vibe P96L isn’t designed to replace a full lighting setup, but that isn’t really the point. Where it works best is as a compact, dependable and colour-accurate LED light that earns its place in a photographer’s everyday kit. The high CRI rating, wide colour temperature range and RGB control make it genuinely useful for product photography, still life work and close-range creative lighting, while its small size and built-in battery keep it practical for desk setups and location use.

If you regularly need a portable fill light, accent light or creative colour source, the P96L offers a strong balance of control, build quality and value. It’s not the light you’d reach for to illuminate a large scene, but for photographers who want flexibility without adding bulk, it’s a well-judged and versatile option that punches above its size.

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Gear Review: Canon EF 2x Teleconverter MKII

This is a review I hadn’t planned on writing as this wasn’t a piece of kit I was planning on buying! I ended up with one of these teleconverters as at the same time I was buying my 16-35mm lens, I was also looking for a telephoto zoom lens, with the Sigma 150-600mm f/5.6 being at the top of my list.

Some quick maths made me rethink this - I knew I REALLY wanted the 16-35mm f/4L, but getting the 150-600 at the same time, financially, was going to be a bit of a push and after some consideration, I decided to plump for the teleconverter and see how I got on with it. On the front of my Canon 80D which has a crop sensor, paired with my 70-200 f/4L, I can expect to have a focal length around 224-600. (Here’s the maths… (70x2)x1.6 = 224 and (2—x2)x1.6 = 600)).

We can agree this is a whole lot of reach, which is going to be great for a having a go at some wildlife which has previously been out of the range of my 70-200. I will also be able to pick out things in a landscape which have previously been a mere pipe dream and hopefully bag some great shots of the low flying jets as they pass through The Lake District Valleys.

I got mine from MPB.COM, and it’s in “Like new” condition. It set me back £198.55, which is great compared to the in excess of £800 I was going to have shell out for the Sigma. Yes, I have had to sacrifice some reach, (on a crop sensor, 800mm looks like 960mm), but I want to see how this solution works first.

This isn’t the best looking piece of kit; it’s the same off white colour we expect to see long Canon lenses come in and without the lens caps on, it’s a truly odd looking accessory.

Mine has the EF mounting system, (remember, I am still shooting with a DSLR!), and the extender comes with a solid, metal mount which firmly attaches it to the front of the camera.

There is a trade-off to all of this extra reach, namely, attaching your lens to an extender reduces your maximum aperture by 2 stops. So in my case, the max aperture my f/4 lens is going to have is f/8. I don’t mind this for two reasons - 1) I am mainly going to be using this lens in brighter conditions, so will have plenty of light to work with and 2) This lens is really sharp at f/8 so this should translate to better sharpness in the images I produce. I will share some sample images throughout this blog so you can make up your own minds!

How does it work?

Extenders, which are also referred to as teleconverters, work by increasing the magnification of your lens, and then projecting this onto your sensor. A really crude way to think of is it’s like a magnifying glass for your lens.

They come in a limited range of magnifications, usually 1.4x and 2x, though I have seen Nikon ones which have a magnification factor of 1.7x. As you’ve probably worked out, the numbers are the factors your magnification is increased by, so a 100mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter, will have a theoretical reach of 140mm, the same lens with a 2x teleconverter will have a reach of 200mm and so on. If you have a zoom lens then the whole range is magnified by the same factor. You get the idea.

These pieces of kit however, are not selective in what the magnify. They will magnify everything in your image, which includes any grain or ISO ‘noise’ captured in your image.

What should I consider?

You need to consider what the trade-offs are. Essentially, you will be decreasing your maximum aperture and you are going to sacrifice a bit of sharpness in your final images.

Because you are effectively losing light by having the smaller aperture, you are going to have to compensate by increasing your shutter speed or ISO. You’ll need to bear this in mind when setting up your shots and consider the exposure triangle to make sure you end up with an image, which is in exposure terms, balanced. You can read about this in my blog “A Beginner’s Guide to The Exposure Triangle”.

You might lose some auto-focus functionality by attaching the extender. This so far hasn’t been an issue for me, as I have been taking pictures of landscapes in which the subject is often the light hitting the side of a mountain. Mountain’s aren’t known for being fast moving (if one does start moving quickly, then I would suggest you do the same!), but if you’re using it to shoot sport or wildlife then the amount of images you get which are ‘keepers’ will probably see a reduction compared to shots taken without the teleconverter attached.

The image on the right was taken at 400mm (640mm on a crop sensor), has had noise reduction applied alongside exposure adjustments, masking and colour adjustments. Single exposure, not focused stacked —>

Finally, you should think about what the kit is doing - it is magnifying everything your lens sees and does, so if you have a lens which suffers from, for example, chromatic aberration, this is also going to be magnified and on top this, you are going to lose some contrast as well.

First Impressions of the Canon 2x extender II.

I’ve already taken this out and stretched its legs for half an hour, the first impressions are good but I have identified a couple of drawbacks, but at this stage, nothing bad enough for me to want to return it.

I also got lucky when I was out shooting and instead of just landscapes, I was fortunate enough to see an A400 Atlas flying low level through the Leven Estuary at Greenodd, presumably on it’s way to LFA 17 at Windermere.

One of the first things I noticed was just how much more of a challenge it is to find things in the viewfinder. Especially a moving object like the A400 I just mentioned. It took me a moment to locate it and then to lock focus. I eventually succeeded and have a bagged a couple of shots I am happy with, you can see one of them on the left.

Because it was a bright evening, I didn’t need to add lots of ISO to compensate for the lack of light in now my now f/8 lens. The shot I have ended up with is sharp and because it was shot at ISO 100, it isn’t loaded with image-ruining noise.

The second shoot I went on, saw me heading over to Walney Island for sunset on a very grey evening. Ambient light was not as abundant as I might have liked it to be. Plus, it was sunset, so I was losing light by the second. This resulted in me having to bump up the ISO on my camera to 400.

When I got back to the studio, I did notice the images I had shot using the teleconverter were suffering from more noise than the same images shot on their “native” counterparts. I will point out this wasn’t a lot of noise, but was still more than I could see on the non-extender version.

Prior to the advent of effective noise reduction software/algorithms, this would have been much more of a problem than it is in today’s post processing world. I used Lightroom’s noise reduction panel to get rid of some of this and it did a pretty good job. All of the above being said, the loss of saturation, whilst not catastrophic, did (in my opinion) make the raw files harder for me to edit effectively and I felt like I had lost some of the flexibility I would normally have.

Something else I noticed was having this lens on my camera made it much heavier, so much so, the ball-head on my tripod was really struggling - I would get a shot framed up and then tighten up the ball head, all for it to “drop” when I wasn’t supporting the weight of the camera/lens/extender combination. I have to admit, this could also be a limitation of my tripod and an unfair criticism of the extender, but I had no issues when I was using my 16-35mm or my 24-105. I am going to try a different ball-head before I reach the decision about how often I might want to shoot with it on a tripod, but if you’re using a longer lens which comes supplied with a collar, then using this is a must to help you to balance the weight of the camera against the lens/extender combination. I will update this entry if I manage to solve the problem.

Who is the Canon EF 2 extender for?

I would recommend this to anyone who is wanting to try shooting at much longer focal lengths, but who isn’t ready to spend the money on a good quality super-telephoto lens just yet. There is a big saving to be made if you buy second hand and it can be a good way into trying your hand at genres such as sports and wildlife.

Another thing I would say is this lens is for someone who already owns some good quality glass to put in front of it; if you’re shooting with a lens which you know has some serious flaws then the teleconverter isn’t just going to make your lens longer, it is also going to amplify the imperfections in your lens. These are going to be painfully obvious to whoever is looking at your image. I am lucky to have a full set of Canon L Series lenses which are really high quality, but I also know the characteristics of each of them meaning I know what to look out for when using the teleconverter and this can help me to mitigate any issues before they have a chance to become a problem in the edit.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Lightweight

• Small(ish) form factor means it’s likely to fit somewhere in your bag.

• A cost effective option for people who want to try shooting at longer lengths but who don’t want to shell out hundreds of pounds on a huge lens.

• On crop sensors, you end up with “extra” reach owing to your sensor’s crop factor.

Cons:

• Loss of stops of light owing to the max aperture of the lens caused by adding the extender.

• Amplifies everything, including grain and chromatic aberration.

• Some loss of contrast and sharpness in final images.

Summary

If you’re considering making your first foray into genres which require more reach, but don’t have the money to buy the long lens then this could potentially be a safe middle ground. If you’re really into low light photography then you might find the reduction in aperture to (in my case) f/8 to be too constraining. If you’re considering the purchase, then it’s helpful to start by having good lenses which you really understand as any imperfections created by the lens are going to be amplified by the converter.

I think this has been a good purchase for me, it’s opened a world of new compositions, particularly when I want to shoot things I can’t get close enough to in order to create my desired composition. It has given me some more flexibility, perhaps enough to get 2 or 3 extra compositions per location I visit, but I do think this means sacrificing some sharpness and saturation, but not so much to make the ‘project’ a write off.

Will I use this forever instead of buying a dedicated super-telephoto zoom lens (or if I’m feeling flush, a prime - £10,000 for the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 prime anyone?), probably not. But I am happy enough with the results for the time being which means I am going to have a lot of fun creating something different to my normal shots for many months to come!