Whenever I open any Lumecube product, I immediately get excited. Would I feel any different with the Lumecube Panel Pro 2.0 that I was sent?
My first impression was I loved the size. At 6×3“, it fits in the palm of your hand. It’s lightweight but still feels quite durable. I attribute this to its well-constructed one-piece aluminum housing. The kit comes with a softening diffuser (pre-attached), travel pouch, USB cable and camera mount. The mount is compatible with most DSLR cameras.
LumeCube Panel Pro 2.0 — Bright is an understatement
The light output is stunning. This small light delivers a 595 Lumen output and 96+ CRI for excellent color accuracy. The 204 LEDs packed into this light are truly powerful. With a full spectrum of RGB colors (over 16 million color options) and a vast temperature range of 2700-7500K, you can have total control over all types of shoots … even in questionable lighting conditions.
The diffuser is handy and locks on securely. I find myself using it often to provide a soft look during my shoots.
LumeCube Panel Pro 2.0 — Controls and menu
The controls on the light are simple and intuitive. There is a power switch, mode button and up/down adjustment dial. It’s easy to dial in the desired color in a matter of seconds. This adds efficiency to any production and offers less annoyance to the talent.
The compact Smart LCD control center is crystal clear to read. In HSL mode, it indicates battery life, brightness, color spectrum options, saturation, Bluetooth connectivity and RGB hue settings. In CCT mode, it indicates brightness, battery, color temperature, green/magenta tint control, selection of the 7 preprogrammed effects, and a frequency setting for the effects (10 stepless speed levels).
LumeCube Panel Pro 2.0 — Enough power for your shoot
The light features a rechargeable lithium battery. It provides 2 hours at maximum (100%) power, and about 4 hours at 50% power. The battery life indicator is also accurate down to the minute, so you can estimate how long you can go at a given setting. This feature is extremely helpful!
The unit can also function as a power bank, charging a cellphone. It was able to charge my Samsung Galaxy about 75%.
LumeCube Panel Pro 2.0 — There’s an app
The LumeControl app is excellent. To connect the light, go to the HSL menu and scroll to the BT (Bluetooth) option and toggle to “On.” Then, in the app, you should see your device in the Device List, where you can connect to it. The app is extremely easy to use, offering basic brightness and color temperature sliders, advanced hue selection, easy access to preprogrammed effects, and a color picker. This allows your light to color match to an image via your phone’s camera. Super handy!
LumeCube Panel Pro 2.0 — An upgrade over the original
For those of you that may have used the original Panel Pro, there are some notable improvements. There is a small improvement to the bicolor brightness, and a whopping 400% brightness improvement with RGB. The light also features improved CRI rating and lumens. You’ll also notice a significant improvement in battery life. This is absolutely high-quality lighting.