In the world of macro photography, light is an important component. However, in the eternal battle for light, we are often struggling with ourselves either or dealing with its dishonest quality. A popular solution for macro photography is a flash – but also a place for continuous lights. In this review, I will discuss the latter: a small, inexpensive, yet versatile LED for macro photography, called Roleley Lumis Solo 2.
The great macro photographer and entomologist Pavel Crescensky recently showed me this light in my studio, and when I saw what he could do to him, I immediately ordered three.
If you take a look at the scene shot in your home studio for performance purposes, you will understand why I call them “studio lights”.
As you can see, they are like short versions of classic studio lights! In short, Roleley Lumis Solo 2 is capable of having a full LED lighting system for small subjects. The underlying magnets allow you to easily attach a variety of light modifiers, including a defuser, conical snot, barn doors and grids. If you want to adjust the default color temperature of 5,500k (CRI 95+), you can do this with one of the eight colors involved in it.
This size is not enough for everyday light, but for macro and close-up photography, it is very much. You may be surprised why no one will bother with such a light setup when a classic studio will also work – and there are answers and portability! Roleley Lumis Solo is 2 Just € 35 On Rollei’s website, and it measures just 4.1 x 4.1 x 3.7 cm (1.6 x 1.6 x 1.5 in) in size.
Roleley Lumis Solo 2 has a power output of 4W and provides 1,000 LX lights at a distance of 0.5 m. The brightness can be adjusted in four levels through the small press of the power button.
The underlying 800 mAh battery runtime depends on the external conditions and the age of the battery, but according to the manufacturer, it ranges from 60 minutes (on maximum power) to 240 minutes (at minimum power). Unfortunately, charging requires an ownership magnetic cable – thankfully in the package in Roleley.
Take a look at the two pictures below – first with natural light, and the second one using a Roleley Lumis Solo 2:
For external use, a large plus is that light is 10 meters (for 30 min) and dust-proof, waterproofing to meet the IP68 standards. So, you do not have to worry about quitting the lights in wet grass – and beyond that, it also opens the exciting creative possibilities. Place the light under the water lily in a pond, and you can wait for the fairies (or frogs) to appear. Not mentioning applications in underwater photography.
One of the biggest benefits of LED on flash is ease of their use. Because these lights provide constant lights, they require very little experience to operate. There is no need to imagine light in your mind’s eye – you can see the results in your camera viewing and can quickly adjust the setup if necessary.
The same applies to set the correct exposure, which essentially follows standard photography principles. You don’t have to worry about flash sink speed or how to balance the flash output with your exposure settings. Instead, you can rely on the measurement of your camera as usual.
Shooting at night is also very approximate with LED. Because they illuminate the scene, it is very easy to compose and focus. However, not each creature is born as a stage star, and some people cannot appreciate a bath in light from an array of LED, so please use them carefully.
Rollei Lumis Solo 2 offers three growing options (in addition just holding it in your hand). The following growing solutions are used: a 1/4, tripod thread, a cool shoe mount (with an adapter), or a magnet behind the light.
In the region, the most practical solution is often a tripod thread combined with a small, flexible trippai (such as gorilapod). This setup allows you to attach the light to the foot of a branch, rock, or a large tripod. Personally, I use a light stand with a small ballhead for this purpose.
Keep in mind that it is a small light, and even with light modifier, you are not illuminating a wide area. Roleley Lumis Solo 2 is therefore best suited to illuminate small details such as flowers, mushrooms, insects, or other common macro photography.
If you need a full -sized LED for something like portrait or videography, it is not the light that I will get. In fact, for many situations, a flash would be better in the first place – mainly because they are able to output so much light.
But as often happens, the best solution is what is with you. And since the entire Roleley Lumis Solo 2 package – in terms of all modesfiers and one carrying – weighs only 200 grams, it will definitely find a place in my backpack.
Rollei’s website is the current price € 35At the moment, it is not available through major retailers such as B&H or Amazon, but it appears that Rollei ships worldwide.
