The LitraStudio is a powerful weather-sealed RGBWW light perfect for creators from all walks of life.
Content creators tend to dabble in more than one medium. For instance, many photographers now have YouTube channels they make videos for, and YouTubers who do product reviews need lighting to showcase products. This is all well and good, but it also means you need to have lights to illuminate yourself, and you need a light source that you can use in your product photography. The LitraStudio claims to be versatile enough for all content creators, and it’s a product that might help consolidate your lighting, so we decided to put it to the test. Find out how well the LitraStudio performed in our full review.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The LitraStudio is ridiculously bright at 100%
- The OLED screen is bright and easy to read
- There are a ton of settings that can recreate effects such as police lights, the flicker of a fire, and watching TV. All modes that would be great for filmmakers.
- The LitraStudio can be used as a flash when wired to your camera and can be used as a constant light for photography
- If you can think of a color, you can make the LitraStudio display it
- You can dial in the perfect light temp (adjustable from 2,000k – 10,000K)
- It’s the perfect light for use in a home studio, or for streaming use
- Great battery life
- The Litra is waterproof, and overall build quality is fantastic
- The 9,000 mAh battery pack can be removed and used as a portable rechargeable station so that you can charge your camera, phone, or other devices
- Prett great value for money at $649
Cons
- The wireless app is a little inconsistent and makes the light turn off randomly
Gear Used
The LitraStudio from Litra was used with an Olympus E-M1 III, the barn door and grid accessories modifier kit, and the flash sync cable.
Tech Specs
All technical specifications have been taken directly from the official Litra website.
- Dimensions: 5.5″ x 3.9″ x 2″
- Weight – 33.5 oz
- Color Accuracy: 97 CRI/TLCI
- Brightness: 2,400 Lumen (constant) / 3,000 Lumen (overdrive) / 6,000 Lumen (flash)
- Color Temperature: 2,000 – 10,000 K with adjustable Green / Magenta in CCT mode
- Modes: CCT, HSI, RGBWW, Gel, and Effects Modes
- Control & Connectivity: built-in OLED display, Bluetooth app compatible, and DMX control with adapter
- Build: precision crafted aluminum body, waterproof up to 10M/30FT, and 810G MIL SPEC
- Battery life: 20hrs on low, 1hr at 2,400 Lumen
- Battery type: 9,000 mAh rechargeable, fast swappable lithium-ion battery
- Charger type: 45W Quick Charge adaptor with USB PD2 Type C cable
Ergonomics
As powerful as the LitraStudio is, you would think that this LED light would be quite sizable, but you’d be wrong. Litra has done an amazing job at keeping the LitraStudio on the small side, and because of this, you’ll find you can take it everywhere you go. At just 5.5-inches in length, 3.9-inches in height, and just 2-inches deep, you can just slip it in your camera bag be set. It only weighs 2.09lbs too. In the image above, you can see the array of LEDs that cover the front of the LitraStudio.
The back of the LitraStudio offers more to look at. The fin design that covers the back looks and acts like a giant heatsink, which helps cool down the unit. On the left-hand side, you will find a cover that hides the charging port, and on the bottom right, you will see the large control panel, which features an OLED panel, four buttons to help navigate the menus, and three dials which change the value of the light output.
Flip the LitraStudio over to the left-hand side and see the large battery door which takes up the whole side of the unit. The huge 9,000 mAh battery has an excellent snug fit, but removing it is easy thanks to a plastic tab that protrudes from the side of the battery. The right-hand side of the unit is featureless, and the bottom features a standard tripod thread.
Overall the LitraStudio is a pretty small LED unit that can be handled easily thanks to its small size. It can be tossed into a bag so that you can always have it with you, and thanks to the nice layout of the controls, it’s pretty easy to use.
“I wouldn’t hesitate to take this out into the rain. Litra rate the LitraStudio as waterproof down to 30ft, and it has a military-spec rating of 810G, which apparently means the light has passed 29 durability tests, including shock tests, vibration tests, and more.”
Brett Day – Gear Editor
Build Quality
In a word, the build quality is brilliant. You’re going to be paying a good chunk of change for the LitraStudio, so you would expect it to be built well, and it is. The body of the light is constructed out of aluminum, and the plastic that is present are thick and well made. For instance, the door which covers the battery charging port is very stout, and there is a thick rubber grommet that helps weather seal the unit.
The dials and the buttons surrounding the OLED screen feel nice, and they are well recessed, which means you can’t bump them and change settings easily. The battery door can take some work to get into because the spring that holds it shut is robust. This is a good thing; it means this unit is sealed tight. The weather seals around the battery door are substantial; I wouldn’t hesitate to take this out into the rain. Litra rates the LitraStudio as waterproof down to 30ft, and it has a military-spec rating of 810G (which apparently means the light has passed 29 durability tests, including shock tests, vibration tests, and more).
The LitraStudio is one tough unit that can be used worry-free in any photography studio, on any film set, in any YouTubers Studio, or anywhere else that may need a rechargeable studio light. I can’t say I have been easy on it since it has been with me. But, when taking a closer look at the light, I don’t see a mark on it, and the unit fired right up after my water tests. Nicely done, Litra
“The amount of control you have over the light is fantastic.”
Brett Day – Gear Editor
Ease of Use
The LitraStudio is easy to use once you fully understand what it can do. And trust me, there are so many options tucked away in the menus that it will take you a while to go through them all. Thanks to the well laid out controls on the back of the unit and the OLED screen, the LitraStudio is pleasant to use. The light powers up quickly; the four buttons which allow you to get to the home screen, go through menus, power the light on or off, and set presets are easy to use; and the dials which let you scroll through the various menus and select options are straight forward to use. Spend five minutes with it, and you’ll have the control scheme down.
Given that this light can do so many things, the menus can get a little deep under various options, but Litra has made them easy to follow; they aren’t overwhelming in any way. You can also download and use the Litra App for your Android or iOS powered device, and you can control every aspect of the light right from your phone.
This is a great feature, and when it works, it works very well. Being able to set the light into position and then not having to walk over to it to change settings saves a ton of time, but for some odd reason, the light would randomly power off when I changed a setting. When this happened, I would have to then turn the light off in the app (even though it was already off) and then turn it back on again. It’s bizarre. I am sure it is just a software bug that can be fixed with an update, so don’t freak out if your light randomly shuts down. It’s annoying, but not the end of the world.
As mentioned above, the battery life is outstanding. I have been using the light off and on for four weeks, and I have never had to charge it. I have used it for product shots, as a constant light source, and for multiple live streams, and it just keeps on working. Litra rates the battery for 20hrs on low, and 1hr at 2,400 Lumen(full power). I have also used the battery as a device charging bank too. You can whip out the massive battery pack, and you can charge other electronic devices. On the battery pack itself, you will find one USB-C connecter and a regular USB port. This is a massive convenience feature. You can also use the LitraStudio without the battery installed. You can plug the Litrastudio into the provided USB-C charger, and the light will operate sans battery.
In terms of how well the LitraStudio handles heat, it does a great job. Just like any light, the LitraStudio will get hot after prolonged use, and with the case being made of aluminum, I would not recommend holding the light if you’re going to be using it for a while. Apparently, the unit will shut down when the temperature reaches 60 degrees Celsius (140F). I never experienced this happening, but it’s good to know that there are some thermal regulators in play here.
I have been using the LitraStudio for the past four weeks now, and I have used it in several scenarios, so I will break down each use case as best as I can. A lot of the features in the LitraStudio are geared towards filmmakers. I have to say that I did not fully explore those lighting choices such as the modes that mimic a flickering fire, or a TV that’s changing scenes, or fireworks, lightning, a candle, a dance floor with multicolored strobes, paparazzi which mimics lots of speedlights firing and so on. I really tried to get the most out of this light as a photographer and streamer.
LitraStudio as a Light Source for Streaming
If you didn’t know, The Phoblographer now has a live streaming show called Pro Gear Reviews, which airs every Sunday night on Zoom and Facebook Live (7pm EST) before being uploaded to our YouTube channel. Before the LitraStudio arrived, I was using just ambient light from a window to illuminate myself, and it was okay but not great. So, along comes the LitraStudio, and I decided to put it to work.
As you can see, the LitaStudio can be mounted onto any standard tripod. Once you have placed the light and you have dialed in the settings you need, you’re good to go. When I use the LitraStudio for streaming, I have the LitraStudio set to 6300K (Kelvin can be set between 2,000K and 10,000K), and the power output is set to just 9%. After four one hour shows, the battery dropped only 11 percent. As the ambient light changes from the window, which lights me from the left, I can use the Bluetooth app to change the LitraStudio settings on the fly so that I can keep the lighting nice and balanced, and overall this works well. Add this light has significantly improved the appearance of my stream online.
A Constant Light Source For Product Photography
The LitraStudio really comes into its own for photographers when you use it as a light for product photography. Could you get by with a smaller light? Sure you could, but the beauty of the LitraStudio is that it can be used in multiple applications thanks to its output and the sheer amount of options.
I have enjoyed using the LitraStudio light for product photography. Dialing in colors on the unit is incredibly easy, and so is changing the intensity of the light. You can choose just about any color you can think of, and this adds so many creative options. The size of the LitraStudio can make it a little hard to hide the unit in your shot, but if you get creative with it, you can make it work, and the results are well worth the extra efforts.
The image of the Sony 12-24mm f2.8 GM at the start of this section was created by placing a black foam board behind the lens, and I simply bounced the colored light onto the background and let it spill onto the lens. It’s incredibly easy and very effective. For the image of the Razer Blade Studio Edition 2020 Laptop, the LitraStudio was placed behind the flipped up screen on the computer and bounced off of the wall. Again, easy and effective. The LitraStudio will allow you to easily add a pop of color to any image.
As a Flash Unit
This is another pretty cool feature of the LitraStudio. You can purchase an optional flash sync cable that you can attach to your camera. Once you do this, you can use the LitraStudio as a regular flash, with the added benefit of being able to choose any color you want. Just dial in the color you want, put the LitraStudio into flash mode, and away you go. You can also manually set the Kelvin of the flash too. The amount of control you have over the light is fantastic.
Feel like adding a lick of blue, green, yellow, orange, red or any other color you can think of to your images? The LitraStudio offers a brilliant way to add some creative flair to your pictures. The only downside is that the flash sync to USB-C cable is a little on the short side. I suppose you could buy a tripod mount adapter that will then let you put the LitraStudio into your cameras hot shoe, or onto a flash bracket. Otherwise, your only option is to hold it. Still, this is a great way to add a splash of color to your images.
Conclusions
Likes
- Easy to use
- It’s a great way to add light to your streams, zoom meetings, or photography
- Excellent weather sealing and build quality overall
- Colors are true and accurate
Dislikes
- My only complaint is in regards to the phone app, which has shown inconsistent performance.
The LitraStudio is an excellent, jack of all trades light that will do a fantastic job for videographers who want to be able to recreate specific lighting effects, and it’s great for photographers who want a constant light source with endless amounts of colors. Add in the fact that the LitraStudio can be used as a flash and as a continuous and very customizable light source for those who like to stream or make videos for YouTube and you quickly realize this is a versatile product for today’s content creators who dabble in more than one medium.
At $649, the LitraStudio isn’t exactly cheap, but you’re getting a lot for your money. Still, if you want a well built, easy to use studio light that is rated at 97 CRI for light and color accuracy, then the Litra LitraStuido is a solid option that will provide flexibility and great output. Want one? Head on over to Amazon to see the latest prices.
