When it comes to taking the perfect photograph, lighting is everything. In fact, even just slightly under-exposing or over-exposing a photograph can make or break it.
While post-production edits in software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop can help breathe new life into otherwise incorrectly-exposed shots, it just isn’t the same as getting the lighting right the first time.
For those moments where lighting just isn’t ideal, I would strongly recommend having an artificial light source on hand. One of my favorite tools for the job is the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0.
What is it?
The Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 is a portable artificial light source that uses an array of 263 LEDs to brighten any scene. The LEDs are RGB-capable, dimmable, and support both cool and warm white modes that range from 2700K-7500K. They pump out up to an eye-searing 595 lumens too.
What I think makes the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 unique is that it sports a handy display panel on the back that shows you your current light settings. You can use the small buttons on the side of the panel to navigate the light setting menus, which include adjusting the brightness, the tint, or the color.
The Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 also incorporates several automatic function modes, such as to emulate the blue and red flashes of a police car, the soft reds, yellows, and oranges of a roaring fire, or the cracking white flashes of lightning in a thunderstorm. With these modes, you can bring any scene to life, especially when filming.
As an added bonus for those moments where you may already have your Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 set up and ready to go in a particular position for your shot, you can use the mobile app to control the device from your iPhone or iPad over a Bluetooth connection.
The app provides all the same setting adjustments that the built-in hardware controls do, but with the advantage of controlling remotely so that you don’t soil your perfect setup.
The hardware
The Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 incorporates a diffuser that helps scatter the light evenly across your subject instead of washing it out.
The powerful LED array produces 1500 Lux at .5 meters. The result is a softly lit subject that looks wonderful every time you release the shutter.
On every side but one of the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 is a small ¼-inch threaded hole where you can either screw the device onto a tripod, or attach the included hot-shoe mount so that you can attach the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 to the top of your dedicated camera body.
You might also be pleased to know that the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 sports a USB-C port for charging — the same port that most modern camera bodies, and even the new iPhone 15 use for the same purpose.
As for battery life, you can expect a solid 4 hours of moderate use at 50% brightness, or even longer if you only use it for shorter bursts and at lower brightness levels.
Who is this for?
Keep in mind, that you don’t need to be a professional photographer with a dedicated camera body to take advantage of the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0. It can also come in handy if you’re just taking photographs with your iPhone.
Anyone who takes low-light photos should consider a portable light source of some kind, and while there are much cheaper options out there, the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 checks most of the boxes so that you won’t have to buy more lights down the road that end up costing you more than the price of this unit in the long run.
For someone like me, who regularly takes pictures of products just like this one while indoors, having the extra light is a valuable asset.
My thoughts on the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0
I have been using the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 for several months, and it had helped me time and time again in getting proper exposure in my photographs.
I particularly enjoy all the features that it brings to the table, along with the no-compromise build quality compared to some of the plasticky alternatives you can get from Amazon and elsewhere.
I’ve compiled a short list of pros and cons for the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 below that helps sum up my thoughts about the product:
Pros:
- Extremely nice build quality with metal frame
- Built-in display for controls
- Support for remote control via smartphone app
- Support for any color, including cool and warm whites from 2700K to 7500K
- Bright 1500 Lux light output
- Outstanding battery life
- Included camera hot shoe mount
- Nice and thin to fit in most camera bags
- Support for Power Delivery over USB-C
Cons:
- High retail price for a light
How to get one
So you’ve decided that you want to give the Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 a try. What should you do now?
Head on over to Amazon where you can get one Prime-shipped to your door for $179.99. The package includes everything you need to get started, including the charging cable, the hot shoe mount, and the unit with the diffuser pre-installed. You can also get one over on Lume Cube’s own website.
Conclusion
The Lume Cube Panel Pro 2.0 has been my workhouse portable camera light for months, effectively replacing the plasticky no-name alternative that I had prior.
I have been particularly impressed with its performance and features, and to put it simply, this is one of the best portable camera lights you can get to brighten up your indoor scenes.