SmallRig RC350: See Why This is the Best Video LED Light!

SmallRig RC350: See Why This is the Best Video LED Light!

Introduction

This video is about choosing the right key light for your video production needs, getting the right skin tones and exposure for low light and bright shooting conditions. Does the new SmallRig RC350 have what it takes to deliver for your video production needs? Well, stick around after this short break for my full review. But first, please do me a favor: follow me on X, formerly known as Twitter, but most importantly, please subscribe to this channel. It doesn’t cost you anything, helps this channel get noticed, and keeps you up to date on the latest camera gear news and rumors.

Assessing the SmallRig RC350d

This video is not about the Ulanzi RGB Pro video accent lights behind me, the multi-colored ones, nor is it about the low wattage Colbore CL100. This video is about assessing if the SmallRig RC350d can function as a key light for both low light scenarios in a studio and bright outside scenarios.

While the Colbore CL100 that I’m using right here is my key light and has more than enough power for this low light situation, shooting with a Canon EOS R5 and the 50mm F/1.2 almost completely wide open, when I’m shooting in Studio B where I do my live streams and need much more light, the Colbore CL100 just doesn’t have enough power. That’s where I use my SmallRig RC220b.

When SmallRig asked me to review the RC350d, I quickly checked the stats: 149,000 LUTs versus 98,000 LUTs on the RC220d. It has a fan that’s hardly audible above ambient room noise, and SmallRig claims that it can be as quiet as 28 decibels. My tests back this up, and being quiet is a key capability of any video key light or fill light. Because when you’re shooting, the last thing you want is to pick up some sort of fan noise, high-pitched wheel, or low bass hum.

Noise Levels

When I was testing upstairs in Studio B, I was running at around 50 percent, and the dB level peaked all the way up to around 42. Now, to give you an idea, my ambient room noise was around 28 decibels, and while 42 might sound like a lot of decibels, from six feet away, you couldn’t hear it no matter how much you strained. Looking at this chart, you can see from the point of view of a fridge and other things in your house, how quiet 42 decibels actually is.

However, when I was shooting outside, I bumped up the intensity to 100 at 75 degrees Fahrenheit or about 24 degrees Celsius. And just like one of those Mac Ultras, while you could hear the fan with your ear up to it, again, I couldn’t hear it from about six feet away. Even from two feet away, I couldn’t hear it over the ambient noise, which outside was around 40 to 42 decibels. However, it did peak at around 58 decibels, but that’s kind of the normal decibel level for a conversation, at least around my family.

Lighting Tests

In this scene, I used the sun as a key light and the SmallRig RC350d off to the side as my fill light. I had it powered at about 25 percent, giving my subject a soft shadow. This softness was enabled through the SmallRig 85 centimeter parabolic softbox attached using the Bowen mount. If you’re shooting without any sort of diffuser, whether it be a softbox or an umbrella, I highly recommend using one. It’s going to take that light and soften it, so you don’t have any harsh angles on your subject.

Difference between RC350b and RC350d

In your research, you might have noticed that SmallRig sells both the RC350b and the RC350d. So, what’s the difference? Well, the RC350b provides a lighting temperature between 2700 degrees all the way up to 6500 degrees, representing the lighting conditions from sunrise to sunset and everything in between. However, the RC350d is limited to a high noon temperature of 5600 degrees. But it is able to provide that light at a higher intensity of 149,000 LUTs versus 115,000 LUTs on the RC350b.

Build Quality and Controls

The SmallRig RC350d is well-built, weighing in at seven pounds. The cables are thick, attaching to the RC350d and clicking into place. The power brick has a separate cable running from the brick to the wall but also clicks into place to prevent accidental disconnects. While I can’t quite speak for its continued use on the RC350d because I’ve only had it for a few days, I have been shooting with the SmallRig RC220b for the better part of a year, and it has never let me down. It has never caused any issues. However, the fan on the RC220b is a little bit louder than the RC350d, and that’s what I like about the RC350d. It gives you more power, and the fan has a lower-frequency sound that you just don’t hear when you get past a few feet.

Remote Control and Settings

For those of you who like to control your lights through a remote control on your phone, the RC350d has you covered. While the RC350d does have nine lighting effects, if you’re like me, once you’ve got this light set up as your key light, there really isn’t that much that you have to control. I don’t use those lighting effects. Basically, all I’m doing is adjusting the intensity, and once I’ve manually set that, I’m done. There really isn’t any need for me to use the remote control. Maybe your workflow is a little bit different, so it is there, it’s available, but I just haven’t used it because it’s so easy to adjust that knob and you’re good.

Color Accuracy

SmallRig says that the RC350d has a 96+ rating on the CRI (color rendering index) and a 97+ rating on the LCTV (lighting consistency index). That, in combination with a calibrate color checker, gave me accurate exposure and color rendition.

Conclusion

The SmallRig RC350d is more than quiet enough and powerful enough for low light situations like Studio A or for shooting outside. If you’re going to be using a fill light, I recommend starting off as a default and keeping it at two-thirds of your key light. But if you’re shooting corporate videos, then you probably want to match your key light and your fill light so that one isn’t much more powerful than the other.

In conclusion, the SmallRig RC350d is a reliable and powerful video LED light that offers excellent color accuracy and a quiet fan. Its build quality and ease of use make it a dependable choice for both low light and bright shooting scenarios. Whether you’re shooting in a studio or outside, the SmallRig RC350d will meet your video production needs.