Natural light is wonderful until it isn’t. There are times when extra light is wanted and needed, too. The Luxli Cello2 10″ On-Camera RGB LED Light Panel from B&H matches any situation with the color temperature or gel-type color you might want to set the mood.

Need a warm hair light? Put a Cello2 behind the subject then dial in 3,200ºK along with just the right amount of brightness. You’re all set. And there’s more to this light — much more.

Full disclosure: I am a Luxli Ambassador. B&H gave me the Cello2 for this review.

The Luxli Cello 2 at 3,200ºK placed behind the subject lit with daylight to make is hair glow with warmth.
A Luxli Cello2 at 3,200ºK creates a warm hair light.

Luxli Cello2 — Simple controls

The Cello2 has two buttons and two dials to select and adjust all of its many functions outlined below. There is also a smartphone app for iPhone and Android called Luxli Composer.

Luxli Composer tells you when new firmware is available for a given Luxli light. Press update and very quickly, the firmware is updated. No fuss. No bother. No cords or computer.

Luxli Cello2 — Color gels

The Cello2 has all of the Lee brand gel filters emulated in it. The large screen on the back of the light shows each color in a spectrum grid. Hover over a patch and the gel name appears. This is really useful. I love its daylight-to-tungsten conversion colors. I use them to light hair with a late-afternoon golden-hour glow.

A Luxl Cello2 set to red lights the background in the opening photo.

Luxli Cello2 — Hue, saturation & brightness

For photographers partial to using HSL — Hue, Saturation, Lightness — for coloring light, the Luxli Cello2 dials in any color on the spectrum from 0º to 360º.

Luxli Cello2 — Full range of color temperatures

The Cello2 provides color temperatures from super warm to the bluest heavy overcast — 2,800ºK to 10,000ºK in 50ºK increments. It also features +/- green to match those old fluorescent fixtures we all encounter from time to time.

Luxli Cello2 — Special effects

The Cello2 also comes with built-in special effects— lightning, fire, fireworks, sirens, and more. Controls on the light or with the Luxli Composer app make it easy to choose the perfect effect. This video demonstrates four of them.

A few of the special effects built-into the Luxli Cello2.

Luxli Cello2 — Truly portable

The Cello2 goes on every shoot. It is a great boost to any natural light situation. It even serves as a makeup light when the window light is too dim. In dark situations, it becomes an indispensable work light. It has a ball-head adaptor for mounting on a camera hot shoe or a light stand.

Makeup Artist Bethany Tiesman prepares model Emily Kulp for the camera.

A USB-C brick and cord charge the included battery. This configuration will extend the light’s runtime with the battery but will not power it alone. There is a socket for 7.5 VDC power. The Cello2 runs for a couple of hours at full output on the supplied battery.