The SmallRig RM75 is a compact video light with a CRI of 96 that has a variety of features like effect modes and even a setting to record and playback lights and colors. The device is magnetic which means it can be attached to a lot of surfaces or metal camera gear.
The compact light can be controlled with the „set“ wheel next to the „on/off“ button on top of the device.
To get the most out of RM75 I recommend using the mobile app called SmallGoGo. The devices can be connected via Bluetooth and the app allows full control of all settings and modes. Changes to the settings are not just displayed in the app but also on the back of the light. It’s possible to connect and group up to 50 lights simultaneously.
Color temperature
The first setting in the app is the color temperature which can be adjusted from 2500 Kelvin to 8500 Kelvin. The white balance can be changed in 100-digit steps by pressing the „plus” or „minus” icons. This means the temperature can go from a very warm orange to a cold blue.
Below is a tint slider to adjust the magenta and green tones. This is especially useful when using different light sources that don’t exactly match or have a low CRI.
Below the tint is the brightness setting which can be increased in single digit steps from 0 to 100.
At 1m distance it has a brightness of 120lux.
Hue Saturation Intensity
The Hue Saturation Intensity value can be easily adjusted in the next tab. It can either be changed by dragging around the circle in the color space or by manually dragging the sliders below. Number values can also by typed in which is useful when needing to get a specific color.
RGBW
The RM75 is called a RGBWW light which stands for red, green, blue and warm white. The RGBW setting in the SmallGoGo app allows for adjustment of these settings. The intensity or brightness of the colors can be changed but also of the white light. Once again, the color space can be used to find the right color, but the brightness of the while light needs to be adjusted separately at the bottom of the settings.
Effects
Important are of course also the lighting effects. The RM75 has all the standard effects like candle, fireworks, lightning and police car.
The frequency of the effects can be adjusted so they appear faster or slower depending on what’s needed for the scene.
Color picker
The app also features different presets of Lee and Resco color cards. But very useful is also the color picker that can be used to pick a color from a photo. The light will then output that exact color and all that needs to be adjusted is the brightness.
Light effect pickup
The most impressive mode is probably the light effect pickup. This allows the phone’s camera to record a scene and then play it back afterwards. The app records the changes in brightness and color. This comes in handy when trying to replicate a specific mood like a fireplace or any type of changing lights.
Use cases
While the SmallRig RM75 is certainly best used as an atmospheric effect light it can also be used to light people for interior shoots. Using three of these small lights to light an interview or a talking-to-camera shoot can work quiet well and is something worth considering.
Accessories & powering
The light also comes with a diffuser that looks like a protective case. This can be used to get softer and less direct light. For example, to light someone’s face in an interview. When putting the silicon diffuser on, the buttons on the top can still be accessed. Even though the diffusion case is covering the three magnetic sides, the magnets still work.
The magnets are surprisingly strong which means the light can really be mounted on any type of metal.
The RM75 also has a ¼” screw hole at the bottom to mount it for example on top of a camera or somewhere else where magnetic attachment wouldn’t work.
Fast-charging the light via USB-C takes around two hours. The battery life varies depending on the amount of brightness and effects but lasts between 5 and 16 hours.
Conclusion
While the light also can be used without the mobile app, I highly recommend using it since it enables more features and is easy to use.
We have mainly used the RM75 over the past few weeks for product shots. But considering the variety of features and the high brightness, the light cannot only be used as an effect light but also to light simple interview setups. Having the ability to finetune all colors is a huge plus when shooting in locations that have mixed lights or when needing to match lights with an odd color temperature.
Written by filmmaker Moritz Janisch on January 31, 2022