Viltrox L132T - Bi-Color LED Light Review
Aug 14, 2021
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While looking for an affordable LED lighting solution, I found the Viltrox L132T.
Those lights are available from different sources for around 35$
The Packaging
The only reason why I even discuss the package is that I was surprised at how nice it is. I ordered many products from China over the years, and the packaging is sometimes non-existent. This, for sure, is one of the nicer packages that I have seen so far.
The units are overall well packaged. It is rather minimalistic and functional.
The only accessory that comes with the Light is an adapter to mount it on top of a camera.
The Optics
The optics consist of LED stripes around the edges of the device and a diffuser plate.
Thanks to this diffusor, the light looks rather homogenous. The color mixing does not create any artifacts or double shadows as it might would with an LED light that uses multiple diodes but no diffusor.
The Electronics
The LEDs are mounted on four aluminum PCBs.
The PCB can be divided into a controller and a power part.
The controller part basically (Right side) only consists of an N76E616 Microcontroller from Nuvoton. Datasheet
This 8051-Based Microcontroller is responsible for driving the LCD and outputting PWM signals for the LED dimming.
On the power side of the PCB, there are two constant current output buck converters.
The used converter chip is the AX2003 from AXelite. Datasheet
Measurements
Spectrum
To measure the light spectrum of the Viltrox L132T, I used my Ocean Optics HR2000+ Spectrometer.
The probe was placed 20cm in front and center of the light source. Warm-white and cold-white were measured individually. Both measurements were taken at a 20% brightness setting.
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Flicker
Unfortunately, I do not have a method to measure flicker directly. What I can do is measure the LED current. Since LEDs are quite responsive and linear in light output versus current, the LED current waveform is a good indicator for flickering.
To measure the current, I used my Aim I-prober 520 current probe and Keysight MSOX3104A Oscilloscope.
The current was measured on one of the cold-white strands set to a brightness of 20%. The RMS-current at this setting is about 95mA. The current ripple measures at about 20mA peak-to-peak independent of the set brightness at a switching frequency of about 350kHz.
Because of its high switching frequency and low ripple, this lamp, at least for the purpose of photography and film, can be considered flicker-free.
Temperature
After about 15 minutes of operation, both the electronics and LEDs are at a temperature of about 50°C.
Conclusion
First, we have to remember that this is a 35$ light.
Overall, the Viltrox L132T seems well made, well packaged, and does what it is supposed to do. I bought the first one about three years ago and have ordered many more since. If you are looking for a cheap, small light for photography or film or even an adjustable desk light, I can highly recommend the Viltrox L132T.
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