Elgato Key Light Mini with Master Mount, Flex Arm and Heavy Base - I Liked It So Much I Broke It

This year I've gone from knowing nothing about Elgato and its products to being one of its greatest fans.

The main reason for this is I've been making a lot more videos lately. My ability to do this has been greatly enhanced with the use of several Elgato products, including the Key Light and the Facecam.

The good news for you is you've been able to see the devices I've been reviewing much clearer and hopefully, I've demonstrated their features and pitfalls in greater detail than ever. The bad news is; you've seen me a lot more clearly too. Nobody wants that. Nobody asked for that. Just an unfortunate side-effect of better video quality, I'm afraid.

Then I got to thinking... I take a lot of still shots for these reviews too. Surely Elgato can help out with that as well...

As you've probably heard me say before, my favourite tech products are the ones that just do the thing they're supposed to. See a problem, fix it. That's exactly what the Elgato Key Light Mini does so efficiently.

It's a light you can take anywhere. End of story. See? Simple.

You want a bit more detail? Oh, alright then.

The Mini is literally a more compact version of Elgato's Key Light - using all the same technology to provide its fully dimmable 800-lumen output. Like the full-sized model, it's packed with industrial Osram LEDs that shine through multiple diffusion layers, creating heatless, shadow-free illumination. There are onboard controls to switch the Key Light Mini on and off, as well as adjust the brightness and colour temperature.

You can also control the Key Light Mini via Wi-Fi using the Elgato Control Centre app. This is available for iPhone, Android, PC or Mac and lets you fine-tune brightness and temperature, then save those settings so they stay the same the next time you turn it on.

The Key Light Mini runs on a 3.7V, 4000mAh LiPo battery, which Elgato suggests will last around four hours with the brightness set at 50%. I usually have the brightness toggled all the way up and as result I seem to get about an hour's use on a full charge which is plenty for my usual photo sessions.

Alternatively, you can leave it plugged in - via the supplied two-metre USB-C charging cable - and operate in Studio Mode which bypasses the battery completely.

The device is light enough and small enough to hold in one hand, so it really is a take-anywhere lighting solution. It also sports a standard 1/4-inch screw-in mounting socket on the bottom edge, which means it'll fit pretty much any photographic device and accessory - screw it onto the top of your video camera for nighttime shooting if you like.

Personally, for my purposes, I needed my hands free to photograph my various review devices.

Wouldn't you just know it? Elgato has just the right gear for that, starting with the Master Mount - essentially an extendable stand available in two sizes with a ball head and a fully-adjustable padded clamp to attach it to any table or desktop. This is a very solid and stable piece of kit - the larger model extends up to 1.25 metres and works a bit like a mic stand, with a couple of rubberised locking rings which don't have to be particularly tight to hold everything securely in place. 

Because I wasn't taking pictures on my desk or at my table, I removed the clamp and added the Elgato Heavy Base - literally a black steel disc weighing in at almost five kilos. Using the supplied allen keys and screws you have the option of attaching your stand either in the centre or at the edge if that's going to better suit your space. This meant I now had a stand I could use anywhere but wouldn't move at all once I had it in position.

That was a good start but I needed (wanted) more. For some misguided creative reason, I've decided to always photograph my gadgets against the background of my solid-wood floor. So unless said gadget is particularly tall, mounting the Key Light Mini more than a metre off the floor wasn't going to be hugely helpful.

Enter the final (and most fun) piece of the puzzle; the Elgato Flex Arm, an ingenious combination of four different length extensions and ball sockets that can be adjusted to pretty much any shape required. This then allowed me to bend my mounting system right back down to floor level, so I could get the Key Light Mini as close as possible to the object being photographed.

This has led to a dramatic and noticeable upgrade in my photo quality, virtually eliminating any shadows and highlighting any small details I desire.

Perfect. With one small catch.

While Elgato confidently boasts of stability, flexibility and durability - all of which I've found to be absolutely the case - the fine print on the quick start guide for the Master Mount does warn the maximum load for the ball socket at the top is just 2kg. 

Have you spotted the problem yet?

That's right; my Heavy Base weighs precisely 4.8kg. This meant when picked up my whole Multi Mount rigging system by the top, rather than by the base, I broke it.

Stupid physics.

I don't blame Elgato's construction standards in the slightest and I'm hoping a liberal dose of Liquid Nails will remedy the situation after the recommended curing time. This was definitely operator error and serves as my warning to you; if you're looking for a truly versatile, solid and easily portable lighting setup, the combination of Elgato's Multi Mount system with the Key Light Mini is an excellent way to go... just make sure you lift it from the bottom. Like any normal person would.

    

Click here for more information on the Elagato Key Light Mini.

Click here for more information on the Elgato Multi Mount modular rigging system - including Master Mount, Flex Arm and Heavy Base.