Elgato Key Light Air Overview
All put together, the Key Light Air is a fairly simple product at first look. And while this is mostly true, the various components of the complete product offer a variety of features that make them interesting on their own. We will cover each component here on its own, as well as the completed Key Light Air as a whole.
Light
Probably the most important part of the Key Light Air, the light panel has a rounded square look to it, with a black plastic frame surrounding the white light diffuser. At just over eight inches square, the light panel on the Key Light Air measures in at 46.5 square inches, compared to 93 square inches found on the larger Key Light. From the front, the light panel looks a lot like many other light panels that are available, and nearly the same can be said about the rear of the panel.
Of course, inside the light is where all the magic happens, and that can be attributed to a few key items, first of which are the 80 OSRAM LEDs. These industrial-grade LEDs can be adjusted in color from 2900 to 7000 K for a wide range of options from shades of amber to blue. Depending on the look of your stream and the environment around you, this range of color options can help you look natural no matter your aesthetic. The LEDs can also be adjusted in brightness between 0 and 1400 lumens which can really improve the quality of your video, no matter whether you are using a dedicated DSLR or mirrorless camera, or a standard webcam. Also found inside the light panel is a wireless network adapter, which is used to provide connectivity to the light for control and configuration via a variety of methods, including an app or full application.
Looking at the back of the light, we find a cool angled pattern around the outer portions of the panel. On an elevated plateau in the center of the panel, we find a few key features of the light panel.
Starting at the top we find a hardware reset button as well as a barrel power connection labeled to indicate the light’s need for 13V and 2.0A of power.
Lower on the light we find a 1/4 inch threaded connection for attaching the ball for the mounting head, but this could also be paired up with something like Elgato’s very own Multi Mount.
Lastly, towards the bottom of the elevated section is a physical On/Off switch for the light.
Base
The base of the unit is quite simple, but serves an important purpose. With a weight of 2.20 lbs, the base is definitely heavy enough to keep the light in place without any worry of it tipping over or sliding around. This is thanks no only to its weight, but the large amount of rubber grip that is found on the bottom of the base. The plastic of the base has a matte finish and matches the texture of the rest of the components. Towards the back of the base, there is a small keyed section that allows you to align the telescopic pole for installation, and on the bottom side, beneath the keyed portion on top, is an indentation and hole to allow the threaded screw to tighten into the pole.
Telescopic Pole
As previously mentioned, the telescopic pole attaches to the base via a keyed fitting and the threaded screw. As its name suggests, the telescopic pole can be adjusted in height from 23.62 in to 34.65 in. This 11+ inches of vertical adjustment should provide plenty of range for nearly all implementations.
The attached adjustment knob is easy to use, and is conveniently placed at the front of the pole for easy access.
Along the entire back side of the pole is a grooved channel that can be used to route the power cable for the light, keeping your cabling tidy. An additional clip of sorts is available on the thinner rod portion for extra cable management.
At the top of the pole is a notched plastic section that is used to attach the ball head mount.
Ball Head and Mount
A very solid ball head with a standard 1/4-inch screw is provided to connect the light panel itself to the telescopic pole. A small rubber pad gives the ball head a good gripping force on the back of the light panel.
In order to attach the light panel and ball mount to the pole, an included mount is used to tighten down on both the pole and ball head. This process is actually a bit tricky as you are trying to keep multiple parts in place at once, while trying to tighten the mount to secure all of the pieces.
That being said, once all of the components are tied together, this mount does a great job when it comes to adjustments and keeping things in place.
