This tiny light is almost perfect. The newer model's diffuser layer produces a very smooth medium-wide wash of white light with good CRI (I haven't confirmed the spectrum, but it seems to render color well so far). The little cold shoe attaches easily and locks / unlocks with one finger. The buttons that control brightness and display battery level are an unusual design, but easy to figure out after a few minutes experimenting with them -- and they make good use of three widely spaced buttons that are workable with gloves on. [UPDATE: The CRI or color accuracy of this white light is surprisingly good. Much purer white than a lot of LED light bulbs and LED tube lights.]

Run-time on one charge isn't really under the control of Ulanzi -- that much light from that many LEDs with that size Lithium battery is more or less predefined by the components, but the battery certainly has enough capacity to shoot for a length of time that fits well with the GoPro's own shooting time. The highest settings run for hours. With other cameras, of course, one might need to run the light with an external power source, and the unit does operate when plugged in. (I haven't confirmed whether it charges at the same time.)

There's a cold shoe on the other 3 sides of the unit, so you can chain them together, but there's no coordination between them. I suppose a cool enhancement would be a daisy-chain USB-C cable and firmware that would allow any one unit to control the settings on the others, but I'm not even sure I'd use such a thing. There's a 1/4" x 20 tpi metal tripod socket inside the cold shoe, which is extremely handy for clamping and tripod mounts when you don't want the light on the camera, but this light is a perfect match for the GoPro, and is almost exactly the same size.

The only downside is that the built-in battery must, of course, be charged after 2-4 hours of use, which could be a problem. But the alternative -- replaceable batteries -- would significantly increase the cost, and the very low price of this light, compared to most of the competition, is one of its main selling points. I'm very impressed, and it's becoming clear that Ulanzi is positioning itself to be a leader in clever, affordable, quality photo accessories. They even have a replacement flip-down GoPro replacement mount for the Hero9 that incorporates a threaded tripod mount between the two flip-down GoPro mounts.

UPDATE:

Since writing this review, I've used the ULANZI VL49 quite a bit. The run-time is rather amazing -- several hours at less than full brightness, and using it for Zoom lighting I never need anything close to full brightness, so it's going 4-5 hours without running out. But the main thing I want to point out is that the brightness settings are a little too coarse for my needs. As great as this light is for general use with GoPros and webcams, in my Zoom setup I wish I could dial it down to be LESS bright than level 1.

Interestingly, the solution to this is the OTHER version of this -- the ULANZI VL49 RGB, which I also bought and reviewed. The RGB version is just as bright, but adjusts in 1% increments, so I can dial in much dimmer settings, or anything up to (at 3 feet) blindingly bright. Of course the RGB version is also a color unit, with 2 modes -- color temperature, from warm white to mid-day sunlight, and RGB, with many combinations of R, G, and B in varying proportions. This gives a wide range of colored light, but the available color mixes are not smoothly continuous from R through G to B -- there are steps. So you get lots of color choices, but not a full color spectrum of intermediate colors. Since RGB mode is generally for weirdness, or very subtle color washes, that's not really a problem, especially in such an inexpensive unit. The ULANZI VL49 RGB is just under $10 more expensive, but still seems like a terrific value. I've ordered a second one for Zooming, and the monochrome will make a nice green-screen illuminator.

I've yet to use this in a real world recording. I've used it to at home to get familiar with it and I'll say it provides enough light even for the darkest of situations. The dimmable feature is also very nice when you don't want to over saturate your target with blinding light. My only gripe at this point is that the buttons are difficult to feel and impossible to see in a dark setting. Rather than buttons, maybe a toggle type button would be better? Even memorizing where they are you'll have to fumble with it a bit before you get what you're looking for. Or maybe use a bit of back lighting for the buttons might be nice? Besides that, so far I've had no issues with this product not working.

I recently purchased 4 of the ULANZI VL49 2000mAh LED Video Lights with 3 Cold Shoe, and I must say, they do the job as advertised. While they aren't extraordinary, they provide a reliable source of light for my video needs.

The 2000mAh rechargeable battery ensures a decent run time, and the soft light panel does well in diffusing the light for a more pleasing look. Having 3 cold shoe mounts adds versatility to my setup, allowing for additional attachments.

However, despite being good, these lights didn't particularly amaze me. They fulfill their purpose but lack a 'wow' factor that would elevate them to the next level. While they are handy and functional, I would have appreciated some extra features or exceptional build quality that set them apart from the competition.

In conclusion, the ULANZI VL49 is a solid choice for those looking for a basic and dependable video light. It may not dazzle you with unique features, but it won't disappoint in providing the necessary illumination. If you're in need of a straightforward, no-frills light panel, these are "good enough" and worth considering.

We were struggling to get good selfie pics at parties where it's dark, this light is perfect! Get a phone holder with cold shoe connector, you'll be the most popular person at the parties.

wow, excelente, de gran utilidad, no ilumina gran cosa pero cumple con la funcion requerida