MEGATech Reviews – ikan iLED312 Dual Color LED Light and MA210 Articulating Arm Stephen Fung August 9, 2013 MEGATech Reviews, MEGATech Videos The folks at ikan Corp have been designing and building products for cinematographers and film-makers for quite some time now. They design, market and sell all sorts of gear including shoulder rigs, LED lights, and teleprompters and more. The products they create follow one simple motto and that’s to give the customer “features you need, prices you want”. This way of doing things has garnered them a devoted following. Today we’re checking out two products from ikan: The iLED312 Dual Color LED light and the MA210 Articulating Arm. I’ve been testing both products behind the scenes and I’m ready to tell you what I think of them. Check out the video below… If you’re having problems viewing this video, you can check it out right here on our YouTube Channel. The ikan iLED312 Dual Color LED Light I’ve really enjoyed my time with the ikan iLED312 dual color light. It has excellent battery life, a nice wide beam so you’re not washing out your poor talents face during interviews, and you can adjust both the intensity and the color temperature of the light to suit your needs. The additional diffuser also helps give the light a softer glow. I really appreciated everything in the kit provided with the iLED312. From the two batteries (which give us a good 4 – 5 hours of battery life) to the ways in which to charge the light, and to keep it going in case batteries are not an option. I also loved the fact that, in a pinch, you could use a single battery. After-market Sony “L-Series” batteries are also an option allowing you to shoot a lot longer on battery. Although the cold shoe mount was a nice touch, I would have much preferred to have seen the kit with an articulating arm included, giving the light much more versatility. In fact, the video that promotes the iLED312 on their product page still shows one being in the kit. The iLED312 sells as both a single light and as a full three point lighting kit. The single light is $399.99 US while the three point lighting kit is $1799.99 US and includes three of the kits, three portable light stands, and a carrying case in which to transport everything. The ikan MA210 10 inch Articulating Arm As alluded to in the previous section, it would have been really nice if the iLED312 came with an articulating arm. So that’s why the second produce we’re reviewing is exactly that. The MA210 10 inch articulating arm or “magic arm” is really magical because I have no clue how it does what it does internally. But what I do know is that when I’ve gotten my LED light, GoPro or Field Monitor to the right spot, all I need to do is turn the dial, and everything locks into place securely. Something that does cheap $60 or cheaper Amazon.com arms do not do well, as I showed in the video. As simple as this product may be, it does come with multiple mounting options including a cold shoe that will work well with your vDSLR. And did I mention that the rubber piece has not come off even once? The ikan MA210 articulating arm retails for $99.99 US and it also has a smaller brother called the MA206 which is a 6 inch version for $79.99 US. I personally think that’s a waste of time because the 10 inch version is just so much more versatile and will likely do the work of both. MEGATechie “Michael Bay” or MEGATechie Movie Magic? The ikan iLED312 dual color LED light and the MA210 articulating arm are really meant to go together. I’m so glad that I asked for both of them to review together I’ve had the pleasure of using them to film our other video host, Michael Kwan, on numerous occasions from the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, to our recent visit with Samsung. Both products did a fantastic job and they really helped reduce the amount of times we had to say “we’ll fix it in post”. Most surprising, or rather not so surprising, is the value for money that ikan has created with these two products. They most certainly did their motto of “features you need, prices you want” proud. You can easily spend a whole lot more on products like these from other companies (or way too little and be royally disappointed on Amazon), but it’s pretty clear that ikan has figured out the “just right” price with their products. The ikan iLED312 is well priced and a good value at only $399.99 US (or $1799.99 US if you want the 3 point kit) while the MA210 articulating arm does a fantastic job and won’t drop your gear at only $99.99 USD. Both products are available on the ikan Corporation websiteand you can also find their products on Amazon alongside those really cheap arms that you should stay away from. Share This With The World!
