Elgato Key Light

Ultimate Guide: Elgato Key Light

Sarah Fowlds
Awall Digital
Published in
5 min readApr 11, 2023

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Lighting is one of the most important factors that may completely alter the appearance of a game, even if the game’s visuals remain mostly the same. The release of a new generation of gaming consoles showed this. And the same thing is true when it comes to lighting up your face. The Elgato Key Light was designed to ensure that you always look your best, regardless of whether you are streaming the newest game using incredible ray tracing technology or turning on your webcam for yet another hour-long video meeting that could have been an email instead.

Say farewell to the cave’s dark, gloomy, and dingy illumination. Get rid of that sickly yellow light throwing weird shadows on your face, and get a new overhead light.

Original Article: Awall.shop

Are you a content creator? You are going to need a nice light.

If you create material with a camera, you understand the importance of having enough lighting. It does not matter whether you are broadcasting with a low-cost webcam or a high-end DSLR; if you do not have enough lighting, the quality of your stream will suffer. If you publish films on YouTube, where up-and-coming producers are often included alongside celebrities who have made millions of dollars, the significance of this point increases significantly. Lighting is one of the first things you should focus on if you want your stream to seem professional.

The basic truth is that it does not matter what camera you have; to feed it, you need to have sufficient light. If the scene you’re shooting is too dark, the camera will boost its ISO and slow down its shutter speed, resulting in a grainy film with a low frame rate. This is particularly true for webcams since the quality of one streamer’s video compared to another may vary widely based on how well their face is lighted.

Wireless Management

The Elgato Key Lights may be managed through the Elgato Control Center software on your mobile device and/or desktop computer, but they do not need a USB connector. You will link them to Control Center via WiFi by following a procedure that is not too difficult to understand and takes a couple of minutes at most.

Once you’ve established the connection, you can exercise complete command over the lights using your WiFi network. Because this does not involve connecting the lights directly to the internet, they will continue functioning normally even if your external internet connection is disrupted, provided your WiFi network is still transmitting a signal. You may also turn on the Key Lights by simply flipping a switch on the back of the device; however, the Control Center is the only place where you will have complete control over the brightness and color temperature of the lights.

The advantage of this solution is that you won’t have to mess with the controls on the back of the lights to lock in the settings you desire. You can do it all using the app while simultaneously looking directly at your video stream to see how the changes appear in real-time. You may also give over control of the Elgato Key Lights to an Elgato Stream Deck by utilizing the buttons on the Stream Deck to make adjustments to the settings, create macros, and do whatever other creative things your heart wants. This is made possible by the Control Center software.

Setup

The ease with which every Elgato device may be installed is one of the many advantages built into the brand. The Elgato Key Light is not an exception; after the rapid assembly, the Elgato Key Light is attached to the table by a clamping mechanism.

Once you have turned on the Elgato Key Light, you will be invited to download the control center software. Once this has been done, the Key Light will be identified. Simply pressing the “Pair” button on the program is required to complete the pairing process.

Diffusion of a Superior Quality

Elgato The panel that houses the Key Lights has a complete diffusions layer integrated into it. Simply put, this stops the light from seeming harsh either when you look at it directly or when it is in the periphery of your field of vision. This makes it possible for the streamer to keep focused on their live broadcast, game, or conversation without worrying about being distracted by a bright light.

Comfort

The Key Light makes use of a large number of high-quality components, all of which, taken together, generate a relatively minimal amount of heat. The typical soft box lights offered by other vendors will generate a significant amount of heat immediately in front of you. Consequently, certain soft box lights may make it difficult to stream for lengthy periods; however, this is not a problem you will experience while using the Elgato Key Light.

Brightness

Elgato Key Lights can reach an exceptionally high level of brightness, yet, in most streaming environments, you won’t be able to adjust the brightness level past 10%. The Elgato Keylight is capable of reaching a peak brightness of 2800 nits and has the potential to be used for a variety of purposes, including product photos if you are a streamer who also reviews products.

The Key Light is equipped with 160 high-quality OSRAM LEDs, a kind of LED produced in Japan, and it can reliably maintain that level of brightness eternally. The Keylight is finished with a silky-smooth opal glass front, which guarantees outstanding color reproduction regardless of the brightness level.

Takeaway

If the cost is not a deterrent for you and you are searching for outstanding lighting for your streaming setup, the Elgato Key Light is an excellent purchase. The fact that it saves space alone is enough for most people. However, the product’s ease of use, flexibility, and the fact that it does not sit there and roast your face are all wonderful bonuses.

Once again, Elgato has come up with something for streamers that seems easy but is really a game-changer. It is a remarkably excellent product, and Elgato has done it again.

PROS

Space-saving design

Wireless Control

Low heat

CONS

Expensive

You need more than one for better illumination

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