Jiří Filip In today's review, we take a look at a treat for iPhone video creators. For the editorial office, DISK Multimedia, s.r.o. lent us a special video set Vlogger Kit from the workshop of the renowned manufacturer of multimedia accessories RODE. So how did the set impress me after a few weeks of testing?
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As you may have already guessed from the title, we received not one product for review, but an entire set designed for vloggers. It consists specifically of a VideoMic Me-L directional microphone together with a clip for firm attachment to a smartphone and wind protection, MicroLED lights for illuminating the scene together with a special frame, a USB-C charging cable and color filters, a tripod and a special "SmartGrip" grip. which is used to attach the smartphone to the tripod and at the same time to place the additional light for the smartphone. So the set is really rich in terms of content.
If you decide to buy it, you will receive it in a relatively small, elegant paper box, which is completely typical for products from the RODE workshop. It should be noted that its external design is really good, and I must say the same about the internal arrangement of the individual parts of the set. The manufacturer made it a point to eliminate the possibility of any damage during transport by distributors, which he succeeded in thanks to a whole range of internal cardboard partitions with moldings directly for individual products.
Processing and technical specifications
In addition to the packaging itself, the manufacturer should also be praised for the materials used, in which metal, robust plastic and high-quality rubber prevail. In short, it's not a piece of cake, but an accessory that will last you for quite a few years of intensive use, which is definitely great. If you wait for the certifications, the microphone boasts the most interesting one for Apple users – namely MFi ensuring full compatibility with the Lightning port through which it connects to the phone. If you're wondering what frequency it can work with, it's 20 to 20 Hz. Its dimensions are 000 x 20,2 x 73,5 mm at 25,7 grams.
Gallery
Another interesting part is the tripod, which, when folded, serves as a classic shorter selfie stick or any other holder for handheld shooting. But its bottom can be - as the name suggests - divided into three parts, which then serve as stable mini tripod legs. You have the opportunity to place your phone somewhere and shoot perfectly stable footage.
Gallery
Briefly, in this paragraph we will also focus on the MicroLED light used to illuminate dark scenes. Although it is small in size, according to the manufacturer, it still offers more than an hour of lighting per charge, which is more than a decent amount of time. It is charged through an integrated USB-C input hidden under a flap that protects it from dirt. Just be careful, for users with shorter nails, opening this protection is not completely comfortable.
Testing
I specifically tested the set with iPhone XS and 11 (i.e. models with different diagonals) to test how stable it is on different sizes of SmartGrip, to which both a tripod and lighting are added. And I must say that the grip did not disappoint in any case, as it "snapped" to the phones quite strongly thanks to the strong fastening mechanism, thus ensuring both a firm attachment to the tripod and a completely stable place for placing the light in the rail on it. In addition, the SmartGrip did not give way even when I moved the phone on the tripod rather violently, thanks to which at least I got the impression that the iPhone is completely safe in it and there is no need to worry about it falling out and breaking . For that to happen, you would have to drop the entire set, which is quite unlikely.
If you have been reading our magazine for a long time, you may remember in the fall of 2018, when the microphone from this set arrived at our editorial office for testing. And since I tested it at the time, I already knew in advance that, at least in terms of sound, the Vlogger Kit would be a really top-notch set, which of course proved to be the case. As I don't want to repeat myself too much in this review, I'll just briefly say that the sound you are able to record via this additional microphone on the iPhone (or iPad) is, in short, better quality at first listen - overall it's cleaner, more natural and in high-quality headphones or speakers, it simply sounds as it sounds in reality. I don't want to say that the iPhone has low-quality internal microphones, but they simply don't have enough for the added hardware yet. So if you want to record sound in the best possible quality, there is nothing to hesitate about. Then read the detailed microphone review <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1932/8043/files/200721_ODSTOUPENI_BEZ_UDANI_DUVODU__EN.pdf?v=1595428404" data-gt-href-en="https://en.notsofunnyany.com/">here</a>.
As for the light, I was a little surprised that I had to charge it before using it for the first time, as it was completely "juiced" in the box (which is definitely not the norm with electronics these days). A few tens of minutes of waiting was worth it. The luminosity of the light is really very solid, thanks to which it can easily provide enough light even in very dark rooms, i.e. in the dark outside. In terms of range, the question here is what exactly you expect from recording in the dark. As such, the light shines several meters without any major problems, but it is of course necessary to take into account that you will only get well-lit shots from a part of the illuminated area. I can say for myself that I would use the lighting in the dark when recording objects about two meters away from the light source and the iPhone. The objects that were further away seemed to me to be insufficiently lit to call the recording high-quality. However, we all have a different perception of quality, and while some of you will find shots from two meters to be of low quality, others will be happy with shots with illumination of three meters or more. And the stamina? So it won't offend, but it won't excite either - it's really about 60 minutes, as the manufacturer states.
I would like to briefly review the color filters, which - as you might expect - change the color of the light, which is white by default. At first I thought it was a kind of useless accessory, but I have to admit that shooting with different colors of lighting (available for example orange, blue, green and so on) is simply fun and this effect adds a completely different dimension to the recording . However, it is necessary to take into account that some color filters are more difficult to use than the white classic for downright dark or very dark places.
If I had to use two words to describe how the set as a whole feels in the hand, I would use the words balanced and stable. After the correct installation of all parts of the set on the smartphone, you practically have no chance to notice any unwanted vibrations caused, for example, by the clearance between the individual components, when recording the video "handheld". In short, everything on the phone and the handle holds perfectly and as is simply needed for first-class recording. If I were to evaluate the weight of the set, it is quite pleasant and mainly distributed in such a way that it makes the set very well balanced. Actually, I was a little worried about the balance before testing, because the distribution of the individual parts of the set is not exactly even. Fortunately, the fear was completely unnecessary, because filming with the set is simply comfortable and pleasant.
Summary
The RODE Vlogger Kit is an ingeniously assembled set that, in my opinion, cannot offend any video creator who uses the iPhone for their creation. In short, the set will offer him practically everything he could need, in first-class quality, uncompromising functionality and, moreover, with simple operation. So if you're looking for a set that frees up your hands in many ways when creating videos and at the same time sells for a nice price, you've just found it. You can hardly find a set with a better price/performance ratio these days. It is available in an iOS version with a Lightning connector, in a USB-C version or in a version with a 3,5 mm output. You can view them all <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1932/8043/files/200721_ODSTOUPENI_BEZ_UDANI_DUVODU__EN.pdf?v=1595428404" data-gt-href-en="https://en.notsofunnyany.com/">here</a>.
You can purchase the RODE Vlogger Kit in the iOS edition here
