Elgato Key Light Mini review 2024: great streaming light

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Lighting is a very important part of the setup for any streamer. It doesn’t help to spend money on a great streaming set-up if you don’t also have money for good lighting. Good lighting can make a huge difference in how your camera picks up your face and background, so make sure your stream has the best lighting you can afford.

Elgato has a lot of different lighting options, but their newest one is the most portable one yet. The Key Light Mini is about the size of a smartphone, but it is bright enough to light up any stream. Its built-in battery also makes it a great way to light up photos, and it’s easy to attach to a camera for filming.

Elgato Key Light Mini Specifications

Battery	3.7 V, 4000 mAh LiPo USB-C, fast charge up to 3 A, 5 V 14.7cm x 10cm x 1.7cm / 5.79 x 3.93 x 0.67 in
Button lifetime	60mln (Kailh switches)
Wifi	2.4 GHz / 5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n
Weight	300g

Elgato Key Light Mini review: Design

The Key Light Mini is very well made. It has a single 1/4″ thread mount at the bottom so you can attach it to a tripod or camera mount that works with it. On the right side of the device, you can find all of the controls and a USB-C port for charging the battery.

You can turn the device on or off with a small button, and a jog wheel lets you change the brightness or temperature. To switch between the two, you just have to hold down the wheel. The Key Light Mini will flash once or twice to show you which mode it is in. Lastly, the Key Light Mini has a “rest” button that will return it to its original settings. You can get this key light from it official website.

Elgato Key Light Mini review: Performance

The Key Light Mini may be small, but it packs a powerful punch. When we turned it on for the first time, we were urprised by how much light it put out. We were  temporarily blinded by it. The edge-lit panel can put out up to 800 lumens, which is probably too much light for most situations. We were got great results indoors with the light turned down to 20%.

Using the same double-layer diffusion as the rest of the Key Light line, the Key Light Mini gives off soft, even light over a wide area for such a small source. The range of colours from 2900K to 7000K is much wider than that of competing panels, and I noticed this most at the warmer end of the scale. Since pure daylight is around 5000K, this gives creators enough room to work in most places, even outside.

Elgato Key Light Mini review: Setup

The Key Light Mini is brighter than the Litra Glow, with a maximum brightness of 800 lumens instead of 250 lumens. This is why we found it to be brighter and harsher than Logitech’s light. If you’re lighting yourself from far away and need light that stands out, the Key Light Mini will probably work better for you.

But when we put both lights on top of my monitor and sat in front of them for long periods of time, we found that the Litra Glow was easier on my eyes for up-close use in a smaller setup.

Elgato Key Light Mini review: Battery Life

That’s because IRL streamers and videographers will be able to use a Key Light Mini with their camera gear. The bottom of the unit has a standard tripod thread mount, which makes it easy to attach to a camera’s cold shoe. It charges over USB-C, so you can use the same battery packs and cables you already have. However, the built-in battery will only last up to four hours, depending on how bright you use it. And that’s really not too bad.

Elgato Key Light Mini review: Price and availability

The Elgato Key Light Mini can be bought right now for $99.99. Compared to Elgato’s own Key Light Air, which costs $129.99, and Key Light, which costs $199.99, this single portable light is very cheap. But it doesn’t make much sense to buy two Key Light Minis for your stream. You might as well just buy one of the bigger lights instead.

Final Words

The Key Light Mini has a lot going for it. It’s bright enough, easy to attach to any tripod or magnetic surface, and easy to control with an app. And if you have an Elgato Stream Deck, which lets you change brightness and temperature on the fly, it really comes to life.

You’ll have to do some work on your own to get the most out of Key Light Mini. You’ll need to provide your own tripod, mount, or surface. The Logitech Litra Glow, which costs $59, is a more affordable and all-in-one solution. It comes with a monitor mount and gives people with Logitech G keyboards great control options.

FAQs

Is Elgato key light worth it?

Is it worth it to buy Elgato Key Lights? People like the Elgato Key Light because it works well and has a lot of features. Elgato is loved by streamers of all sizes because it has a wide range of colour temperatures, doesn’t get too hot, and is easy to change the brightness with an app.

Is 1 Elgato key light enough?

In the end, the choice is still an easy one. We think that you should get two Elgato Key Light Airs. You need two lights so that the light is even. Even if you want one to be brighter than the other for a cinematic effect, one light source won’t be enough to fill your whole shot.

Is one Elgato key light enough for streaming?

In theory, a ring light is better because its round shape makes it easier to spread the light evenly and get rid of shadows. A good thing about ring lights is that they don’t get as hot as quickly as key lights. This means you can stream for longer without getting too hot from the light.