In the macro photography world, light is a crucial ingredient. However, in the eternal battle for light, we often find ourselves either struggling with its scarcity or dealing with its uninspiring quality. A popular solution for macro photography is a flash – but there is also a place for constant lights. In this review, I will discuss the latter: a small, affordable, yet versatile LED for macro photography called the Rollei Lumis Solo 2.
The great macro photographer and entomologist Pavel Krásenský recently showed me these lights in his studio, and when I saw what he could do with them, I immediately ordered three.
If you take a look at the scene I shot in my home studio for demonstration purposes, you’ll understand why I call them “studio lights.”
As you can see, they are like miniature versions of classic studio lights! In short, the Rollei Lumis Solo 2 is capable of being a complete LED lighting system for small subjects. Built-in magnets allow you to easily attach a variety of light modifiers, including a diffuser, conical snoot, barn doors and grid. If you want to adjust the default color temperature of 5,500K (CRI 95+), you can do so with one of the eight color gels included.
This size is not enough for everyday lights, but for macro and close-up photography, it is plenty. You might wonder why someone would bother with a lighting setup like this when a classic studio light would also work – and the answers are price and portability! The Rollei Lumis Solo 2 is just €35 on Rollei’s website, and it measures just 4.1 x 4.1 x 3.7 cm (1.6 x 1.6 x 1.5 inches) in size.
The Rollei Lumis Solo 2 has a power output of 4W and provides an illumination of 1,000 lx at a distance of 0.5m. Brightness can be adjusted in four levels via short presses of the power button.
The runtime of the built-in 800 mAh battery depends on the external conditions and the age of the battery, but according to the manufacturer, it ranges from 60 minutes (at maximum power) to 240 minutes (at minimum power). Unfortunately, charging requires a proprietary magnetic cable – thankfully Rollei includes two in the package.
Take a look at the two photos below – the first with natural light, and the second using a Rollei Lumis Solo 2:
For outdoor use, a big plus is that the light is waterproof to 10 meters (for 30 minutes) and dust-proof, meeting IP68 standards. So, you don’t have to worry about dropping the lights in wet grass – and beyond that, it also opens up exciting creative possibilities. Place the light under the water lilies in a pond, and you can wait for the fairies (or frogs) to appear. Not to mention the applications in underwater photography.
One of the biggest advantages of LEDs over flash is their ease of use. Because these lights provide continuous illumination, they require far less experience to operate. There’s no need to visualize the lighting in your mind’s eye – you see the results right in your camera’s viewfinder and can quickly adjust the setup if necessary.
The same applies to setting the correct exposure, which essentially follows standard photography principles. You don’t have to worry about flash sync speeds or how to balance the flash output with your exposure settings. Instead, you can just rely on your camera’s metering as usual.
Shooting at night is also much more predictable with LEDs. Because they illuminate the scene, composing and focusing is much easier. However, not every creature is born to be a stage star, and some may not appreciate being bathed in light from an array of LEDs, so please use them carefully.
The Rollei Lumis Solo 2 provides three mounting options (apart from simply holding it in your hand). The following mounting solutions come in handy: a 1/4″ tripod thread, a cold shoe mount (with included adapter), or a magnet on the back of the light.
In the field, the most practical solution is often the tripod thread combined with a small, flexible tripod (such as a Gorillapod). This setup allows you to attach the light to a branch, rock, or the leg of a larger tripod. Personally, I use a light stand paired with a small ballhead for this purpose.
Keep in mind that this is a small light, and even with the light modifiers, you aren’t going to illuminate a wide area. The Rollei Lumis Solo 2 is therefore best suited for illuminating small details such as flowers, mushrooms, insects, or other common macro photography subjects.
If you need a full-size LED for something like portraiture or videography, this is not the light I would get. In fact, for many situations, a flash would be preferable in the first place – mainly because they are capable of outputting so much more light.
But as is often the case, the best solution is the one you have with you. And since the entire Rollei Lumis Solo 2 package – including all modifiers and a carrying case – weighs only 200g, it will certainly find a place in my backpack.
The current price on Rollei’s website is €35. At the moment, it is not available through major retailers like B&H or Amazon, but it does appear that Rollei ships worldwide.
