Yay or nay?
Discover what the internet is saying about GVM.
Upgraded Reviews scanned the web to find out what real users are saying about GVM.
See the highlights below and decide for yourself!
Table of contents
- ✅ Pros
- ❌ Cons
- ⚖️ Summaries
- 💸 Top Discount
✅ Pros
“There is plenty of light output and the control in the RGB and bicolor modes are amazing.”
“The LED light can be changed from 2000K to 10,000K.”
“It’s compact enough I can travel with it.”
“The stand can easily handle the weight of the HD 18S.”
“GVM has included a handy carrying bag that houses the light and accessories, making it easy to transport and set up the HD 18S anywhere it’s needed.”
“The GVM SD200B lights feature a powerful 200-watt bi colour spotlight, compared to the mere 45watts of our old Neweer lights.”
“The colors are great and it’s easy to operate this light from all the controls on the back of the panel.”
“It features high color accuracy (CRI/TLCI 97+) coupled with smoothly adjustable bi-color temperature.”
“By far one of my favorite things about this light is the ability to control it from a distance seamlessly with the GVM mobile app on IOS or Android.”
“In the case of the HD 18S, it does an exceptional job of reproducing an accurate colour profile of the object being lit.”
“Overall, the case is great, and enough padding suggests it could survive many trips in an owner/operator vehicle.”
“It delivers a solid 300W power output, meeting the brightness demands of various shooting scenarios.”
“The light is quite fine-tunable.”
“GVM app connects quickly, and there is no delay between issuing a command and the light responding.”
“Excellent battery life. I use these mostly on low brightness levels (fill lighting only) and they last hours and hours.”
“Convenience features like Source Match mode and 12 built-in lighting effects are also included, boosting creative efficiency.”
“It also comes with many built-in presets and effects that you can use for quick lighting adjustments or creating a unique setting for videos.”
“It also offers 13 presets for various lighting styles such as tungsten, studio lamps, sunset, sunrise and overcast skies.”
“I am pleasantly surprised with the exterior build quality, the wired DMX, and the included case (given the price point).”
“Reasonable construction with a mix of aluminium and plastic. All the parts that need something more sturdy or heat protection use aluminium.”
“Good quality CCT LEDs producing decent skin tones and accurate colour (apparently CRI of 97+ but I am not able to test that) and colours look good on camera.”
“The cold shoe mount offers a host of great options for mounting cameras and phones.”
“Great value lighting kit at roughly £200. Contains everything you need to get started with lighting or can act as great additional lights for fill or to throw colour onto a scene.”
“You can also turn the light on and off via the app as well.”
“Despite the advanced options, the basic intensity and color temperature controls remain intuitive and easy to use.”
“For the price, they’re a great value.”
“It goes beyond basic lights, offering professional features like DMX control (8/16-bit), multiple cinematic dimming curves, and an anti-flicker frequency setting – essential capabilities for serious filmmaking workflows.”
“RGB colors are supported.”
“It is compact, lightweight, and portable.”
“The power options for the AC adapter and the batteries make this a flexible option.”
“It’s a strong spotlight with the reflector added, or great a with a great softbox.”
“I like that they are compact and lightweight.”
“With a beautifully bright LED lighting system, the GVM HD 18S ring light boasts an impressive CRI (colour rendering index) of ≥ 97.”
“The GVM PRO SD300C is mostly made out of aluminum alloy and comes with a standard bowens mount to attach light modifiers to.”
“The light does come with a dimmer which allows for minor adjustments from 1% to 100% power to give you just the right amount of light.”
“The bi-colour spotlight means that you can cycle through every colour temperature possible.”
“The app gives you easy control over CCT, HSI, and RGB settings, and dialing everything in is quick.”
“The app is easy to use, connects quickly and lets me make adjustments from my camera-ready position.”
“The GVM has full app control as well, so you can adjust the brightness and temperature from your desk or from in front of the camera, so you don’t have to worry about constantly getting up and moving back and forth.”
“It’s powerful enough for a variety of lighting situations.”
“8 cool light modes are available.”
“They use Sony NPF batteries.”
“The ability to match with 12 existing light sources is useful when you are in a location where you don’t have complete control of swapping out all the existing fixtures in the given shot.”
💸 Top Current Discount
❌ Cons
“It’s probably just me but it would be nice if this came with a stand, though the universal mount means you can easily find one to fit it.”
“I don’t love the addition of banner ads for other GVM products in the app.”
“While the 120° mount works well, the plastic mounting bracket does feel a little loose even after tightening.”
“The light weighs in at 5.95 lbs which is on the heavier side.”
“Light stands are the most basic you can buy and not of great quality and have no air cushioning.”
“The HSI adjustments are awful. They are non-linear making it impossible to select some colours entirely. The video covers this problem in detail because it really is bad.”
“Camera mounting bracket is a bit flimsy.”
“The light is rated as 300 watts which is absolutely amazing.”
“Batteries are not hot-swappable. Despite having two batteries, when one is removed, the lights turn off.”
“Make sure you get the Bluetooth version of these lights. I received an old Wi-Fi variant and it does not connect to the phone. As a result, I was completely unable to test the app.”
“It doesn’t have a case.”
“The kit doesn’t include a battery plate option, and you’ll have to source a $79 battery plate for V-mount if you need that functionality.”
⚖️ Final Say
Read the summaries of what reviewers think about GVM below.
“I can definitely recommend the GVM Bi-Color LED Video Spotlight for your YouTube empire, vlog or video productions. I’ve seen the price vary quite a bit, depending on the wattage of the light and what’s available. I also added the GVM Parabolic Softbox Light Dome at about $129 and and a GVM light stand for about $59.”
“The HD 18S from GVM is a solid and powerful ring light for content creators. While the light stand suffers from some design flaws, the HD 18S is a powerful, colour-accurate light source ideal for content creators.”
“If you are looking for a great light for video or to use in a photography studio; the GVM Pro SD300C Monolight is a fantastic option. The light comes with every feature I could ever ask for and then some and is perfect for any job I need lighting for.”
“Our previous studio lights were the Neewer Max 45w. These are just your basic, run of the mill studio lights that you can pick up off Amazon or eBay for around £65. These lights have been used on every single video on our Youtube channel up until now! To be honest, these lights have served us very well.”
“It incorporates numerous features indicating it’s designed for serious filmmaking and professional workflows. It feels less like a simple lamp and more like a ‘small computer.’”
“They’re so convenient and easy to use that I’ve found me using them all over the place because they’re very simple to move around and the battery life is good. In summary, they’re worth the money but don’t expect perfection at this level.”
“GVM is now firmly on my radar. A solid exterior build, wired DMX, and an affordable price point should make the Pro SD300C a real purchase consideration for content creators and professionals alike. The test scores are also excellent, with impressive output for a 300-watt fixture.”
“I highly recommend this light for those looking for a compact RGB LED Video Light solution. It does the job, and does it well!”
“I highly recommend this lighting kit just because of the quality and most definitely the price for RGB lights for youtube.”