Joby Beamo produces pocket-sized pro lighting for shooting on the go

Joby Beamo produces pocket-sized pro lighting for shooting on the go
(Image credit: Joby)

Looking for ultra small yet ultra powerful lights? Meet the Joby Beamo and Joby Beamo Mini – a pair of new products that promise professional lighting that fits in your pocket. 

While their ultra-compact size makes them perfect for content creation, our experience with a certain similar rival product attests that Joby Beamo will also provide useful all-purpose lighting for stills as well. 

Yes, the Beamo and Beamo Mini are quite similar to Lume Cube 2.0 and Lumecube Air. There are a few key differences, though, namely that the full-size Beamo offers wireless charging capability and the Mini is actually brighter than the Air – and not only are both products more affordable than their Lume Cube counterparts, they're designed to pair with Joby products like the GorillaPod and Wavo mic.

Let's start with the Beamo, which is positively pocket-sized at 47 x 51 x 51 mm and 134g. It boasts 1,500 Lumen output, for 750 Lux at 1m, with a 95+/- color rendition index (all the same as the Lume Cube). It's waterproof to 30ft / 100m, lasts up to 40 minutes at 100% power or 100 minutes at 50%, and can charge either wirelessly or via USB-C. 

The Beamo Mini is a tad tinier, at 39 x 51 x 51, and is magnetic, making it absolutely perfect for travel, so you can always stick a light somewhere even if you haven't brought a stand. As noted, it delivers more light than the Lume Cube Air (they're both 1,000 Lumens, but the Mini achieves 470 Lux at 1m compared to the Air's 400) and features the same waterproofing as its big brother.

Both products have been optimized to work with Joby's GorillaPod, creating a seamless system for content creators whether they're shooting with GoPros, smartphones, DSLRs or mirrorless cameras. Both products feature dual cold shoes, so you can even assemble a "Beamo Wall" to create an a LED panel with quadruple the output. 

Both models start shipping this week, with the Joby Beamo retailing for $89.95 / £79.95 and the Joby Beamo Mini for £69.95 / £59.95 (Australian pricing and release info to follow).

Pre-order Joby Beamo / Mini from Amazon US

Pre-order Joby Beamo / Mini from Amazon UK

Read more: 

The best LED light panels in 2020: portable lighting for photography and video
The best photography lighting kits in 2020: for studio, location and video
The 10 best pro video accessories in 2020

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James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.