Digital Camera World Verdict

Smaller than a matchbox yet brighter than some head torches, GoPro’s Light Mod LED light is expensive yet powerfully impressive.

Pros

+
Very bright
+
Four intensity settings
+
Small and compact
+
Excellent build quality

Cons

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Expensive (and you need the Media Mod)
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Easy to lose
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Fiddly diffusion cover
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Weird ‘strobe mode’

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There’s almost nothing to the GoPro Light Mod. A simple accessory smaller than a matchbox, it’s designed to be used either as a standalone light or attached to GoPro’s Media Mod wraparound accessory.

Essentially a solution for lighting-up scenes and valuable for vlogging, Light Mod is more versatile than it looks. If you have a GoPro, Light Mod could be the accessory for you. Here’s everything you need to know about this powerful yet compact LED light that works with a host of GoPro accessories.

Specifications

GoPro Light Mod review — (Image credit: Jamie Carter / Digital. Camera World)

Compatible with: Hero11 Black, Hero10 Black, Hero9 Black, Hero8 Black

Color temperature: 5,000K

Brightness levels: 4

Max. brightness level: 200 lumens for up to 30 seconds

Waterproof: Yes (33ft/10m)

Battery: built-in

Battery life: Up to six hours

Key features

An LED light with four intensity modes, Light Mod attaches to HERO9 Black, HERO10 Black and HERO11 Black via the GoPro Media Mod accessory, or works as a handy standalone light for use with all kinds of GoPro mounts and accessories.

It’s got 10 LEDs in two rows that project a white-ish light in 20 lumens (six hours), 60 lumens (two hours), 125 lumens (1 hour) or 200 lumens (30 seconds at a time). There’s also a flashing ‘strobe mode’ (seven hours), for which we can see no use whatsoever.

Build & handling

GoPro Media Mod review — (Image credit: Jamie Carter/Digital Camera World)

Light Mod is a slight product. Weighing a paltry 25g, it measures 40x23x23mm – smaller than a matchbox. Also included is a small silicon cover for Light Mod (weighing 3g) that acts as a light diffuser. It scatters lightwaves, thus creating a softer, more even light. Also included in the box is a USB-C cable for recharging Light Mod. However, that USB-C slot is hidden under a small square flip-up cover, which despite being spring-loaded at the touch of a button does seem a little over-engineered. It’s also rather tricky to open, though there’s a reason for that; it’s waterproof down to 10m/33ft.

Although there's not much to Light Mod, physically speaking, it's a very solid device that is going to be hard to damage (though at this small size both it and its diffuse cover will be easy to lose).

We like the fact that Light Mod comes with two choices of fixings. The default, built-in option is to attach Light Mod to one of the cold shoe mounts on top of GoPro’s Media Mod. However, in the box is also a small GoPro mount adapter, which fits over its cold shoe mount and makes it usable on all manner of GoPro-specific accessories, from a chest strap and head strap to handlebar and tripod adaptors.

Performance

Light Mod is easy enough to use and provides a surprisingly high amount of light. In terms of color temperature, Light Mod does produce a distinctly white 5,700K, which will be too cool for some, though it can be warmed-up to 5,000K by using the diffuser cover.

It's operated solely using the soft silicon standby button on its top. A long press activates Light Mod, with shorter presses toggling through its various intensities, though a double press is required for the top intensity. What is slightly annoying is that a long press is required to switch-off Light Mod; it would be more convenient if the light could be quickly paused rather than deactivated entirely if it’s being used intermittently.

One thing we didn't like about Light Mod is the way it recharges. Attach a USB-C cable to the panel underneath the spring-loaded flap and there is no indication, via an LED light or otherwise, that Light Mod is, in fact, recharging. That niggle aside, Light Mod is all about convenience – particularly if being used with Media Mod – though at its core it’s also a high-performing LED light.

GoPro Light Mod: Verdict

Despite being smaller than a matchbox, GoPro’s Light Mod is a well built and impressively effective accessory for vlogging. However, you’ll need to be an owner of GoPro’s Media Mod to make the most of its convenience.

TOPICS

Jamie has been writing about all aspects of technology for over 14 years, producing content for sites like TechRadar, T3, Forbes, Mashable, MSN, South China Morning Post, and BBC Wildlife, BBC Focus and BBC Sky At Night magazines.

As the editor for www.WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com, he has a wealth of enthusiasm and expertise for all things astrophotography, from capturing the Perseid Meteor Shower, lunar eclipses and ring of fire eclipses, photographing the moon and blood moon and more.

He also brings a great deal of knowledge on action cameras, 360 cameras, AI cameras, camera backpacks, telescopes, gimbals, tripods and all manner of photography equipment.