Lume Cube’s newest arrival is the Lume Cube AIR, their smallest star in a very bright array. With Bluetooth connectivity, four light levels and two silicone filters—one for softer and one for warmer light—this little devil has features not found on bulky flashes.
Smaller than an egg (about a 1.5 inch cube) and about the same weight (2 ounces), the AIR comes with a tripod mount, a built-in earth magnet for easy mounting, a USB cord for quick recharging and—for those fish photographers—is waterproof to 30 feet. Light levels step from 25% to 50, 75 and 100%, and you can shoot at 50% for about two hours without recharging (60 minutes to full).
Bluetooth connectivity means you can control the AIR with an iPhone or Android app from Lume Cube. Not only will it control your flash, it monitors the battery level, controls the strobe mode, and can capture and save photos directly from the app to your phone. If you want to shoot video, use the “Constant” mode and use the app’s brightness slider to control the lighting remotely—perfect for parties. Actually, the whole light is ideal, really.
As the publisher of a music magazine, I know Elmore photographers deal primarily with photography of musicians in concert, where flash is not allowed. Often, however, the opportunity arises to shoot the artists in their dressing rooms or at sound check, and photographers can tuck the AIR into their bags without lugging heavy equipment that they don’t always need.
Drummers (and pianists) are notoriously tough to shoot, but Elmore photographer Arnie Goodman got this shot using two Lume Cubes—one to backlight and the other on his camera—of Living Color’s Will Calhoun during a soundcheck.
Goodman shot Shemekia Copeland and her band at a distance to get everyone in, and detail ran from dark eyes and complexions to white beard and silver jewelry, yet the balance was perfect.
I’m not a professional photographer, so simple is better for me. My own beloved rock star, Michael Jackson, has one white paw and a lot of glossy black fur. With built-in flashes, either Michael’s expressive face presents as a black hole, or, conversely, his white glove gets completely washed out. My very first shots using the Lume Cube AIR (without a filter) came out better than any others I have seen of my beautiful mutt.
If you don’t already own a Lume Cube product, you’ll want to buy a camera mount (which weighs about the same as the AIR itself), or the smartphone clip, both sold separately. My one wish here is that Lume Cube offered a package deal for first-time owners, because you’ll want the mount. It does come with a wristlet so it’s out of the way when you don’t need a flash, yet you don’t have to dig around (it is small) to find it in a hurry—it’s hanging from something.
Compared to others, this is by far the most versatile all-around flash we’ve seen, with the extra advantage of being tiny and affordable. Bravo, Lume Cube, the only thing square about the AIR is the shape.
—Suzanne Cadgène
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