# The Elgato Key Light: A Comprehensive Review for Streamers
## Introduction
In the world of content creation, every detail matters—especially when it comes to lighting. While we initially focused on hardware and tech-related content, we've recently ventured into streaming. After setting up a gaming PC tailored for streaming and configuring our OBS software alongside essential peripherals like a good camera and microphone, we quickly realized the critical role lighting plays in enhancing your stream quality. Particularly if you're using a green screen, inadequate lighting can significantly hinder your results. As we were contemplating purchasing a simple desk lamp, Elgato introduced their Key Light—a product that caught our attention immediately.
## Product Overview
The Elgato Key Light is designed specifically for streamers and content creators seeking professional-grade lighting solutions. Priced at €200 (or $200), this light offers 80 LEDs providing up to 2500 lumens, making it a robust contender in the market. Its features include being dimmable, color temperature adjustable via an app, and compatible with Elgato's Stream Deck for integration.
## Manual and Packaging
Upon opening the box, the first thing that stands out is the detailed manual included. It provides clear instructions on assembling the light, accommodating users worldwide with a universal power connector. The package also includes a mounting rod, allowing for adjustable height and various placement options—whether you prefer it above your screen or at another angle.
## Setup and Assembly
Mounting the Key Light is straightforward. Designed to slide onto desk edges securely without over-tightening, the light uses a standard tripod screw, offering flexibility for use with tripods or other accessories beyond streaming setups. This adaptability makes it versatile for different shooting environments.
## Software Control
The companion app simplifies control of the Key Light's settings. Once connected via Wi-Fi and added to your network, you can adjust brightness, color temperature, and even create presets through Elgato's Stream Deck. However, there are limitations: real-time adjustments on-the-go aren't possible with the current setup, which could be frustrating during live streams.
## Practical Use in Streaming
Testing the Key Light revealed its potential to enhance stream quality significantly. Setting white balance to 4700K provided a natural look, and dimming it to 30% effectively reduced green screen shadows, improving overall image quality. The integration with Stream Deck allows for preset button actions, but the inability to tweak settings dynamically during streams is a notable drawback.
## Integration with Elgato Stream Deck
While the integration with Stream Deck offers convenience through presets, it's limited by not allowing real-time adjustments. This limitation could hinder creativity and adaptability during live sessions, making it essential for Elgato to address in future updates.
## Pros and Cons
The Elgato Key Light excels in delivering high-quality lighting solutions tailored for streamers, with its app integration and preset features standing out. However, the steep price point may deter budget-conscious creators, despite the premium quality and seamless setup process.
## Conclusion
In conclusion, the Elgato Key Light is a commendable product that elevates your streaming experience with its professional-grade features. While areas for improvement exist, especially concerning integration and pricing, it's a worthwhile investment for those looking to enhance their content creation setup.
## Next Steps
If you're considering purchasing the Elgato Key Light, we recommend exploring their official website for detailed specifications and updates on future improvements. Whether you're an established streamer or just starting out, incorporating this light could transform your content quality, making it a valuable addition to your toolkit.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhi guys this is not affirm tech testers now we usually make hardware and tech related content but recently we started streaming as well we streamed a bit here on YouTube and we also made our twitch channel there's gonna be a little link in the description below if you want to follow us so after we made our gaming PC that is gonna be great for streaming and we got our OBS software and all the settings right we have a good camera and a good microphone we realized how important lighting actually is for your string and that especially if you're using a green screen which is simply not gonna work if you don't have sufficient light just as we were about to go and buy a simple desk lamp and see if that's gonna do the job right al gato came up with their key light there it is it is pretty big box now if you're a streamer you probably don't need an introduction to algaas of products but if you don't know about them go to their website because they have really cool accessories that are just for streamers so let's open up this big box see what's inside and find out if it's really worth 200 euros the first thing when you open the box you definitely notice a very interesting format of a manual so here you can see exactly how you need to put this light together from a distance next to that you get a power connector that has different connections depending on where you are in the world that's it that's that's really cool and you also get a mounting rod that you tie it into your table and it's also height adjustable so it can be very high and of course without you get the elgato light itself it is pretty big I did not expect it to be this big so this is supposed to be above your screen and in the back you have a control box it is completely controlled by Wi-Fi and you only have to connect your power connector to it for in order to work and here is also a little switch on an off switch and a reset switch apparently let's see I'll got as arguments on why I should spend two hundred years to buy this light over a simple desk lamp this light has 80 LEDs that make up to 2500 lumens and that is pretty bright it is dimmable you can change the color temperature using an app on your computer this light is supposed to be very easily mountable we're gonna see that later and it's also compatible and controllable with the elgato stream deck now if you're a streamer you either own this deck or you want to own it this is all the things that I'll got the promises and now let's see how it actually does in practice we're going to start off with putting it together and mounting the lights your desk all you need to do is slide it onto the edge of your desk and tighten it enough to be stable there is no need to over tighten then screw the light directly onto the stand it uses a standard tripod screw meaning you can use it with other accessories like a tripod as well instead of mounting to your desk for various things and not just streaming you can turn it and tilt it to your desired angle then tighten it in position and voila it's done and ready to use now onto installing the software the installation is pretty straightforward and fairly quick opening the app in your system tray at the end of it now it's time to add a light to your Wi-Fi as soon as you turn on the light it will appear in the list right here now I've already added it to our Wi-Fi previously so as soon as I turn the light on the control center will appear the control center itself is pretty simple you can turn your light on and off change the color temperature of the light and change the brightness as well there is not more to it worth mentioning you can only check for software updates with the center will do automatically update the firmware and restore to default settings let's see how it actually affects the recording the first thing you to do is set your white balance to your liking I was really happy with 4700 K in this particular situation and as you can see it goes up to an extreme brightness and when we turn it down completely you can clearly see the shadow of the green screen 30% was doing the job just right let's see how it works with your gato stream that mini you can set a power button to turn the light on and off and you can also preset the brightness and the color temperatures to certain values sadly there is no option to actually up or lower the brightness or color levels on the go you can make a multi action with both the brightness and temperature preset on a single button then I notice an issue with setting the presets just right you cannot see the values in the stream dock software just a slider and you can only see the values in the control center itself and being that the control center is only stuck in your system tray and not movable from the bottom right corner it was getting covered by the tray window constantly so there is definitely some room for improvement here so there we have it and we have to give it to algata for once again making a product that just simply works now one thing that it's probably gonna stop people from running to the stores and buying one of these is definitely the price it is currently set to 200 years or 200 years dollars and if you are a start-up streamer with not so much money to spend on a light that is just way too much but if you do invest and you do buy this life you know you're getting premium quality product you get a software controllable light and you also get integration with your stream deck now that being said I do think that they could have worked a bit more on that integration because now you can only make a few presets then change them with a touch of a button which is great but it will be really nice to be able to manually change the color and the brightness of the light on the go and that is a software issue and it's definitely something they can fix easily so I really do hope to see that in one of the future updates overall of the elgato key light is a great product and I personally really like it that is very easy to setup it is highly adjustable it is very straightforward to use it is also very soft on your eyes and it's not distracting while gaming which is very important and also it's gonna make a huge impact on your streaming quality now that's it for today I really hope you enjoyed this video let me know in the comments what do you think don't forget to subscribe and see you in the next one bye\n"
