Good smartphone photos often fail due to poor lighting conditions indoors or at dusk. The Fotorgear COB Smartphone Bluetooth Flash offers a mobile way to illuminate subjects precisely and variably. In this report, we look at the handling and functions of the device in daily use.
Technical Specifications
The Fotorgear flash is very compact with dimensions of 60 x 39 x 20 millimeters and weighs only 35 grams. The housing is made of plastic in a light gray and white color combination.
The light has a color temperature of 5700 Kelvin, which corresponds to cool white light. Power is supplied by an integrated lithium battery with 3.7 volts and a capacity of 500 milliampere-hours, which is charged via a modern USB Type C port.
Attachment is purely magnetic and compatible with MagSafe, but it does not offer wireless charging. Data connection is via Bluetooth. The package includes the flash itself, a matching diffuser, and instructions.
There are differences in system compatibility between operating systems. On iOS, the flash is fully interactive, can be controlled directly via the native camera app, and can be used in conjunction with multiple flashes via the FotorGear app. On Android, triggering works reliably via the buttons on the device, while controlling the flash solely via the smartphone is not supported.
First Impression
Upon first unboxing, it is noticeable that the flash is small and compact. Due to its low weight, it can easily be stowed in any pocket. The design looks modern and fits well with current smartphones.
The dial for light intensity is easy to operate. Four LEDs indicate the set intensity. A small drawback, however, is that it can be turned endlessly. A fixed limit would have been more pleasant, where the dial goes from the lowest to the highest setting and then stops. An indicator for the current battery level is also unfortunately missing.
From an ergonomic perspective, an adjustment to the controls would have been sensible. When holding the flash freely in your hand, it would feel more natural if the shutter button were integrated directly into the dial for light intensity.
Setting up on the smartphone is extremely simple. The device is immediately recognized via Bluetooth and is ready to use without lengthy settings. Thanks to the integrated magnet, the flash attaches directly to the back of compatible smartphones or other magnetic surfaces.
There is no tripod thread or corresponding adapter, but you can alternatively attach the flash to a MagSafe selfie stick. Those looking for creative color effects will also miss the ability to attach color filters in front of the flash or use an RGB mode directly.
In Practice
In practice, the accessory shows its strengths in various situations. Used as a simple clip-on flash on the back of the smartphone, the device provides significantly better illumination than the built-in phone light.
However, it becomes really interesting when you detach the flash from the smartphone. Thanks to the Bluetooth connection, you remain completely flexible and can move the light source freely in the room. It is even possible to connect multiple of these flashes together to brighten shaded areas and set up a small mobile photo studio.
The trigger mechanism is particularly well thought out. When the button on the flash is pressed, the flash turns on and simultaneously triggers the smartphone's camera. This works across different smartphone models.
This function is useful when the smartphone is mounted on a tripod. You position the smartphone, hold the flash freely in your hand, and conveniently trigger the photo via the flash, even if the phone is out of reach.
Conclusion
The Fotorgear COB Smartphone Bluetooth Flash proves to be a useful companion for mobile photography. The decoupled flash and integrated remote trigger offer many creative possibilities. Despite minor deductions for the dial and the missing battery indicator, you get a flexible lighting tool for everyday and product photos.
Where to Buy the Flash?
The Fotorgear COB Smartphone Bluetooth Flash can be found on common online marketplaces like Amazon. You can also buy it directly from the Fotorgear online store.
More Product Photos
More Sample Photos
A series of images with different positions of the flash. It is meant to show the possibilities you have when you can move the light source freely.
