Knog [qudos] Action Camera Light – First look
We have a play with Australian light and lock manufacturer Knog’s new light designed to sit alongside your GoPro or other action camera.
Knog are a funky company from Australia who make really neat looking products designed to not only be user friendly but also stylish. My first Knog product was found nestled in a goody bag at the (awesome) Charge Bikes party at Eurobike a couple of years ago. It was a tiny little USB charging rear light, and in true buffoon style, I clicked it on while looking squarely at it…. you’ve seen that bit at the end of Raiders of the Lost Arc where the Nazi faces all melt right?! Well fair to say it was nearly that bright! Being tiny, waterproof and USB chargeable meant it was awesome to keep in my riding pack, and charge at work. This in mind we were really excited to check out Knog this year at Eurobike, and we weren’t disappointed. As well as the [qudos] on test here they also have a range of smart phone lights and a range of other exciting illuminations in the pipeline, as well as being some of the friendliest folk around.
[qudos] action from knog on Vimeo.
The [qudos] is a 3 Cree LED light designed to sit next to GoPros, but also be compatible with other “action cameras” and be useful on top of a dSLR (or indeed anything with a hot/coldshoe mount, tripod mount or GoPro mount. The idea is that a lot of awesome stuff happens at night, and even with improvements to low-light tech in the latest cameras, it’s no substitute for some proper fill light.
The [qudos] comes in a neat metal tin along with a USB charger cable, mounts for dSLR/tripod and action camera, stickers, and a link to the instructions (like you need them!). Straight out of the tin the light feels solid with a machined aluminium body and a very secure rear hatch to access the battery. This is important as the camera is rated IP68 – the same waterproof rating as a GoPro) Inside the battery is easily removed and features a USB type B micro socket for charging (the same as most modern phones). Knog provide a short USB lead for charging, but other non-branded leads will also do the trick. A full charge time is quoted at 5-6 hours, and we’ve found it to quite often be faster than that. The charging is indicated by a small LED that flicks from red to green when it’s complete. The battery fits snugly into the compartment and the contacts are sturdy enough and well protected enough for even the most ham fisted of users. Extra batteries are available from Knog as well for longer shoots.
The range of settings and angles mirrors those of the GoPro well, and on the wide setting, the full width GoPro image is lit, though the light falls off a little at the edges. The narrower and lower intensity settings are also useful for extending the burn time and preventing accidental blindness if shooting a piece to camera mid-edit.
Knog [qudos] First Look from Ride.io on Vimeo.
Cycling through the range of settings is very straightforward and the lights on the back give a really clear indicator of what setting you are on. They fit in with other lights in Knog’s range with a blue/green LED showing high/low for each of the settings. We’ve attached the light sideby side with a GoPro on both helmet and chest mounts – it’s pretty burly to have on your head, but on your chest adds a nice bit of fill light to night riding shots. Where it really shines, pun intended, is when using hand-held with an action camera or dSLR allowing you to film in dark woods or get some fill light into interviews or close-ups. We’ve also used it in a few creative ways – taking advantage of the waterproof and solid nature of the unit to do some underwater light painting – results coming soon!
We’ve taken our little [qudos] out for all sorts of adventures and tested it’s durability by dropping it in puddles, taking it white water kayaking (exciting in the dark) and covering it in mud during sketchy autumnal night rides. We’ve thrown together a bit of footage, and are really looking forward to working on some more video for the winter. Our film-maker friend Andy Butler of RootDown Productions also uses a [qudos] and adds these words of wisdom….
The Knog [qudos] is a great addition to my camera bag, it’s light, simple and looks good too. By far the best small camera light I’ve found that can put up with the abuse I throw at it, tough and waterproof! I’ve loved how easy it is to use, not just with my GoPro but on my SLR too. The fact it fits onto GoPro mounts makes it really easy to add off-camera light too in awkward places, I have a couple of great projects lined up and can’t wait to use my [qudos] to its full potential!
