Ulanzi VL110 RGB Led Tube Light - Lab-Review

Ulanzi VL110 – Technical Analysis

The Ulanzi VL110 is a compact 7.5 W LED light for creators, powered via USB-C and weighing only 235 g. The measurements cover white light from 2500K to 9000K at a distance of 1 m without modifiers, across a total of 10 individual measurements. RGB mode was not part of this measurement series, so there is no RGB score.

Scores and lab report based on the current version of our evaluation (October 2026). As there is no reflector for this light, the power score is based on the bare output.

🔍 Key Measurements (White Light, 100%, 1 m)

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🔎 Performance Analysis

💡 Light Output

At a distance of 1 m, the VL110 delivers 81 to 109 lux (EV 5.0 to 5.4). That is enough for close-up use such as desk setups, small product shots or fill light at short distances, but not for larger scenes. Output varies by about 26% across colour temperatures, from 81 lux at 2500K to 109 lux at 5500K.

Dimming is accurate at the low end but not linear in the middle:

At 10%, the output matches expectations (11 to 12%). At 50%, however, the light only delivers about 41 to 43% of its maximum, so the middle of the dimming range is darker than the display suggests. At 3200K, the colour temperature also moves by up to about 12 MK-1 between the levels.

Standout Features:

• ✅ Compact and light: 235 g, USB-C powered
• ✅ Even output at the top end: 94 to 109 lux from 3200K to 9000K
• ⚠️ Very low absolute output: 81 to 109 lux at 1 m
• ⚠️ Non-linear dimming: 50% power ≈ 41–43% light
• ⚠️ CCT shift at 3200K across dimming levels: up to about 12 MK-1

🎨 Colour Rendering (White Light)

Colour rendering is the weak point of the VL110 and strongly depends on the colour temperature. CRI (Ra) is 95.9 at 2500K, but drops to 91.9 at 3200K and 87.0 to 87.7 at 5500K and 6500K. R9 is particularly telling: 97 at 2500K, but only 79 at 3200K and just 43 and 42 at 5500K and 6500K. Saturated reds are rendered poorly in the daylight settings. TLCI (for information) is 96 to 99.

TM-30 Rf lies between 90 and 94, with Rg of 102 to 107. The VL110 renders colours clearly more saturated than natural, especially at 3200K and 5500K (Rg 107).

The SSI is 86 at 2500K and 79 at 3200K, and drops to 69 at 5500K, 67 at 6500K and 62 at 9000K.

Standout Features:

• ✅ Good warm setting: Ra 95.9, R9 97, SSI 86 at 2500K
• ⚠️ Weak red rendering in daylight: R9 43 at 5500K, 42 at 6500K
• ⚠️ CRI drops towards daylight: 87.0 at 5500K
• ⚠️ Oversaturated look: Rg up to 107

🧪 TM-30 in Detail

TM-30 divides colours into 16 hue bins. The local chroma shift (Rcs) shows whether a hue is rendered more or less saturated than under the reference light, the local fidelity (Rf,h) how accurately it is rendered overall. Shifts of a few percent are barely visible; from around 10%, the affected hues look noticeably more intense or duller.

The warm settings (2500K and 3200K) are solid: only 8 to 9 of the 99 colour samples fall below Rf 90, and local fidelity stays at 90 or higher in every hue bin. All hue bins are rendered slightly more saturated (up to +5%), which matches the Rg of 105 to 107 and gives a lively, but not unnatural look.

The daylight settings are much weaker. At 5500K and 6500K, the whole gamut is rendered more saturated: red (+5 and +6%), red-orange and orange (+3 to +5%) and especially purple (+12 and +13%). At the same time, local fidelity drops to 83–84 in purple and to 87–91 in several other bins. The result is that 37 to 43 of the 99 colour samples fall below Rf 90, and the weakest sample (CES 91) only reaches Rf 67 to 71. At 9000K, yellow also becomes duller (-7%), and the weakest sample drops to Rf 59.

For skin tones, this matters: in the red, orange-red and orange bins (1 to 3), the VL110 renders reds about 4 to 6% more saturated at 5500K and 6500K, with local fidelity of only 86 to 91. Together with R9 of 42 to 43, faces can look slightly flushed or unnatural in the daylight settings.

The spectrum peaks at 635–640 nm in the warm settings and at 450–451 nm (blue pump) in the daylight settings.

Standout Features:

• ✅ Solid warm settings: only 8–9 samples below Rf 90 at 2500K and 3200K
• ⚠️ Daylight settings weak: 37–43 of 99 samples below Rf 90
• ⚠️ Purple oversaturated: +12 to +13% at 5500K and 6500K
• ⚠️ Reds and skin tones too saturated in daylight: +4 to +6%, Rf,h 86–91

🌡️ CCT Accuracy

The deviation in Mired (MK-1) is more meaningful than the raw Kelvin difference, since the Kelvin scale is not linear:

In terms of colour temperature, the VL110 is surprisingly accurate: 5500K, 6500K and 9000K deviate by under 3 MK-1, and 2500K by 7.84 MK-1. 3200K is the outlier: at 3,028 K and 17.75 MK-1, it is clearly warmer than set.

The real problem is the tint. Duv is clearly negative at every colour temperature, between -0.0054 and -0.0139. From 3200K to 6500K, the values of -0.0116 to -0.0139 mean a clearly visible magenta cast that must be corrected when mixed with other lights, since the light sits well below the Planckian locus. The colour distance to the target white is large in these settings, too.

Standout Features:

• ✅ Accurate CCT at 5500K, 6500K and 9000K: 0.33 to 2.79 MK-1
• ⚠️ 3200K far too warm: 3,028 K, 17.75 MK-1
• ⚠️ Clear magenta cast: Duv -0.0116 to -0.0139 from 3200K to 6500K

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✅ Strengths

1. Compact and portable → 235 g, USB-C powered, easy to carry
2. Solid warm settings → 2500K with Ra 95.9, R9 97 and SSI 86, 2500K and 3200K with only 8–9 samples below Rf 90
3. Accurate CCT in daylight → 0.33 to 2.79 MK-1 at 5500K, 6500K and 9000K
4. Lively colours → Rg 105–107 gives a punchy, saturated look
5. Even output at the top end → 94 to 109 lux from 3200K to 9000K

⚠️ Weaknesses

1. Poor red rendering in daylight → R9 43 at 5500K and 42 at 6500K, reds +4 to +6% oversaturated
2. Clear magenta cast → Duv -0.0116 to -0.0139 from 3200K to 6500K
3. Weak TM-30 in daylight → 37–43 of 99 samples below Rf 90, purple +12 to +13%
4. 3200K far too warm → 3,028 K, 17.75 MK-1
5. Very low output and non-linear dimming → 81–109 lux at 1 m, 50% power ≈ 41–43% light

📉 Practical Applications

Best suited for: → Content creators: TikTok, YouTube, livestreaming as a small fill or desk light → Close-up use: short distances where 100 lux is enough → Warm looks at 2500K: the best setting of this light → Travel and mobile setups: 235 g and USB-C

Not suited for: → Professional studio work: weak R9, limited fidelity in daylight settings → Skin-tone-critical work in daylight settings: reds too saturated, R9 42–43 → Mixing with other lights: magenta cast must be corrected → Larger scenes: output too low

📌 Conclusion

The Ulanzi VL110 is a compact, beginner-friendly light that scores with portability, USB-C power and accurate colour temperatures in the daylight range. Its warm settings (2500K and 3200K) are solid, and the saturated look suits lively content.

The detailed analysis shows clear limits: in the daylight settings, red rendering is weak (R9 42–43), reds and purples are oversaturated, and more than a third of the 99 colour samples fall below Rf 90. In addition, there is a clearly visible magenta cast, a very low output of around 100 lux and a non-linear dimming curve. A solid choice for low-budget setups and close-up content, but not for professional, colour-critical work.

Data Overview

📥 PDF herunterladen

TM-30-18

TM-30 Multi Report

TM-30 Comparison

Multiple Measurements in Direct Comparison

Report selection by CCT

All loaded reports are sorted by CCT automatically. The slider snaps to the nearest report.

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Color Vector Graphic

Reference and test as closed 16-bin curves.

Click a CES cell to view vector and detail values.

Normalized Spectral Power Distribution

TM-30 Dashboard

Local shifts and radial visualization as in the standard report.

Local Chroma Shift (Rcs,hj)

Local Hue Shift (Rhs,hj)

Local Color Fidelity (Rf,hj)

Click one of the three local titles to see a short explanation of meaning and visual impact.

Color Sample Fidelity (Rf,CESi)

Direct overview of all 99 CES samples with fidelity values.

Measure Comparisons

Additional comparison view analogous to the TM-30 reference representation.

Color Evaluation Samples

Highlighted skin-tone areas provide practical orientation for portrait colors. Click to zoom.

Click a CES cell to view the comparison in the popup.

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