Zhiyun Fiveray M40 40W LED pocket light

Our first tests of the Zhiyun Fiveray M40 40W LED pocket light - really powerful lamp for professional use

Many of you photographers and videographers might be skeptical of the product we are testing today, since it is quite small and lightweight. But the Zhiyun Fiveray M40 really impressed us after the first tests that we did and as usual we want to share our honest consumer feedback with you.

Zhiyun Fiveray M40 - main product features
40W high power output, pocket sized dimensions
Color temperature ranging from 2700-6500k, CRI reaches 95+
Smart & advanced cooling system
Precise parameter control via the wheels
Versatile extension (can be mounted on difference devices and applied in various scenarios)
Fast & easy charging (50W PD fast charging)

Zhiyun Fiveray M40 40W LED pocket light - outdoor test

The very first test that we did with the Zhiyun Fiveray M40 was outdoors. It was a cold and dark winter night, and probably perfect conditions for this mighty pocket light. The lamp battery was charged right out of the box, and we still haven't charged it (want to drain it completely first) and it was ready for use.

Here is a video that we recorded for you so you can get a better idea how powerful the Zhiyun Fiveray M40 really is:

To be honest, I haven't used many pocket lights for photography and videography purposes, and I wasn't sure what to expect.

Most of the products that we checked during our initial research were around 5-10W, and I wasn't expected much out of such small LED light. But trust me, 40W is a lot. As you can see the Fiveray M40 managed to light up the whole yard which by the way is pretty big.

And here is another test where we have taken a picture with no lights on, then with a car headlights on and then on the 3rd picture we have the M40:

In a relatively large room, this Zhiyun lamp provided as much light so that it would feel like there is a very powerful chandelier. And yes, you can use it not only for professional photography and videography work, but also as a very powerful flashlight when needed. And here is a comparison from the indoor test:

As you can see the difference is more than noticeable, with the LED light on it is a completely different story, the whole room lights up. And yes, it is quite a messy room, but I wanted to show you how the Zhiyun Fiveray M40 performs in natural conditions.

Zhiyun Fiveray M40 - product specifications

Here are the complete product specs as provided by the manufacturer:

Extension

1/4 Threaded Hole

Battery Capacity

Built-in li-ion battery 6S/2600MAH

Maximum Power Output

40W

Color Temperature Range

2700K~6200K

Dimming Range

0~100%

4300K/100% Brightness Illuminance

1050lux

1 meter

4300K/100% Brightness Illuminance

4400lux

0.5 meters

4300K/100% Brightness Illuminance

14000lux

0.3 meters

TLCI

≥97

CRI(RA)

≥96

LED Chip

176

88 PCS(cool light chips)+88 PCS(warm light chips)

Charging Time

1H50min

12V/1.12A 13W, supports a maximum of 15W fast charging

Runtime

29min

(Max Power Non-stop Output)

Operation Temperature

-10°～40°

Charging Temperature

0°～ 45°

Product Size

136.5*77.8*29（W*D*H）

Net Weight

320g

The Zhiyun Fiveray M40 has a very effective DynaVort cooling system but the powerful fan didn't kick-in a single time during our tests. Probably because it was cold enough for the lamp too cool down or it is just very effective and it needs to run for a longer period of time before the battery heats up and t fan activates.

Charging

We have pretty good news here - this product supports fast charging via USB-C (USB Type-C cable included in the package). It can also be used while charging - Zhiyun claims that a maximum of 15W is supported for charging the battery.

The battery should be good enough for about 30 minutes at max power and much longer if you don't need all of the 40W.

Zhiyun Fiveray M40 - price

The product price for this LED light is adequate to its performance. It is definitely not the cheapest mobile light on the market, but not many can deliver such performance. The price that you can expect to find it brand new varies between $100-120 and about 100 Euro on the European market (currently on sale).

Zhiyun Fiveray M40 40W LED pocket light - our first consumer feedback

First impressions are pretty good, that is an honest opinion. But we will need to put the Zhiyun Fiveray M40 into actual work, and then we would be able to share different scenarios where this powerful pocket LED light fits best. I believe it would do a good job for product photography, for mobile videography like interviews, shorts and stuff like that, for ambient video light or main video light in smaller rooms.

A pack of these might be even good enough for professional work. We still haven't bought the diffuser for it, the only original accessory that we managed to find for the Zhiyun Fiveray M40. I wish it was included in the package even if the original price needed to be adjusted with additional $5, since all content creators would definitely benefit from a diffuser when using such a small but powerful light source.