Godox unveils pocket-sized ML40Bi and ML40R LED lights

Godox has pushed portable LEDs another step toward the sweet spot between carry-everywhere convenience and real-world punch. The new ML40Bi and ML40R are both palm-sized lights, each measuring 3.8 x 3.5 x 1.8 inches, but the bigger story is the ML-L10 lens reflector that Godox says can make the ML40Bi up to 24 times brighter and the ML40R up to 16 times brighter than the bare lights.

That matters because this is exactly where mini LEDs usually fall apart. The ML40Bi launches as the simpler, cheaper option at $99, while the ML40R lists at $119. Both were put up for preorder in mid-May, and both lean hard into portability: built-in batteries, magnetic mounting, NFC app connectivity, and Godox Light app control through Bluetooth pairing and quick NFC connection. Godox also says the lights can charge while in use over USB-C, and the battery is rated at 3.63V, 4800mAh, or 17.424Wh. Runtime is about 42 minutes at full power, with a recharge time of about 2 hours and 30 minutes.

In practice, that makes the ML40Bi look like the better grab-and-go tool for home portraits, tabletop shooting, and quick interview setups. It is the brighter of the two in bare-light form, rated at 1060 lux at 3.3 feet at 5600K, and it jumps to 26,400 lux with the reflector attached. Its 2800K to 6500K range and 11 lighting effects keep it straightforward for skin tones, product edges, and small fill-light jobs where consistent color matters more than flair. The ML40R is the more flexible creative tool, with RGBW control, HSI mode, a wider 1800K to 10,000K range, and 14 lighting effects, but it gives up some raw output at 781 lux bare and 12,300 lux with the reflector.

That tradeoff is the real story for travel video and location work. The ML40R gives more color play for stylized scenes, practicals, and mixed-light environments, while the ML40Bi looks like the one most likely to stay in a bag because it is cheaper, brighter in standard use, and still gets a serious boost from the reflector. Godox’s own positioning, from mobile creators and street photography to run-and-gun filmmaking, makes the intent clear: this is lighting built to travel, not to live on a stand in a permanent studio corner.

Godox, founded in 1993, has been steadily shrinking its lights without making them feel toy-like, and that is the point here. The ML40Bi and ML40R do not replace a full studio kit, but with a reflector small enough to keep the system pocketable, they make a better case than most compact LEDs for actually bringing the light in the first place.