Ulanzi FM01 Fogger: Atmosphere on Any Shoot | A Review by Thivhu Mamaila

The Portable Fog Machine That Belongs in Every Creator's Bag

By Conrad Knuist · Head of Marketing and Photography Specialist · 18+ years in photography

Fog changes a frame. Not the camera, not the lens. The fog. When light scatters through haze, scenes gain depth and hard edges soften. An ordinary setup starts to look like a film still. The problem has never been wanting that effect. It has been finding a way to create it on location, without a generator and a full theatrical rig. The Ulanzi FM01 FILMOG ACE Fogger is built to solve exactly that.

It is a 40W portable fog machine the size of a Coke can. Thirty-six effects with adjustable intensity and speed. The wireless remote works from up to 10 metres. Fits in the same bag as the rest of your kit. For South African creators who shoot on location, in a studio, or solo: cinematic atmosphere is now practical.

Thivhusiwi Mamaila is co-founder and director of Johannesburg production house CakenTea. He tested the FM01 on real shoots. His verdict: the most fun piece of gear he didn't know he needed. Here is what we found.

Turning any space into an instant smoke show. Perfect for music videos, photoshoots, and live performances.

In Thivhu Mamaila's Own Words

Why Atmosphere Is the Layer Most Shoots Are Missing

Technically correct is not the same as visually compelling. Good exposure and a clean background produce accurate images. Accurate isn't memorable. The frames people stop scrolling for, the stills that look like film, the B-roll that earns a second watch: they have depth, texture, and atmosphere. The difference is rarely the camera body or the lens. It's light interacting with particles in the air.

Fog, haze, and smoke scatter the light that travels through them. That scattering creates visible beams in backlit scenes. It produces the soft glow around neon signs. Wide shots gain a sense of depth that a clean background can't replicate. Without particles in the air, light travels clean and the frame looks flat. No amount of post-processing recreates that. It has to be in the scene at capture.

For most working creators in South Africa, practical access to atmospheric effects has meant renting a full-size machine. That requires a power outlet and an assistant. Or it means waiting on natural conditions that can't be scheduled. The result is that fog gets cut from the brief before the shoot starts. Not because the effect isn't needed. Because the tools were never sized for a camera bag.

Light scattering creates visual depth in photography and cinema, as documented by Wikipedia (aerial perspective).

Artificial fog in film has evolved from large industrial rigs to compact consumer devices, per Wikipedia (fog machines).

How the FM01 Makes Atmosphere a Practical Tool

The FM01 is compact enough to carry in a camera bag and fast enough to deploy mid-shoot. Fill the tank, give it 3 to 5 minutes on first use for the atomising chamber to soak, and it's on-demand fog at the press of a button. No power outlet, no warm-up ritual, no second pair of hands.

The three attachments give you directional control over the output. The rigid tube fires fog straight up or to the side: useful for backlit column effects and music video atmospherics. The flexible hose goes anywhere: across a table, around a prop, angled up from below a subject without moving the machine. The sponge filter disperses the output downward and creates a low-lying layer that sits on surfaces rather than rising. It's the closest a portable machine gets to a dry-ice look, without dry ice. Choose the attachment before you roll, not after.

The wireless remote operates on 2.4 GHz, no line of sight required unlike infrared systems. At up to 10 metres, you fire the fog without leaving camera position. For solo creators on a gimbal or locked off on a tripod, that's the practical difference between fog in frame at the right moment and fog you had to walk back to trigger. The fluid is vegetable glycerin-based: odour-free, no fine dust, safe for indoor and enclosed-set use. Replacement juice is available at CameraStuff.

Vegetable glycerin is a non-toxic, odourless compound safe for theatrical fog fluid, as documented by Wikipedia (glycerol).

Glycerin-based fluids are the indoor industry standard for safe fog effects, per Wikipedia (fog machines).

Featured Product

Ulanzi FM01 FILMOG ACE Fogger

40W portable fog machine with 36 fog effects, adjustable intensity and speed, wireless remote with colour screen (10m range), swappable 18650 batteries with USB-C charging, and a 1/4-inch mount. Ships with rigid tube, flexible hose, sponge filter, carrying bag, and 60ml of vegetable glycerin fog juice. Built for music videos, short films, social content, and event atmospherics. Replacement fog liquid available at CameraStuff.

Specifications sourced from the official Ulanzi FM01 product page.

Shop the Ulanzi FM01

Conrad's Advice

For first-time use, allow 3 to 5 minutes for the cotton wool to soak thoroughly with the liquid in the atomising chamber. This avoids overheating warnings on that first run.

As Used by CakenTea

Thivhu Mamaila is co-founder and co-director of CakenTea, a Johannesburg-based creative production agency specialising in commercial video, content creation, and post-production. Ulanzi supplied the FM01 for Thivhu's hands-on review. His assessment was based on real shooting scenarios, not a scripted demo. His channel @thechocol8man focuses on practical gear reviews for working South African creators.

What We Found: The FM01 in the Field

What Each Attachment Actually Does

The rigid tube is the workhorse. Pointed upward, it produces a clean column of rising fog: ideal for backlit scenes, visible light rays, and anything shot from a low angle. Angled to the side, it fires horizontally along the ground for sweeping effects in wide and establishing shots.

The flexible hose gives you placement without moving the machine. Thread it across a surface, route it around a prop, or angle it up from below a subject. The fog appears exactly where you point it. The sponge filter is the standout for still photography: it breaks up the output and disperses it downward, creating a layer that hugs the surface rather than rising. Thivhu demonstrated this live. It reads on camera as the dry-ice look, without the dry ice.

Battery Life and Fan Noise: The Honest Numbers

At full blast, the 18650 batteries run for 15 to 20 minutes. That sounds short until you consider how fog is actually used on set. A short burst, let it sit in frame, then cut. In real shooting practice, 15 minutes of full-power fog covers a meaningful amount of content. Carry an extra set of 18650s for longer sessions. They are widely available and swap in seconds.

The fan is audible. For B-roll, wide shots, music videos, and productions where audio is captured separately, it's irrelevant. For dialogue takes or interviews with a close microphone, the solution is simple: run the fog between takes and switch it off before rolling on audio. Know this upfront and it is easy to work around.

In Thivhu Mamaila's Own Words

In Their Own Words

Fog on Demand, in a Bag That Already Goes Everywhere

The Ulanzi FM01 solves a specific, real problem. It makes atmospheric fog available to any creator who shoots on location, works solo, or doesn't have the setup for a full theatrical rig. At 40W with a 2.4 GHz wireless remote and three directional attachments, it covers the range of effects that most photography and video work actually needs.

Battery life is honest and manageable with a spare set of 18650s. Fan noise is a known limitation that a straightforward shooting approach handles without drama. For South African content creators, photographers, and videographers who want cinematic atmosphere in their work, the FM01 removes the main reason it doesn't happen: the tools were never the right size. The Ulanzi FM01 is available at CameraStuff with free delivery and a 60-day return policy. Browse the full Ulanzi range at CameraStuff.

Conrad's Advice

Keep extra fog juice and batteries on hand for longer shoots. CameraStuff stocks the Ulanzi fog liquid separately. Give us a ring and we will sort you out.

Ulanzi FM01 vs Generic Portable Fog Machines

Not all portable fog machines are the same. The FM01 was designed for professional production use, and the gaps show most clearly in the remote control system, continuous spray duration, and operating modes. The table below covers the FM01 against typical competing products in the same size class.

Competitor data sourced from Ulanzi product comparison documentation.

Ulanzi FM01 Full Specifications

Key Features

• 40W fog output with 36 variations in intensity and speed
• Wireless remote with colour screen, 2.4 GHz signal, 10-metre control range
• Swappable 18650 batteries with USB-C charging port
• Universal 1/4-inch screw mount for tripods and light stands
• Vegetable glycerin-based fog liquid: odour-free, no fine dust, safe for indoor use

As specified by the manufacturer, Ulanzi. See the official Ulanzi FM01 product page.

About Ulanzi

Ulanzi is a camera accessories brand focused on practical, well-engineered add-ons for videographers and content creators. Their range covers fog machines, cooling solutions, cages, mounting systems, and lighting accessories for mirrorless and action cameras. For full specs and product details, visit Ulanzi's official website. CameraStuff is an authorised Ulanzi reseller in South Africa. Every Ulanzi product we stock is genuine, covered by a 1-year warranty, and supported by our in-house technical team.

Shop All Ulanzi at CameraStuff

Written by Conrad Knuist

Head of Marketing and Photography Specialist at CameraStuff

Conrad Knuist is Head of Marketing and Photography Specialist at CameraStuff, South Africa's specialist camera and lighting retailer. With over 18 years of hands-on experience testing gear across portrait, event, and commercial photography, Conrad has personally handled hundreds of products, from entry-level speedlights to professional studio systems. He is an authorised Godox specialist and works directly with South African photographers and videographers to match the right tools to their work. Every review and recommendation he publishes is based on real-world use, not spec sheets.

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