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How To Choose The Best Video Light

Lighting is more than just a detail – it can be a make-or-break for the quality of your videos. Choosing a powerful digital camera and lens is only one side of the coin when it comes to producing videos that look good and carry a strong impact.

For your video to look natural, professional, and attractive to a viewer, it’s crucial that you know what lighting to use (and how) to improve your production value for a stunning end product. Knowing how to choose the best video light will mean that your productions stand out with striking quality.

Luckily, technology has rapidly evolved to bring industry-standard lighting quality to professionals and homemade videographers alike, with brands like Godox, Rotolight, Nanlite and Newell, diversifying their range of continuous LED lighting to appeal to the exciting world of video.

By applying the perfect lighting to any situation, you can make anything from your professional studio shoots to your YouTube videos or live streams shine, so keep reading to find out what lighting to use to take your productions to the next level.

Does Lighting Affect Video Quality?

Lighting is crucial in creating a natural, visually appealing video. The human eye is the ultimate camera – adapting to make a scene look as expected regardless of the often vast range of light and dark areas.

Cameras don’t respond nearly as well to high dynamic range. Therefore, to produce a video that’s appealing to the eye, you must deeply consider your video lighting, and whether or not the output is natural and inviting. By reducing unnatural contrast and shadows with a vast array of lighting equipment, nothing is stopping you from creating the perfect scene.

However, a poorly lit scene can impact your videos beyond technical flaws. Lighting is essential in capturing a mood and atmosphere in your productions. Even to the untrained eye, a viewer can immediately detect the tone and character of your video, meaning they can pick up a powerful first impression from the outset. The colour temperature shadows and highlights of your scene can all help to create a range of different impacts on your video. Not only this, but good lighting signals quality and professionalism; nothing makes a shot look more considered and masterful than a carefully crafted lighting set-up.

With the help of some effective modern products on the market, you can make a brilliant first impression with your videos. The right lighting for you will no doubt depend on what you’re filming – whether indoors or outdoors; whether you’re streaming, vlogging, or branching out as a filmmaker; you name it. By using a range of different solutions, and applying them appropriately for any situation, you’ll no doubt be on a fast track to creating more engaging productions.

Are LED Lights Good for Videography?

LED lights are a growing presence in the world of video production, and rightfully so. If anything, LED lights are the supreme modern solution to video lighting – with high efficiency, some of the lowest levels of heat emission, and control over brightness, temperature and more, these lights are outrageously versatile and equally great for power consumption.

As a videographer, power consumption is impossible to overlook as you’ll need your lights up and running for a long time – LED lights’ brilliance in this aspect makes them perfect for videography.

Rotolight has excelled recently with its collection of LED video lights – being based in Pinewood Studios in the UK; they’re no stranger to producing filmmaking. For smaller productions, the Rotolight NEO 3 will work wonders for your videos. This LED light designed with videographers in mind can be used as an on-camera light for even coverage of your subject, or can be used to create a fully fledged studio light setup.

Rotolight offers a Neo 3 three-light kit for the NEO 3 with stands, diffusers, and a hard case for bringing your complete three-point lighting setup on the go. Upgrading to the NEO 3 Pro Imagemaker Kit brings you the brightest on-camera LED video light that the industry has to offer, which goes to show the power of LED technology. It also comprises of an intuitive touchscreen and 100+ built-in special effects for unparalleled creative control over your videos. This light can also replicate the effect of some 2,500 different filters from popular brands LEE Filters and Rosco, which gives users an incredible amount of range with their output.

What is the Best Lighting for a Video?

With the content-creation zeitgeist heavily focused on video, manufacturers have been rushing to diversify their line-up to catch up with the current demands. Lighting is no exception – brands like Nanlite and Rotolight continue to push the boundaries further to cater their technology for videographers. This means lighting for videos is more accessible and more efficient than ever before.

Despite this, knowing what you need to build a classy setup is a challenge due to the wide range of equipment now available to consumers. But fear not – knowing what each type of light offers will have you on your way to deciding what’s perfect for you and your videos. A selection of the many LED lights offered in today’s market are listed and explained below.

1. LED Panels: these are a hugely popular choice among creators. The light that’s produced by them is often diffused and much less directed than other options – which is not only important in producing a smooth image, but it makes an LED panel much easier to use as you don’t have to worry about casting your light perfectly and not creating shadows. Moreover, their design is hugely versatile. Panels can range from tiny options like the Godox LED6R RGB panel (designed for on-camera use), to larger studio choices like the Nanlite MixPanel 150. These can be on-camera, great for product showcases and vlogging, or mounted on a light stand.
2. Tube lights: these long, thin, cylindrical lights are great for lighting a scene ambiently. Tubes can form a beautiful, graduated light across anything in your scene, whether you’re using a simple bi-colour tube light or an RGB light to give your studio a vibrant glow. Options like the Newell RGB Kathi Max LED Light can go a long way in creating a brilliant backdrop. These are suitable for more creative studio scenes, like a backdrop for a live stream.
3. Ring lights: when thinking of vlogging, or creating content for social media, a ring light is one of the first options that comes to mind when considering video lighting. These are ubiquitous among content creators for their incredible versatility, soft light and unmatched portability. The Nanlite Halo 16 ring light includes a mirror and a smartphone bracket, which makes this choice stand out for vlogging and more.
4. Softbox lighting: by pairing a studio light like the Rotolight AEOS 2 Pro with a softbox, you can achieve beautifully diffused light across your subject. Softbox combos are more catered towards professional videographers and filmmakers, but the level of diffusion and soft light output they create is unmatched by any other type of video lighting, so are worth considering for you and your videos. Softboxes are used best with people as the subject – consider using these with some great lights for filming interviews or online talk shows.

Best video light for beginners

As a beginner creator, you’ll be looking for efficient ways to quickly boost your videos’ production value and get your content off the ground. With lighting, it’s worth noting that a little can go a long way – when first starting out building a studio set-up or planning on creating a portable solution, keeping your video lighting simple is a good way to start.

A bi-colour light is one of the best options for anyone looking to make a start in building their setup. These are made with a combination of bulbs allowing you to adjust the temperature of your light from a warm yellow to a cool blue. This means that for a lot of cases, a bi-colour light is the option you’ll be looking for if you want a simple, versatile choice.

For beginners, a good entry-level choice to make a swift impact on your productions is the Kenro Smart Lite Bi-Colour LED panel. Loaded with features, this light makes a compelling choice as the best video light for beginners. It offers 1-100% brightness control and, of course, an adjustable colour temperature. There’s also a handy built-in diffuser and it’s super lightweight. One of its best beginner-oriented features is Kenro’s dedicated smartphone app, which makes controlling your lighting remotely much easier. If you’re looking to get more creative, Kenro also offers a compact RGB Compact LED Video Light which only weighs 200g – ideal for filming on the go.

Beginners are likely to be interested in a compact, portable light that still packs a punch. Hobolite has thrown its hat in the ring with the Hobolite Micro and Hobolite Mini creator kits, which appeal to those looking for exactly that. Each has an award-winning stylish retro design, and come with some super-innovative lighting technology, and accessories such as barndoors and filters that make them almost fully fledged LED studio lights – definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for something different!

How to Get Good Lighting for Live Videos

Live streaming is one of the most exciting ways to attract a vast range of followers to your video content. By providing a new level of interactivity with your content, whilst maintaining a good standard of quality in your productions, it’s easier than ever to get your online following hooked. As is still the case with all video, lighting for videos is certain to elevate your live productions to impact a larger audience.

Arguably the most common style of live streaming in the world right now is gaming. Streaming sites like YouTube and Twitch have seen huge growth in the 2010s and beyond – the latter hosting 15 million daily active users. One trend hugely popular among gaming streamers is RGB lighting.

By using ambient RGB lighting, you can give your scene a vibrant, modern theme, and ensure your setting looks professional – ambient lighting options like the Godox TL120 Tube Light stick can give parts of your studio a colourful glow. For all other styles of streaming, the same rules apply; just do your best to make sure lighting fits the tone and style of your live videos perfectly.

The Best Indoor Lighting for Video

Creating an indoor lighting setup is where you can fully exercise your creative potential. Unlike outdoor video, you can completely remove all natural light and take the guesswork out of illuminating your scene with maximum control.

Dedicated indoor lighting options differ largely from others. For instance, LED studio lights tend to be larger and less portable, because they’re usually exclusive to studios. Furthermore, they’re more reliable on mains power, as being able to shoot indoors means you’ll have relatively good access to a source of mains power. However, indoor lighting options are, more often than not, much more versatile and impactful. A dark room is a blank canvas for a brilliant video lighting setup – this is brilliant for anyone looking for a controlled shooting experience, such as those creating product showcases, interviews and more.

For the best indoor lighting kit for video, you can look to Phottix for their dedicated set of indoor video lights. The Phottix Nuada R3 II twin kit comes with two flattering 50W lights; each having an adjustable yoke, which is perfect for creators who need some extra versatility. The lights can also be controlled with an included remote control; this is great for a one-man crew, which is usually the case with producing social media content like YouTube videos and live streams.

The Nuada S3 II kit would be the best choice for those who prefer using rectangular lights. Phottix has also made an exciting move towards chip-on-board (COB) LED technology – their X160 COB LED is impressively bright at 150W, and has a super quiet cooling module which is perfect for video.

The Best Lighting for Outdoor Video

When the conditions are going your way, shooting outdoors can be incredibly rewarding. However, any photographer or videographer will likely to tell you that these instances are few and far between. Much like being indoors, if you’re outdoors you’ll need to find a good light for video recording to take control over whatever the environment throws you.

Whether you’re out shooting events like weddings, or just looking to produce some great content in stunning locations, there are plenty of solutions to control your scene with maximum efficiency.

For professional lighting setups on the go, Rotolight has pioneered portability to make LED technology accessible regardless of power or place. If you’re looking to bring your entire three-point lighting setup on the go, or to just use one solid light to flatten the shadows on your subject, then Rotolight’s range of AEOS 2 Pro lighting kits will work wonders.

Leading portrait photographer Jake Hicks tested these lights outdoors, and his review shows they work remarkably well to counteract the sunlight in the shot. The AEOS 2 Pro Traveller Kit is designed for taking out and about, and with a light that’s 25% brighter than all of Rotolight’s previous lights, you can do no wrong.

Beyond all of this, it’s worth noting that natural light can be your friend when shooting outdoors. If you know how to harness the sun’s impact on your scene to conjure up a nice shot, then there’s no reason why this can’t work. However, to maximise your composition’s brilliance, good video lighting will help you to do exactly that.

Achieving the Best Lighting for YouTube Videos

When it comes to YouTube, lighting can go a long way in drawing in viewers and building a following. If you’re trying to grow your YouTube channel, then you’ll know that over time YouTube rewards quality content with recommendations, and using led video lights for YouTube videos is a fantastic way to keep your subscribers engaged and get your content boosted.

For most vlog-style YouTubers, on-camera lighting is the best choice. This will give the subject of your videos a natural, soft look, free of unwanted shadows. LED panels like the Nanlite MixPad II do this brilliantly. Even a ring light can work wonders for use in YouTube videos – Kenro offer a Smart Lite RGB Ring Light, which is ultra-portable, produces super-soft light and features 100% brightness control. It’s also compatible with Kenro’s smartphone app, which is incredibly helpful when filming yourself as you can make adjustments to your lighting without having to leave the shot. Ring lights are very popular among YouTubers, TikTok creators and more, as they’re perfect for vlogging and talking-head-style videos.

Studio lighting for YouTube has to be engaging and vibrant – RGB LED studio lights such as the Godox RGB Zoom LED Video Light will go a long way in making your scene pop. Its’ zoom functionality gives you additional versatility as you can vary how much of your studio you want to illuminate. Combining RGB lights can create some compelling colour blends, so experiment to see what works best for your studio.

For a setting that immediately pops, you can deploy the Newell RGB-W Rangha Nano Sunset Light, which has gone viral on social media for the eye-catching colours it produces. They emit a circle of light similar to the sun, and produce some really interesting gradients. As this light is RGB, you can opt for a more traditional sunset glow, or create some engaging mixtures of bright hues. If you want to catch your viewer’s eye with a satisfying backdrop, this could just be the way to go.

Perfecting Lighting for Video Content

Lighting goes a long way in ensuring that your video content is professional. For most, a simple three-point lighting setup will work miracles in perfecting your output. This consists of a key light – the most powerful, which acts as the primary light source that illuminates the subject – a back light, which goes behind the subject and separates them from the backdrop, and a fill light to cancel out the shadows of the key light. This is a tried-and-tested method to ensure that your lighting is perfectly natural.

While popular lighting setups like three-point lighting are greatly impactful, a simpler setup can be very advantageous and bring your productions to the next level. Furthermore, beginners don’t need to get started with a complete studio setup – a good set of lighting equipment can be built over time so you don’t have to dive straight in at the deep end.

On-camera LED video lights are the easiest way to go about this – the Newell RGB-W Rangha is an LED panel with a lot of range, and a great light for video recording, as it can be used both as an on-camera light or elsewhere, as it’s the size of a smartphone and weighs just 200g. On-camera lighting is superb due to the versatility and ease-of-use it brings to the table. Use on-camera lighting sparingly, as lighting your subject too strongly can appear unnatural, so while it’s a good way of giving your videos some definition, you should still try your best to be subtle with your lighting choices.

What are COB Lights?

Chip-on-board (COB) lights are one of the newest innovations in the LED market, and offer a range of advantages that are unmatched by other LED systems. These differ from regular lights, as the LEDs are printed directly onto the circuit board, allowing you to fit a much larger amount of LED chips on a surface. Therefore, COB LED lights usually have much stronger light intensity, and perform better as continuous lights.

Zhiyun has been pioneers in COB light technology for a long time – pocket sized lights like the Zhiyun LED Molus G60 come with Zhiyun’s trademarked DynaVort Cooling System to keep your lights going for longer, and are a great entry point to the benefits of this new technology. Their powerful portable COB lights such as the Molus G200 mean that LED COB lighting is available for almost all applications, with an extremely versatile design and a max light output of an exceptionally bright 300W.

Advantages of COB Lights

COB lights have plenty of advantages over other LED lights. Firstly, the technique used to produce COB lights means that the LED chips can take up less space. This means that COB LEDs can contain many more light sources than standard LEDs can, meaning for less area, there is a greater light intensity. Not only this, but they often have a superior thermal performance to standard LEDs, which increases efficiency and means your light lasts longer. This is great for video production – COB lights are much less energy intensive and allow you to film for longer, whether you’re using a battery or a mains supply.

Lighting is one of the easiest ways to make your productions stand out amongst the crowd as professional, classy and visually stunning. With some of the best LED lights ever made emerging on the market, useful for any situation, location or purpose, now is a better time than ever to build your set-up and make your videos shine.

Explore an entire range of studio lighting equipment today – our continuous lighting range is growing daily, catering to all levels of videographer, so don’t miss out on all the newest products we have in stock.

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By Thom Pyle on 29/11/2023