Top 4 Lighting Kits Every Camera Op Needs (2023)
Top Lighting Kits for Beginners on Amazon (2023)
There are few occasions where lighting is not important and can even make or break your shot. Even when it comes to simple vlogging your light source can take you from amateur hour to professional touch with just a few simple steps. Here I’ll take you through some of the best affordable lighting kits on Amazon to get you started building your lighting arsenal.
Neewer 2 pack Dimmable Bicolor Kit
These 10x10 LED panels provide a wide lighting source that will soften the edges on your shadows. They are dimmable, allowing control over the exposure on your subject. BiColor function allows you to match white balance with any other ambient light sources in your shot so you don’t end up with a random tungsten gradient. The U-shaped bracket allows for diverse lighting angles which is ideal for subject lighting. At 4k lumens these would be great for lighting a single subject in medium to dark environments.
I would not use these lights for run and gun situations as the size of them would be too difficult to carry on a rig. These would also not be ideal for lighting a whole room unless you were recreating a dimly lit room. You could get away with it if you had a sensitive ISO camera but I always like to have more light than needed and then drop down the exposure on the camera, this way your camera is able to absorb more information and you can do more in your editing.
Personally I would use these lights for product shots, vlogging, dramatic subject lighting and as an extension of light from a window or far off source. Neewer is an awesome brand and I have found their products to be reliable. LED’s have fantastic battery life although this specific kit does not include batteries, they come with a power cord so you’ll have to have access to a power source unless you spring for the batteries. LED’s have their downfalls and I always try to either bounce them or use a soft filter on them.
Neewer 18in Ring Light
Ring lights perform a specific job very well. They are pretty much useless outside of that job. If you are a vlogger or photographer that does headshots/beauty shots then the ring light is for you!
This ring light is BiColor allowing you to control warm or cool lighting, beware external sources casting contrasting gradients on your subject. This kit includes a carry case, power cord, tripod stand and several mounting attachments. It is dimmable up to 2900 lum giving plenty of lighting for close ups. Again, Neewer is a reliable brand which is why I recommend this specific product over other ring lights.
I would personally use this product while vlogging to fill in shadows on my face cast from window light or overhead light. I would also use it for beauty/headshots for clients, it is awesome at filling in the whole face with soft light. However, it will only light the front of the face so make sure you use a backlight in addition to give your subject dimension.
Neewer Dimmable Light on Camera (LOC) Panel
Every videographer needs one of these LOC panels in their arsenal. They can be extremely versatile when used properly. This specific product is mountable to your camera giving a direct fill source from the camera. If you find yourself just a little under exposed on your shot, these panels can get you out of a pinch. If there was one light I had on set that I never planned on using but always ended up breaking it out, it’s this one.
This panel is about 8in x 7in. It has its own battery source included in the kit. It will mount directly to the top of the camera or if you have a cheese cage you can mount it just about anywhere on your rig. It comes with a soft white filter to help cut down the bazillion shadows that LED’s create. It is lightweight and all around versatile. Once again a Neewer product (I think Neewer is one of those affordable and reliable products, therefore it’s all over amazon).
I would personally use this product to prevent aperture or ISO compromise by having a light fill on the subject to raise the exposure level. I would also use this to shoot paranormal scenes if I was doing a horror themed film. If you are a wedding videographer or thinking about it, this is a must. Nothing sucks more than getting to the fun part of a wedding and it’s too dark to film anything. I would NOT rely on this panel as your only light source (unless you are filming horror/experimental).
Aputure Amaran 60d
This light is a physical manifestation of how far lighting has come. It is a bit more on the professional side and does cost a bit more than the above products. However, you can see the difference in quality. Aputure is a very solid brand that I would probably rank a bit above Neewer. This is a spot light which can be very useful for lighting an entire room or subject. Think of this as your main light source and the products above as complementary to this one.
The Amaran 60d puts out a staggering 45,100 lums. That’s really bright. It is dimmable and unfortunately only outputs daylight temperature (you can edit that out though). Features a hyper reflector 15deg beam which can be bounced, diffused, filtered and so on. Has a 96 CRI rating meaning the light has a high color accuracy. You can control it through an app on your phone which is very helpful if you are running the show by yourself or with a small crew. It only pulls 65w so you don’t have to worry about blowing circuit breakers like Fresnels like to. Since it is an LED it remains quiet and cool.
I would personally use this product as the main light source for medium to large rooms. Since it is unicolor in daylight I would most likely use it to shape and control the light coming through a window or even outdoors in shady spots. I would bounce this light off a corner or ceiling of a room. I would also use a heavy soft filter if shooting in a bathroom or kitchen to simulate the cooler temperature lights commonly found in those rooms. I would NOT use this light for photoshoots or any angle that is pointing at your subject from the front with no filters or diffusion. You will cast a crazy shadow on them, blind them and they will hate you.
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