By Robin Owens 20 days ago, Photography Gear
Modern LED LED lights for photography allow adjusting light intensity and temperature, so you won’t have trouble achieving the desired look and vibe of the picture.
LED panels and flashguns are different in many aspects. The panels emit light continuously, which means that you can vividly see what your picture will look like before you release the shutter button.
And the flashguns produce the burst of light only at the moment of capture. Although LED panel lights are usually used when shooting videos, they will also come in handy when taking stills.
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This is a versatile and compact LED lighting for photography, which you can configure to your requirements. Creative effects & filters, you can tweak brightness & temperature settings, using a handy touchscreen. Rotolight is a CRI-based smart lighting system with a dimmable nature that provides high-quality illumination.
I actively use LED lights for my own photo projects, as well as when conducting photo sessions for clients in various genres. Being a professional photographer, I have in my arsenal almost all types of LED photography lights, and all of them were tested personally by me in different lighting scenarios (studios, low-lit spaces, outdoors, in various weather conditions, etc.)
When selecting the most suitable model, I recommend paying attention to the genre of a photoshoot you are working in, as well as to the device you usually use for taking pics.
Let’s assume that you produce dynamic and interesting photography using your smartphone. You can find various budget LED lights specifically designed for such a purpose. And some of the models are even more powerful than you’d expect.
There are also more sophisticated LED panels. They are full-sized and designed to be installed in a professional studio. Although such models lack portability, the lighting power they provide is simply incredible.
What LED light kits to buy if you shoot landscapes, portraits, or product photos? Read more about the most frequently used types of LED lighting that photographers use nowadays.
Ring lights. You can improve your selfies, macro pictures, and portraits with the help of ring lights for photography and flashes. These lights let you make the objects in the photo more beautiful and well-lit.
There are different kinds of ring lights – big that come with the stands, and small ones, that can be attached to your phone.
Regardless of your needs, all the LED lights have one thing in common – they light nearby objects, as a rule, a person or a medium-sized object.
Bulbs. There are a few reasons why LED photography light bulbs are so popular among photographers. First of all, they are cheap and handy photo gear. Such bulbs almost don’t heat up and are eco-friendlier.
Secondly, they need less power and may be operated with a battery. You only need to find the standard AA batteries, which are rather widespread.
Panels. At first, LED panels were popular just among videographers, but recently photographers also began to use them in their work. LED panels are good sources of constant light, are affordable, easy to carry and install.
There is a wide choice of LED light panels for video and photo shooting, ranging in sizes and configurations. Among them, you can find battery-operated panels with a different set of power and also bi-color panels with more creative light balancing control. Spend some time reading informative reviews to understand what option will work great in your case.
Light kits. Having seen the opportunities, a lot of developers began producing additional equipment – stands, batteries, filters and carry bags. Buying an LED photography or video lighting kit is more cost-effective than purchasing everything separately.
Color temperature: 3,000-10,000K | CRI: 95 | Weight: 6,6 pounds | Dimensions: 11.61 x 0.79 x 11.61in
This is one of the best LED lights for photography, because it is versatile, lightweight, and portable. If compared to the original AEOS, this unit is radically redesigned. It offers more than 16.7 million colors of light to tinker with, instead of just different degrees of light. This concerns both continuous light and flash, which boasts a speedy sync option.
The lamp’s interface is completely remodeled, whereas its sensitive touchscreen allows accessing a great variety of lighting options, digital filters, and special effects in a flash. This helps me implement all my original ideas into life without manipulating the lighting options with much fuss.
The AEOS 2 is delivered in several different kits. The basic one is the most affordable and includes the mains power adaptor and decent diffuser dome. However, it lacks the battery. I chose this particular kit to get started, but it could not satisfy all my needs anymore, so I decided to acquire more expansive Rotolight studio lighting kits.
The extra items included in the Explorer Kit are a battery, a charger, and a padded soft case. The Masters Kit is a bit more expensive and comes with two lamps and diffusion domes, light stands, and a padded soft case. However, you won’t find the battery in this option. The Ultimate Kit is the most sophisticated one and offers all the goodies of the Masters Kit plus two batteries and chargers.
The best thing about this LED light is that you can install it as a continuous lighting source, which is especially important when I do product photography for ads.
Under continuous lighting I mean the constant source of illumination that stays on until you switch it off. Other lighting equipment like strobe lighting turns on after the shutter button of a camera is released.
As this model is portable and easy to relocate, it allows managing shadows and plays with light direction for a better result.
Color temperature: 5,100K | CRI: 95 | Weight: 0,2 pounds | Dimensions: 3.94 x 3.94 x 3.94in
Although the JOBY Beamo does conform to the traditional image of LED lighting for photography, this unit with the hot shoe mount is definitely worth your attention. Having a compact and portable body that can fit your pocket, this model is capable of outputting up to 1,500 lumens.
I very often take it with me on photo walks, when there is no need (and desire) to carry a lot of equipment with me (and the lighting equipment is quite heavy). But its help in low-light shooting conditions is hard to overestimate.
Thanks to the 5,100K temperature range, the skin tones look natural, so it is often regarded as the best LED light for portrait photography. The kit comes with a diffuser that can be attached to the lamp to get a soft diffused light that works great for portraits.
Color temperature: 3,000-5,800K | CRI: 97-99 | Weight: 8.53 pounds | Dimensions: 23 x 19.75 x 4in
As a photographer with 15 years of experience in personal and professional shoots, I’ve tried different photography equipment. So, I can safely assert that this IR-45 Ring Light Set by IVISII is incomparable. It can be equipped with either a white softening filter or an orange filter, which are easy to attach and detach from the ring light. I often use this ring light for photography when producing photo & video content for posting on social media channels.
The kit includes a standard 1/4” camera mounting bracket, a 1/4” mini ball head mounting bracket, and a universal cell phone bracket. Even after attaching and detaching the equipment multiple times, I experienced no problems.
In my opinion, this is one of the best LED lights for macro with makeup photography, as the amount of light it delivers is really impressive. The dimmer control knob allows setting the brightness with ease. As this model is fitted with the LED bulb, it is lightweight, does not cause radiant heat, and is quite durable.
Color temperature: 3,200K-5,600K| CRI: 95+ | Weight: 3.54 pounds | Dimensions: 16 x 14.15 x 2.65in
I prefer using Godox as a side lighting in photography projects, especially when being involved in scalable and complex photoshoots. I also consider this model an ideal LED light for wedding photography – it has a compact body and is easy to carry around.
This model has an adjustable stand, so you can shoot virtually from any angle, without limiting yourself by lighting effects. The ability to set the brightness from 10 to 100% allows realizing all my creative ideas to provide my clients with the result they expect from a wedding or other types of photo shoots.
Color temperature: 2,000K-9,900K| CRI: 96+ | Weight: 3.4 pounds | Dimensions: 29.92 x 6.02 x 4.17 in
I use YONGNUO YN660LED as an additional source of light for shooting product pics. I really like its color temperature range, which allows me to pick up the exact shade of light for each specific product, which is crucial for conveying its color, texture, and volume in the photo properly.
The large handle is very convenient and allows you to hold the device with one hand, which is very important for close-up shooting when you need to set the light so that the subject is well lit, but no shadow falls on it.
Besides, it performs well with light box for jewelry photography, this is the perfect match I think.
Color temperature: 2,700K-6,200K| CRI: 97 | Weight: 2.09 pounds | Dimensions: 1.81 x 1.85 x 19.69 in
If you need a modeling light for your photoshoots or add exquisite lighting effects to video shoots, Zhiyun Fiveray F100 is a decent portable, and powerful solution for such purposes. It is the upgraded version of the model I used previously. I tested this piece of equipment as a light for a macro photo project, and I have to admit that it is a pretty good choice for this genre.
Not only this model is extremely bright, but it also allows adjusting the color, saturation, and brightness settings with several taps on the screen. By the way, I also use Zhiyun Fiveray F100 for lighting my works during presentations in my studio, so this is also a great light for painting and photos. As the kit includes a diffuser and a grid, I am free to choose either softer or harder light as well as having it more focused.
Color temperature: 3,000K-10,000K | CRI: 95 | Weight: 3.31 pounds | Dimensions: 11.02 x 8.27 x 4.33 in
Often named the best continuous LED lighting for photography, NEO 3 is a small but extremely powerful unit, which delivers a full-color range in both constant and flash modes. Moreover, it has a simple and intuitive color touchscreen menu, where you can discover an amazing selection of electronic color filters and special effects.
Although the maximum flash output cannot be compared to a ‘proper’ flashgun, NEO 3 is an ideal fit for those who are looking for a little light to shoot stills and videos. I have this model of lamp and use it as an LED light for food photography, but since I don't work with food projects very often, this unit is not my everyday arsenal.
Color temperature: 3,200K-5,600K | CRI: 95 | Weight: 1.54 pounds | Dimensions: 6 x 3.3 x 0.5 in
Although the Lume Cube Panel does not boast any innovative features, it is a great option for illuminating different shooting locations. Moreover, it also works as a power bank, so when I use it for lighting my shots I can also charge my smartphone, which is very convenient.
Although it is not so powerful to replace a dedicated power bank, this ability is handy without a doubt. If you do not require this functionality, then the 3.85V Li-Polymer battery will work an impressive 90-100 minutes. This model is quite bright, and though the color temperature range is only 3200K to 5600K, this unit is a perfect solution for most scenarios. However, I do not advise using this model as a newborn photography lighting or similar, where a natural skin tone is very important.
The power source for LED lights varies; some models are battery-powered, providing portability for on-location shoots, while others are plug-in, offering a continuous power supply. Some versatile LED lights can operate using both battery and plug-in options, providing flexibility for photographers in different shooting scenarios.
LED lights generally have a long lifespan, often exceeding 50,000 hours of continuous use, making them a durable and reliable choice for photographers. This extended lifespan reduces the need for frequent replacements and ensures consistent performance over an extended period.
Yes, many LED lights come with standard mounting options, such as a threaded mount or a shoe mount, allowing them to be easily attached to various photography equipment, including light stands, tripods, or camera rigs. This flexibility in mounting options enhances the adaptability of LED lights to different shooting setups and creative needs.
The good news is that LEDs do not fade fabrics and artwork as they produce UV light. However, even if you replace all your bulbs with LEDS in your space, it definitely has several windows, which lets natural light in causing colors to fade in some time.
Yes. Creating a triangle setup with three individual LEDs is one of the most effective ways to give your model more dimension and produce an amazing 3D effect. The setup should include one light ring in front of the subject and two units angled on either side of the back of your product. Backlighting makes a subject more vivid and divided from the background, which is great for bringing the focus to the product.
