7 Best Video Lighting Kits for All Kinds of Conditions

By Tati Taylor 17 days ago, Lighting & Studio

Choose the video light kit for vlogging, studio and location shooting

top 3 video lighting kits

The best video lighting kit will help you achieve a perfect exposure level and capture beautifully-detailed videos with well-balanced highlights and shadows.

Using these lighting kits, you can create a variety of effects, experiment with colors, simulate flickering, or recreate specific lighting situations. Regardless of your level of experience, you can easily find top-level lights for streaming for your needs. The prices for the models listed below range from $90 to $1,007.

Top 7 Video Lighting Kits

  1. GVM RGB 800D - Excellent battery life
  2. Neewer Bi Color 660 - Dimmable light
  3. Rotolight NEO 3 - Compact
  4. Aputure Amaran MC - Mobile app control
  5. Lume Cube 2.0 - Little mountable light
  6. Neewer 18-inch Ring Light - Affordable
  7. SmallRig RC Bi-Color Video Light - Great color fidelity

What makes these lighting kits similar is that they are compact and lightweight. Besides, they are perfectly stable, which makes them suitable for professional use.

Using them, you can adjust color accuracy. Besides, they have virtually noiseless fans and don’t produce any flickering.

When selecting outdoor and studio lighting kits, I also considered their light temperature range, battery life, and the quality of a stand. Whether you need to capture objects on a stable surface or shoot makeup tutorials, you will find the best video light kit on this list.

1. GVM RGB 800D

Excellent battery life
gvm rgb 800d video lighting kit

Color temperature: 3200-5600K | Battery life: 100000 Hours | Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.3 x 1.5" | Weight: 2.2 pounds

  • ✚ CCT LEDs of superb quality
  • ✚ Advanced brightness settings
  • ✚ 8 types of scene lights
  • ✚ Compatible with Sony NPF batteries
  • Unreliable light stands
Rating

With the GVM RGB 800D, you can work in different lighting situations and implement a variety of lighting scenarios. The key selling point of this model is that it has an advanced control system. To adjust the settings, you need to use its native app.

gvm rgb 800d video shoot lights

When shooting videos, you can alternate between two main modes. One of them enables you to change the color temperature to create a perfect balance. The other one lets you adjust hues and RGB color saturation.

Another advantage of such LED lights for photography and videography is that they allow you to capture natural skin tones and hues thanks to the CRI of 97+.

2. Neewer Bi Color 660

Dimmable light
neewer bi color 660 video lighting kit

Color temperature: 3200-5600K | Battery life: Depends on the batteries energy capacity | Dimensions: 27.6 x 12 x 7.2 inches | Weight: 14.7 pounds

  • ✚ HD LCD
  • ✚ Dual
  • ✚ Made of aluminum alloy
  • ✚ 360-angle adjustment
  • Difficult to adjust colors and brightness without using a color temperature meter
  • Can’t be controlled remotely
Rating

Thanks to 330 warm white and 330 cool white LEDs, the Neewer Bi Color 660 supports max brightness of 3300 lux/1m. You can adjust these video shoot lights from 0 to 100%.

Using it as a source of consistent light, you don’t need to worry about flickering. This service allows you to use a variety of filmmaking techniques to create engaging YouTube clips and other types of content.

neewer bi color 660 video shoot lights

You can power the light either by using a standard AC adapter or a battery. We recommend you buy a rechargeable battery if you are going to shoot outside a lot. For better convenience, you can adjust every light stand and securely lock it into place.

3. Rotolight NEO 3

Compact
rotolight neo 3 video lighting kit

Color temperature: 3000-10000K | Battery life: Depends on the batteries energy capacity | Dimensions: 1.97 x 5.71 x 5.71 inches | Weight: 12.5 ounces

  • ✚ Portable and lightweight
  • ✚ Constant light and flash modes
  • ✚ An extensive choice of effects
  • Pricey
  • Flash is not powerful enough
Rating

This portable LED light is suitable for many uses. Whether you use it in constant or flash modes, the NEO 3 supports an extensive color range.

The light stands out for a superb choice of electronic color filters and special effects. To access them, you need to use a streamlined color touchscreen menu. This model has zero recycle time. Using a third party battery NPF 750 that comes with the light, you can shoot videos without worrying about charging.

rotolight neo 3 video shoot lights

Thanks to the native app, you can quickly alternate between different lighting modes to adjust colors, select different power sources, adjust flash settings, etc. In addition, it allows you to create groups and projects to manage up to 20 lights for videography at the same time.

4. Aputure Amaran MC

Mobile app control
aputure amaran mc video lighting kit

Color temperature: 3200-6500K | Battery life: 15 Hours | Dimensions: 3.7 x 2.4 x 0.7" | Weight: 1.08 pounds

  • ✚ 9 lighting presets
  • ✚ Allows adjusting HSI color settings
  • ✚ In-built magnets
  • Subpar brightness
  • Comes without a cold-shoe mount
Rating

The Aputure Amaran MC has impressive CRI and TLCI scores of 96+. Its SSI scores are 84 in tungsten and 74 in daylight.

Thanks to 100 levels of saturation, you can accurately recreate any color when shooting creative and professional visual content for social media.

aputure amaran mc video shoot lights

You can select one of the in-built light effects, including Paparazzi, Fireworks, Faulty bulb, etc. One of the key selling points of this light is that it has an app with a handy Color Picker feature. Using it, you can point your camera at any color and your light will recreate it.

5. Lume Cube 2.0

Little mountable light
lume cube 2.0 video lighting kit

Color temperature: Up to 5600K | Battery life: 90 minutes at full brightness | Dimensions: 1.57 x 1.57 x 1.57 inches | Weight: 10.8 ounces

  • ✚ Convenient buttons for controlling brightness levels
  • ✚ 30-feet waterproof
  • Average build quality
  • Inconsistent battery charging
  • ✚ Bluetooth support
Rating

The Lume Cube 2.0 has everything you might have hoped for when selecting a light for shooting film. It produces powerful light with an impressive beam angle.

What makes it the best video lighting kit is that it supports 95+ CRI and 10 levels of brightness. The light weighs only 99g, which makes this budget model quite lightweight. You can use it to create a lighting setup that includes 3-4 lights.

lume cube 2.0 video shoot lights

The light is fitted with a decent battery. Besides, it supports a USB-C connection, which enables you to use it with a variety of devices. Thanks to its aluminum housing, it is up to 30 feet waterproof.

All in all, it’s a perfect portable light for shooting clips outside.

6. Neewer 18-inch Ring Light

Affordable
neewer 18-inch ring video lighting kit

Color temperature: Up to 5500K | Battery life: About 48 minutes | Dimensions: 20 x 20 x 4 inches | Weight: 9.03 pounds

  • ✚ 240 LEDs with an extensive dimming range
  • ✚ Made of aluminum alloy
  • ✚ Handy filters
  • Unreliable phone holder
  • Comes without a digital display
Rating

When using the Neewer 18-inch Ring Light, you can adjust the brightness level from 1% to 100%. Due to this, you can use it both in the studio and outdoors.

The light is shipped with two sets of filters, including soft white and orange. Besides, this model is sold with a secure mount for a camera, a light stand, a power cord, and a bag for carrying your accessories.

neewer 18-inch ring video shoot lights

Thanks to 3 stable legs and a secure locking mechanism, your shooting equipment will be perfectly stabilized. Using such pro-level ring lights for Tik Tok, you can rotate its 360-degree phone holder to shoot in vertical and horizontal modes without removing your phone from the adapter.

7. SmallRig RC Bi-Color Video Light

Great color fidelity
smallrig rc bi-color video lighting kit

Color temperature: 2700K-6500K | Battery life: Depends on the batteries energy capacity | Dimensions: 9.45 x 9.45 x 9.35 inches | Weight: 12.23 pounds 

  • ✚ 149,000 LUX output with special effects
  • ✚ Noiseless fan
  • ✚ Adjustable light intensity
  • Quite expensive in comparison to other models
  • The app occasionally glitches
Rating

This excellent SmallRig RC Video Light stands out for its powerful key light output, which makes it especially suitable for those who need to shoot interviews. Besides, this model allows you to use a variety of lighting effects, which makes it suitable for more dramatic shots.

smallrig rc bi-color video shoot lights

Its fans are virtually noiseless, which makes this light perfect for those who want to get a clear sound. At the distance of 1m from the fan, the level of the sound reaches only 30dB ± 2dB. It is the same level of noise that you can detect in the countryside at night.

You can manually configure the brightness level of these lights for videography by moving the slider from 0% to 100% when using a mobile app. At the same time, you will be able to preview the changes using the LED screen.

IMAGE NAME FEATURES
video light kit gvm rgb 800d
GVM RGB 800D
EXCELLENT BATTERY
  • Color temperature: 3200-5600K
  • Battery life: 100000 Hours
  • Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.3 x 1.5"
  • Weight: 2.2 pounds
CHECK PRICE
video light kit neewer bi color 660
Neewer Bi Color 660
DIMMABLE
  • Color temperature: 3200-5600K
  • Dimensions: 27.6 x 12 x 7.2 inches
  • Weight: 14.7 pounds
CHECK PRICE
video light kit rotolight neo 3
Rotolight NEO 3
COMPACT
  • Color temperature: 3000-10000K
  • Dimensions: 1.97 x 5.71 x 5.71 inches
  • Weight: 12.5 ounces
CHECK PRICE

How to Choose the Best Video Lighting Kit

When selecting a video lighting kit, make sure to consider its type. Ring lights for makeup will come in handy to anyone who wants to shoot close-up footage. In addition, you can use soft boxes and umbrellas to capture shadows or get rid of them. LED panels support a higher brightness level and produce less heat.

Power supply. It’s also recommended to use a LED panel that can be powered by a main plug and a battery. Using such models, you will be able to capture professional footage regardless of your shooting location.

color temperature of the best video lighting kit

Color temperature. Opt for video shoot lights with a wider range, as it will allow you to experiment with warm and cool light. Thanks to it, you can work in poor-light situations and achieve different effects. Most videography companies https://fixthephoto.com/top-videography-companies.html (Top Videography Companies) use lights in the 5,600 Kelvin range, as they produce natural light.

Stands. To adjust your lights, it’s better to mount them securely to a stable surface. This is why it’s advisable to use lighting rigs with stands. This way, you can use them for different lighting scenarios.

CRI rating. After taking a look at the CRI, you will see whether the light allows you to capture true-to-life colors. It’s especially important for those who capture portraits and interviews, as it allows them to understand whether the skin tones look natural.

Make sure to select a light with a high CRI rating. If you are on a tight budget, buy a light with a CRI rating of at least 90.

how to choose the best video lighting kit

Flicker-free. Some LED panels have flickering issues. The best models support a stable level of brightness while being completely flicker-free.

Bluetooth technology. Video lights that support a Bluetooth connection are usually compatible with smartphones, which makes it easier for a shooter to adjust a variety of settings remotely.

FAQ

  • • What type of video light shall I use?

If you need to shoot videos during your trips, make sure to select a portable and lightweight model. Besides, it will be more convenient for you to use it if it can be connected directly to your shooting device. Make sure to consider portable LED panels and ring lights for iPhone, Android, and DSLR.

In case you are going to mostly work in your home studio, you can select a mains-powered light instead. You can also use large LED panel lights as they allow you to achieve perfect brightness levels. To ensure that your model is lit from all sides, you can use large lights for green screen, as they will help you bring the most creative ideas to life.

  • • What brightness levels should I aim for?

When selecting video lights, you might notice that they support different brightness levels. Most manufacturers indicate brightness in lumens. 800 lumens can be compared with a 60W incandescent lightbulb, while 1500 lumens are comparable with a 100W bulb.

It’s better to opt for a light that supports a higher brightness level and is fitted with a dimmer. It will make it easier for you to record footage at a low ISO while minimizing the level of grain.

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