Lighting is by far one of the most significant components of any video. Regardless of whether you have used stylistic colour gels to inspire various feelings, or pinpoint light to feature explicit highlights of your set, you should always consider it your priority
Starting out as a filmmaker can be tough, especially figuring out which equipment to have by your side at all times. However, the burden adds on if you have a tighter budget but don’t want to compromise the quality. In this article, we will show you the best video light under $100 that will provide you with a good bang for the buck. The list includes:
- Viltrox L116T
- Apurture 2H672W
- Came-TV P20R redundant
- Neewer Photography 160 LED Studio Lighting Kit
- Limo studio led day light
- Yongnuo yn 300 mkiii
- Yongnuo yn 600 air
- Yongnuo yn 300
- Newaar 480
- Yongnuo yn 600 mk1
- Neewar cn 304
- Fancier studio 560
- Yongnuo yn 360 handheld RGB
- Yongnuo yn 216 spotlight
- Neewar 480 bicolor
- Raleno lcd
- Neewar 660 led video light
- Neewar dimmable bicolor
- LUXCEO P7RGBPro
- Aputure h198
What to look for in a video light?
Use
How do you plan on using your led lights? If this is your first time, you might need to factor in several different lighting setups. You might be better off getting some smaller more efficient led video light rather than one large light. In addition, some of the led video lights are very specific in how they’re designed to be used. Some are sharp and harsh while some have a really soft effect. therefore, it’s important to choose an led video light that matches your needs.
Always check the luminance level
Luminance is the intensity of the light and is mostly measured in nits. Therefore when getting the light, you should not be fooled by the number of LED lights in the light as some lights may have more but weaker LEDs
CRI (colour rendering index)
The CRI is a measurement of how accurate the light produces colour. The higher the index the better. However, if you’re new at it, you should choose a light with a CRI index greater than 85
Color temperature
The two most common types of color temperatures found in a led video light are daylight at 5600 kelvin which is designed to match the sun (natural light) and tungsten at 3200 kelvin which is perfect for warm lighting looks.
The tungsten bulb can be used to produce even warmer colours for video lighting and is used to portray sunset/sunlight while daylight can produce a colder temperature to represent a cold or foggy day. But you should ask yourself first what light you are going to use the most. If the answer is both then you should take a look at blights that can produce both colours. However, the downside of using lights is that it’ll produce only 50% output as it has had tungsten and half daylight LEDs.
Power options
If you’re a person that films most of his videos outdoors or the one who is more comfortable in a studio environment, it’s very important to consider the power options. Most lights come with a battery option which is ideal if you want to film outdoors but if you mostly are working indoors, you should also check for a dc jack so you can plug your light into an outlet instead of charging your batteries all day long
Beam angle
This is one of the most overlooked aspects when it comes to buying a light, but it is the first thing that you should have in mind. Beam angle refers to the angle at which light is emitted from a fixed position. Most video lights with an angle of 25-50 degrees will produce a nice and narrow spot whereas a beam angle of 120-180 degrees will be able to fill up entire spaces with light
The recommended video lights:
Now that you have an idea of what to look for here are some of the best budget-friendly video lights under a hundred dollars
The Viltrox L116T
The Viltrox video is an extremely thin, entirely portable led light. Also, at under $40, it is very cheap if you are having lighting problems. Another extraordinary component of this led light is it tends to be fueled with a Sony NP-F550 battery. This makes it considerably more versatile as the light output blends with adjustable color temperature. Altogether, this light is an incredible deal!
Apurture 2H672W
Aputure is a brand that had practical experience in the creation of great lighting for film making and the Apurture 2H672W is no joke
Despite the fact that these lights are both thin (just 32mm thick) and light-weight, they are brilliant and discharge roughly 4636 lumens which are about equivalent to a 400W radiant light.
Another cool thing is that Apurture led light runs on two batteries or an adapter. Also, you can charge the batteries while the lights are fueled by the AC connector.
Came-TV P20R
The Came-TV RGB panel is another thin and compact led light. It arrives in a decent case that you can use while travelling with immense padding and incorporates many other accessories along with it. You can utilize two Sony NPF batteries, or attachment right into an outlet. The led light is somewhat thicker than the Viltrox. This light comes in at just about $100! Different RGB hues balance the numerous decent highlights with this light.
The Neewer Photography 160 LED Studio Lighting Kit
This video lighting kit is viable with your DSLR camera and can be mounted on a standard hot shoe or a light stand.
Concerning the control alternatives, this type of led light unit is very flexible. They function with Panasonic, Sony, and AA batteries. The units are known for providing maximum continuous light output. Tragically, batteries are excluded from the bundle, however, they can be purchased online at reasonable costs. The manufacturer makes reference that the standard runtime for these lights is longer than an hour which is certainly amazing.
Limo studio led daylight
In case you’re searching for a lot more straightforward continuous light unit for your recording needs, the LimoStudio LED Day Kit comes at a moderate cost.
This pack is particularly helpful and utilized as floodlights in the event that you need to fill an entire space with light. Since it doesn’t accompany any softboxes
Each light holds a 20W LED light, which relates to roughly 300 Watts in normal bulbs. These bulbs have can be used for about 15000 hours and light as bright as1650 lumens. The included bulbs have a 6500K rating.
Yongnuo yn 300 mkiii
The yn 300 mkii comes is a portable yet powerful light that is available in bicolour and daylight temperatures. It also has a battery option and uses Sony NPF batteries. Although it comes with a remote, it has Bluetooth capabilities and can be controlled by a smartphone. They are compatible with any light stand.
Yongnuo yn 600 air
At only $80, it comes with a blue diffuser light panel to produce a soft and bright light. Although it has a battery option and uses sonny’s NPF batteries it also has dc power input so that you don’t have to charge batteries all day but you can simply plug it in and use it for a longer time than the batteries!
Yongnuo yn 300
Although small in size, it packs a punch. With the CRI index of 93, it produces highly accurate colours. It also has a prominent light panel that produces narrow beams and can be only used for smaller spaces
Newaar 480
Fitting right in the budget, at $99, the Newmar 400 is a bang for the buck. It doesn’t only have a CRI of 96+, but is also bi-colour light and can produce both daylight and tungsten color temperature. It is ideal for a studio environment, not only because of its bright light but also its ability to use dc power input
Yongnuo yn 600 mk1
Coming in at $100, it has everything required for you to star. The CRI index is 95+ which will also produce bi-colour light. It not only has batteries but also comes with a dc jack for longer sustainable power input. It also comes with a remote so you don’t have to keep going back to change the settings, you can just from afar
Neewar cn 304
It has a CRI (Color Rendering Index) – 95. It also has multiple battery options such as AA and Sony NPF batteries. You can also check the battery life as it comes with a battery life indicator. In addition, you don’t need any extra material to dim its light as it comes with a dimmer switch.
Fancier studio 560
Although the CRI is a little less than that of the competitor, it has a wide beam angle and can be used to fill bigger spaces
Yongnuo yn 360 handheld RGB
The handheld RGB is powered by a Sony NPF battery or dc power input. The video light also features RGB which means that it can also change the colour however its often difficult to change the colour value
Yongnuo yn 216 spotlight
It is very compact, produces bright light, and is exceptionally directional. Incredible and compact is a winning combo for any professional. And at just $60, it comes with a built-in fan which is rare for video lights at this price point
Neewar 480 bicolor
It consists of a total of 480 LEDs and can provide both daylight and tungsten temperature. It is also made up of durable metals such as aluminum.
Raleno LCD
It is not only bicolour but also has a dimmer switch. The good thing about it is that it does not require a third-party battery as it has a built-in battery option along with dc input
Neewar 660 led
Although it comes with daylight temperatures, it has a CRI of 96+ and a dimmer setting available. It also has both ac and dc power input available
Neewar dimmable bicolour
Has both daylight and tungsten temperatures with both ac and dc power input options. It is also made with great quality materials such as aluminium
LUXCEO P7RGBPro
With its RGB options, it can change the light to numerous different colours. It also has Bluetooth and an app so you can control it from your smartphone
Aputure h198
Aputure has gained popularity for the nature of its lights and that popularity remains constant here. On the off chance that you are looking for a fanatic excellent light, this is a decent alternative for you
Conclusion
Now that you have an idea of how to get started, buy the perfect video light while keeping your budget in check and take your filmmaking to the next level.
