Have you ever watched a video that was dim and grainy or made it difficult to see the subject? Have you encountered trying to fix those problems in your own videos? 

One of the most important aspects when shooting video is lighting. Lighting is important because without it, it is difficult to see anything in the shot clearly. You don’t notice it much when it is there, but you definitely notice when it is gone. 

If your video doesn’t have enough light on the main subject, the footage will often look grainy and the video quality will diminish. Read on for help with fixing this problem.

In today’s article, we’ll be reviewing three small entry level LED lights to help beginner video creators improve the production quality of their videos. These LED lights work great for adding lighting to your scene whether you are filming on a smartphone or a DSLR camera.

Also, to help you understand some of the “lighting lingo” watch this video where we demonstrate some of the LED lighting features.

Neewer CN-160

The Neewer LED light contains 160 LED light bulbs to light up your scene. The intensity of the light can be changed by adjusting the dial on the side of the light that turns it on and off. The light is compact, lightweight, and is able to fit on most tripods because it has a ¼ inch thread. 

It takes two main types of batteries NP-F550 and NP-F970 and also has the option to be powered by six AA batteries. However, it does not come with the batteries. There is also a feature that allows you to check the battery life on the back of the light. 

There are two different types of filters that come with the light. One is used to match the color of outdoor lighting and the other is to match the color of indoor lighting. 

The Neewer CN-160 is currently listed at $35.

Pros:

• Light intensity can be adjusted
• Can use six AA batteries
• Able to check battery life
• Compatible with most tripods
• Comes with two different lighting filters

Cons:

• Have to purchase batteries separately

 

Yongnuo YN300 Air

Like the previous light, the Yongnuo has a mount with a ¼ inch thread to attach itself onto most tripods. However, it does come with an additional mounting option in the form of a table stand. This enables you to place the light on a tabletop or another surface if you don’t have a tripod to attach the light to. 

The light is a bicolor light, meaning it is able to switch between indoor and outdoor lighting color. The brightness of the light can be adjusted by a dial on the back of the light. There are two different settings for adjusting the light which are fine and coarse. The fine setting increases the brightness by 1% each time to find the appropriate amount of light needed to light your scene. The coarse setting increases the brightness by 10% so you can increase the brightness faster. 

The light has a built in light diffuser to help disperse the light in a natural way. However, unfortunately the diffuser is built into the light and can’t be removed. 

Same as the Neewer light, the Yongnuo is powered by NP-F550 and NP-F970 batteries. This light comes with a power cord so it is able to be powered by an outlet if the battery life runs out. It also has the ability to check the battery life. 

The Yongnuo YN300 Air is currently listed at $57.

Pros:

• Bicolor light
• Comes with stand for table and tripod
• Fine and coarse light adjustment
• Built in diffuser
• Has a power cord
• Able to check battery life

 

Cons:

• Diffuser can’t be removed
• Have to purchase batteries separately

 

Viltrox L116T RA

The Viltrox light has similar features as the previous lights such as being a bicolor light, uses  NP-F550 and NP-F970 batteries, able to check the battery life, mount compatible with most tripods, and comes with a power cord. It also has a diffuser that creates a very soft light which can be both good or bad. The soft light isn’t harsh and can make the light in your scene look natural. However, since the light is soft it isn’t very bright. The lowest percentage of light it can decrease to is 25%, which is rather high but considering it has a soft light diffuser, 25% appears less bright than the other lights at 25% brightness. 

The Viltrox L116T RA is currently listed at $52.

Pros:

• Bicolor light
• Light intensity can be adjusted
• Able to check battery life
• Compatible with most tripods
• Has a power cord
• Light kit comes with a battery

Cons:

• Soft light
• Lowest brightness is 25%

 

Recommendation

When it comes to LED lights for filming, our recommendation is the Yongnuo YN300 Air. What sets it apart from the other two lights is that the brightness settings are very customizable. Since you have the option to change the brightness by 1% at a time, it gives you the ability to set the correct brightness you need for your scene. We also love that it comes with a table mount stand. Instead of buying a tripod, all you need is a flat surface.

The Yongnuo YN300 Air is the most expensive out of the three entry level LED light options provided but it is worth the price since it provides the user with wonderful performance and ease of use.

For more tips or equipment recommendations for video creation, check out our other blogs at wwww.learntoflourish.com.

 

Wishing you inspiration, innovation, and continuous learning!

Lorena and the Learn to Flourish Team

(Prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of publication. Learn to Flourish does not receive a share of sales or any compensation from sharing any of these products, they’re just some of our favorites!)