So, you don’t know much about lighting for your YouTube videos? Don’t worry it is like that in the early times of your vlogging career that you don’t know much about best lighting for YouTube videos.
In this article, I am going to explain each and everything about how you can use the lighting for your YouTube videos to make it more colorful and beautiful at the same time.
So, let’s start without any further time wastage:
Table of Contents
List of Ring Lights Plus Lighting Kits in 2021
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As I have tested out many ring lights, it would be better to list down and review some of them to make the work much easier for you.
Let’s have a look:
Best Ring Lights for YouTube - Top 5 Picks:
1. Neewer Ring Light Kit - Best Ring Light 2021
The first ring light kit up on our list is from Neewer which is widely used by most of the selfie vloggers to beautify their videos. The light ring provides the best lighting for YouTube videos as well.
Let’s have a look at the good and bad features in it:
The Good:
- Neewer light ring comes with an adjustable mount so that you can fix your cameras and mobile phones on it easily.
- Different color filters are available which works on different light temperatures.
- Bluetooth Self-timer is also available within the ring light.
- The best ring light for YouTube videos as got 18″/48cm size, works on 55W and produces a bright light of 5500K.
- The weight is only 11.6 pounds.
The Bad:
- The mount barely holds the phone as reported by many users.
- Pictures have got an unprofessional look due to immense lighting.
- This ring light is not made up for iPhone 8 as it isn’t able to accommodate the mobile phone.
Final Views:
Neewer light ring surely is an awesome choice for most of the vloggers in a very affordable budget. Better buy it to add the best lighting in YouTube videos.
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2. Neewer RL-12 - Best Ring Light For YouTube Videos 2021
Another ideal ring light being used for adding beauty in the selfie videos is the brand new Neewer Rl-12. The right ling possesses many features at a very affordable price and is compatible with all types of smartphones and vlogging cameras.
The good and bad that I have noticed in Neewer RL-12 is as follows:
The Good:
- Neewer RL-12 comes with a very adjustable mount on which you can easily attach your smartphone or video camera for pitch-perfect videos.
- 240 LED bulb pieces will brighten up the surrounding in order to make a perfect vlogging video.
- Bluetooth Self Timer is also available within the ring light.
- The size it has got is 14″ outer/12″ on the center. It also runs on 55W and has got 5500K light energy as well.
- The weight is only 5.06 pounds which are perfect to carry around even n your bag.
The Bad:
- The issue which irritated me a lot is its poor build quality.
- By using the ring light frequently, half of the bulbs will die out without any serious issue.
- Turning on and off frequently without any warning is also an issue in this ring light which needs to be concerned.
Final Views:
In m opinion, it’s still an ideal choice for most of the vloggers. But the poor build quality along with other issues has made this ring light an unpopular one among fellow video bloggers.
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3. LimoStudio LED Ring Light - Cheap Ring Light 2021
The next ring light for adding best lighting for YouTube videos is from LimoStudio. The LED ring light will clear out all shadows which are interfering with your vlogging videos.
Let’s have a look at the good and the bad that it offers:
The Good:
- This light ring comes with tripod, a cell phone clip and a Bluetooth shutter so that you can use it without any issues.
- Carrying bag is also included to make sure that it remains safe even when you are on a travel.
- It has got 18″/48 cm size and works at 55W as well. The camera ring light is able to produce 5500K light intensity.
- The best ring light has got a lightweight design and has got only 11.2 pounds weight.
The Bad:
- The ring light has got missing pieces. It doesn’t come with a smartphone clip which is really an irritating issue.
- Some people have also received a defective product which cannot be exchanged now.
Final Views:
LimoStudio ring light surely is an ideal choice for vloggers in an affordable budget. However, it has got some issues that need to be concerned as soon as possible.
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4. SAMTIAN LED Ring Light - Best Ring Light For The Money
Samtian LED ring light is yet another amazing choice for most of the vloggers as they use it for different purposes. The ring light offers luminous intensity with different effects and is ideal for newbie vloggers as well.
Let’s take a look at what it is offering for the money:
The Good:
- This ring light is able to add the best lighting for YouTube videos as it uses LED light bulb.
- The mounting feature is available through which you can easily attach your camera got a smartphone to it.
- Different color filters are available for perfect lighting effects.
- The ring light has got 1″/28cm size and works at 55W to produce 5500K light intensity.
- Weight is only 7.35 pounds.
The Bad:
- SAMTIAN ring light has got no issues to address so far.
Final Views:
In my opinion, this is the best ring light you can use for adding more brightness and contrast in your videos.
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5. TRUMAGINE Selfie Ring Light - Best Ring Light For Smartphones 2021
The last ring light is a very compact one and can be used for adding more brightness in the face cam videos easily. TRUMAGINE ring light comes with durable construction to add the best lighting in YouTube videos.
The Good:
- The best ring light is ideal for table use.
- The design is very compact and that’s why this ring light is portable.
- Size is only 8 inches.
- It has got a weight of only 2.85 pounds.
The Bad:
- The dimming function is not able to work sometimes.
- Some functions are not working as they were advertised.
Final Views:
TRUMAGINE ring light is also an affordable ring light and costs only less than 50 bucks. Better buy it if you need a compact ring light for your videos.
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The 4 Best Lighting Kits for YouTube Videos:
After the ring lights, now is the time to list some of the best lighting kits that I use for adding artificial light in my YouTube videos.
Let’s have a look:
1. Emart Lighting Kit - Best Lighting Kit 2021
Features:
The lighting kit has got following features that you will enjoy for adding best lighting for YouTube videos:
There are three 45W bulbs available which are able to produce 5500K luminous light and have got holding sockets with stands as well.
Carrying case for a bulb is also available. A heavy duty carrying bag allows you to store an entire kit in one bag.
Two Reflector Umbrellas are available with 33-inch size and Black/Silver color.
Two translucent umbrellas are also available with the same size.
Downfalls:
This lighting kit has got no major issues as far as the vlogging is concerned.
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2. ESDDI Lighting Kit - Cheap Lighting Kit Under 200
Technical features:
Some important technical features are:
Two 85W bulbs are available with proper holding sockets and stands as well. That’s why it’s the brightest lighting kit available on the list.
Carrying case is also available to make sure that you can easily carry this kit around.
Two softboxes of 20 x 28 inches are available to make a perfect blend of light.
The lighting kit is portable as well.
Downfalls:
The lighting kit requires higher energy and will consume more electricity as compared to other kits.
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3. Neewer Lighting Kit - Best Lighting Kit With Umbrellas
Technical features:
Neewer lighting kit is also an ideal choice for adding best lighting for YouTube videos. Some of the features that it provides are:
Four 45W bulbs are available with proper holding sockets and stands etc.
A green screen of 6×9 ft is available along with white and black backdrops as well. A proper support system is also provided.
Six clamps backdrop makes it easier to set the lighting kit within no time.
There are two carrying bags available. One is for the backdrop supporting system while another one is to store the rest of the kit.
Downfalls:
Some issues in adjusting backdrop are common.
Some users have also reported an issue regarding the light of bulb which is not so intense.
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4. Linco Lighting Kit - Best Lighting Kit With Green Screen
Technical Features:
Some of the features offered by Linco lighting kit are as follows:
There are four 23W bulbs available within the kit with proper sockets and stands. The brightness, however, is half as the above-mentioned kit.
Green screen is also available within the black backdrops. Proper stand system is also provided.
Advantages:
- You will have to buy better clamps for additional support.
- Two translucent umbrellas are also available.
- There is only one carrying bag available for an entire kit.
Downfalls:
- Lighting is not so bright.
- High price range.
- Clamps are of poor quality.
- Only one carrying bag becomes messy sometimes.
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How to Use The Lighting Kit to Add Best Lighting in YouTube Videos?
Now that I have mentioned some premium choices of lighting kits, I must also mention a proper way to use them in an ideal manner.
Most of the lighting kits have almost all three modifiers such as bulbs, umbrellas, and softboxes.
Now moving towards the main part, a perfect lighting setup is divided into three main parts that are;
- Key Light
- Fill Light and
- Background Light.
Key light as from the name itself indicates that it should be your stronger light and it will also be the man light that will be pointing directly to the subject’s face. This light should be adjusted closer to the subject’s face as compared to other ones or you can simply make it stronger. The key light should also be placed slightly above the subject’s face.
The second light i.e. fill light is able to fill all the shadows which are basically produced by the key light. Use this light to avoid dark shadows in order to make a natural light environment.
Now, the last light left is that of background which you can use in two ways:
- By pointing it to the background so that it will add more brightness in the scenario and so that you won’t look like you are in a spotlight.
- By pointing it to the subject from behind so as to create a special highlight which is able to separate the subject from background easily.
Your key light could be from any source depending upon the type of environment you are using for adding best lighting for YouTube videos.
A lighting kit actually makes you in control of the light and you can change it according to your will and wish.
Be Conscious of Shadows:
Another important thing to note when you buy a lighting kit to add the best lighting for YouTube videos is to remain conscious of the shadows.
Using lighting will probably make your videos better but you will also have to avoid the shadows.
For this, you can try out different experiments so as to expel out the shadow which is not good for your video.
Keep in mind that shadows are a part of the video and you cannot negate them wholly. You will have to use the right lighting settings for an ideal result.
You should also know that some of the shadows that you can get during your video shoots might depend on the following factors such as:
- The distance from an umbrella and the lighting source (bulb).
- Distance from yourself and the umbrella.
- The viewpoint and dimension of softbox that you are about to use.
- What kind of natural sources are available etc.?
You cannot get the best result in just one try. The perfect result of adding best lighting for YouTube videos will only come when you have experimented on the lighting many times.
Conclusion
In the last, I would like to wrap-up things quickly.
Once you have achieved an ideal lighting setup, you need to memorize it for your future endeavors.
In case you have got the best lighting setup, you should practice on them frequently in order to learn about using each and everything perfectly.
In summary, you should;
- Try different lighting setups for different video shots. You can use different angles and combinations to make the best out of your lighting setup.
- Using an umbrella might add a natural look to the artificial light and it also helps in spreading it.
- Softbox can be used for trying out different intensities of light and as to add an aesthetic look to your videos.
- Ring Light is an ideal choice for you if you have got a selfie vlogging camera.
- At last, you should think about the outside environment and act on your lighting settings according to it.
Role of Proper Lighting in Making Videos Beautiful:
Even if you get a vlogging camera which offers you full HD resolution video, it might sometimes record crappy video footage.
The reason is the lack of proper lighting.
Let me explain it in some simple words. When there is dark, we are unable to see things clearly, same is the case with these vlogging cameras. Your eyes are much more powerful than that of camera’s sensor and still, they face issues in dark conditions.
In short, a vlogging camera is simply a machine which is capturing the moment in the exact light condition and that’s why it needs proper lighting so that the camera’s sensor can work in an ideal condition.
Camera sensors also have different levels to sensibility. The term ISO is used for such a situation. The higher the sensibility of vlogging camera, the image quality will look more crappy.
Now the main point here is, when the camera is unable to receive proper light, the sensor in it automatically increases its sensibility in order to capture the moment at high resolution and as a result, the end product is worse.
That’s why best lighting for YouTube videos is very necessary.
Even if you have got a closed room with no windows and clear light, the video camera will face issues in producing a highly contrasted image and as a result, it will affect the video quality.
So, for this reason, the more are the lighting sources in the area of your interest the more bright your videos will be.
Types of Lighting for YouTube
Some important types of lighting being used in YouTube videos are as follows;
Natural Light:
You would have seen a lot of Youtubers with open and large windows in their rooms. These windows are basically for allowing natural light to come inside easily.
For using the natural light in an ideal manner, you will need a perfect place and you must record the videos in the day time because there is no sun at night which is an obvious fact.
Also, a natural light source is not consistent always. You will also have to delay your recordings if there is bad weather or rain outside.
Another downfall of relying only on natural light as the best lighting for YouTube videos is all of your videos or video footages will look different because the light intensity will keep on changing.
However, there are some methods available to brighten up your room with enough light for capturing HD footage. We are going to take a look at them in Artificial Light section.
For now, if you have got a room which has a large window, better move your vlogging setup t that room for bright and colorful videos.
Artificial Light:
The next important type of best lighting for YouTube videos is artificial light. The name itself indicates that you will be using artificial ways to increase or decrease the intensity of light.
this type of lighting can be achieved with a bulb, a stand and probably a modifier for controlling the light. The main objective of this type of lighting is to record your video footages in a controlled environment.
With the help of artificial videos, you can easily make videos even in the midnight and it will look like they were made in bright sunlight.
Only turning the bulb to your face to make a high light intensity is not enough. It’s just like hunting a lion with a small water gun
You will need special light modifiers to complete the light intensity in an ideal manner so that it might just look light natural light.
The two different options that you can use to modify or control artificial light are as follows:
Modifiers Used in Best Lighting for YouTube:
Umbrellas:
The first and very common type of modifier used for spreading light naturally is an umbrella. They are easy to use and have got a very simple operation.
By using them, you are basically spreading the light in the surrounding area naturally and better than that of the softbox. By using an umbrella, very less control and knowledge will be enough and you will set the room for ideal light conditions.
The process works like a plug and play and you will be getting the best lighting for YouTube videos.
How to Use an Umbrella?
If you already know how to use an umbrella in normal condition, you already have got enough knowledge to use them for lighting purposes.
Two different kinds of umbrellas are available in the market. Bounce umbrellas consist of black and silver color while the shoot-through umbrellas have got white and translucent kind of color.
The second one is more ideal for using as best lighting for YouTube videos.
Now the question arises that how to use an umbrella. It’s very simple. By setting the inner part of an umbrella in front of the lighting source (Bulb) and by aiming the source at a subject, you can make the lighting perfect.
Softboxes:
The very next type of modifier is a softbox. For those who don’t know much about it, a softbox basically is a translucent box and has got different figures. There are many common shapes of softbox available.
The most common ones are in a rectangular shape which is able to imitate the light coming from the window easily.
However, a softbox will also require more control than that of using umbrellas. You will need a bit of knowledge to learn about how to use softboxes for different lighting effects.
How to Use a Softbox:
Using a softbox is not that complicated. You will need to follow some simple steps to make the lighting perfect in your room. By setting up a bulb in the box, and pointing it towards the white part of the focused subject, your job would be done.
However, for taking out different kinds of results, you will have to experiment a bit on softboxes.
Trying different angles and placing the softbox at a diverse distance can make a different type of shadows. You will need to test it out a bit to generate the best lighting for YouTube videos.
By using a softbox as a light modifier, you will be able to give a unique look to them without any worries.
Ring Light:
Another type of artificial lighting that we use for a perfect light exhibition is by using a light ring.
A ring light basically consists of one single bulb or combination of many bulbs arranged in a circular manner which produce high-intensity lights to make the area brighter than ever.
Ring lights are usually used to brighten up the face. You would have seen that many professional vloggers have got bright faces when they are making a selfie video. That is because they are using several light rings at once for producing the best lighting for YouTube videos.
Light rings are able to make face very bright than it actually is. It is an ideal modifier for makeup artists as well.
Ring lights are pretty easier to use and have got an ergonomic design as well. You won’t have to do a lot of work in setting them.
Just place your camera in between a ring light and you are good to go.
Using light rings is also the easiest way o enhance lighting for our YouTube videos.
They also create a special type of spotlight on your eyes which is liked by many people who love to watch selfie vlogs.
How To Use a Ring Light?
For getting the perfect and an ideal shape of your subject with bright light, you should place the ring light right in front of it. This is the only way to use a ring light effectively.
Which Modifier Produces The Best Lighting for YouTube Videos:
Although all kind of modifiers has got their own pros and cons, let’s make a comparison of the that which one will work best:
- Umbrellas:
Umbrellas are very simple to use and you will need very little knowledge to learn about them. However, they will still cause some issues in spreading the light in a natural way.
- Softbox:
Softbox is the perfect way to achieve the best lighting for YouTube videos. But, you will have to try softbox again and again in different conditions to achieve the light of your expectations.
- Ring Light:
Ring lights are expensive. You can easily carry them around even in your bag. However, they are more expensive than the upper two modifiers and will also make a very artificial light for your YouTube videos.