Have you ever wondered how most of the beauty photographs and videos that you have seen lately are well lit and of high quality? However, due to its wide potential capabilities, the ring light was adapted for various commercial usages that include the following:
Due to its design and structure, ring lights are perfect for emphasising details on photographs and videos.
Ring lights allow the users to create high-quality photos and videos without the burden of spending a lot of money for the shoot.
Since the growing audience of social media, creating video content has never been so easy with the development of high-resolution quality camera phones. To be able to properly choose the perfect ring light for your needs, you must take into consideration how you are going to use it.
No worries, the Spectrum Aurora ring light allows for filming and photography with your DSLR camera, smart phone or iPad. Also you will need to make sure it is safe to use and that the lighting is consistent and can be use for long periods of time.
It is ideal to find a ring light that offers a dimmer knob to control the brightness.
This will make your life easier as you find yourself moving the light stand to adjust the brightness.
The ‘gooseneck’ allows you to control the direction of the ring light perfect for flay lay photography, tattoo artists, brow or lash specialists and many more. This is especially important for anyone needing to do flat lay photography, filming artwork or crafts on a table, brow or lash specialists or tattoo artists.
Filming your work at your office table or desk has never been so easy with your phone. Simply use the phone mount provided and film your project and post it on social media. The cons with a fluorescent ring lights are that they become hot when used for long periods of time, it may produce a humming sound or flicker over time, when the bulb is broken you will need to purchase a new bulb to replace it whereas LED ring lights don’t have this issue and emits heat which maybe uncomfortable for make up application. The Spectrum Aurora ring lights have a CRI of 95+, 12 months warranty, bi-coloured lighting, comes in different sizes (13″, 19″, 20″), includes all the standard accessories and has an approximate life span of 80,000 hours.
With Spectrum Aurora you get the best quality ring lights and accessories at the most affordable prices. Now you can create endless content for Youtube, Snapchat, Instagram stories and Facebook Live videos.
Best ring light in 2021: beautiful lighting for vlogging, video calls and selfies
Even if you don’t have aspirations of making it big on YouTube, ring lights also come into their own in the new world of increased home working. Indeed, pair them with the best webcams and your home setup will instantly look more professional – vital for making the best impression when on an important video conference!
They haven’t skimped on build quality either, unlike a lot of ring lights, the Razer feels very sturdy and reliable. It’s a fantastic 12-inch ring light perfect for video conferencing, vlogging or streaming and you won’t be disappointed with your purchase. Lume Cube Wireless Light The best portable ring light packs a powerful punch Specifications Color temperature: 3200-5600K Power source: Li-Ion batteries, mains Dimensions: 18 inches TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon View at Walmart View at Moment Reasons to buy + Mains or 90 minutes of wireless power + LED readout for settings + 6.5-foot light stand included Reasons to avoid – Pricier than rivals If you’re looking for a ring light to shoot flat lays or unboxing videos, we’re not convinced the plastic mounting bracket is the best but if you’re using it in a normal upright position, look no further. It’s on the smaller side for a ring light, but still a perfectly good size for self-taping, vlogging, TikToks and other quick and easy uses. It plugs in via USB, and comes with a 54-inch tripod, meaning it’s very easy to get started the instant you take the Neewer 10-inch LED Ring Light out of its box. But the Neewer 10-inch LED Ring Light is an all-around solid choice that will suit the vast majority of users perfectly, and that’s why it nabs our top spot.
ESDDI PLV-R432 18-inch Ring Light Best ring light for YouTube – big, bright and bicolor Specifications Color temperature: 3000K-6500K Power source: Mains power Dimensions: 458mm outer dia / 318mm inner dia TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Walmart Check Amazon Reasons to buy + 18-inch diameter with 48W power + Includes light stand, case, phone clip Reasons to avoid – Requires lots of space – Phone holder isn’t great Its sheer size makes it perfect for beauty and makeup work, too, giving you plenty of room and abundant light. Prominent dials adjust brightness and temperature, and the light can even rotate 180°, making it useful for shooting flat lays or macro work.
For example, it delivers a massive 1,840 lux at a distance of 3 feet which makes it perfect as a key or fill light for both stills and videos. Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit Best ring light for streaming with a smartphone Specifications Color temperature: 6300K, 5600K, 4100K, 3200K (using filters) Power source: 3x AA batteries Dimensions: 130mm outer dia / 38mm inner dia Weight: 170g TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon Low Stock View at Walmart View at BHPhoto Reasons to buy + 80W equivalent power + Ultra compact + Includes filters to adjust temp Reasons to avoid – Changing filters is fiddly Now it’s back in an all-in-one kit, which also includes a Rotolight mini tripod, stand adapter, phone clip and accessory bar – making it the perfect partner for a tabletop smartphone setup. The Neo 2 is a bit heavy and unwieldy for the hotshoe, but this smaller model is just the right size (though this kit doesn’t include a foot for the shoe), and the hole in the middle is perfect to poke a microphone through!
While it’s the largest ring light on offer here, with 44W of dimmable output from 352 LEDs, it doesn’t have quite as much power or temperature range as ESDDI’s 18-inch 48W model. Also bundled are a 6’5″ light stand, ball head adapter and vertical / horizontal phone holder, wireless remote and carry case. The ESDDI 10-inch ring light is Ideal for smartphone shooters, with a two-way grip that holds your handset both horizontally and vertically, along with a Bluetooth remote for stills and video. They’re great for taking on nights out so you can capture well-lit selfies, on holiday or even when travelling away from home so that you can Facetime loved ones no matter how much light is around you.
Smoovie Flexi Selfie Ring Light Best mount-anywhere ring light that can also hold your phone Specifications Color temperature: (Three white light settings) Power source: USB Dimensions: 6-inch TODAY’S BEST DEALS Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Flexible clip arm mounts anywhere + Second flexi arm can hold smartphone + 3 tone settings & adjustable brightness + USB powered Reasons to avoid – Less color temp control Ring Lights are fantastic but, unless you’re sitting at a desk or table, you might struggle to find a surface or enough space to erect a tripod.
The clip also has a second flexible arm that can hold your camera phone, so this can either be used strictly as an adaptable ring light or as a dedicated smartphone setup.
Best Ring Light of 2021
Extremely bright Digital readout Battery-powered option Easily mounts DSLR + phones Stepless dimmer Fully adjustable via remote Quite large (though it’s lighter than the other large options) Batteries not included Having the ability to set your ring light to an exact brightness and temperature every time you use it allows for a level of standardization you wouldn’t otherwise have. The second useful feature this ring light offers is its two high-capacity batteries (sold separately), which allow for stress-free outdoor shooting.
The Neewer Digital is also extremely bright, feels well-made, comes with a nice carry-bag, and has various attachment points for both DSLRs and phones.
The UBeesize 10″ Table Top is a well-designed and easy-to-use ring light at an amicable price. Unlike many cheap ball joint tripods, this one actually stays put once you tighten it in place, so you don’t have to worry about it dumping your phone or expensive camera. Its simple design and easily adjustable leg height allow for a speedy 10-second setup, while its size is conducive to tabletop photo shoots and traveling. Whenever we needed a small tripod for our DSLR, we reached for this one because it’s generally easy to use, and the stability is trustworthy. On the downside, we wish the phone mount worked a bit more seamlessly with chunky Otterbox cases. Additionally, this smaller ring light is a fraction of the price of some of the others in our test suite and, as a result, simply does not provide the brightness that larger, more expensive options do. This is a great option if you want to be small and simple while on the move, all at an unbeatable price point. This ball joint on the UBeesize 10″ Table Top is textured and grips well when it’s tightened Credit: Richard Forbes
Extremely bright Well made Can mount a DSLR Stepless dimmer Large and bulky Requires AC plug-in This strong LED ring light is sure to brighten up any photo set to your liking and will create great catchlights in your subjects’ eyes. The solid tripod holds a heavy (five-ish lbs) DSLR set up well, and we’re confident that it can handle more. Additionally, we like its stepless dimmer, which lets you set the exact level of brightness you want. As a result, you’ll need to have access to an outlet, but if you’re looking to buy a larger light without all the bells and whistles, this one is a great choice. Includes a useful tripod with a level Very versatile Slightly dimmer than competitors Heaviest USB light
There’s a separate carry bag for the tripod, and it includes an easy-to-use remote trigger for your phone as well. It also features the same phone holder as the UBeesize 10″ Tabletop, which is easy to twist to whatever angle you want.
Lets you choose from an almost infinite number of colors Heavier duty tripod than competitors Very lightweight Even on brightest setting, it’s slightly dimmer than similarly-sized lights Light control can be finicky until you figure it out Won’t work with a DSLR – you’ll need a separate tripod If you like artsy color options, the Lavkow is a great choice at a fair price.
We recommend this model if you don’t have much desk/storage space or plan to travel a lot with your setup and want to keep it small and low weight. However, since ring lights are generally placed around the camera lens you’re using, the double tripod arrangement makes lining things up a bit tricky to achieve the desired effect.
Still, if a tiny and portable setup is what you need, this one is a decent choice, but keep in mind that a ring light should be larger for an optimal effect. Richard is joined by Hayley Thomas, a lover of photography since she was a child, growing up with her photographer mother. We played with each light’s different features, timed setups and breakdowns to assess ease of use, and monitored stability by attaching our phones and cameras to each product. They provide a kind and diffused light that removes shadows and helps subjects stand out from their backgrounds. Our expert testers subjected each product to a series of rigorous tests designed to reveal any strengths or weaknesses then sorted the results into four weighted categories. The Neewer 18″ Bi-Color Digital may be one of the most expensive ring lights we have tested, but it performed extremely well across all of our metrics.
If you are looking for something of the same caliber but don’t need or want to pay for extra features, the Neewer 18″ Kit is a solid runner-up. On the other hand, if you are looking for the bare minimum, the UBeesize 10″ Table Top is a quality option. With the significant cut in price, you forfeit features that the more expensive options offer; however, you still receive a decent quality of light, stellar stability, and good durability. To measure and compare sheer brightness between these often very similar devices, we used the LT300 Light Meter by EXTECH. When it comes to sheer brightness, the Neewer 18″ Kit wins by a landslide, emitting a whopping 2065 lumens. The Neewer 18″ Bi-Color Digital falls behind at 1393 lumens, which is still extremely impressive compared to the rest of the products in our test suite.
Part of the reason for the out-of-this-world brightness is their size; they both have roughly 25 times the lighting surface area as the tiny Auxiwa Clip-On, which gives them quite the advantage. Big and bright, the Neewer models we tested will help you transform your media presence, from videos to photos to Zoom meetings. However, it would be disingenuous to ignore the obvious issue with a “brightness only” approach — there’s a huge range of sizes in this test, from the enormous 18″ Neewer models to the tiny Auxiwa Clip-On. This 10″ ring light offers 240 lumens and 11 dimmer steps and three different tones ranging from cool to warm. What it lacks in sheer brightness, emitting just 168 lumens, it makes up for with a unique set of light colors. If you’re looking to spice up your selfies and videos with edgy lighting, the Lavkow is a fun option.
In the middle of the pack, some lights were unnecessarily fiddly: in particular, the AIXPI 10″ with Tripod took 50 seconds to set up just because the parts didn’t fit together super well. We set up each model, attached the largest camera or phone possible, and then jostled it vigorously to see whether it could stay up.
We also assessed whether each could support a phone or DSLR and whether we felt confident that our electronics were actually going to stay where we put them.
Durability is a difficult metric to measure because there’s no way to figure out how long a product might last without literally using it for years.
That said, we spent time setting up and breaking down each light repeatedly to identify any weak spots they might have and supplemented our own assessments by reading user reviews to see if there were any common problems. We also weren’t overly gentle with any of the lights, making sure to put them through all the paces that a busy videographer or photographer might.
The best ring lights in 2021
The best ring lights offer a simple and effective way to improve the quality of your videos and photos, whether you’re streaming to YouTube, creating a TikTok or simply on a Zoom call. Black Friday deals are already here and we’re seeing big discounts on all types of cameras and accessories — including some of the best ring lights.
We’re tracking the best sales in our Black Friday camera deals hub, so bookmark it now to make sure you don’t miss out on a bargain. The Nanolite Halo 16C is another good choice, offering touch controls and lots of versatility in terms of light output.
However, if you’re not looking to spend quite as much or need something smaller and more portable, consider the 10-inch Raya Bendie-Brite Folding USB Bi-Color LED Ring Light. It’s relatively inexpensive (in fact see above for a Black Friday discount on it), weighs just a little over one pound and gives you the ability to adjust both the color temperature and the brightness.
(DC) / Unlimited (AC) Watt-Hours: 32.6Wh Removable Battery: Yes Color: Bi-Color Dimensions: 21.8 x 21.0 x 4.0 inches Weight: 11.1 pounds. Westcott has a long history producing top-notch lighting equipment for pros, and is an excellent choice, whether you’re using it for vlogging, live streaming, capturing video or shooting still photos for portraits, food, still life and many other types of genres.
It also has a built-in diffuser which produces soft, beautiful lighting that fills in shadows on your subject’s face with iconic catchlights in the eyes. Nanlite Halo 16C Bicolor and Tunable RGB 16-Inch LED Ring Light A very versatile ring light with touch controls and Wi-Fi capabilities Specifications Brightness—Dimmable Range: 1-100 percent Mount Type: 5/8-inch Receiver Color Render Index (CRI): Up To 97 CRI Color Temperature (K)—Range: 2700-6500K CRI: 95 TLCI: 93 Lumen Output 6500K: 2340 Lumens Lux @ 1m 6500K: 490 Lux Power Source: 15v DC Max Power Draw: 31w Dimensions: 16 inches diameter (12 inches inner) Weight: 5 pounds. Warranty: Limited 2 Year Warranty TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Amazon View at BHPhoto Reasons to buy + Unique touch-control design to adjust settings + USB pass-through feature lets you power a phone while in the fixture + Wireless capabilities Reasons to avoid – A bit pricey, but worth the price The USB pass-through feature is another useful addition, as this lets you charge a phone while it’s positioned in the fixture, ensuring you won’t lose power during your shoot.
Other interesting touches include a unique touch-control design — rather than traditional knobs — for adjusting the color of the light, and built-in wireless (so you can control the fixture remotely from your phone or other mobile device). In addition to the ring light, this model comes with a mirror, carrying case, AC adapter and smartphone bracket. TODAY’S BEST DEALS Check Amazon View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Stepless dimming from 1-100 percent + Kit includes a 61-inch light stand + Includes Bluetooth for remotely controlling the ring light Reasons to avoid – Color temperature is fixed at 5500K
This portable LED kit also comes with a 61-inch light stand, constructed from aluminum alloy, giving it exceptional strength. As you might expect from its name, the Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit is designed for content creators making videos or streaming to YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. With that in mind, it comes with a mini tripod that can turn into an extended camera grip: very helpful if you often switch between shooting in a studio and on the go.
TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at BHPhoto View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Light head rotates 180 degrees + USB ports can charge phones and devices + Offers a variety of mounting options for phones and stand-alone cameras Reasons to avoid – Doesn’t have an option to run on battery power Warranty: Limited 1 Year Warranty TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Lightweight, portable and folds for easy carrying + Touch controls Reasons to avoid – Build isn’t as sturdy as pro-level models – On-camera labels and decals may fall off over time
It’s lightweight (weighing less than a pound) and can fold in half, so you can take it with you to shoot your vlogs or video chats or capture some casual selfies. However, although it’s small, it has some more advanced features, such as the ability to adjust the color temperature and brightness for your project via touch-sensitive controls. (The manufacturer recommends that If you’re only carrying a smartphone, use a small power bank to run the light when you’re ready to record or talk.) It can also be used with a variety of devices, including a smartphone or laptop, which can be useful when you have a meeting and want to make the lighting look soft and natural.
XINBAOHONG Rechargeable Portable Clip-on Selfie Ring Light A very good value for a budget ring light Specifications Color temperature: 6000K (one setting) Brightness: 3 modes: low, normal, high Power: B built-in, rechargeable, lithium-ion battery Cable: 1 USB-micro cable Dimensions: 3.4 x 3.4 x 1.2 inches Weight: 2.4 ounces. Although this inexpensive ring light has a barebones design and feature set, it can be used on various mobile devices, including most phones and tablets, as well as on laptops.
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