The best video lights allow you to instantly improve the quality of your video content. While natural light is totally unpredictable, a good controllable video light will create a consistent and pleasing light for your subject. Learnign to control your light is a vital step to take when getting serious about your video.
In our guide to the best video lights below, we've picked out a range of affordable but capable units. Any of them would be a great addition to one of the best cameras for video, and all of them have been tested and rated by ourreview team, whose findings I've used to assemble this list.
So whether you're working with a mirrorless camera, DSLR setup or shooting on your camera phone, read on to discover the best video lights available today, and the facts and figures you need to choose the right one for you.
Ben is responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. He's our go-to guy for technical insight, with years of experience trialling and testing kit. Here he brings his expertise to recommending the best video lights.
The quick list
Small but extremely powerful, Rotolight's NEO 3 is one of the best video lights you can buy. It delivers a full range of colors with loads of special effects and electronic filters, all available via the touchscreen.
Offering portable power at a reasonable price, the Zhiyun Molus X100 should suit travelling filmmakers, videographers and vloggers who want an extra light source to keep in their backpacks.
The Zhiyun Fiveray FR100C is a heavy-duty hand-held light wand that lets you dial in stylish neon hues for a creative look, and offers decent battery life. Bear in mind though that its fans can get a little noisy.
A daylight lamp that offers excellent value for money, the Amaran 60d S is perfect for any videographer who doesn't need anything too fussy. It packs a great deal of punch for its size.
This heavy-duty handheld light offers a huge range of colors and cinematic presets programmed by professionals. It's also bright and rugged enough to be used outdoors, making it great for locations.
Neewer's HB80C light offers a broad range on the Kelvin scale, and also lets you manually dial in your own hue, saturation and intensity values, or pick from industry-standard (digital) gel filters.
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With a dedicated music mode that allows it to pulse in time to a beat, the Zhiyun Molus G200 is an ideal portable video light for anyone who's planning on making music videos.
Producing lots of power from a very small package, the Zhiyun Molus X60 is a great video light with easy-to-use, dial-based controls. There's also a useful accessory system that's been well thought out.
For directing a more focused beam, the Nanlite Forza 60C is a great spotlight. It manages not to run too hot, despite the intensity of the light it produces, and there's a range of creative lighting effects.
Offering superb color fidelity, the SmallRig RC 350D COB LED Video Light also boasts a 149,000 lux output, making it well-suited to the demands of a professional shoot. Its cooling fans are also near-silent.
If you like to push the boat out with creative experimentation in video productions, the Hobolite Iris Creator Kit comes with a range of modular accessories that let you get creative with different effects.
Lightweight and affordable, the Godox ML60II Bi is a good way to get yourself a bit of illumination without a significant cash outlay – or it can also work as a great secondary light.
The best video light overall
The Rotolight NEO 3 builds on the success of the preceding NEO 2, adding a raft of impressive new features. Both models deliver flash output as well as constant lighting, but the NEO 3 delivers a full range of color in both modes, with full RGBWW options. It comes in various configurations and kits and accessories will vary according to which you choose.
Small but powerful and extremely versatile as a constant LED light, the NEO 3 is a quantum leap forward from the NEO 2. It delivers a full color range in both constant and flash modes, with a huge range of electronic color filters and special effects, all available via a simple and intuitive color touchscreen menu. Maximum flash output is disappointing compared to a ‘proper’ flashgun but, even so, the NEO 3 is a brilliant solution for anyone who needs to shed a little extra light on both stills and video capture.
For more details, read our full Rotolight NEO 3 review.
The best video light for travel
The X100 is a revelation for content creators who move around a lot, this light is super compact and portable and can be set up almost anywhere instantly with its optional battery (available in the combo kit). The 100W power is bright enough for all close to medium-distance situations such as talking to camera or a studio shoot. It is a shame there are no lighting effects for a content creator aimed light though. The light can get also quite hot with extended use, so you need to think about storage if moving around frequently, but the DynaVolt fan does a great job at keeping it cool.
Cool features like PD USB-C, as well as a dedicated power supply offer improved versatility. If you choose to get the optional battery pack, then this makes it even easier to get great lighting on the go. The accessory system is well thought out, with great quality accessories from Zhiyun as well as a Bowens mount adapter.
Read our full Zhiyun Molus X100 review for more details.
The best light wand for video
The Zhiyun Fiveray FR100C Light Wand is compact enough to carry in your kitbag but thanks to its 100W output it will illuminate the darkest locations. Its rechargeable battery should keep it shining for the duration of your shoot and the control dial enables you to adjust color temperatures to match the location’s available light or you can dial in neon hues for a more creative look.
Its fans can get a little noisy to cope with that intense light in such a small package, which is something to be aware of for sound recording.
See our full Zhiyun Fiveray FR100C review or check out other best light wands
Best value video light
This light offers some of the best value for money for videographers who need a quick, simple, portable bit of illumination. Priced to compete with the likes of Zhiyun and Neewer, the Amaran 60d S is a daylight-balanced key light that's durably built and easy to use. It comes with a reflector dish, a diffuser, a light stand adapter and spigot, and you have the option of using either the mains power supply or the battery adapter.
We weren't hugely impressed with the supplied light-control accessories – you can buy a better reflector for a fairly trivial additional expense – but the light itself is excellent. Output is very powerful, packing a lot of punch for a light of its size, and while you may prefer bi-color output, it tends to come at the cost of power. For a simple, strong key light, the Amaran 60d S offers incredible value.
Read our full Amaran 60d S review for more information.
The best video light for filmmakers
This powerful, hugely versatile yet lightweight portable LED lighting panel is an upgraded version of the AEOS 2, which in turn was a radical redesign compared with the original AEOS. Capable of delivering millions of colors, it also comes loaded with cinematic presets programmed by the likes of Roy Wagner (Nightmare on Elm Street, House M.D., Ray Donovan) and Stefan Lange (Batman, Tomb Raider, No Time to Die). For filmmakers, it's one of the best choices of video light
In use, the AEOS 2 Pro is intuitive and well-designed. Its color touchscreen offers smartphone-like sensitivity and allows you to choose your gels with impressive accuracy – what you see is what you get. It provides improved punch over the previous AEOS 2, to the tune of a 25% brightness boost, and you really do feel this when comparing them side by side (at DCW we are seasoned Rotolight users). It can be used outdoors on location shoots, which is another boon for filmmakers.
The AEOS 2 Pro is a joy to use, and an impressive piece of tech. It represents a hefty investment, but it’s a joy to use and a top performer, making it worth the money.
Read our full Rotolight AEOS 2 Pro review for more.
Best video light for color range
The Neewer HB80C 80W LED is a reasonably priced light that offers a generously broad color range. Its color scale of 2500 to 7500K takes you from a warm candelight look to a cold daytime color cast, and it's a wider range than many of the more expensive lights on this list. You can also dial in custom Hue, Saturation, and Intensity values, or use the circular color picker to choose from a selection of industry-standard Lee color gel filters.
Powered by a built-in battery, the Neewer HB80C 80W LED is a nimble light for use in a range of shooting situations. Its raw power output of 80w isn't as high as many of the other lights on our list, but it's power enough for plenty of standard video purposes, especially when you attach the (supplied) reflector via the Bowens mount. One thing that's also worth noting for video users is that the light offers a number of specialised animated effects, such as an explosion effect, and the Music Sync mode allows you to sync it to the beat of a track.
Read our full Neewer HB80C 80W LED review for more.
Best video light for music videos
The Molus G200 LED light is far too bright for my specific needs as a video maker but if you need to light a subject from a distance then it is well worth considering (especially thanks to its ability to boost the default 200W output to the max 300W). It will suit professional corporate and studio-based filmmakers more than social media content creators, who might be better off with the cheaper and smaller Molus X100. Music mode could be useful to certain connect creators but I imagine that it’s not a deal breaker for most people. The lack of animated preset effects (such as Flash and Lightning) is disappointing, given that they are featured on other similar COB bi-color lights.
Read our full Zhiyun Molus G200 review for more details.
Best video light for portable power
The 60W power is bright enough for most close to mid-distance situations such as talking to camera, and the DynaVolt fan does a great job at keeping it cool. Neat features like PD USB-C, as well as a dedicated power supply offer improved versatility. The accessory system is well thought out, with great quality accessories from Zhiyun as well as a Bowens mount adapter.
The X60 RGB offers the added advantage of producing a broad spectrum of colors with a simple twist of one of its two control dials. These dials, which can also function as buttons, allow you to swiftly transition between different color temperatures and brightness levels in just a few clicks, saving you the time it would take to manually adjust them. The color alterations are also integrated into animated effects like Disco or Hue Loop, adding a dynamic element to your video productions.
The X60 RGB can be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, enabling you to use the ZY Vega app to modify its colors and intensity with just a few taps. The app also allows you to sample the color temperature in your shooting location using your smartphone’s camera, and then quickly and accurately adjust the LED to match that color temperature.
The Zhiyun MOLUS X60 is probably one of the best options for any content creators who move around a lot, who don’t have a lot of space, or just need a simple but incredibly functional lighting source.
Read our full Zhiyun Molus X60 review for more details.
The best spotlight video light
The Forza 60C is an expensive bit of kit but when it comes to accurate and creative color rendition this powerful yet compact LED outperforms many of its rivals thanks to its advanced RGBLAC color technology. We also enjoyed its wide range of creative animated lighting effects though these will be of more use to creative video drama producers than to photographers.
Despite the intensity of light funneling through the attached reflector, the LED didn’t run too hot (and we didn’t notice any distracting fan noise), so we could quickly pack it away at the end of the shoot without a long cool-down period. A compact, powerful, precise, and versatile LED.
Read our full Nanlite Forza 60C review for more details.
Best video light for professionals
The powerful SmallRig RC 350D COB (chip-on-board) LED Video Light is the perfect accessory for a studio or location-based shoot, combining a strong key light output for talking heads style interviews with a collection of special lighting effects to enhance dramatic productions. Its relatively silent fans won’t give your sound recordist any concerns. It's an expensive device that will suit the needs of a high-end video producer rather than a hobbyist vlogger.
If connectivity is important to you, then note there were a few issues with controlling the light using the companion app. The light is also on the pricier side compared to some of the competition, but its features and build quality go towards justifying a higher price.
See our full SmallRig RC 350D COB review
Best video light for creative experimentation
The Hobolite Iris Iris shares the same distinctive and beautiful retro design as its larger siblings (the Hobolite Avant and the Hobolite Mini), with a curved aluminum grey body adorned with brown faux leather panels. At only 5W of power the Iris is the smallest and weakest LED in the Hobolite range, producing the equivalent of 300 candles worth of illumination at 300 Lumens. This makes the Iris more suitable for the mobile phone videographer who needs to mount their accessories via the screw-thread on a cage (such as the Rode Phone Cage).
In our test the Iris was able to add a wash of color to portraits from a couple of feet away, making it more suitable for intimate portrait photography. In a dark room the Hobolite Iris was powerful enough to add dramatic fill or key light at a distance and its harsh shadows could be softened by popping the supplied magnetic Frosted Dome onto the front of the light.
The Hobolite Iris can be purchased as a standard kit, but the Creator Kit that we tested is packed full of magnetic modifiers that give you more control over the look produced by the LED.
The Iris is a bi-colour LED, so it can only change its emission colours between a warm 2700K and a cool 6500K. However, you can slide one of the four supplied Gels into the light to produce a wide range of creative colors. Thanks to the modular accessories that ship with the Hobolite Iris Creative Kit you’ll be encouraged to experiment with a range of looks and effects!
See our full Hobolite Iris Creator Kit review
Best budget video light
Some LEDs (such as the Zhiyun Molus B500) are relatively heavy and cumbersome. Being dependent on mains power they are suited mainly for studio work. As a 70W LED the Godox ML60II Bi isn’t as powerful as the 500W Zhiyun Molus B500, but it can still provide plenty of illumination (up to 23300 with its reflector attached). The Godox ML60II Bi is much lighter than the Molus B500 and it can be powered by attaching two NP-F batteries to the AK-B01 NP-F Battery mount supplied with the Kit 1 option. This means that owners of the Godox ML60II Bi can enjoy the best of both worlds by illuminating a shoot with a handheld LED on location or by mounting the light on a stand in the studio.
As its name indicates, the Godox ML60II Bi is a bi-color LED. This enables you to use the rear buttons/dials to change its colour temperature output between a range of a warm 2800K to a cooler 6500K. This means that you can complement existing light sources on location or mimic daylight in a studio environment for example. Unlike some of the lights in this guide (such as the Zhiyun Fiveray FR100C) you can’t change the hue of the Godox ML60II.
Therefore there’s no option to produce full color-based video effects such as the red and blue flashes of a police car. However, the Godox ML60II Bi does have 11 video effects that can cycle between the color temperature range of 2800K to 6500K, so you can evoke the light produced by the cold blue sparks of a welding torch or the warm flicker from a candle. This should make the Godox ML60II Bi appeal to video makers who need to add interactive lighting to their productions.
To make it portable the Godox ML60II Bi is predominately constructed from plastic, which makes it more fragile than the metal body of the Zhiyun Molus B500. However this difference in build quality is reflected in price as the Godox ML60II Bi is far cheaper.
See our full Godox ML60II Bi review
How to choose the best video light
To choose the right video light for your needs there are a number of things you need to take into account. These include:
Power supply: Can the LED be used by both a mains plug and a battery? This will enable a more versatile set-up and enable you to film both indoors and outdoors
Color temperature: Look out for the LED’s colour temperature range; a wide range is preferable as this will give you both warm and cool light options to match the ambient light you are shooting in or the effect you’re trying to create.
Modifiers: Check to see if the LED comes with any modifiers in the box. These could be diffusers to soften the light or filters to change the light’s color temperature.
Flicker-free: Some LEDs show a fluctuation in brightness, known as flicker. The best lights are flicker free to provide a constant level of brightness.
Bluetooth technology: The inclusion of Bluetooth technology in your LED light will allow you to connect to a smartphone and control adjustments like brightness and colour temperature remotely.
How we test video lights
At DCW, we test a huge variety of photo and video equipment, including cameras, lenses and accessories such as video lights. Our process involves both real-world and lab testing – for video lights, we measure brightness output and compare it to the manufacturer's claims to see how well the product stacks up. We also look at portability, colour temperature range, lighting modes and other factors to assess how useful the light will be to working videographers. Learn more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World.
