3 Affordable Lights for the Photographer Who Wants Extra Pop
Lighting is key to a better picture, not Photoshop.
There aren’t many things that can spruce up a photo like good lighting. Best of all, you don’t need to wait for it to happen. Instead, you can make it yourself. What’s more, you don’t need to spend a million bucks to make it happen. So we dove into our Reviews Index to bring you some affordable LEDs and flashes. If you’re still unsure about spending a lot of money on a flash or strobe, try these instead. You’ll love them! Dive in with us in our roundup of good, affordable lights.
The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully, reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge.
Pro Tips on Making the Most of Affordable Lights
Here are some pro tips on how to get more from your affordable lights.
- Why get a light in the first place instead of doing it in Photoshop? Right out of the camera, you get a better image. An old lens will suddenly deliver image quality that looks brand new when you use a flash. You also have to work a whole lot less on the image once you get it right in-camera.
- Lighting is fun when you combine it with gels. You can then color what the light looks like.
- It’s most fun when you try to overpower the sun with it. You can easily make the middle of the day look like dawn or dusk.
- Get a beauty dish if you can. It’s the most versatile and easiest light modifier to use. Otherwise, you can never go wrong with an umbrella. They all work well with these affordable lights if you have the right grip gear.
- Generally speaking, place the light off-camera and out of the hot shoe. Put it to the left or the right. Affordable lights can do the job with the right settings.
Flashpoint Xplor 100: One of the Most Powerful Affordable Lights
In our review, we said:
Pros
- Compact and lightweight
- High-Speed Sync, TTL, and manual modes
- Built-in wireless
- Rechargeable battery
- Affordable
- Plenty of available accessories
Cons
- A similarly priced Speedlight fired more during burst shooting
- Designed for 85mm lenses and under
LitraStudio: Easy to Use
In our review, we said:
Pros
- The LitraStudio is ridiculously bright at 100%.
- The OLED screen is bright and easy to read.
- Many settings can recreate effects such as police lights, the flicker of a fire, and watching TV. All modes would be great for filmmakers.
- The LitraStudio can be used as a flash when wired to your camera and can be used as a constant light for photography.
- If you can think of a color, you can make the LitraStudio display it.
- You can dial in the perfect light temp (adjustable from 2,000k – 10,000K).
- It’s the perfect light for use in a home studio or for streaming use.
- Great battery life
- The Litra is waterproof, and the overall build quality is fantastic.
- The 9,000 mAh battery pack can be removed and used as a portable rechargeable station so that you can charge your camera, phone, or other devices.
- Pretty great value for money at $649
Cons
- The wireless app is a little inconsistent and makes the light turn off randomly.
Flashpoint Zoom Li-On X R2: You’ll Buy a Few of These!
In our review, we said:
Pros
- Round flash head
- Magnetic accessory attachment system
- Fast recycle time
- Improved hot shoe locking mechanism
- Focus assist beam works with Sony cameras
- They’re super affordable. If you break one, just buy a new one!
Cons
- The round head takes up more space when stored.