We Tested the 3 Best LED Lights for Photographers
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LED lights are so cool! They’re easy to use. Gel them a bit and they can give you a totally different look. Better yet, they’re incredibly versatile, which let’s you focus on just creating. The cherry on top: they can give you a cinematic look. Most of The Phoblographer staff swear by flash and studio strobes, but there are times when an LED can surely do the job. Lucky for you, we’ve reviewed some of the best LED lights for photographers. Dive in with us!
The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t read a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian, so you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear that 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 wouldn’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Pro Tips on Using LED Lights
Here are some pro tips on using the best LED lights for photographers:
- LED lights aren’t incredibly useful during the daytime unless they’re powerful or you’re using electronic shutter. If you need a little bit of fill light, then they’re fine. If you need to overpower the sun, then use flash.
- LED lights are best used for a cinematic look. Combine that with the right focal lengths and you’ll be shooting like the movies in no time.
- Gel your LEDs. If you’re going to use the straight daylight mode, then white balance to 5500K to get a film-look. Otherwise, try 3200K.
LitraProLED: One of the Best LED Lights for Photographers
In our review, we state:
“The LitraPro is a compact and versatile constant LED light that will be a handy addition to every photographer’s kit. It’s built like a tank, waterproof, and is very simple to use. The ability to control it remotely via your phone comes in handy when you’ve got the LitraPro mounted onto a light stand or placed in unconventional and hard to reach locations. Being able to use a variety of modifiers further adds to the LitraPro’s versatility. All this doesn’t come cheap, however. With a price tag of US $219.95, the LitraPro can be hard to justify when more affordable yet more powerful strobes are available on the market. If you happen to be allergic to strobes and you’ve got deep enough pockets, however, the LitraPro is a solid constant light option.”
Light and Motion Stella CLx10: A Truly Cinematic Look
In our review, we state:
I have been quite impressed with the Light and Motion CLx10. The small size and weight of the light made it easy to carry around. This is something that’s not usually the case with more powerful strobes. The CLx10 is incredibly easy to learn too. It was a joy to use with just 3 main controls and no complicated menus to sift through. Then there’s the overall output and color consistency, which makes this light excel, and we can’t forget about the rugged build. It’s a great package.
LitraStudio: The Best LED Light for Photographers/Hybrid Shooters
In our review, we state:
The LitraStudio is an excellent, jack of all trades light that will do a fantastic job for videographers who want to be able to recreate specific lighting effects, and it’s great for photographers who want a constant light source with endless amounts of colors. Add in the fact that the LitraStudio can be used as a flash and as a continuous and very customizable light source for those who like to stream or make videos for YouTube and you quickly realize this is a versatile product for today’s content creators who dabble in more than one medium.