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We've listed the best LED light panels for any size or budget, for smartphones, hotshoe mounting and studio photography Ceiling Down Light
With the best LED light panels, you have one of the most versatile lighting tools at your disposal. Whether you're shooting photos or videos (though particularly the latter), an LED light panel sending out continuous, even light can be a godsend. Modern LED panels let you precisely vary the intensity and colour temperature of your light, making it straightforward to achieve precisely the look and feel you want in the shot.
• Best LED lights for vlogging • Best studio lights • Best reflectors • Best camera accessories • Best flashguns or strobes • Best light sticks and LED wands
The big difference between LED panels and flashguns is that LED panels emit light continuously, not just at the moment of capture, meaning you can see what your shot is going to look like before you capture it. Obviously essential in video, this can also be useful in stills photography.
LED panels come in a few different varieties, all of which we've covered in this guide. Hotshoe LED panels are the most straightforward; as the name implies, they can literally mount into a camera's hotshoe, and provide you with a point-and-shoot light source. Like a flashgun, they can also be mounted to a stand if you prefer. If you're using a DSLR or mirrorless camera, they're a great choice, and are often quite affordable.
But say you've got an even simpler setup. Say you, like many people, are using a smartphone like one of the best iPhones to produce dynamic, interesting photo and video content. There are plenty of smartphone LED lights out there which are specifically designed for just such a setup, and many can put out more lighting power than you'd expect. At the other end of the scale, there are full-size panels, designed for professional studio use. They're less portable, but can deliver incredible lighting power.
In this guide, we've covered all the different types of LED light panel, with plenty of options for each. We've split the guide up into sections based on the above categories, to make it easier for you to navigate to your preferred type of light. So, let's get started!
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These LED lights mount to your camera's hot shoe where you'd otherwise attach a flashgun. They're ideal for on-the-go shoots where portability is paramount.
The Rotolight NEO 3 builds on the success of the preceding NEO 2 (below), 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.
Read more: Rotolight NEO 3 full review
The Rotolight NEO 2 is rated for a whopping 2,000 lux maximum brightness at three feet (91.5cm). We couldn’t quite match this in our testing, measuring a peak 1,840 lux at 4,000K, but that’s still noticeably brighter than most competitors. Brightness does drop to around 1,100 lumens at each end of the 3,150-6,300K temperature range, but this is the only issue we found.
The dual control dials adjust a plethora of easy-to-set options. Six AA batteries sustain 90 minutes of full-power continuous illumination, or there’s a mains input. You can even use the NEO 2 as a flash, with up to 500% more brightness than in continuous mode.
Now the NEO 3 is with us, the days of the NEO 2 may be numbered, but it's still widely available to buy new, and for a chunk of cash less than the NEO 3, making it quite a bargain.
If you require a constant photography or video light, combining the smallest possible footprint but the most lighting power, then the Zhiyun Fiveray M40 should be a serious contender for your gear bag.
This light gets so much right, with exceptional style, solid build quality, and a face-melting 40W brightness from a very compact and portable device. Although all this goodness comes at the price of it being a little on the heavy side. It's control system turns out to be both a blessing and a curse, with very quick and precise controls which are far too easily changed by accident.
Read our full Zhiyun Fiveray M40 review.
At a price like this, you aren't going to get professional studio quality. That's a given. So let's talk about what the Neewer 176 LED Panel does give you, which is, as it turns out, rather a lot for the money.
It's a tidy, powerful little light that can easily be mounted on a camera's hotshoe or a tripod, giving you a decent burst of brightness that works perfectly as a fill light or for a quick-and-dirty video light. Colour temperature is fixed at 5600K daylight, though the unit does come with a couple of filters to soften the light if that's your thing.
The build does feel a little plasticky and cheap, and it's worth noting that the price as advertised is not strictly accurate, as you'll need to pay extra for the not-included batteries or DC power supply. Still, that total outlay is going to be considerably list than you'd spend on most comparable units. The bottom line is: it works, and works well. What more do you need?
Other Commercial Lighting Phone shooters shouldn't neglect their lighting either! Just because you're using a small, handheld device, that doesn't mean you can't benefit from a small, portable LED light to give you a little extra illumination when you need it. Many are also designed specifically to clip onto a smartphone, so will slot in perfectly to your light, portable setup.