Testing out some battery-powered vlogging lights. These range in price from under $20 up to $40. My normal setup is three smaller lights, one of which is the Ulanzi VL120 which I mount on the camera’s cold shoe. The other two lights are from Neewer and are mounted to my desk with some light stands that clamp to my desk.
Neewer Desk Clamp Light Stands
This test was done with only one light mounted on the cold shoe of the camera. The same camera, lens, and camera settings were used for each light. The only variable in the footage you see is the light.
The first light tested is the Ulanzi VL120. This is the only RGB (red, green, blue) option I tested. These lights are a happy medium. The size provides a lot of light in a small package. Battery life is pretty good too on the built-in 3,100 mAh lithium-ion. The thin size helps them fit nicely in my camera bag. Of the three lights tested, this is the only light I have more than one of. It has the most configuration options out of the three tested. Highly recommended. The Lume Cube version similar to this is almost triple the price. You can currently get this Ulanzi for $31.96 at Amazon.
The second light tested is another from Ulanzi. This time it is the Ulanzi VL49. Not mentioned in the video, but this light seems considerably warmer than the other two, though they were all set to 5,600K. This light is not adjusted and is supposed to be 5,500K. The VL49 is the dimmest of the group, but the addition of cold shoe mounts adds nice flexibility for additional lights, microphones, or other accessories. The lighting area is the smallest. This is the thickest of the three lights which you will see toward the end of the video. This Ulanzi is a nice buy at under $20.
Last, but not least is the Raleno LED Video Light. The footprint of the Relano is considerably larger. It holds a 4,000 mAh lithium-ion battery, the largest of the three. While it has the biggest battery, the actual runtime is the least. We are looking at a different type of light though. You will notice this is the best as a single light. It has more power and provides a nice soft light. It is fully adjustable from 3,200-5,600K. It was set at 5,600K for the test. The Raleno is the most expensive of the batch at just under $40.
Each of these lights has its pros and cons. I would say each is worth the price, but my pick of the three is the Ulanzi VL120. The size, build quality, and configuration options make it my go-to video light.
Camera – Olympus E-M1 Mark II
Lens- Panasonic Lumix 14mm F2.5
Please share your thoughts on these lights and if you have any suggestions to test next time.
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