From making videos for YouTube tutorials, to TikTok videos, online meetings, and social media content, lighting has a bigger impact on your videos than you think. With a lack of lighting, even the best camera can fall short in creating clear and professional videos.
This is where a ring light for video recording comes in handy.
The use of a good LED ring light will give you even and flattering light, which will help eliminate harsh lighting, skin tones, and help your camera capture sharper and brighter photos. It's one of the easiest changes to make to enhance your videos without the need of a costly camera. There are many ring lights to choose from, which can make it difficult to pick the best ring light for video recording. There are some made for beginning smartphone videographers and others constructed for professional videographers who have to function in home studios.
Let's look at some of the most trustworthy ring lights in the UK and Europe, and discuss some of the most important features, and then decide which ring light set is best for your content creation.
A lot of creators invest hundreds of pounds in upgrading their camera, all while neglecting the lighting. In fact, the right lighting can make as much difference in the quality of the video as the camera itself. The following is aided by a well-designed video recording light:
Good lighting creates a more polished and professional look to content, whether you are taking a tutorial, going through a product review, shooting an interview or livestreaming.
Ring Light is a circular LED light fixture that gives soft and gentle light around the camera or the smartphone's lens. Unlike regular lamps, ring lights spread light evenly all around the subject's face, which helps to eliminate shadows and provide a more natural look.
Most modern ring lights will also have options for brightening, light temperature, light intensity, height (via adjustable tripod) and positioning the phone or camera.
A professional ring light is not just for influencers and photographers! They can also be used by YouTube creators, TikTok creators, Streamers, Instagram Reel creators, Podcasters, teachers for online classes, remote workers for virtual meetings, make-up artists, product reviewers and even small business owners.
Whether you're creating content weekly or daily, the lighting can make all the difference in the world to the quality of your videos.
We don't endorse products based on hype at Shoptique, we endorse on actual value. To compare products, we considered a number of factors: brightness, color accuracy, construction quality, ease of use, and color temperature control. We also conducted tests on tripod stability, smartphone and camera compatibility, customer feedback and availability throughout the UK and Europe. We don't suggest dozens of choices but have chosen brands that have proven their reliability for both novices and professionals.
Neewer has become one of the more significant brands for photography/content production equipment. The 18” LED ring light is an excellent choice for its brightness, colour temperature accuracy and cost-effectiveness, and is highly recommended for beginners and professional creators alike. This kit provides a steady, reliable light source that creates well-lit images in easy-to-setup tutorials, livestreams, or product demos.
Key Features
Ring light is a great choice for any YouTube creator, livestreamer, online educator, product reviewer, or home studio.
It has a bigger light diameter, which results in softer lighting and minimizes shadow and enhances the appearance of professionalism on camera. It is bright, even and has a sturdy build, is simple to set up and operates perfectly with both phones and cameras, making it a great value for money.
There are some drawbacks, too: It's bigger than compact travel models and not as portable, and it needs power from a wall socket for extended shooting sessions, which means you'll need to set up close to an electrical outlet to get longer footage.
Where to Buy & Latest Deals
Planning to buy the Neewer 18-Inch LED Ring Light Kit? Prior to buying, shop on Shoptique for trusted UK and European shops to compare:
Before you buy, look at several stores to see if they offer better deals and to get quality equipment.
The company, known as Godox, is renowned for their quality products and low prices, making them a favourite among the photography and videography community. The LR160 is a great ring light for videographers that has a compact design for both home and portable lighting with adjustable brightness and colour temperature.
Key Features
The compact ring light is perfect for online meetings, small home studios, TikTok videos, and Instagram Reels, and is an ideal choice for beginers.
The lightweight build is excellent for anyone who records at various locations, and it can be easily moved from place to place. It offers a decent colour fidelity with solid performance for the money, making it an ideal budget choice. It does offer less light coverage as compared to larger models though, so if you're looking to record in a very large room that needs a bigger light source, then it's not a good option.
The best places to buy and look for the latest deals
Interested in the Godox LR160 LED Ring Light? Use Shoptique to:
For high-end lighting, the Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit might be worth considering. Originally made in the UK, Rotolight has established a reputation amongst photographers, video makers and professional content creators.
This pro ring light is not just to illuminate items more brightly; it supplies a soft, normal light that helps make videos look more professional in diverse situations. It also comes with a compact design, which makes it a perfect option for creators who frequently record at home and on location.
Key Features
It is an excellent solution for travelling creators, vloggers, YouTube channels and pro content creators that need the best while traveling.
Whether you're making travel vlogs, interviews, tutorials or lifestyle videos, it's consistent and won't take up a lot of space. The kit is superb in terms of high quality construction and color accuracy, and extremely portable for recording indoors/outdoors.
It is, however, more expensive than lower tier lights, and uses a smaller light diameter than standard 18" ring lights, providing a slightly more concentrated light beam than room coverage.
The best place to get the latest deals
Looking to purchase the Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit? Visit Shoptique to:
A large ring light isn't necessary for everyone. The Logitech Litra Glow is a great option for creators who primarily come into the office by video, livestream, or record their video from a desk. It is not a ring light as such, but a compact LED streaming light, and provides soft, flattering light that is perfect for webcams and desktop recording.
Key Features
A small, portable light source that is ideal for online meetings, livestreaming, remote work and desktop content production.
Its compact size makes it ideal for home offices and compact spaces, seamlessly fitting in on a cramped desk. It offers easy controls and good construction, and produces a natural light that is great for improving webcam video quality.
The drawback of it is that it's not as bright as larger ring lights, and because of its size and narrow beam, it would not be the best choice for full-body photography, where large wide lighting is desired.
The latest and most convenient places to shop
Interested in the Logitech Litra Glow? Before ordering, check on Shoptique trusted retailers to:
The Elgato Key Light isn't an LED ring light, however, many professional producers favor it because of its bigger light area and remarkable colour precision.
Rather than creating circular lights, it creates soft evenly distributed ones that work great for video studios, podcasts, livestreams and professional video creation, especially in YouTube studios. It can be a great long-term investment for creators seeking a better, more advanced ring light than what's offered with basic YouTube equipment.
Key Features
The lighting setup is an excellent value for professional YouTubers, livestreamers, podcasters and serious home studios.
The easy wireless lighting adjustments are incredibly convenient, allowing you to easily change your lighting setup without disturbing your recording session or changing your character mid-shoot. Constructed from top quality material for extended, long production days, it offers the professional lighting quality with excellent colour consistency to maintain crisp and flawless visuals.
It is, however, priced high when compared to the conventional ring lights, and the included desk mount is extremely stable but might not fit in all desk work setups if the desk doesn't have the correct edge.
Where to Buy & Latest Deals
Thinking about buying the Elgato Key Light? Use Shoptique to:
The best ring light is going to be based on the content you're making, as well as where you produce it. Here are the most significant characteristics to look out for before making a purchase.
Check if there are adjustable brightness settings available. The ability to go from bright to dark and back again allows you to adjust to various recording situations, without having to move the light closer or farther away.
Many of the modern ring lights offer the option of switching to warm, neutral and cool lights. This functionality is especially helpful when shooting at various times throughout the day or in sync with the natural daylight that falls on the set.
Generally, the bigger the ring light the softer and more even the light will be. Smaller models are more portable, but will only light a smaller space. Choose a size that suits your recording space.
Some ring lights are USB powered, others are mains powered. There are also portable USB-powered lights that are perfect for travel, or for recording in other locations that may not be as convenient.Alternatively, if you want a higher-powered light for recording, you can opt for mains-powered lights.
In the event you frequently switch between gadgets, consider a ring light that works with each cellphone and camera. Some kits come with phone holders that can be adjusted and universal mounting bases for flexibility.
The best way to make a quality video recording is to use a quality video recording light, along with good recording techniques.
Place ring light directly in front of you, slightly angled upwards. This will even out the light and minimize shadows under the eyes and chin.
Use your ring light in conjunction with natural light from windows when shooting during the daytime for a more subdued look.
You don't have to have a lot of distracting things in your background; it's about making you stand out. If you're unsure about how to make the area look professional, a small lamp, plant or bookshelf can help without making it look cluttered.
Try to change the brightness of the light, rather than the light's position.If possible, adjust the brightness of the light rather than the distance from the light.
Don't keep adjusting the position of your light, instead utilize the built-in brightness control to adjust the exposure for each recording session. This will result in more uniform outcomes between videos.
Record a test video before making a full-length video. See if any parts of the shot are in shadow, if there are any reflections or if the exposure is off, and adjust accordingly but not too much before beginning your final recording.
A little bit of extra time spent on lighting is a tremendous boost to the quality of your content.
Even the best LED ring light can't produce the best light effect if it is not used correctly. Some of the most common pitfalls of the beginner.
While it is very convenient to use low-cost lighting, lower quality lights can be less bright and less accurate in colour. When it comes to investing in a trusted brand, it is always best to invest in a trusted brand.
Unfortunately, sometimes the skin colour is unnatural due to the wrong colour temperature. For most recordings the best time is at the neutral daylight setting, this will provide a more balanced and professional look to the recording.
The subject is lit by a ring light, but a slight background light can add depth and make videos look more professional. You can place simple desk lamps or LED accent lights and it won't cost you much.
Unfortunately, sometimes the skin colour is unnatural due to the wrong colour temperature. For most recordings the best time is at the neutral daylight setting, this will provide a more balanced and professional look to the recording.
The durable tripod is as important as the light itself! A stable stand means you have no unwanted movement and it's easier to keep the same framing for longer periods of recording.
This will depend on your budget and type of recording you are looking for. These larger lights, such as the Neewer 18-Inch LED Ring Light, work well in the home studio with broad, even lighting, while the smaller lights like the Godox LR160 are ideal for on-the-go lighting situations.
2. What size ring light should I go with?
For those primarily recording from a desk or small recording space, a compact microphone may be enough. For creators who are shooting tutorials, interviews, or full-body shots, a larger 18-inch ring light with a wider light spread could be preferable.
Generally, the most natural look will come from a daylight balanced setting. Adjustable colour temperature, however, can mean that you can match your room's lighting or set it to a warmer or cooler look.
It is not that difficult to select best rings lights for video recording. It will depend on your recording style, space available and budget, but even the budget-friendly option can make a huge difference in the quality of your videos.
Whether you're creating a video for YouTube, Tik-Tok, a professional video meeting or an online video course, you'll be able to produce brighter videos, flatter shadows, and create a more professional look with the help of LED ring lights.
If you're new to the game, try to find features that will make things easier to do, such as brightness adjustments, colour temperature control and solid mounting points.
If you're looking to buy your next professional ring light, stop at Shoptique before just buying it!
With a little research, you can get equipment that you'll be able to use for your video production projects while keeping your budget in mind; and the right lighting can transform your videos.
