Photography Lighting Equipment Worth Checking Out
Photo by insung yoon on Unsplash
In the market for new photography lighting equipment?
You’ve come to the right place…
Whether you need lighting for photoshoots, video work, or both, the gear outlined below is some of the best photography lighting equipment on the market today.
With a range of products with varying capabilities, functionalities, and prices, you’ll be able to find the ideal light for your needs and your budget in the list below.
Let’s get to it!
Table of Contents
- Best Photography Lighting Equipment: Aputure 120d II
- Best Photography Lighting Equipment: Geekoto GT-200
- Best Photography Lighting Equipment: LitraTorch LitraPro
- Best Photography Lighting Equipment: Aputure AL-MW
- Best Photography Lighting Equipment: LitraTorch 2.0
- Best Photography Lighting Equipment: CLAR Maxin MX-B15
- Best Photography Lighting Equipment: ANDYCINE Portable Boling P1 RGB Video Light
Best Photography Lighting Equipment: Aputure 120d II
A few weeks back, I wrote an Aputure 120d II review in which I proclaimed that after just a month of using it in my home studio that it had already proven itself one of the best lights I’ve ever used.
That still holds true about seven weeks into my ownership of this light. It is simply incredible, which is why I’ve placed it at the top of this list of the best photography lighting gear.
This light is deserving of the top spot for a multitude of reasons:
- 1000-watt Tungsten equivalent
- Dimmable from 100 percent down to just 1 percent
- CRI & TLCI 97+
- Built-in lighting effects
- Integrated power and control box
- 18 dB quiet fan
And that’s just the start…
The 120d II is also 25 percent brighter than its predecessor and has a slightly warmer color temperature (5500K as compared to 6000K in the original 120d).
It has a wireless remote that works up to 328 feet, DMX controls, and is extremely portable as well. The yoke has been redesigned to make it more functional, and the handbrake offers a secure lock to prevent the light from moving.
Truly, from its design and construction to its features and specs to its ease of use, this light has proven to be top of the class. Aputure has clearly put a lot of thought and effort into this refresh of their 120d. It isn’t a cheap light, that’s for sure, but when the quality of the light you use matters, it’s a smart investment to opt for a top-quality light like the Aputure 120d II.
Learn more about the Aputure 120d II
Best Photography Lighting Equipment: Geekoto GT-200
If it’s a flash speedlite you’re after, the Geekoto GT-200 is a very solid choice.
This little guy is highly portable - it fits in your pocket - and yet still offers flash power up to 200W.
You’ll appreciate the 2.4G wireless control and the 3.5mm sync jack that allows you to choose from a variety of synchronous triggering methods from as much as 200 feet away.
Speaking of triggers, this unit is compatible with both Geekoto triggers and Godox XPro triggers as well. Either way, you get wide power adjustment and color temperature selections.
This light comes as part of a kit as well, so you get the flash, a light stand, a quick-folding softbox, a filter magnet soft cover, and a carrying case as well. Talk about value!
This unit also offers wide power adjustment range from 1/1 to 1/128 with 22 levels of fine-tuning to get the precise light output you need.
Add to that battery power for more than 500 full-power flashes, support for 1/8000-second high-speed synchronization, and an included set of color filters, and you have the makings of a high-quality, functional flash that you can literally carry in your pocket. Not bad!
Learn more about the Geekoto GT-200
Best Photography Lighting Equipment: LitraTorch LitraPro
Where other lights are portable, the LitraTorch Pro is ultra portable.
As I note in my full LitraPro review, this thing weighs just 6 ounces and measures 2.75 x 2 x 1.2 inches. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a smaller light than that!
But don’t think that because it’s a tiny light that it doesn’t have the power to illuminate your photos or videos.
To the contrary, the LitraPro has 60 LEDs that put out an amazing amount of light - 1200 lumens of clear, crisp, flicker-free light.
But perhaps the best feature of this light isn’t its output, but the fact that it’s bi-color and adjustable from 3000K to 6000K. Add in a 70-degree beam angle, and you have a light that gives you excellent, customizable light coverage.
You can get about 10 hours of operating time out of its batteries, and with MIL-SPEC 810 construction, you can really put it through its paces without worry of damaging the light.
In other words, the LitraPro offers the functionality, performance, and durability that action photographers and videographers demand.
Learn more about the LitraTorch LitraPro
Best Photography Lighting Equipment: Aputure AL-MW
When it comes to lights that are bright, rugged, and waterproof, the Aputure AL-MW certainly delivers.
This unit provides you with an astounding 6000 lux output - twice that of its predecessor - yet it is small enough to fit in your pocket. That’s because this little light uses the same COB technology found in the impeccable Aputure 300d, which means you get the best of both worlds - superb brightness and unparalleled portability.
More than that, the folks at Aputure made sure that this little light offers perfect color fidelity. As you’d expect from an Aputure light, the AL-MW has a CRI and TLCI rating of 95+.
Additionally, Aputure has stuffed the AL-MW with all kinds of features, including five pre-programmed lighting effects, a battery that runs for 24 hours on minimum power, a waterproof and dustproof housing, and a gel holder with a variety of CTO and CTB filters.
All things considered, the Aputure AL-MW is certainly worthy of consideration as the ideal mini light for your photography and videography kit!
Learn more about the Aputure AL-MW
Best Photography Lighting Equipment: LitraTorch 2.0
By far the smallest light on this list, the LitraTorch 2.0 comes in at a scant 3.17 ounces and measuring 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.65 inches. That’s a small light!
But, again, Litra has figured out how to cram a ton of lighting into a small package, as the LitraTorch 2.0 has 16 LEDs that offer 100, 450, or 800 lumens depending on your needs.
Like the LitraPro, this unit puts out crisp, clean, and flicker-free light with a 70-degree beam angle. Its color temperature is 5700K and has a CRI of 90+ and a TLCI of 92.
Litra also worked to ensure that this second-generation LitraTorch works harder and longer. It has a 10-percent longer battery life that gives you 35 minutes of illumination on maximum output and more than four hours of output on the low setting.
It’s waterproof up to 60 feet, has two ¼-20 mounts, and has a magnet for attaching it to metal surfaces as well.
This is simply a versatile, go-anywhere, do-anything light!
Learn more about the LitraTorch 2.0
Best Photography Lighting Equipment: CLAR Maxin MX-B15
Available in 12 x 12 and 12 x 24 sizes, the CLAR Maxin MX-B15 is a perfect light for your studio.
This light has bi-color LED fixtures that offer 3200-5600K color temperatures and the ability to dim from 100 percent to 0 percent at the touch of a button. This unit employs SMD LED technology that has excellent color accuracy and 95+ CRI.
You’ll love the fact that this light has a companion app so you can control the light with your smartphone. The app allows you to fine-tune everything from the light’s power status to its light intensity values to its color temperature. You can even control DMX channeling via the app.
You’ll get 120-degrees of cool, flicker-free light, and with an aluminum housing and vents, the light itself stays cool despite its incredible light output.
The solid frame has incorporated barn doors as well as a tilting yoke stand adaptor so you can customize the breadth and height of the light.
The 12 x 12 model utilizes a single Sony BP V series battery while the 12 x 24 model utilizes two. In either case, you get long-lasting power for your photo and video projects!
Learn more about the CLAR Maxin MX-B15
Best Photography Lighting Equipment: ANDYCINE Portable Boling P1 RGB Video Light
If you’re after a dedicated video light, this rig from ANDYCINE should be at the top of your list.
With a 360-degree arm support and an adjustable bracket arm, you can position this light precisely where you want it to illuminate your video sequences.
It’s svelte size - it’s barely more than .5 pounds and ½-inches thick - makes it super portable and easily mountable on a tripod. Its durable construction means you don’t have to worry about it getting damaged under normal working conditions either.
This lightoffers full color output from 2500K-8500K, nine built-in lighting simulations, and a battery that will get you more than two hours of shooting time on full power as well.
It’s simply a feature-packed, highly-portable light that’s perfect for video work in the field.
Learn more about the ANDYCINE Portable Boling P1 RGB Video Light