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When you’re first starting out, lighting can be really difficult. We’re just naturally trained to not pay much attention to it. But the skill in photography comes with understanding lights. Best of all, you don’t need the most expensive or highest end lights to get the job done. Instead, it’s easy to do for a few hundred bucks in most cases. For when you’re first starting out, we recommend the following lights to you.
How We Selected These Lights
If you’re skilled, most people can’t tell if you used a flash or not when shooting a photo. And even more people can’t tell what light was used to shoot an image. Lighting is far unlike camera presets, specialty lenses, filters, etc. They’ve all got different qualities about them. But there are many ways to get to a solution with lighting. So we chose lights that we feel are going to stick with you for a really long time. Nothing here is over the $500 mark. And most importantly, all of these lights are very versatile. Nissin is the priciest, but it can be used for both photo and video. Flashpoint is the most affordable with the best battery life by far. And Litra is flat out the easiest to use. Best of all, we’ve done full reviews of each of these.
Nissin MG80 Pro
In our review, we said:
“When using the Nissin MG80 Pro at a party, I’d accidentally tap the settings or move the scroll wheel. So to prevent that, I locked the system down. After compensating for the exposure by +1 stop, I locked the flash down and kept shooting as needed. It was a breeze. I, for one, am not one to really like shooting with the flash in the camera. Instead, I’d use radio on-camera and have my flash in my other hand with a light modifier on. But in this case, the Nissin MG80 Pro kept delivering an output that I really liked.”
Pro Tip: Think of light like it’s a hose spewing water. You wouldn’t shoot someone directly with a blast. But a light, residual spray can be very pleasant! Generally speaking, it’s never a good idea to bounce your flash output directly up and off a ceiling. Angle the head a little bit behind you.
Buy Now: Around $399.95
Flashpoint Zoom Li-on X R2 Round
In our review, we said:
“The Flashpoint Zoom Li-on X R2 that we tested was designed for Sony hot shoes, but it’s also available for Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, and Pentax. You can mount it onto your camera’s hot shoe and use it as an on-camera flash. It can also function as an off-camera flash by controlling it using one of Flashpoint’s R2 transmitters. You can even use the Zoom Li-on X R2 as a transmitter to control other lights that use Flashpoint’s R2 (Godox X) transmission protocol: useful for event photographers who prefer having both on- and off-camera lighting options.”
Pro Tip: If you’re photographing a person, you’re best off putting a flash in a modifier like an umbrella or a softbox. The rule of thumb: the larger the light source in relation to the subject, the softer it will be. If your subject within the frame is a person’s face, make sure you’re using an umbrella that’s larger than their face to get soft lighting.
Buy Now: Around $229
LitraPro LED
In our review, we said:
“Using the LitraPro is honestly pretty simple. Turn it on, adjust your color temperature and light output intensity, and you’re off to the races. You can also control the LitraPro remotely via Bluetooth from an Android or iOS device using Litra’s free companion app. While you can turn the LitraPro off from the app, turning the light on must be done physically on the LitraPro itself. The light intensity can only be adjusted at 5% increments from the LitraPro itself or via the app. If you’re looking for a constant LED that offers step-less output adjustments, the LitraPro is not the light for you.”
Pro Tip: If you’re using an LED, know that it’s nowhere as strong as a flash in the same price point. So you’ll need to crank up your camera’s ISO setting. That’s just the nature of the beast!
Buy Now: Around $219