ring light
It’s that easy to put yourself in the right light
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Whether video conference, selfies or video recordings for TikTok, YouTube and Co. – a good ring light puts you in the limelight. What is there to consider when buying? We’ll tell you.
Around two years ago, a ring light was primarily something for influencers and YouTube stars or TikTok stars. But since working from home has become an equal partner in many areas alongside visiting the office, many of us want a proper set-up for video conferences. The right light makes the decisive difference. Ceiling lamps, daylight and desk lamps are not working? Time for a good ring light.
Ring light: The right light for video conferences, selfies and more
No matter what purpose you want to use a ring light for, the main focus is of course on the luminosity. But also them Size and the type of mount are the focus of the decision-making process. We therefore first clarify fundamental questions.
What does a ring light do?
Basically a ring light illuminates you better during a recording or conference. This may seem unnecessary at first, but it isn’t. It makes a more professional impression because it doesn’t appear to customers and colleagues or superiors as if you were “sending” from a small chamber.
The use of a ring light has the advantage that your face is optimally illuminated and your eyes shine. It looks fresh and the ring light also flatters your complexion. You can safely ignore changing lighting conditions or light sources in your room that are too weak or too bright.
How big should a ring light be?
If you don’t use the ring light for (semi-)professional video recordings, but just want to ensure good light for video conferences, a smaller ring light is practical. Models that you can simply attach to the top of your laptop or screen are practical. Smaller ring lights with a table tripod are also recommended, but they take up a little more space.
In principle, it is completely sufficient if a ring light has a Diameter of about 10 centimeters Has. The larger the ring light, the farther away it should be from you.
Ring light with tripod: when is it worth it?
If you don’t just want to use your ring light for video conferences, it’s definitely worth taking a look at a ring light with a tripod. Depending on how professional the recordings should be and what the lighting conditions are in the recording room, whole sets of ring lights with a tripod are sometimes suitable. This can sometimes cost money. We would therefore recommend that you to start with a single ring light first and test it with test shots. Since a ring light with a tripod is usually quite large, you should make sure you have enough distance to yourself and take this into account when planning.
Ring lights: These 6 models are convincing
We took a look around the ring light market to see what they have to offer – on paper – based on the hard facts. Perhaps the right ring light (with tripod) is included for you?
Ring light with table tripod and clip
This offers the optimal range of possibilities Ring light with table tripod and clip. Thanks to the two different mounts, you can place it on a table or attach it directly to your smartphone, screen or laptop etc. with the clip. The temperature of the light can also be set to five different levels as well as the brightness of the light. Since the ring light can be rotated 360 degrees on both mounts, you have maximum control over the ring light. The ring light gets its energy from a conventional USB plug.
Kodak mini ring light
The traditional brand Kodak has various ring lights in its portfolio. This mini ring light convinces with many good properties: a compact size, its battery operation (good for on the go), variable brightness and the color spectrum from 3500 Kelvin to 8000 Kelvin (cool, neutral, warm). You can charge the ring light with a USB-C cable and then use it for an hour and a half at a time. Thanks to the clamp function, it can be attached to all kinds of devices, from mobile phones to computer screens.
LED ring light from Hama
Three color temperatures (2500 Kelvin, 3800 Kelvin, 5500 Kelvin), an additional mobile phone or tablet holder, a self-timer and a 10-level dimming function – that Ring light from Hama provides convincing arguments. That However, the ring light cannot be mounted on the device itself, but is mounted on a small table tripod. The ring light can be supplied with power via a USB plug.
LED ring light from Ikea
The Swedish furniture store Ikea also has one inexpensive ring light on offer. The model has a mobile phone holder that is removable and, like the ring light itself, can be rotated 360 degrees. So you can bring both into the optimal position. The light of the ring light can be dimmed as you wish – from warm (2700 Kelvin) to neutral (6500 Kelvin). Since the ring light works with LEDs, it hardly emits any heat. It is charged via a USB connection.
Ring light with adjustable table tripod
At this Ring light with tripod Many features await you: The height-adjustable table tripod contains a mobile phone holder; the ring light itself can be rotated 360 degrees and can be adjusted with three shades and ten different brightness levels ideally adapted to your requirements. The ring light can be charged via USB connection.
Ring light with tripod (1.55 meters high)
This Ring Light by Neewer is something for you if you also want to use the ring light to illuminate video and photo recordings for YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. The ring light convinces with a smartphone holder and its exchangeable light filters (white and orange). But you can’t change it at the push of a button, but by color filter, which you attach to the ring light itself. Since the tripod is 1.55 meters high and the ring light has a diameter of 48 centimeters, you should plan enough space between the ring light and you for the recordings.