Top 21 and Best Budget Video Lighting Kits + Best 3-Point Kits

Let me ask you a question:

Are you trying to create sub-par videos to simply share with your mates, or do you want to film a video that appears sleek, professional, and modern?

If you’re in the first group, then this article isn’t for you.

If the latter pricked your ears and made you say “OMG that’s so me!”, then you’re in the right place, because here’s the thing:

If you do dream of creating amazing looking YouTube videos that absolutely kill, if you’re trying to be the next big thing at Sundance Film Festival, or even if you’re just trying to help your kids get a foothold in the creative world, you need the best video lighting kit.

What are the best lighting kits for videos?

The Best Video Lighting Kits Money Can Buy

Best Video Lighting Kit: GVM RGB Video Lights

The GVM RGB Video Lights are the best video lighting kit because the three included lights are not only color temperature adjustable, the have RGB LEDs built-in, so you make these bi-color camera lights any color you want!

That’s right, you dial the color temperature from 3200K (yellow), to 5600K (white), or adjust the hue and saturation to create epic color effects.

The GVM RGB bi-color kit even has 8 color mode options for cool effects like Candlelight, making it one of the best lighting kits out there and giving you everything you need for a truly great video production.

When shooting video, it’s important that you’re able to diffuse the LED lights as they can be quite harsh, so it’s awesome that this kit comes with a soft diffuser sheet that slides neatly into each light bracket.

Plus, each of the LED lights comes with a set of four barn doors, which are really helpful for controlling the directionality of the light output.

Now, here’s where the GVM RGB Video Lights kit is really awesome, picture this:

You’ve just set everything up, you’re sitting back in your director’s chair, or maybe you’re setting up the shot from behind the camera, and you realize something, the color temperate or brightness isn’t quite right.

With this kit, you don’t even have to get up from behind the camera – simply make those adjustments from the dedicated app on your phone!

Easy as that!

Key Features of the GVM RGB Video Lights:

• Built-in LCD Digital Display
• Controllable via mobile app
• Color temperature adjustable
• RGB hue and saturation adjustable
• Dual Power Supply System: AC power adapter and F750 / F970 Sony batteries
• Kit includes: 3 LED video lights, 3 stands, barn doors, diffusion sheets, AC adaptors and cables, carry case

Best Bang For Your Buck Kit: Neewer Umbrellas Softbox Continuous Lighting Kit

The Neewer Umbrellas Softbox Continuous Lighting Kit is the best bang for your buck kit because, at only just over $200, it comes with 4 lights and diffusers, and, a portable backdrop.

This is the first budget-friendly lighting kit I’ve seen that comes with its own backdrop, and what’s more, you get three: green, black, and white!

With these three backdrops, plus the 10ft backdrop support and clamps that are included, you can achieve some seriously professional film results. I mean, you can even get creative with the green screen, and pretty much shoot an entire film in front of this thing.

The lighting options are fantastic as well.

This kit uses continuous lighting using CFL daylight bulbs (rather than LED panels), which makes things easy to replace when the bulbs inevitably die.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, surely these camera lights cast a shadow?

Well, yes, any light does, but this kit helps you to get around that by providing two types of diffusion!

You get two umbrellas and two softboxes, which you can use for different effects.

Softboxes are fantastic for creating a controlled, directed light that is still soft – think of the natural light you’d get coming through a window from the sun.

The umbrellas, on the other hand, produce an even more diffuse and more broad light source, which is akin to outdoor natural light.

With two of each, and four light bulbs (and stands!), you can create lighting for cameras that really levels up your video production.

Key Features of the Neewer Umbrellas Softbox Continuous Lighting Kit :

• 4x CFL light bulbs
• 4x light stands
• 2x carrying case
• 2x softbox diffusers
• 2x umbrella diffuser
• 3x backdrops (green, black, and white), plus 10ft support and clamps

Best Budget Video Lighting Kit: GSKAIWEN 180 LED Light

The GSKAIWEN 180 LED Light is the best budget video lighting kit because it’s incredibly portable, and won’t put a dent in your savings.

As you’ve probably guessed, the LED panels in this kit have 180 LED lights in them (there are two panels), and these can be used as your main lights for things light product photography, or you can throw them in as fill lights if you have a larger setup for your key light.

GSKAIWEN (don’t worry, I don’t know how to pronounce it either) have been kind enough to include two light stands with this great bi-color kit, which means you pretty much have a plug and play solution!

Being a budget light kit, you aren’t able to change the color temperature, but each of the LED panels has a dedicated brightness control, so you can dial in the brightness for each and even have one brighter than the other where needed!

Key Features of the GSKAIWEN 180 LED Light:

• 180-degree rotation
• Adjustable brightness
• Up to 10,000 hours of use
• Includes 2x adjustable light stands
• A great fill light for three-point lighting setups
• Useful for product photography, portraits, or sign lighting

Best Cheap Video Lighting Kit: Neewer USB LED Video Light

The Neewer USB LED Video Light is the best cheap video lighting kit because for just over 50 bucks you get two USB LED video lights, 8 color filters (4 for each), and 2 epic portable light stands.

Most LED lights for studio video production require you to have some form of battery power, which inevitably drives costs up as you have to go out and buy them as well!

Not this kit. The Neewer USB LED Video Light connects via USB, so it’s easy to power from say, your laptop, making the light kit incredibly portable.

Bear in mind that most tablets won’t provide enough power for these camera lights, so a laptop is usually a smart idea.

The LED lights are brightness adjustable, and the kit comes with 4 different filters: one diffusion filter and three different colors (red, yellow, and blue).

What I really like about these LED lights though is that you can get the angle of lighting absolutely perfect. The light stands extend to over 45″ tall, and the LED panels themselves are 180-degree rotatable. This makes it really easy to get that above-and-to-the-side lighting angle that’s super important for capturing a quality video.

Key Features of the Neewer USB LED Video Light:

• USB-powered
• Adjustable brightness
• 66 LED pieces per light
• Color Temperature 5600K
• Extendable stands up to 45″
• 180-degree angle adjustable
• Diffusion sheet and 3 color filters included

Best Video Lighting Kit Under $500: GVM RGB Video Lights

The GVM RGB Video Lights are the best video lighting kit under $500 because without spending thousands of dollars, you get a full-on three-point lighting kit with light stands, barn doors, and app-controllable brightness and color temperature.

Okay, the GVM RGB Video is actually closer to $550, but here’s the thing:

There aren’t actually any light kits out there between $300 and $500 that give you a significant step up in terms of performance. That is, if you have an absolute max of $500 to spend, you’re better off spending $300 as you’ll get the same stuff.

If, though, you can manage an extra 47 bucks, then the GVM RGB Video lights are a huge step up.

Why?

Because the LED lights in each of the light panels are RGB lights, which means you can pretty much make any color you want out of them.

You’ve still got your normal color temperature adjustment (3200K to 5600K), but you can use this kit to make cool effects in your videos like cop car lights, or use a single color like blue or green to create an eerie effect in your photography or film.

What we really like about this GVM light kit is the fact that you can make adjustments to the lighting setup via an app on your phone, so you don’t have to move from behind the camera. This is a massive time saver.

Plus, each of the LED lights comes with a soft light diffusion sheet that slides into the light panel itself, saving you a bit of coin and making sure your camera lighting is nice and diffuse without any ugly shadows.

Key Features of the GVM RGB Video Lights:

• App controllable
• Built-in LCD Digital Display
• Three-point lighting setup with barn doors
• RGB lights – controllable hue and saturation
• Includes 3x stands and a carrying case for it all
• Color Temperature between 3200K and 5600K
• Each one of the light panels comes with its own soft light diffusion

Runner Up Kit Under $500: GVM 520

The GVM 520 is the runner up kit under $500 because it offers pretty much everything the GVM RGB Video Lights do, except for the RGB functionality.

The main difference here then is that you aren’t able to create those cool colorful effects. If that’s not an issue for you though, and you just want to shoot film with natural, white or yellow light, then this is the LED lighting kit for you.

You still have adjustable color temperature and brightness, which are conveniently stepless, so you can dial in the perfect setting for your shot.

What makes this GVM light kit so appealing is that each light panel has 520 LEDs in it, which means it can emit a much brighter light than most normal LED video lights.

You won’t need to worry for a second about build quality either, as these LED lights are made of high-quality aluminum, and have a strong rotating U-bracket on the rear which is fully-rotatable.

You can use the GVM app to control these camera lights, and what’s awesome is you can set one light as the master and the other two in your three-point setup as the slaves. That means when you adjust the settings of one, such as color temperature, they’ll all adjust!

That’s a real time-saver and makes sure you don’t have any weird effects going on from using different color temperatures, and delivers a really good natural light.

You can still have them on separate brightness levels though, which is important if you’re going to set up a key light and fill light in front, and have the third light behind your subject to create a nice background of lighting and improve the depth of your shot.

Key Features of the GVM 520:

• 520 LED pieces per light
• High-quality bi-color lights
• White soft light diffusers included
• Kit includes stands, barn doors, and carrying case
• Adjustable brightness and color temperature (3200K to 5600K)
• Controllable via a mobile app, and you can set one light up as the master

Best Video Lighting Kit Under 200: Neewer 160 LED Video Light

The Neewer 160 LED Video Light is the best video lighting kit under $200 because the LED video lights can mount onto your DSLR camera, or onto included stands!

That’s super helpful for professional two-point lighting setups, or if you’re just on the go with your DSLR camera and want to achieve a nice natural light that captures a brilliant image.

One of the things we think is really great about the Neewer 160 LED Video Light is it comes with its own batteries, plus a charger!

That’s pretty rare to find in a good bi-color LED lighting kit under $200.

You can adjust the light output on each light which is important for not creating too much of a shadow, and the light kit even comes with an orange filter, as these LED video lights aren’t color adjustable. Plus, each light comes with a white soft light diffuser.

Whatever you’re shooting, whether you want to set up a full-on studio lighting kit, or to just whip a good LED light on top of your DSLR camera for a quick, professional-quality photo, the Neewer 160 LED Video Light kit makes things super simple.

Key Features of the Neewer 160 LED Video Light:

• 160 LED pieces
• Color Temperature 3200K and 5500K
• Includes soft light filter and orange filter
• Adjustable Brightness from 10% to 100%
• 2 x Aluminum alloy 6Feet/190cm light stand
• Shoe mount bracket makes this a great option if you use a DSLR camera

Best Home Video Lighting Kit: Neewer 660

The Neewer 660 is the best home video lighting kit because if you’re serious about making really good home videos, you need a quality three-point lighting kit.

Three-point lighting kits are important for minimizing shadows and creating a really natural-looking light.

In nature, light comes from the sun, and is of course incredibly diffuse. The exact opposite occurs when you use studio lights, and even though you might use a softbox or diffuser to achieve a more natural light, the light is still coming from one direction.

Professional film studios use three-point lighting setups so that they can have one main light (called the key light), a fill light coming from the opposite direction (to eliminate shadows cast on subjects’ faces), and a third light in the back to create a nice depth of field.

The Neewer 660 gives you the ability to create this exact setup from within your home, but what’s better, you can control all of the LED lights via the included remote control.

That means when you’ve got your camcorder or phone set up to shoot, and all the lights are on stands (included) and in place, you can make adjustments to brightness and color temperature without having to get up and touch the lights themselves.

Being able to adjust light output and color temperature is imperative to making really professional home videos, as is being able to accurately direct the light, which you can do very easily with the Neewer 660 as each panel comes with a set of barn doors!

Key Features of the Neewer 660:

• Remote controllable
• On-panel LCD display
• Can run on Sony NPF style batteries (not included)
• Adjustable color temperature (3200K to 5600K) and brightness
• Kit comes with three lights and stands, barn doors, diffusion sheets, power adaptors and a carrying case

Best Portable Video Lighting Kit: Neewer USB LED Video Light

The Neewer USB LED Video Light is the best portable video lighting kit because the light stands compress to just under 9 inches, and the lights themselves aren’t much bigger than an iPhone.

Don’t let the tiny form factor fool you though, these camera lights are super powerful.

With 66 LED pieces in each panel (the kit is a two-light setup), and adjustable light output, you’ll be able to get your scene lit just right, even when you’re one the go.

These camera lights are ridiculously portable, I mean, the lights themselves are super small, but the stands compress to a little under 9 inches! When fully extended, the tripod stands reach about 45″ in height, so you can still use them to get a professional lighting angle from up high.

The Neewer USB LED Video can be run off of your laptop’s USB port, but they probably won’t get enough power from a tablet, so be aware of that.

What’s even better is the light kit comes with four light filters, one white diffusion sheet, and three different colored filters (red, yellow, and blue).

Key Features of the Neewer USB LED Video Light:

• USB-powered
• Adjustable brightness
• 66 LED pieces per light
• Color Temperature 5600K
• Extendable stands up to 45″
• 180-degree angle adjustable
• Diffusion sheet and 3 color filters included

Best LED Video Lighting Kit: Neewer 660

The Neewer 660 is the best LED video lighting kit because each of the three included light panels has a whopping 660 LED pieces in them!

That means the output from these LED light panels is incredibly high. But don’t worry, you can dial the brightness down using the remote control if the max isn’t quite suitable for your shot.

And that’s super important, because when using a three-point setup you generally want one light to be brighter than the rest.

The pack comes with three lighting stands, and barndoors for the LED panels, so you can direct the light even more accurately, and what makes this LED video lighting kit even better is it has a color temperature range of 3200K to 5600K, which basically means you can dial in a super white light, or a super warm yellow light, or anything in between!

Like any professional LED lights, the Neewer 660 can run off industry-standard Sony NPF-style batteries, though these aren’t included in the pack. You do get three power adaptors and cables though, because you can actually run these off standard power as well. Great!

Key Features of the Neewer 660:

• Remote controllable
• On-panel LCD display
• Can run on Sony NPF style batteries (not included)
• Adjustable color temperature (3200K to 5600K) and brightness
• Kit comes with three lights and stands, barn doors, diffusion sheets, power adaptors and a carrying case

Best Video Lighting Kit Under $1000: Rotolight NEO 2

The Rotolight NEO 2 is the best video lighting kit under $1000 because unlike some cheaper kits, the NEO 2 uses a continuous lighting system with adjustable color and a built-in high-speed sync flash.

The first thing we like about the Rotolight NEO 2, and the reason we think it is one of the best lighting kits you can get, is the built-in flash.

This makes it epic for studio photography, and works really well for modeling or portrait shoots.

The second thing that makes this a great video lighting kit is the fact that it comes with a 10-pack of color filters, and a bunch of diffusion filters. Where most cheap kits may simply provide one diffusion filter, the NEO 2 comes with five, full, medium, half-white, ‘cosmetic peach’, and 1/8th minus green.

But the list of epic features does not end there.

The adjustable color temperature ranges from 3150K to 6300K daylight, which is much, much whiter than most video lighting kits, and more than justifies the price. If you like a really natural light, then this is the best lighting kit for you.

The lights even have built-in effects like fire, lightning, and gunshots, which is a pretty cool option and can really help take your video production or YouTube videos to the next level.

Key Features of the Rotolight NEO 2:

• 2,000 lux at 3ft
• Continous and flash mode
• True Aperture Dimming tech
• Cool effects like gunshot and lightning
• Adjustable color temperature (3150K-6300K)
• Includes 3 LED lights, 3x light stand, 3x diffusion filter packs and holders, 1x hard case for carrying, 1x 10 [ack of colored filters

Best 3 Point Lighting Kits for Videos

Best 3 Point Lighting Kit For Video: Neewer 660

The best 3 point lighting kits for video are bi-color lights light the Neewer 660.

The Neewer 660 comes with three bi-color LED light panels, and you can adjust the color temperature from 3200K to 5600K – just what you’d expect from a professional video lighting kit.

Being a 3 point lighting kit, you’ll want the ability to dial up or down the brightness of each light, and the Neewer 660 makes this super easy.

You can do this from the rear panel where there is a crisp and modern LCD display, or, for your convenience, you can change the brightness and color temperature from the included remote control!

In addition to the three light panels, you also get three high-quality lighting stands, and a set of barndoors and diffusion sheets for each light.

These are invaluable, as good diffusion sheets are really important for ensuring you can achieve a nice soft light that doesn’t create any aggressive shadows and is flattering on the subject.

The barndoors, of course, help you to further aim and direct light, so it’s nice that these are included as often they aren’t found in more affordable lighting kits.

Power-wise, the kit comes with power adaptors for your standard wall plugs, or if you have some Sony-style NPF batteries, you can use these as well!

Key Features of the Neewer 660:

• Remote controllable
• On-panel LCD display
• Can run on Sony NPF style batteries (not included)
• Adjustable color temperature (3200K to 5600K) and brightness
• Kit comes with three lights and stands, barn doors, diffusion sheets, power adaptors and a carrying case

Runner Up: GVM 3 Pack LED Video Lighting Kit

The GVM 3 pack LED Video Lighting Kit is your runner up three-point kit as they are excellent lights, though they have only 480 LEDs per piece compared to the 660 offered by the Neewer lights.

Aside from that, the GVM 3 Pack is more or less the same, except you can control them from an app rather than via a physical remote control, which is pretty good as it means you won’t need to worry about forgetting the controller!

Another notable difference is that the GVM lights have a huge color temperature range, going as warm as 2300K and as white as 6800K, giving you a massive range to make sure you can get the perfect feel for every photo or video.

Each light comes with a set of barn doors and a soft light diffuser, as well as a high-quality lighting stand for each one, which are fantastic products in themselves.

Build-quality on these lights is insane.

The panels are made out of aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, which I guess means you can go and use these to film Gravity 2. But seriously, they’ll go the distance.

And with a lifespan of over 70,000 hours, the LEDs should be with you for the long haul as well!

Key Features of the GVM 3 Pack LED Video Lighting Kit :

• App-controllable
• Adjustable brightness
• 480 LED pieces per panel
• Adjustable aluminum alloy stands
• Color temperature from 2300K-6800K
• Use a power adaptor or Sony NPF batteries (not included)

Best Bang For Your Buck 3-Point Kit: VILTROX VL-200

The Viltrox VL-200 is the best bang for your buck 3-point kit because for not much more than $200 you get three LED light panels with hot shoe adaptors, stands, power adaptors, a remote control, and a bag to carry it all in.

Talk about convenience.

The light panels are bi-color, so you can adjust the color temperature from 3300K to 5600K, and you can even adjust the brightness.

You can do that from the rear LCD panel on each light, or from the included remote control.

No batteries are included with this kit, though it can use your standard Sony-style NPF batteries, and the kit comes with power adaptors to plug them into the wall, so you’re good either way.

What’s really cool about the VL-200 lights is they come with hot shoe adaptors, so if you wanted to quickly use one on top of your DSLR camera or camcorder without setting up lighting stands, it’s super easy.

The stands that come in the kit are reasonably sturdy, perhaps not the strongest of all stands every but definitely enough to hold these lights up, and the cool thing is they extend to almost 2m high so you can get the perfect angle.

Key Features of the Viltrox VL-200:

• LCD Display Screen
• Includes carrying case
• 3x 96 LED pieces lights
• Max. Brightness: 2500LM
• Remote controllable (included)
• Universal 1/4″ hot shoe adapter
• Adjustable Brightness 20% – 100%
• Included stands can extend to almost 2m tall
• Adjustable Color Temperature 3300k-5600k

Best Cheap 3 Point Lighting Kit: Mountdog Softbox Lighting Kit

The Mountdog Softbox Lighting Kit is the best cheap 3 point lighting kit as it slides in nicely under $100, but gives you a professional, soft, and diffuse film lighting setup.

This kit uses continuous lighting via 3x 95W CFL light bulbs, as opposed to a panel of LED lights. The benefit here is when the bulbs inevitably die (even LEDs do), they are really easy to replace.

The bulbs are mounted in the center of a softbox, of which you get three, which helps to diffuse the light and prevent ugly shadows being cast.

The softboxes mount nicely atop of the lighting stands that are provided with the kit, and what’s really great here is you can adjust the angle of the softbox up to 210 degrees. This means you can create weird and interesting effects, or simply opt for a standard 45-degree angle.

Whatever works for you!

Either way, the output and feel from these lights is great, and its definitely the best lighting kits you can get when your bank account ain’t looking so good.

Key Features of the Mountdog Softbox Lighting Kit:

• Carrying case included
• A professional lighting setup on a budget
• Continous lighting using 3x 95w CFL bulbs
• Three softboxes included with 210-degree adjustability
• Sturdy aluminum stands with boom and sandbag counterbalance weights

Best Portable 3 Point Mobile Lighting Kit: GVM 3 Pack LED Video Lighting Kit

The GVM 3 Pack LED Video Lighting Kit is the best portable 3 point mobile lighting kit because it’s a full-on pro-level lighting kit that all packs up nicely into one deluxe carrying bag.

One of the biggest pains in the ass when it comes to lighting a video shoot is all the gear you need to bring. From light panels to stands to brackets to diffusers, it gets pretty tough pretty quickly, especially when you’re trying to get around quickly. Like the say, time is money!

The GVM 3 pack comes with three LED panels with U-brackets attached, and these brackets are really slim and well-designed, so they don’t take up too much space.

The included lighting stands are also highly-compressible, and this is where a big part of the magic happens in making this a really mobile kit.

The problem is, lighting stands are really big, and you want something sturdy. The last thing you want is for the stand to fall over and for one of your lights to smash!

The stands in this lighting pack manage to be both extremely well-built, and seriously portable, folding down into neat little bundles that can fit in the bag with everything else!

You won’t need to worry about external diffusion either, as each light comes with a diffusion filter that attaches directly to each light! Easy!

Key Features of the GVM 3 Pack LED Video Lighting Kit :

• App-controllable
• Adjustable brightness
• 480 LED pieces per panel
• Adjustable aluminum alloy stands
• Color temperature from 2300K-6800K
• Use a power adaptor or Sony NPF batteries (not included)

Best LED 3 Point Lighting kit: Neewer 660

The Neewer 660 is the best LED 3 point lighting kit because each panel has an amazing 660 LED light pieces, which means you can deliver optimal brightness to light up your film set perfectly.

A three-point LED kit is pretty much the gold standard in creating an effective and professional film lighting setup, and you can’t get much better than the Neewer 660.

Here’s what you get:

Three LED light panels, three soft diffusers, three sets of barndoors, three lighting stands, three power adaptors, a carrying case for it all, and a remote control for the lights.

Yes, that’s right. The lights are remote-controllable.

This makes life super easy, as all you have to do is position the lights correctly, and then you dial in the right amount of brightness for each, and also adjust the color temperate from 3200K to 5600K, depending on the feel you’re trying to achieve in your shoot.

Key Features of the Neewer 660:

• Remote controllable
• On-panel LCD display
• Can run on Sony NPF style batteries (not included)
• Adjustable color temperature (3200K to 5600K) and brightness
• Kit comes with three lights and stands, barn doors, diffusion sheets, power adaptors and a carrying case

Best Professional 3 Point Lighting Kit: Digital Sputnik DS3 LED Modular Light Basic System

Specs: When you simply need the best of the best, and money is no object, then the Digital Sputnik DS3 is the king of LED lighting systems.

The Digital Sputnik DS3 LED Modular Light Basic System is the best professional 3 point lighting kit because each of the lights offer flicker-free dimming, and a huge color temperature range: 1500K-10,000K.

Most lighting kits only go from 3200K to 5600K, which means the DS3 lights can get much warmer, or much whiter than your typical LED light.

The lights all offer a full RGB ability as well as primary color rendering, so these lights would be suitable for a live situation like a concert too.

You can control all of the lights via WiFi, or use an external DMX controller for a completely professional live lighting setup.

When you’re using lighting kits like this at concerts, you’ll want to be able to control the brightness, and because the DS3 offers flicker-free dimming, you won’t notice any weird stuff going on when you do dial the brightness up or down.

Being a professional 3 point light kit, the Digital Sputnik comes with a three-year warranty, and a proper flight case to protect the lights, which is much more than is offered by most budget-friendly kits, which only come with a bag (if that).

Key Features of the Digital Sputnik DS3 LED Modular Light Basic System:

• Brightness Adjustable from 0 to 100%
• Professional-quality flight case included
• Full RGB with Primary Color Rendering
• Controllable over WiFi or via DMX module (separately available)
• Adjustable color temperature: 1500-10,000K with +/- Green Tint

Best Traveling 3 Point Kit: Light & Motion Stella Pro ‘Barry Andersson’ Interview Kit

The Light & Motion Stella Pro ‘Barry Andersson’ Interview Kit is the best traveling 3 point kit as the whole lighting kit can fit in a flight case (included) that could easily be your carry-on baggage.

Now that’s small.

And that’s exactly what you need if you’re a traveling interview or film-creator, and you just need to jump on a plane with your carry-on gear, but still need a solid lighting kit.

This kit certainly isn’t cheap, but it offers a lot more than simply being incredibly portable.

The kit comes with two splash-proof Stella Pro RF 8000 lights and one Stella Pro RF 5000 which is submersible! What!?

The three lights are super compact but still very powerful, and even come with a set of barndoors. Plus, they are controllable via the included remote control, so you can modify and shape the type of light output to provide a hard or soft light.

If it’s good enough for Barry Andersson, an award-winning director and cinematographer, it’s good enough for us!

Key Features of the Light & Motion Stella Pro ‘Barry Andersson’ Interview Kit:

• Power supplies included
• 2 Stella Pro 8000 RF Lights, 1 Stella Pro 5000 RF light
• Control the lights via included remote control for easy changes
• 120-degree beam can be easily shaped and modified to provide a hard or soft light
• Comes with a heavy-duty flight case that is small enough to be your carry on baggage

Best Aura 3 Point Lighting Kit: Aura by Digital Juice

The Aura by Digital Juice is the best Aura 3 point lighting kit because the design of the fluorescent tube lights and reflective barndoors makes for a seriously pro-level performance.

Rather than using LED light panels, the Aura lights use 55w Biax fluorescent bulbs, which deliver an incredibly soft style of light, and are the equivalent of 500w in the older-style hot lights.

You get three of these in the kit (obviously), and what’s really cool is each of the light fixtures has barn doors attached with a reflective inside, so you can easily direct the light source.

The stands that come in this kit are pretty well-built, and they can extend up to 6 feet each so you’ll have no issues with lighting most scenes from above.

The great thing about those fluorescent lights is that the power draw is very light, so you won’t be paying thousands on your power bill. Each of the light fixtures runs of its own power cable which is included in the kit.

One last thing that’s worth noting is that because this kit uses fluorescent lamps, the color temperature is fixed at 5400K.

Key Features of the Aura by Digital Juice:

• CRI: >95
• 3 x 6 feet light stands
• Color Temperature: 5400K
• Light Fixtures with two 55W Biax Fluorescent Lamps
• Attached Gooseneck Mounting Arm & Two-Way Barn Doors

Best Helios 3 Point Lighting Kit: Helios By Digital Juice

Specs: The Helios by Digital Juice is an incredibly flexible lighting kit that’s fantastic for at-home shoots or for taking on the road.

The Helios by Digital Juice is the best Helios 3 point lighting kit because, with a total output of 1600w and a convenient roller carrying case, this kit is perfect for on-location and at-home film shoots.

The Helios 3 point lighting kit comes with two different kinds of Helios lights, one 300w 3.2″ Helios 300, and two 650w 4.3″ Helios 650s. The idea here is that you’ll probably use the two 650s as your key and fill lights, and the 300 as the back light. Or, perhaps swap the back and fill lights, depending on what you’re trying to achieve.

The Helios 300 even has an in-line dimmer so you can dial down the brightness if required.

One thing we really like about the Helios by Digital Juice kit is that you can change the lighting angle of each light (from flood to spotlight) by simply turning the worm-gear driven knob on the back of the fixtures.

This makes this lighting kit incredibly flexible, especially when you use the 4-leaf barndoors to further direct the lighting angle.

If you’re the kind of camera operator or DP that’s constantly moving from location to location, the Helios by Digital Juice is an excellent kit for you, as the three lights and stands pack nicely into the included bag, which unlike most carrying cases, has roller wheels on the bottom!

Key Features of the Helios by Digital Juice:

• Includes carry bag with wheels
• Spherical specular aluminum reflector
• 4-leaf barn doors to alter the shape and direction of the light
• 1 x Helios 300: 300w with in-line dimmer & 2 x Helios 650: 650w
• Worm-gear driven focusing – change the focus from spot to flood beam

Best Softbox Lighting Kit for Video: Neewer Softbox Lighting Kit

The Neewer Softbox Lighting Kit is the best softbox lighting kit for video because the softboxes that come in the kit are dual-purpose!

They are nice and big so you’ll get a decent amount of coverage (20×28”), and they’re excellent at creating a soft, natural, diffuse light that doesn’t cast shadows and is perfect for capturing video.

If you need though, you can remove the white diffuser shield inside the softbox, revealing a shiny, reflective silver surface. With the softbox in this mode, you can better reflect and focus your light source. Of course, it’s not going to be as diffuse as with the white cloth on.

Inside the softboxes are two circular LED light panels with 168 LED pieces in each for maximum brightness. You can even dial the brightness down, if you need a more subtle light and don’t want the full 48W on offer. In addition to being able to adjust the brightness, you can also control the color temperature.

You can do this from the back of the light panel, or, handily, using the included remote control. This makes life super easy, as sometimes you’ll set these lights up in places where accessing the back panel is impossible. Being able to dial down from 5600K to 3200K has never been easier.

The Neewer Softbox Lighting Kit even comes with three different colored light filters (2 of each), so you can create interesting lighting effects in your videos!

Key Features of the Neewer Softbox Lighting Kit:

• Softbox size: 20×28”
• Adjustable color temperature (3200K-5600K)
• Dual-purpose softboxes – diffusion or reflection
• Red, yellow, and blue color filters (three of each)
• 2x 48W dimmable LED lights with 168 pieces each
• Includes two light stands, power adaptors, and a carrying case for it all
• Included remote control for adjusting color temperature and brightness

A Couple Of Quick Tips For Newbies

You’ve obviously come to the conclusion that you need a good lighting setup for your shoots, which is awesome.

What you might not know is how to ideally position the lights for the best possible videos.

In a standard professional video production setup, you have three lights.

The first is your key light, which is the main and strongest light source. A general rule for the key light is to position it about 45 degrees above and 45 degrees to the right or the left of your subject.

The second light, called the fill light, is generally placed directly opposite of the key light, and is around half the intensity of the key light. This allows you to fill in shadows on your subject’s face and create a nice soft light.

The third light (which adds a nice depth to your background) is called the backlight. You’ve probably already guessed where this goes: behind the subject.

You’ll want to make sure to place this light well above and behind the subject so that it’s well out of shot.

A couple more tips for beginners:

• Soft light is generally more flattering than hard light, so you might want to consider using a light diffuser
• Generally, you want to avoid lighting a subject from below (it creates that scary campfire story effect), or from directly above. A good rule is to aim for a 45-degree angle

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best video lighting kit?

The best video lighting kit is the GVM RGB Video Lights. That’s because the three included lights are not only color temperature adjustable, you make these lights any color you need as they are RGB!

What is the best cheap video lighting kit?

The best cheap video lighting kit is the Neewer USB LED Video Light because you get so much for just $50: 2 USB lights, 8 color filters (4 for each), and two super portable stands.

What is the best portable video lighting kit?

The best portable video is the Neewer USB LED Video Light because the lights themselves aren’t much bigger than an iPhone, and the stands that the lights come with compress to just under 9 inches.

What is the best 3 point lighting kit?

The best 3 point lighting kit is the Neewer 660.

That’s because each light is brightness adjustable via remote control, and you can even change the color temperature for a warm effect, or for a nice bright white light.

Conclusion

From budget-friendly USB lights to top-of-the-range professional three-point LED kits, these are the best video lighting kits on the market right now.

Whichever you choose, it’s important that you use them correctly. There’s no use having all the right gear if you don’t know how to use it!

If you’re new to film and three-point lighting, head back to the top of this post and check out our tips!