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Neewer 18″ Dimmable LED Ring Light
This dimmable LED ring light will make any vlogger or YouTuber look great. It’s quick and simple to use and is loved by many beauty and make-up vloggers. This ring lights can help make your shots look glamorous and give you those fashionable circular catch-light reflections in your eyes.
The Neewer 18-inch dimmable LED ring light is one of the best ring lights for DSLR video when you want to get a great look for your videos at an affordable price.
What’s in the box
- 1x Dimmable LED Ring Light
- 1x Light Stand
- 1x Soft Tube
- 1x White and Orange Color Filter Set
- 1x Tripod Head Hot Shoe Adapter
- 1x Smart Phone Holder
- 1x Charger with US/EU Plug
- 1x Carrying Bag
- Please note: 1. The light stand is packed in a separate box inside the big package box (under the...
- Kit includes: (1)18"/45cm Outer 55W 5600K LED Ring Light+(1)61"/155cm Light Stand+(1)Soft...
- Dimmable 18"/45cm Outer 55W 5600K 240 Pieces LED bulbs with a wide dimming range from 1%-100%....
- 61"/155cm light stand is constructed from aluminum alloy, giving it exceptional strength; The soft...
Last update on 2024-10-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
DIY Video Studio review
Ring lights are frequently used by make-up artists but have become popular with videographers and YouTubers to make their subjects appear more glamorous. If you like those circular catch-light reflections in your eyes the effect is easy with a ring light. In fact, it’s pretty much automatic in medium and close-up shots.
If you are a vlogger, create YouTube beauty and make-up tutorials, want to do live streams, or take portrait shots, you’ll love the Neewer 18-inch LED ring light. It’s also the light for you if you need a simple lighting setup that produces soft light to help to smooth shadows and improve the appearance of skin.
The other reason you might want this ring light is if you have limited space in your home video studio. Two or three soft boxes will take up much more space in a bedroom or sitting room, but the 18-inch Neewer LED ring light will fit in there easily and produce plenty of illumination. I would say it’s the best ring light for DSLR video or if you are using a smartphone.
Although the ring light doesn’t come with instructions it is easy to assemble. You should have it set up in under 10 minutes. If you do need instructions, you can download the Installation Manual from the product information in the Amazon listing.
The ring light has 240 daylight (5500K) rated LEDs that are dimmable and have a total power rating of 55W. That’s roughly equivalent in brightness to a single 135W CFL bulb. But being a ring, the illumination has the effect of coming from all directions around your camera, producing a very flattering soft light.
With the Neewer 18-inch ring light, you will be able to shoot at an ISO of 100 with a shutter speed of 1/50 sec and an aperture of f/2.8. What’s more, the results will look pretty much professional.
The kit includes what Neewer calls a soft tube (a gooseneck) so you can bend the ring light into position. My advice is not to use it. Mount the ring light directly on the light stand.
There is also a ball head adapter and a smartphone adapter that clip into the cold hot shoe on the ring light. Personally, I would mount any type of camera on a separate tripod and shoot through the ring. This will be a much more stable platform for your camera as well as being a much safer setup.
Although the ring light will improve your photos and videos (many users say they are 10x better), the light and stand have been produced to a budget. So, as with most consumer-level photo/video gear, treat it with a bit of care and respect. If you do that the ring light should give you impressive results and last a reasonable length of time.
For more details about what to look for when choosing a ring light see my article Choosing The Best Ring Light For YouTube Videos.
Would I buy this kit?
I wouldn’t hesitate in buying this Neewer 18″ ring light, especially if I were making video content in a limited space or was a vlogger.
A complete novice could set up the Neewer 18-inch LED ring light and get great lighting for their photos and videos.
One thing worth pointing out is that this, and most video accessories in the under $200 price range, are consumer-level products. This ring light features a lot of plastic in its build and therefore it is not as robust as professional gear. That’s not a terrible thing. It means this and other video accessories are available to amateurs at a price they can afford. Other than being made of plastic, it’s a great buy and I would have no hesitation in saying it’s the best ring light for DSLR video at an affordable price.
My Favorite Content Creation Kit
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Hopefully, you found it helpful in creating your own content for your social media and YouTube channels. I have listed some of the gear I use as a YouTuber and online course creator and hope you’ll also find it useful. I have recommended this equipment to my readers and my own family and friends.
Audio Recorder: I use Zoom digital recorders to capture good quality audio for videos, podcasts, and radio/TV advertising. Unlike SLRs the Zoom Handy recorders can record from multiple sources simultaneously, ideal if you have two or more people speaking. I’ve used the H4n, H5, and H6 and would recommend them to anyone.
Camera: You can use your smartphone when starting out, but I’d recommend getting a Mirrorless Camera. I use both the Canon EOS R and EOS R6. Both can shoot Full HD or 4K, and the Eye AutoFocus will keep you sharply in focus even if you move around. If your budget is smaller, I would recommend the Canon M50 MkII.
Video microphone: Arguably, sound quality is more important than video quality, that’s why I use a Deity V-Mic D3 Pro super-cardioid shotgun microphone on my mirrorless cameras. It automatically powers on when I turn on my camera and powers down when I switch off the camera. But I also like the versatility of the mic. It automatically senses what device it is connected to ensuring it works with SLRs, camcorders, smartphones, Handy recorders, laptops, and bodypack transmitters.
Video Lighting: Although daylight is my favorite lighting, I use LED lighting for all the videos I shoot indoors because good lighting can make a tremendous difference to the visual appeal of a video. For video calls on Zoom or Teams, I use the Lume Cube Broadcast Lighting Kit. For YouTube videos and creating video tutorials for online courses, I love the Lume Cube 18″ Cordless Ring Light Kit. Both these lights are excellent, and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending them.
Teleprompter software: I use the iCue teleprompter app on my iPad when using it with a traditional beam-splitter teleprompter and control it remotely with the iCue Remote app on my iPhone. On my PC I use Teleprompter Pro from the Microsoft Store.
Teleprompter hardware: Teleprompters help you present to the camera without needing to learn your script. When I need more screen space and the durability of an all-metal build, I like the Glide Gear TMP100 beam-splitter teleprompter. It works with my mirrorless cameras and uses an iPad or tablet to run the teleprompter software.
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Tosh Lubek runs an audio and video production business in the UK and has been using the Canon EOS R since it was released in the Autumn of 2018 and the Canon EOS R6 in 2020. He has used both cameras to shoot TV commercials broadcast on Sky TV, promotional business videos, videos of events and functions, and YouTube creator content. He has also won several international awards for his advertising and promotional work. You can meet him by visiting his “video booth” at HashTag Business Events across the country.
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