The Best Affordable Handheld LED Lights
From back lights to eye lights, here are some of the best handheld lights available that won’t break your budget.
The amount of progress light companies have made in the past 10 years, technologically speaking, is pretty astounding. The trajectory of LEDs has been pretty significant as they’re pretty much the industry standard for using lights on productions now.
Thanks to a few key players in the light manufacturing space, small, affordable, powerful LED lights are now more accessible and capable than ever before. Whether you need them for background fill, a subtle eye light, or to add some color to your shot, there are plenty of options that won’t completely blow your budget for your next shoot.
Let’s talk about some options!
Aputure MC
My personal favorite light on this list, the Aputure MC is a “credit card” sized light that can fill pretty much any role you need it to. You can choose any color temperature in the MC’s bi-color range between 3200K-6500K and 100 levels of saturation adjustment. It also comes with its own diffusion case that serves as a decent built-in level of diffusion.
As an added bonus, the back of the light is magnetized so I usually find somewhere to stick it and avoid having to use a stand or any other type of clamp. This light accompanies me on every shoot and I can’t imagine not having it in my Pelican.
You can control the app through Aputure’s Sidus link app, and from my recent experiences using the app on shoots, it still works really well—I had no problems with connections or lagging at all.
Lume Cube RGB Panel Pro
If I had to put this light in a particular category of video production, it would most likely be event videography. Whether you’re shooting weddings or corporate events, attaching this on top of your camera’s cage while going handheld is the ideal move. In terms of power, the light features 263 LEDs with 1000 Lumen output.
If you’re vlogging or making any type of YouTube content, this would be perfect for background lighting. You can set this to be whatever color you want to fit the theme of the video you’re shooting.
Perhaps the most notable detail this light has going for it is the versatility and the battery life. The reason I mentioned event videography is due to the battery being able to withstand up to 4 hours at 50% brightness and 2.5 hours at 100% brightness.
Similar to the Aputure MC, this mini light can be controlled via Lume Cube’s smartphone app.
Nanlite LumiPad 11
Nanlite is quickly becoming one of my favorite light companies. The Forza series of spotlights are right up there with Aputure’s lineup—reliable, powerful, and cheap(ish). It should come as no surprise that their smaller offerings are just as impactful.
Their LumiPad 11 is a whopping 1.4 inches thick and weighs just .6lbs, making it the perfect light for any type of quick setup or event videography that you might be shooting. While this light won’t ever be a “key” light replacement, it fills that gap for a fill or back light and it does the job exceptionally well.
Nanlite is an exceptional brand and offering practical, powerful lights for reasonable prices while also consistently innovating the lineup they have is something worth supporting.
Also, they offer great warranties on all of their products. Go Nanlite!
Aputure MT Pro
This full-color mini LED tube light is going to be your new best friend.
Similar to the PavoTube listed below, this mini tube is going to help in an unfathomable amount of ways that you really won’t understand until you’re on set and you just need that little bit of hidden extra light.
I’m talking about hiding behind plants, under cabinets, behind books on a shelf, this small, colorful light is the perfect companion to give any type of shot that extra bit of flare that you need.
Personally, this thing has come in handy for interview setups that need some light to fill up the background.
Nanlite PavoTube II 6C
Similar to the Aputure MT Pro, this mini tube light from Nanlite is going to be your best friend for documentary/corporate work. The light excels with any type of production that requires a fast paced shooting schedule with little to no setup time.
The light is powered by an internal Li-ion battery, and can run for 65 minutes at full brightness. It has an adjustable color temperature from 7500-2700K with green to magenta adjustment and a CRI of 98.
So, if you need to quickly set up an interview, this light will ideally be able to operate at full capacity for the length of the interview or talking head shot—giving you a warm, cool, or specific color to enhance the overall quality of your shot.
To make it even better, there are built-in programmable effects, like the standard cop car, flame, lightning, camera flashes and “explosions.”
These types of lights (PavoTube II 6C and Aputure MT Pro) are perfect for carrying with you at all times.
Amaran AL-MX
This bi-color tank of a light is what I like to call “the brick.” It’s a little heavy but in terms of needing a light that can handle just about any situation—this is it.
How bright can it get? Pretty bright with outputting up to 1100 lux at 0.5m in Boost Mode (this will drain the battery). I shoot a lot of footage outside for my YouTube channel that is focused on landscape photography and I’ve found myself using this light for a few different scenarios.
First, providing light for myself to see what I’m doing with my camera gear once it’s gotten dark. Second, when filming myself, this light is perfect for illuminating as a makeshift key light, as well as lighting the interior of my car.
License this cover image via Aputure.
