Originally, to be able to make high quality film or photoshoots, you would need a relatively high budget for not only the props, but also for the equipment. Whether it is a high-quality camera, gimble or camera stabilizer, sound recording devices and lighting, all these devices come with a hefty price in exchange for their professional high-level function. However, if you wanted to film or shoot something professional nowadays, you don’t necessarily have to have an extremely high budget. If you can guarantee that you have a high-quality film device, a source of lighting, a gimble for stabilizing your shot, and a microphone for capturing sound, you can make some very high-quality productions. This is all possible thanks to modern day technology, mobile phones can film in 4K, camera and phone stabilizers are much more advanced and affordable, and microphones can be attached to your film devices. However, high quality lighting has always been stuck in between the middle a bit, with the better lighting equipment being too expensive and the cheap ones are unable to provide the lighting you need. This is when a good light stick comes in handy. As filming equipment have improved over the years, so has lighting equipment. In this article, we will take a deeper look into the what makeup a good light stick, as well as take a look at currently some of the best light sticks on the market.
What is a Light Stick?
A light stick is a portable illumination device that is able to provide sufficient lighting any photographer or videographer needs for a film or photoshoot. They are usually handheld to allow for high amounts of control for how you want to project the light, and some can switch the color that they project, allowing you to create different moods or atmospheres on your sets. Since lighting is crucially important when taking photos or making videos, having a portable source of light is always necessary if you want to be able to take the highest quality of photos. Without sufficient lighting, photos become unclear, and you wouldn’t be able admire all the details of photos themselves. Alright, you now have decided that you are going to buy a light stick, but how do you choose? Below we shall discuss some of the qualities and functions you should look out for in a good light stick.
What are the Qualities of a Good Light Stick?
In order for a light stick to be good, there are certain criteria or qualities that it needs to have. First and most importantly, a good light stick is able to provide good illumination to the set. A good light stick is able to light up a whole area or scene so that the person or item being shot or filmed has enough lighting so that the camera is able to catch every necessary detail. If a light stick has poor illumination, then there is not much point in spending your money purchasing it. Secondly, a good light stick should have a sustainable battery life. Usually, light stick batteries aren’t able to last too long due to the amount of energy it uses in order to provide the illumination that it does. However, a good light stick should be able to sustain for a majority of the photo shoot and should have fast charging so that it can recharge quick enough to use throughout the photoshoot. Finally, a good light stick usually is very versatile and has the ability to emit different colors. If the light stick is extremely heavy and can only be set on one specific point, you won’t have a lot of freedom with how you want to play with the lighting in your photo shoot, therefore a light stick that is versatile, and has color changing options will give you infinite more possibilities. Now that we have a good idea of the qualities that a good light stick has, lets take a look at some of the best light sticks currently on the market. All the light sticks we introduced today are made by ZHIYUN, a world leading brand in making camera stabilizers, phone stabilizers and other camera related equipment.
The Fiveray FR100C
Integrating an advanced radiator and 6 fans inside, the Fiveray FR100C is a light stick that can reach up to 20708 lux at its 100W max power with intelligent temperature control and overheat protection, satisfying various professional shooting scenarios. The sophisticated power distribution technology prevents the light stick from generating too much heat while in high power. It is supports RGB, which allows you to create any atmosphere you want with just one press to enter HSI mode. Use the control dial to adjust the H-Hue (0-360°), S-saturation (0-100%) and I-Illuminance (0-100%). If you aren’t looking to hold it, you can also mount the light stick onto a stand, freeing up your hands. The FR100C has 6 built-in 2600mAh batteries ensure 1h4min runtime at 50W working power, however if you would like it to continuously run, it comes with a 120W switching adapter, you can continuously use FIVERAY FR100C while charging it. The power supply technology in the light stick ensures a 100W output while charging and using safely. Overall the FR100C is an extremely well rounded and solid choice as a light stick.
The Fiveray F100
Through unremitting technology development and accumulation, ZHIYUN introduces the F100, a new benchmark of portable stick lights. The integration of 100W high power and great performance achieved by innovative technologies enlivens every detail of your creation. At only 950 grams, with its minimalistic designs fits perfectly in your hand while providing you with six creative lighting effects and various ambient lighting that help build up atmosphere easily when inspiration strikes. Embedded with 5 times more LED chips, F100 gives you ultra-bright output compared to the same-sized lights. The highly sophisticated technology firmly improves the lighting control efficiency up to over 90%, ensuring a stable illuminance that can reach 20708 lux at its peak. If you are someone that likes to go for the best of the best, the F100 is definitely a light stick to look out for!
The Fiveray M40
While not exactly a light stick, the M40 is a pocket light fill device made by ZHIYUN that pushes the boundaries of technological structure and lighting performance, bringing the 40W pocket fill light to creators who are weary of cumbersome equipment and seek for more efficient workflow. At only 320 grams and the size of your palms, M40 responds to your calls for simplicity, reifying innovation and utility in its compact body. It provides an ultra-bright light at 14000 lux. With its variable frequency cooling system, the M40 adopts the DynaVort Cooling System™ that consists of gyroscope modeling heat sink, FOC fans, and attitude-control algorithm to prevent overheating.
The DynaVort technology that applies the fluid dynamics, raises the cooling efficiency by substantially enhancing the airflow emissions through intelligent control. It has 176 LED chips bring an incredible illuminance that rivals the key light provided by bigger equipment. Both cool and warm colors enable the max power output at 40W with no strobes. CRI≥96, TLCI≥97. The M40 is handy yet powerful enough to seamlessly fit in various lighting scenarios, enabling you to reach full potential with the professional lighting effect.
Conclusion
With technology advancing it has become a lot easier for people to try out high quality photography. However, it is extremely important to have all the equipment necessary, and lighting is a crucial part to any photographer or videographers setup. ZHIYUN has made the possibilities infinitely more accessible with its innovative light stick and gimble products. If you have found this article helpful, please take the time to checkout ZHIYUN’s website for all the amazing products they have created for photographers, videographers and film enthusiasts.
