Best Lights For Green Screen
Green screen is now gaining popularity as a means of visual effects, and lighting for shots is very important. Lighting for a green screen is a technical job that requires a good grasp on the subject of chroma key compositing. However, having the right lighting can make all the difference in how realistic your shots look.
Now there are a lot of options for cinematic lighting in the market, but not all of them are ideal for greenscreen shots. Some may even end up being counterproductive.
This is the reason why I have made a compilation of the best lights for green screen. After a lot of research, these models have been chosen to be a part of this list. I have listed all the notable features, pros, and cons that come with each product. Now let's move on to the list of best lights for green screen.
LIST OF BEST LIGHTS FOR GREEN SCREEN
10 BEST LIGHTS FOR GREEN SCREEN REVIEW
1. MOUNTDOG - BEST SOFTBOX LIGHTING KIT FOR GREEN SCREEN
I highly recommend this Mountdog Photography Studio Softbox if you are serious about filmmaking. Professional cameramen claim it to the one of the must have equipment for filmmaking because it gives a fantastic performance and is worth the price. Please have a look at its features!
Firstly, it is suitable for both indoor photo/video shoots. You can use it for your studio work to take bright family shots, shoot music videos, and portrait photography.
Secondly, this high-quality lighting kit has a boom mount for overhead lighting. Along with the single boom mount, you also get a sandbag. This is a very durable unit, and you can also improvise the boom stand as a third softbox.
When you need high levels of lighting, this light is the answer. Each softbox comes with a 135W fluorescent bulb, as well as a spare bulb. This is something that puts it above other products in the same class.
The Mountdog Kit is built out of lightweight material and only weighs 16 pounds. This makes it easy to transport from place to place. The stands are made of durable aluminum alloy, which means they are not strong, lightweight, and also allow easy height adjustments. You can compress the stand height to 27 inches or even extend it to 80inches, depending on your shooting needs.
This lighting kit is simple to use, and even beginners can set it up with ease. All things said and done; there is no doubt that this is one of the best lights for the green screen.
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2. NEEWER - BEST LED LIGHTING KIT FOR GREEN SCREEN
One of the best lights for green screen is the Bi-Color 660 LED Video Light kit. This lighting kit has two LED panels and excellent foldable soft boxes. The complete kit also features two light stands and AC adapters along with carrying bags.
Something I found exceptional is the high-quality LEDs that have CRI values of 96+. There are additional perks to LEDs that I will get to later.
The Neewer 2 Pieces Lighting Kit has a stand made of aluminum alloy that is adjustable as well. With a well-constructed locking system, your kit is always safe. By industrial standards, the booth is compatible with equipment such as reflectors, softboxes, lights, studios, backgrounds, and much more.
Coming back to the LEDs, the lights used are330 White and 330 Yellow LED. The light illuminates a variable white balance with a Tungsten-Daylight 3200-5600K Color Temperature. The U-mount Bracket is ideal for adjusting the lighting angle.
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3. EMART LED VIDEO LIGHTING KIT
The Smart LED Video Lighting Kit gives an angle of 180 degrees to adjust to. With this, you can customize lighting settings. This greenscreen light comes with 66 energy-saving LED bulbs. This increases the area covered by the light and reduces unnecessary shadows.
The brightness has a free adjustable feature. There are 11 brightness levels to cater to diverse requirements. You also get four color filters for various visual effects.
Starting at the height of 21 inches, you can extend it to 53cm to 55 inches and finally to136cm. Something notable is that you can lock it up at any kind of measurement that you want it to be. With these lights, you get much more than an ordinary extension pole design.
You get an email tripod that has a lock-type design. The function of this design is to ensure that the pole does not slip when it is being used. You can place it on any surface and position it at your convenience. The stand is made of aluminum alloy material. All of these factors make it one of the best lights for green screen.
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4. GVM - BEST GREEN SCREEN LIGHTING KIT
GVM RGB LED Video Lighting Kit produces an ultra-bright variable white balance. This is thanks to the tungsten-daylight 3200K-5600K color temperature setting.
This model is sure to perfectly light up any green screen you use. Something I love about this unit is that it is made with lightweight and durable construction. It is equipped with a high-quality EVA protection case and is convenient to transport.
It is equipped with 168 LED Beads and 84 RGB beads. This video lighting kit has an inbuilt American Chip. This durable product gives you over 100000 hours of usage.
The GVM RGB LED is made with aerospace aluminum alloy casing to effectively help the LED light to dissipate heat. It has two modes. The first mode is where the color temperature is between 3200K and 5600K. The second mode is one where you can adjust the hue output and color.
The saturation of red, green, and blue can be anywhere from 0% to 100%. All of these give the GVM RGB LED a place among the best lights for green screen.
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5. DAZZNE D50 - BEST REMOTE CONTROLLED LIGHTING KIT
The Dazzle D50 is one big box within which there are three other boxes. Each of these contains a light with the amount, a long extendable light stand, and a power brick using which you can plug directly into a wall socket.
This lighting kit also has the option of a remote and battery component. You can buy these for the sake of convenience but they do not affect performance in any way.
This kit emits bright light. You can customize the color temperatures between 3000K-5800K depending on your needs. You can also set it to different profiles of choice.
All you have to do is select your preferred temperature and brightness. This studio kit also features a master and slave function. With 48 Channels and 6 Groups, any light could act as the master and sync with the other lights in the same channel or group. You also get a go back and forth bag.
This helps you store and carry out the lights, tripod stands, and all accessories. With features like this lighting, the kit is one of the best lights for green screen.
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6. NEEWER SL-60W - BEST LED VIDEO LIGHTING KIT FOR GREEN SCREEN
The SL-60W LED Video Light produces high light brightness and an advanced color rendering index. This is because of their powerful LED beads. It is a stable light source that you can rely on for any kind of green screenshots.
This light is suitable for outdoor settings, fluorescent backgrounds, and even for children as subjects. This is because it uses continuous output lighting. Since it has no flash, it is easy to protect a child's eyes. A specialized protective cover helps prevent any damage to the LED beads.
The copper heat sink and cooling fan keep the entire unit cool effectively during operation. You get a wireless 433MHZ remote control that has six groups and 16 channels. This system gives you the control to change settings like brightness and channels.
The brightness can be adjusted from 10% to 100%. The color rendering index can go over 95, R9 is 90, and TLCI(Qa) is over 90. So you can easily add it to the list of the best lights for green screen.
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7. RALENO LED VIDEO LIGHTING KITS
The Reno LED is a portable and lightweight lighting kit. It uses USB charging that makes it compatible with a power bank, car charging, laptop, or adapter. Most mainstream power sources are adequate to charge it. This video light has a battery life of one and a half hours. It can light up the subject to 5 feet away.
The Reno LED can be adjusted from 3200 to 5600k in terms of temperature. The adjustment is done on the back panel. You can also adjust the brightness. This light can be mounted on a 4k film camcorder or any mount with its compatible ¼ screw hole.
An inbuilt eye protection technology keeps your subjects safe. It comes with an acrylic light guide that softens the light. The portability makes it the right choice for outdoor green screens as well. All in all, it fits in with the best lights for a green screen.
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8. TRAVOR BI-COLOR LIGHTING KIT
The Travor Bi-Color Lighting Kit uses flexible circuit technology which means it bends and molds to whatever shape you want. This LED mat weighs only 0.8 pounds.
Since the unit is one-piece, there is no installation procedure. There is no need to reassemble the lamp frame. The light framework allows you to have 180⁰ adjustments.
The Travor Bi-Color Lighting Kit comes with a stable stand that can adjust from 33 inches to 79inches. The wireless remote control can control 4 groups of lights within 20 meters at the same time.
With this feature, long-distance shots on green screens are easy. This LED panel light comes with a high CRI 95+ to help you produce an accurate color rendition. The white diffusing cloth that comes with the kit can diffuse the harsh light and eliminate the brightness spots. You make it the best lights for green screen.
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9. IVISII LIGHTING KIT
The IVISII Lighting Kit produces a wide range of light colorations to meet different green screen needs. The detachable barn door ensures that you have better control of the light. It also keeps stray light from other areas from reflecting into the camera lens and causing flare.
So if you close the barn door, it can protect the lamp beads. The white diffuse can prevent the harsh light and eliminate the brightness spots. Though this is not one of the best lights for green screen, it is an okayish product.
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10. TRAVOR 60W LED LIGHTING KIT
The TR-60WS lighting kit is made to produce high light brightness. This lighting kit also comes with features like color rendering index with powerful LED beads. Trevor 60W LED is a stable and reliable source of light.
This lighting kit comes with a premium heatsink and built-in fan cooling system effectively. All of these features help in heat dissipation and offer better protection of the LED beads.
With protection from heat and other factors, you can be sure that this lighting kit will have a long life. The TR-60WS lighting kit is extremely power efficient and uses minimal electricity to function. All of these things make it one of the best lights for a green screen.
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BUYING GUIDE FOR PURCHASING THE BEST LIGHT FOR GREEN SCREEN
Here I have listed few features you need to look upon while purchasing the best lighting setup for green screen.
1. MATERIAL USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION
The first factor you need to analyze in the product is to see if it is a durable material. In the case of best lights for green screen, go for a lighting element made of metal because metal construction is more strong and rugged than plastic construction. Even if the light accidentally falls on the ground, it will not get damaged if it is made of top-quality material.
2. BATTERY POWERED/CABLED LIGHTS
This solely depends on the purpose and area of your shooting. If your shooting area is small and shooting pictures or videos for studio-related works, cabled lights are useful.
However, if you're shooting in an open area, it is better to opt for a light that can run on interchangeable batteries.
3. BUDGET
Numerous brands are providing a variety of green screen kits today. You can easily choose the one that will fit your budget and the purpose of your shooting.
If you intend to purchase a light for taking a movie or a music video, you can invest in high-budget lights (have top-quality performance). However, if you want to purchase one only for indoor use, say for your studios, you needn't go for an expensive light.
Also, most modern cameras have in-built flash and high sensitivity to light. If you own such a DSLR or video camera, you needn't spend more on a lighting element.
4. overall weight
This again depends on the area of your photo/video shoots. If you're looking for a light for your studios or workstations, the weight of the light is not a big factor to consider.
But, if you want a light for outdoor shooting, where you will be moving the lights very often, please make sure the lights are not very heavy. Otherwise, you will have to face the burden of carrying the lights here and there.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Can ring lights be used for green screen?
Yes. Using ring lights for a green screen will allow the light to be evenly distributed over the green screen and the streamer. Also, with a ring light, the probability of your shadows falling on the green screen is minimum.
2. What is the minimum distance to be maintained between the subject and the green screen?
A minimum of 4 feet is a critical distance to be maintained between the screen and the subject. The idea is that the minimum space should not be less than the ideal height of the person. So, a distance of 6-10 feet will help get good-quality photos and videos without shadows falling on the screen.
3. How many lights is needed for a green screen?
This is up to you if the purpose of your shooting is dominant; you can use a front, back, and a sidelight to get an ample amount of light for your green backdrop. But, having three lights is not a must in all cases. Even with two lights, one on each side of the green screen, you have a bright photo/video shoot.
CONCLUSION
When it comes to technical aspects of show business, green screens lighting is very important. This is why you should only use the best lighting kits for such scenes. How good a lighting kit can easily determine how realistic the scene turns out to be.
Now there are a lot of options for lighting kits in the market. One can easily be overwhelmed by numerous choices and choosing one option between so many. This is why we have put together a list of the best lights for green screen. Now you can pick the right one from the list with ease.
