If you're here to point out that a soft box is a light modifier, trust me I already know. This video is for beginners and it's about what you can get for bottom-dollar on Amazon. Cheers!
Don't know if this will be helpful to anyone, but I think, just to offer an alternate perspective, it's important to keep in mind that HOW you use these tools makes a big difference. I have staged multiple cheap LEDs around my set and they have served as my daily drivers for years. Each LED is outfitted with a small soft box. In my several years of UA-cam, I haven't received a single comment from anyone saying, "If only you used a large soft box instead." I agree with @EricHanson in that a single LED naked vs a large soft box light is pretty awful. If those are my options, I'd go with the large soft box light. But it's a bit of a false dichotomy. The advantage of the small LEDs is the flexibility they offer. It just depends on how you use them.
LED lighting is changing at a lighting pace. A best in class low-cost light 1 or 2 years ago is just a ho-hum light today. CRI has been improving every year and looks to continue improving. Output has been improving. Generally each LED is brighter today with better CRI. Featues are improving. Battery support, remote apps, dimming, etc. The comments about apples and oranges is also correct. He should either be comparing a LED light and a CFL light both in a softbox or both as bare bulbs. With that said, here are two lightoptions with stands and case for less than $160: Softbox: $80) High CRI 95+ 40W E27 AC110-240V LED Corn Light Daylight White (2x$40) $70) Linco Studio Lighting Softbox Light Kit AM245 LED Panel: $160) Neewer 2-Pack Dimmable Bi-color 480 LED Video Light Panel and Stand Lighting Kit
Neewer 160 LED light has it's place - it was never designed to light a room. There are many other choices for small and larger LED lights, and many have CRI's of 90+. Softboxes have there own place and it is not either or. And my experience with CFL bulbs, even daylight bulbs is that they are ok, but listed color temp and CRI are not that great. Corncob LED bulbs can be a good choice but their color temp is over 6,000 so you might want some CTO gels.
Ok... Couple of things... These lighs are designed for different purposes. Small led panels, so called on camera lights, are designed to be put on camera and usually intended for eng filming. Softboxes are not designed for filming either... at least the kind that you're talking about, they are ment for interviews. That said, being a cameraman, countles of times did those cheap on camera panels saved my behind. For a good location interview all I had to carry with me were 2 small led lights and a couple of lightstands (they are 20-25 usd a piece). More... Yongnuo lights have a cri of 95 and so does the Falconeyes. Both punch quite a bit of output for such a small lights. Falconeyes dv160 has 900 lux - f5.2 1/50 400 iso at 1m (3 feet) or f2.4 1/50 800 iso (+6 db) at 2m (6 feet). All of this being said, there are some great examples of diy lighting using only the lights from home depo and shower curtains...
I bought one of the LED box lights as I’m only just starting and even with zero experience, i knew immediately that it was going to be inadequate. Boxed it up and sent it back, did some more research and i now have a pair of softbox lights incoming. I’m excited to see the results. Great vid Eric, keep up the good work.
Eric Hanson indeed i have. I bought a pair of the “Mount Dog” soft box lights and they have been the game changer for my vids. Super be lighting, easy to set up and pull down/store and didn’t break the bank either. I’m very happy with this setup.
Reading the comments I realized I wasn't alone in thinking "wow this video has awesome content, presentation, everything! why does he have only 500??" Very helpful tips dude! Good job :)
I'm using the cheap led (a bit larger than the one on your video) and diffused the light with the cheap umbrella, and actually the result is pretty good... Well if you're don't mind with the color reproduction.
Totally agree!....Got the small one first, then went bigger but even the bigger ones with Barn Doors still don't beat the "El-Cheapo soft boxes with 4 bulb inputs I got a while back
Eric thank you so much for your non nonsense video. I particularly like the fact that unlike most youtuber you dont sit on the fence. I can't believe you only have 219 subs. You deserve so many more. Keep at it. You're really good at it. Suscribed.
I completely agree with you on the pros and cons on the LED lights. I have a few of them. One thing I would note is that you keep referring to them as 'on camera...'. The only, and I mean ONLY way I would ever mount these on a camera is if I were moving around and couldn't put them on a tripod, or couldn't just old the thing in my hand and hold it off to one side. LED lights tend to be very harsh, especially when straight on, even with gels or other softening material. I would use them as accent lights, hair lights, etc. At some point, I'll move up to softboxes, and maybe keep the LEDs for accent or 'run and gun' video as you put it. I have used them for supplemental lighting in the workshop, though, and they work fine for that.
I have 4 neewer 60 led lights and they are amazing I use them as rgb lights and then I have my flash I do photography they work well in controlled environments
They don’t generally come with any ability to change colors. For that you might want to look into either LED stage lights (for a big area of color on a backdrop) or maybe a pocket RGB LED (for small accents of color).
Perfect thanks dude. Wish I saw this before buying these battery powered diy led work lights. The light is so harsh and direct it’s unusable as a key light. All I can use them for is shining against a wall for some light bouncing back but it’s almost pointless.
I hear that. You can always put together a DIY diffuser and turn that LED into a soft box of sorts. I'm planning to do a video about that exact idea actually.
Yes, most of what you say is true. But not all. Maybe it was true in 2018 but not in 2020. I just bought two inexpensive soft boxes and they come with remote controls that allow you to adjust color temperature and intensity. I used to have the curly fluorescents but I was always knocking them over and breaking the bulbs. My new ones are LEDs. I still trip on the power cords but the LEDs don't break. Much better for us klutzes.
They make special boom stands that are designed to point lights in awkward directions like that. You can also try using a what’s called a crossbar and simply hanging lights from it. But, if all you have are the regular ones, you should try small sand bags. That’s legit what they use on Hollywood sets sometimes.
I am a victim of these "budget friendly" alternatives to soft boxes. Completely agree with your honest review! subscribed! good luck with your growing channel brother!
Just got leds and SBs. In all honesty the SB colors are better and light isnt as harsh. Very cumbersome yes but the difference will show up in your work. 2 SBs with bulbs and stands on Amazon for 60 bucks. There is no way you can beat that. The closest comparable led setup is twice the price. The SB is the best buy I've had in a long time.
Anyone said about soft boxes in small spaces like desks and streamer setups? I can hardly imagine setting up a softbox in my desk with 2 audio monitors at both sides of a 27" imac, let alone for multi screen setups. Don't get me wrong, I love the soft look of the light and I'm here because I want to get to a better setting or hybrid that allows me to get better footage of my face without turning my desk into a light stand. Softening led lights maybe? A soft box above the computer?
There are soft boxes for just about every occasion so I'm sure you can find something on Amazon that would fit on to an existing LED you might have. Another idea is to simply have your lights placed further off to the side away from your desk. That slight angle can give a more polished look too. Sometimes I have lights pointed at my white walls and just let it bounce of them for a softer look.
Thanks, that's pretty useful. And I was already thinking about just getting a soft box and rearranging stuff around it. My space is still small but the advantages you show are worth the hassle of rethinking everything. Thanks.
Thank you for your review. Planning to start up an investing intelligently video in the future. Being frugal, will try to get the video up and running on a budget is the key to this channel running.
What if you take a bit better led light with CRI 90..95% or even adjustable colour temperature and the ones that can work from an external power supply? :) Smth like YongNuo YN-300 III
My client needs lights for making videos at 1,5m x 1,5m room and a led softbox sound like a good idea lol. This video makes me bought a cheap led panels which already has diffuser and i put baking paper to make a bigger light source. Done.
Hello I am trying different lighting system for live streaming ordinary white boards writing through zoom.but there are reflection even with soft box..what's the solution
Finally someone telling the truth about lighting and not trying to sell something he is making a commission on. I am now finally convinced that I am better off buying a cheap soft softbox light than buying an expensive LED light! THANK YOU for being honest.
Thank you for this. Starting at bottom I'm looking to take my video look to a much higher standard. Just been putting vids out, but a little bit uncomfortable with the 'crude' look of it. This was very helpful.
Basically you are right, but the fluorescent bulb tend to break in a hot environment too and to replace them cost always 20USD each time. Futhermore, the LED are much cheaper and better now.
Thanks! Your message encourages me to do more with my softboxes. Also, I have cheap versions but they came with 5 sockets in each unit so i can adjust 1-5 levels just by switching some bulbs on/off. --Cheers, Roy
I don’t think it’s a fair comparison. There are many LED lights that have better diffusion apparatus built in to give a soft-box kind of effect. Although personally I too prefer soft boxes, those are the LED lights you should have compared for an apple to apple comparison.
Absolutely. Technically a soft box is something you attach to a light that diffuses it. So if you’ve got decent LEDs putting a soft box in front of them can help a lot.
Depends on what are you using them for. LED lights (on camera panels, small panels...) can be quite usefull for some types of filming and some situations. Softboxes are great but they are cumbersome and cheap ones depend on the available power outlets and quality of the bulbs that you use. I own couple of the bigger lights with large softboxes and still they are not strong enough for some situations...
Would you have any ideas on a battery powered softbox or LED panels??? I am just getting into film making/ vlogging and would like to take more light out in the field with me that has more than my on-camera LED light. Anything helps, thanks!!
What do you think about octagons? I've been thinking about buying one or two for photography and to light my facecam on my gaming channel. I would like to hear your input on that. Thanks in advance.
I think they’re ever bit as good! Maybe even better for something like a gaming/webcam scenario. You could easily get away with just one for steaming, but I’d recommend at least two for photography.
You didn't say anything about using the cheap LEDs for hair/rim/back lights. They're perfect for that. But you're not using one in this video, so that explains why you didn't mention it.
I def should have given more time to the hair light/back light idea because small LEDs are perfect for that. I didn’t have a hair light here because I was holding it in my hand for the sake of demonstration 🤷🏼♂️
This video didn't age well at all. The small LED lights now offer full color rendering as well as RGB. They are also much higher quality and made of metal. They aren't $20, but you can get them for around $60-$70 and they will change the way you shoot video.
Heya Eric, I was wondering if you could offer me any advice on my softbox situation? So, as a complete newbite to photography and the equipment, I asked my dad for a softbox for Christmas and linked him a few I liked the look of on Amazon. The one he got me was a Luxlight 80cm Octabox Softbox with Grid. Now, on the picture it looked like it came with everything you need, ready to go - but apparently not, It was just the softbox part! Not only that, but I have found out it has a 'bowens s-type' fit on it, which when I looked it up is supposed to be for those really expensive studio lighting thingys!? I really want to keep and use the softbox as it's really nice quality, but I was wondering if there is any way to attach a bulb to it (to make it a continuous light rather than flash, I think that would be easier for my simple photos of my dog against a white wall?)? I've searched for bowens s-type adapter for bulbs but can't find anything and I'm not really too sure what I'm looking for. Any help greatly appreciated!
I have watched now about 7 videos about how great the portable LED video lights are and was just watching more videos to find which one I will be buying. My mind was already set up on getting a LED light with a diffuser on. I had a doubt that they won't be big enough for a key light. Your video put me straight. I need a big soft box. But what do you think about umbrellas? Agree they are awkward in shapes. But are they equally good? I think they are cheaper.
Umbrellas are great! They’re a little less directional, so it’s harder to create that dramatic look that some people like. But they certainly work for making a nice soft light. Especially if you already own some LED lights you like, then I say go for it. I’m all for saving money!
@@EricMakingWaves - Hey Thanks for the quick feedback. I just want to record playing some guitar or banjo sitting in my loft. I won't light just my face but likely my full body and some background. The light will be placed say about 5 to 6 feet away. If I get a wide angle I can bring it nearer. Is one umbrella with a 45W CFL bulb going to cut it? Do I need a bigger wattage? Two umbrellas? SoftBox?
Eric Hanson THANK YOU, you have saved me a lot of time and money! I cant wait to check out more of your stuff!! Under rated for real!! Make sure to subscribe to Eric Hanson!!
Depends on the panel you buy. Those bigger LEDs will usually output as much or more light, and a diffuser will do a fine job making it look soft. They’re usually just more expensive and often still have the color problems. Good question though! I might talk about that more in a future video.
Eric Hanson thanks for this! So basically there’s no big difference between a soft box and a big LED with a diffuser except the price if I got it correctly. But anyways getting a small LED is a big no no right? Another question, can I get a warm lighting with the soft box? Like maybe screwing yellow lights inside?
Right, the price and the quality of light. An average CFL or tungsten bulb in a soft box will always look more flattering on skin than an LED (except high end LEDs). And yes you can screw just about any bulb into those soft boxes!
Thanks a million Eric. I have seen quite a few videos on lighting for conducting interviews. It seems everyone is pushing aperture lighting and they are quite expensive. I have the soft box setup and was contemplating getting the led box. Wow so many choices. Just trying to make a smart decision about making a purchase.
Apiture lights are great, have good cri and they are versatile, they can be used as spot lights, can be softboxed, used in book light setup... and rhey are not as expensive as kino flo, arri or litepanels - that's why everyone is pushing them. That being said, there are some cheaper alternatives like godox Sl60w, yongnuo, falconeyes and similar, but they have their own "quirks" so you must take extra care when using them... My personal choice, when bang for buck is concerned would be yongnuo lights, they have great output and cri and they are very inexpensive, BUT they are quite fragile, not easy to use and have some unusual power adapter requirements (8v 5A) for example...
hey great vid, I subbed. I'd be interested to know ur opinion on the multi-bulb softboxes compared to the single higher wattage bulb ones like in ur vid? For example, I've seen a few that have 4-5 55 watt bulbs with a handle and switches on the back, and others with the single 135 watt bulb. Obviously it would allow you to vary the amount of light in situ, but what are the pros and cons? cheers.
Can you put a cheap LED in a cheap softbox? I'm a beginner, so my comments are coming from a perspective of absolute naiveté. In a year, I'll probably think back to this comment and ask myself, "What was I thinking?" But this is what I'm thinking-- I love my Ivisii G2, a small $69 /RGB LED. The company claims it has a CRI of 97, for whatever that's worth. And I think they look so beautiful that I bounce a couple of them off the walls at 2600K to light my office now. I also hate my Neewer 660 bicolors. Unless I point them against a wall, I can't tell what color they're making. (Also, to my regret, I didn't get one that tells you the temperature of the lights.) I'm pretty serious about all this. I would be VERY interested in people's thoughts about my thoughts.
Yes. There’s various soft boxes on Amazon. It might be hard to find an exact fit, but if you’re creative you can definitely make something great. There’s also LED’s that come with soft boxes available, so take a look at those too.
@@EricMakingWaves Thanks Eric. I'm headed to B & H this afternoon to buy an ML60bi with a 47" softbox. I'm thinking it would be good to have the option of using a G2 for a fill light. I'll ask if they have any soft boxes that would work with the G2 for under $35. Thank you again for the really clear, informative video, and your generosity in responding to my comment. Also, suggestion for a future video-- The difference between calibrating your LED with color temp and "RGB."
If you're here to point out that a soft box is a light modifier, trust me I already know. This video is for beginners and it's about what you can get for bottom-dollar on Amazon. Cheers!
Only 1200 subs? How come?
@@spanishlyrics5720 lol, I'm not sure. But it's growing! Thanks for stopping by :)
Hey! Any cheap (under $100) Softbox you would recommend today? as in 2020. Are the links in the description still relevant?
@ I'm working on a revised version of this video, but yes there are some new things I would recommend. I'll get back to you ASAP!
Thank you for Sharing I learn a lot
Don't know if this will be helpful to anyone, but I think, just to offer an alternate perspective, it's important to keep in mind that HOW you use these tools makes a big difference. I have staged multiple cheap LEDs around my set and they have served as my daily drivers for years. Each LED is outfitted with a small soft box. In my several years of UA-cam, I haven't received a single comment from anyone saying, "If only you used a large soft box instead." I agree with @EricHanson in that a single LED naked vs a large soft box light is pretty awful. If those are my options, I'd go with the large soft box light. But it's a bit of a false dichotomy. The advantage of the small LEDs is the flexibility they offer. It just depends on how you use them.
hi, how small is your small soft box? any recommendations?
Had me at “hello children “😂
I just saw this comment and it totally made my day lol
LED lighting is changing at a lighting pace. A best in class low-cost light 1 or 2 years ago is just a ho-hum light today. CRI has been improving every year and looks to continue improving. Output has been improving. Generally each LED is brighter today with better CRI. Featues are improving. Battery support, remote apps, dimming, etc.
The comments about apples and oranges is also correct. He should either be comparing a LED light and a CFL light both in a softbox or both as bare bulbs.
With that said, here are two lightoptions with stands and case for less than $160:
Softbox:
$80) High CRI 95+ 40W E27 AC110-240V LED Corn Light Daylight White (2x$40)
$70) Linco Studio Lighting Softbox Light Kit AM245
LED Panel:
$160) Neewer 2-Pack Dimmable Bi-color 480 LED Video Light Panel and Stand Lighting Kit
Calling all that 100000 ungrateful viewers who do not subscribe! This video alone worth your subscription!!
You’re too kind 😊 thanks for stopping by!
Neewer 160 LED light has it's place - it was never designed to light a room. There are many other choices for small and larger LED lights, and many have CRI's of 90+. Softboxes have there own place and it is not either or. And my experience with CFL bulbs, even daylight bulbs is that they are ok, but listed color temp and CRI are not that great. Corncob LED bulbs can be a good choice but their color temp is over 6,000 so you might want some CTO gels.
Ok... Couple of things... These lighs are designed for different purposes. Small led panels, so called on camera lights, are designed to be put on camera and usually intended for eng filming. Softboxes are not designed for filming either... at least the kind that you're talking about, they are ment for interviews.
That said, being a cameraman, countles of times did those cheap on camera panels saved my behind. For a good location interview all I had to carry with me were 2 small led lights and a couple of lightstands (they are 20-25 usd a piece).
More... Yongnuo lights have a cri of 95 and so does the Falconeyes. Both punch quite a bit of output for such a small lights. Falconeyes dv160 has 900 lux - f5.2 1/50 400 iso at 1m (3 feet) or f2.4 1/50 800 iso (+6 db) at 2m (6 feet).
All of this being said, there are some great examples of diy lighting using only the lights from home depo and shower curtains...
Bro the exact question i was thinking about!! Great video!
Glad I could help! Also, your channel looks super legit by the way. Hope business is doing well!
@@EricMakingWaves bro thank you your the man!
I bought one of the LED box lights as I’m only just starting and even with zero experience, i knew immediately that it was going to be inadequate. Boxed it up and sent it back, did some more research and i now have a pair of softbox lights incoming. I’m excited to see the results. Great vid Eric, keep up the good work.
Thanks for stopping by! Hopefully this was helpful. Are you getting somewhere good with your lighting setup?
Eric Hanson indeed i have. I bought a pair of the “Mount Dog” soft box lights and they have been the game changer for my vids. Super be lighting, easy to set up and pull down/store and didn’t break the bank either. I’m very happy with this setup.
Very Informative and straight to the point....No long dialogue...Thank you very much.
Reading the comments I realized I wasn't alone in thinking "wow this video has awesome content, presentation, everything! why does he have only 500??"
Very helpful tips dude! Good job :)
Such a massive compliment. I'm just gonna keep working till it grows :) I'm glad you got something out of this one!
Watching in 2021 and i do beleave that the real honnest reviews come from here far from big sponsored crap channels, thanks for this
Thank You so much for this video! Finally a really useful one that helped me make my choice😊🙏🏻
Extremely helpful review. I'm going for the softbox thanks
I'm using the cheap led (a bit larger than the one on your video) and diffused the light with the cheap umbrella, and actually the result is pretty good... Well if you're don't mind with the color reproduction.
Totally agree!....Got the small one first, then went bigger but even the bigger ones with Barn Doors still don't beat the "El-Cheapo soft boxes with 4 bulb inputs I got a while back
Great and right to the point.... no fluff! thanx, -keith
Thanks for stopping by Keith! I tried to make the video I wanted to watch :)
@@EricMakingWaves You did just that Eric! -keith
I'm not sure why you only have 2.2k subs. You deserve more. Thanks for the straight up comparison 👍
lot of knowledge in such short video... thanks
Eric thank you so much for your non nonsense video. I particularly like the fact that unlike most youtuber you dont sit on the fence. I can't believe you only have 219 subs. You deserve so many more. Keep at it. You're really good at it. Suscribed.
Thank YOU so much for saying that. I'm glad you got some value here and I'm def gonna be putting more work on this channel :)
@@EricMakingWaves My pleasure.. 😊 Looking forward to future content. 👍
Brutally honest and very much appreciated for it.
Thank you so much for is information, planning on getting a softbox
A yellow wash.. LED turning you into a simpson without your permission. 😂
Ha! If I were funnier I would have included a Simpsons meme at that part.
Wow! I just like this video. Excellent content. Thank you so much for sharing this! 🙌🙌🙌
Thank you so much for sharing, I'm just looking for the right lighting and you just gave me what I need
You're welcome! I'm glad I could help and thank you for commenting!
Thanks man, I needed this -> 6:36
I'm just happy you got some value out of it! Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for helping me make this decision. You rock!
I completely agree with you on the pros and cons on the LED lights. I have a few of them. One thing I would note is that you keep referring to them as 'on camera...'. The only, and I mean ONLY way I would ever mount these on a camera is if I were moving around and couldn't put them on a tripod, or couldn't just old the thing in my hand and hold it off to one side. LED lights tend to be very harsh, especially when straight on, even with gels or other softening material. I would use them as accent lights, hair lights, etc. At some point, I'll move up to softboxes, and maybe keep the LEDs for accent or 'run and gun' video as you put it. I have used them for supplemental lighting in the workshop, though, and they work fine for that.
I have 4 neewer 60 led lights and they are amazing I use them as rgb lights and then I have my flash I do photography they work well in controlled environments
Are there any color gel filters that fit these? Would these work to throw color on the backdrop?
They don’t generally come with any ability to change colors. For that you might want to look into either LED stage lights (for a big area of color on a backdrop) or maybe a pocket RGB LED (for small accents of color).
Moving the softbox further away creates a harder light so just add more diffusion to control the power white bedsheet is one of the cheapest options.
Perfect thanks dude. Wish I saw this before buying these battery powered diy led work lights. The light is so harsh and direct it’s unusable as a key light. All I can use them for is shining against a wall for some light bouncing back but it’s almost pointless.
I hear that. You can always put together a DIY diffuser and turn that LED into a soft box of sorts. I'm planning to do a video about that exact idea actually.
Eric Hanson I was actually thinking that. Need to get creative hey. Would be a good video though I’d like to see :)
Yes, most of what you say is true. But not all. Maybe it was true in 2018 but not in 2020. I just bought two inexpensive soft boxes and they come with remote controls that allow you to adjust color temperature and intensity. I used to have the curly fluorescents but I was always knocking them over and breaking the bulbs. My new ones are LEDs. I still trip on the power cords but the LEDs don't break. Much better for us klutzes.
when the " ultimate cheapness" is still too expensive😒😢
For someone who has less than 1k subs
Your content is better than someone with 100k subs
Congratulations 🎉 bro
Exactly the video I needed, thank you
Do you know how to prevent the stands from being unbalanced? I need to have the boxes pointed at a down angle.
They make special boom stands that are designed to point lights in awkward directions like that. You can also try using a what’s called a crossbar and simply hanging lights from it. But, if all you have are the regular ones, you should try small sand bags. That’s legit what they use on Hollywood sets sometimes.
@@EricMakingWaves Thanks I'll try sand bags to remove the stands from bending over.
I am a victim of these "budget friendly" alternatives to soft boxes. Completely agree with your honest review! subscribed! good luck with your growing channel brother!
Now i figured out what i really need to set up my lighting! Thanks alot for your video.
You're welcome! Seriously thanks for stopping by, I'm glad you got something out of this :)
Just got leds and SBs. In all honesty the SB colors are better and light isnt as harsh. Very cumbersome yes but the difference will show up in your work. 2 SBs with bulbs and stands on Amazon for 60 bucks. There is no way you can beat that. The closest comparable led setup is twice the price. The SB is the best buy I've had in a long time.
Anyone said about soft boxes in small spaces like desks and streamer setups? I can hardly imagine setting up a softbox in my desk with 2 audio monitors at both sides of a 27" imac, let alone for multi screen setups. Don't get me wrong, I love the soft look of the light and I'm here because I want to get to a better setting or hybrid that allows me to get better footage of my face without turning my desk into a light stand. Softening led lights maybe? A soft box above the computer?
There are soft boxes for just about every occasion so I'm sure you can find something on Amazon that would fit on to an existing LED you might have. Another idea is to simply have your lights placed further off to the side away from your desk. That slight angle can give a more polished look too. Sometimes I have lights pointed at my white walls and just let it bounce of them for a softer look.
Thanks, that's pretty useful. And I was already thinking about just getting a soft box and rearranging stuff around it. My space is still small but the advantages you show are worth the hassle of rethinking everything. Thanks.
Thanks so much for your honesty. I feel like some people make reviews of cheap crap just so we will buy it.
I also hate when people do that. I'd rather say the truth even if it hurts :) Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you for your review. Planning to start up an investing intelligently video in the future. Being frugal, will try to get the video up and running on a budget is the key to this channel running.
Thank you for this honest trustworthy video.
Thank you for the comment! Seriously that's a huge compliment because I really do try to be as honest and straightforward as I can.
What if you take a bit better led light with CRI 90..95% or even adjustable colour temperature and the ones that can work from an external power supply? :) Smth like YongNuo YN-300 III
My client needs lights for making videos at 1,5m x 1,5m room and a led softbox sound like a good idea lol. This video makes me bought a cheap led panels which already has diffuser and i put baking paper to make a bigger light source. Done.
Hello I am trying different lighting system for live streaming ordinary white boards writing through zoom.but there are reflection even with soft box..what's the solution
needed this!! was about to buy LED lights, going for softbox and fluorescent light instead
Finally someone telling the truth about lighting and not trying to sell something he is making a commission on. I am now finally convinced that I am better off buying a cheap soft softbox light than buying an expensive LED light! THANK YOU for being honest.
Damn this guy here is underrated bruh
Good find...
I ordered my soft boxes for 75$ that was with shipping on wish. Git them in a week. They are great
i have a softbox with 4 lights and it makes me sweat all the time. it's hot. does the led lights get hot?
Yes, but not that much
I love your honesty. Thankyou 🥰
my lighting hunt has ended , thanks this was brill !
I'm happy for you! Thanks for stopping by, friend!
Thank you for this. Starting at bottom I'm looking to take my video look to a much higher standard. Just been putting vids out, but a little bit uncomfortable with the 'crude' look of it. This was very helpful.
Thanks. This was very helpful
Basically you are right, but the fluorescent bulb tend to break in a hot environment too and to replace them cost always 20USD each time. Futhermore, the LED are much cheaper and better now.
Very good and informative
What about the bigger LED panels? The Neweer or whatever the brand isncalled.
thks a lot , is see many of many video but yours is the best
Eric, this is some good info and I like your direct and frank approach. I've already subscribed. Make more vids!!!
Thanks! Your message encourages me to do more with my softboxes. Also, I have cheap versions but they came with 5 sockets in each unit so i can adjust 1-5 levels just by switching some bulbs on/off. --Cheers, Roy
Dude ! Straightforward and honest feedback, to the point. Thank you 😎
You deserve millions
Maybe one day! Seriously thank you for posting this comment. Totally made my day :)
Wow... thanks for sharing!! this is actually what I need to know, was about to buy the LED
I don’t think it’s a fair comparison. There are many LED lights that have better diffusion apparatus built in to give a soft-box kind of effect. Although personally I too prefer soft boxes, those are the LED lights you should have compared for an apple to apple comparison.
What about some cheap LED Panel Lights in combination with Softbox Diffuser for that LED panel? Would you recommend that as well?
Absolutely. Technically a soft box is something you attach to a light that diffuses it. So if you’ve got decent LEDs putting a soft box in front of them can help a lot.
@@EricMakingWaves Thanks mate!
Where were you when I was starting out and buying 'recommended' LED lights? :( Still, better late than never, thanks for the video!
Depends on what are you using them for. LED lights (on camera panels, small panels...) can be quite usefull for some types of filming and some situations. Softboxes are great but they are cumbersome and cheap ones depend on the available power outlets and quality of the bulbs that you use.
I own couple of the bigger lights with large softboxes and still they are not strong enough for some situations...
Would you have any ideas on a battery powered softbox or LED panels??? I am just getting into film making/ vlogging and would like to take more light out in the field with me that has more than my on-camera LED light. Anything helps, thanks!!
Thank for stopping by Seth. DSLR Video Shooter has a great (but long) video on lights that should work for you ua-cam.com/video/AcBb-MInwBc/v-deo.html
What do you think about octagons? I've been thinking about buying one or two for photography and to light my facecam on my gaming channel. I would like to hear your input on that. Thanks in advance.
I think they’re ever bit as good! Maybe even better for something like a gaming/webcam scenario. You could easily get away with just one for steaming, but I’d recommend at least two for photography.
@@EricMakingWaves, thanks a lot for answering man, I'm gonna order those bad boys.
How about LED light + diffuser?
So, how does the Fositan compare to the Fovitec? I'm not trying to be cheap, but I can't tell the difference.
Interesting honest review, now what about LED for ambient light, and that kind of rim light? what do think of those,
Why not put the battery powered led into the softbox?
You didn't say anything about using the cheap LEDs for hair/rim/back lights. They're perfect for that. But you're not using one in this video, so that explains why you didn't mention it.
I def should have given more time to the hair light/back light idea because small LEDs are perfect for that. I didn’t have a hair light here because I was holding it in my hand for the sake of demonstration 🤷🏼♂️
Thank you for being real!
Cheap LED + shower curtain? Or maybe cheap umbrella
This video didn't age well at all. The small LED lights now offer full color rendering as well as RGB. They are also much higher quality and made of metal. They aren't $20, but you can get them for around $60-$70 and they will change the way you shoot video.
Heya Eric, I was wondering if you could offer me any advice on my softbox situation?
So, as a complete newbite to photography and the equipment, I asked my dad for a softbox for Christmas and linked him a few I liked the look of on Amazon. The one he got me was a Luxlight 80cm Octabox Softbox with Grid. Now, on the picture it looked like it came with everything you need, ready to go - but apparently not, It was just the softbox part! Not only that, but I have found out it has a 'bowens s-type' fit on it, which when I looked it up is supposed to be for those really expensive studio lighting thingys!?
I really want to keep and use the softbox as it's really nice quality, but I was wondering if there is any way to attach a bulb to it (to make it a continuous light rather than flash, I think that would be easier for my simple photos of my dog against a white wall?)? I've searched for bowens s-type adapter for bulbs but can't find anything and I'm not really too sure what I'm looking for. Any help greatly appreciated!
Very helpful. Thanks
I have watched now about 7 videos about how great the portable LED video lights are and was just watching more videos to find which one I will be buying. My mind was already set up on getting a LED light with a diffuser on. I had a doubt that they won't be big enough for a key light. Your video put me straight. I need a big soft box. But what do you think about umbrellas? Agree they are awkward in shapes. But are they equally good? I think they are cheaper.
Umbrellas are great! They’re a little less directional, so it’s harder to create that dramatic look that some people like. But they certainly work for making a nice soft light. Especially if you already own some LED lights you like, then I say go for it. I’m all for saving money!
@@EricMakingWaves - Hey Thanks for the quick feedback. I just want to record playing some guitar or banjo sitting in my loft. I won't light just my face but likely my full body and some background. The light will be placed say about 5 to 6 feet away. If I get a wide angle I can bring it nearer. Is one umbrella with a 45W CFL bulb going to cut it? Do I need a bigger wattage? Two umbrellas? SoftBox?
Eric Hanson THANK YOU, you have saved me a lot of time and money! I cant wait to check out more of your stuff!! Under rated for real!! Make sure to subscribe to Eric Hanson!!
Great content! This video helped me chose which lighting to buy.
Thank you for this video. I am just started UA-cam and looking for lights. Would you recommend Softbox or Umbrella? Thanks alot!
Thank you so much for sharing this 😊
Thank you for this review! But what if I get a LED with a big diffuser? Will it still be weak comparing to a big soft box?
Depends on the panel you buy. Those bigger LEDs will usually output as much or more light, and a diffuser will do a fine job making it look soft. They’re usually just more expensive and often still have the color problems. Good question though! I might talk about that more in a future video.
Eric Hanson thanks for this! So basically there’s no big difference between a soft box and a big LED with a diffuser except the price if I got it correctly. But anyways getting a small LED is a big no no right? Another question, can I get a warm lighting with the soft box? Like maybe screwing yellow lights inside?
Right, the price and the quality of light. An average CFL or tungsten bulb in a soft box will always look more flattering on skin than an LED (except high end LEDs). And yes you can screw just about any bulb into those soft boxes!
Eric Hanson super helpful thank you so much!!
Thanks Eric
You saved me a lot of time brother. Thank you.
Thanks a million Eric. I have seen quite a few videos on lighting for conducting interviews. It seems everyone is pushing aperture lighting and they are quite expensive. I have the soft box setup and was contemplating getting the led box. Wow so many choices. Just trying to make a smart decision about making a purchase.
Apiture lights are great, have good cri and they are versatile, they can be used as spot lights, can be softboxed, used in book light setup... and rhey are not as expensive as kino flo, arri or litepanels - that's why everyone is pushing them. That being said, there are some cheaper alternatives like godox Sl60w, yongnuo, falconeyes and similar, but they have their own "quirks" so you must take extra care when using them...
My personal choice, when bang for buck is concerned would be yongnuo lights, they have great output and cri and they are very inexpensive, BUT they are quite fragile, not easy to use and have some unusual power adapter requirements (8v 5A) for example...
hey great vid, I subbed. I'd be interested to know ur opinion on the multi-bulb softboxes compared to the single higher wattage bulb ones like in ur vid? For example, I've seen a few that have 4-5 55 watt bulbs with a handle and switches on the back, and others with the single 135 watt bulb. Obviously it would allow you to vary the amount of light in situ, but what are the pros and cons? cheers.
Great video 👍👍 truthfully put
Im subscribing you right now, the honesty really helps me
Very helpful! Thanks!
Great video!
Dude, I was expecting you to have 10s of thousands of subs. WTH
straight to the point. perfect video.
I found a soft LED light & am in love with it! Granted, this was filmed a year ago, so there are probably so many new LED lights available
which one did you get?
Thanks for your great videos!
Great info video. Just ordered two cheap softboxes.
Sorry for the late reply here, but I'm glad I could help! How are they working out for you?
Can you put a cheap LED in a cheap softbox?
I'm a beginner, so my comments are coming from a perspective of absolute naiveté. In a year, I'll probably think back to this comment and ask myself, "What was I thinking?" But this is what I'm thinking-- I love my Ivisii G2, a small $69 /RGB LED. The company claims it has a CRI of 97, for whatever that's worth. And I think they look so beautiful that I bounce a couple of them off the walls at 2600K to light my office now.
I also hate my Neewer 660 bicolors. Unless I point them against a wall, I can't tell what color they're making. (Also, to my regret, I didn't get one that tells you the temperature of the lights.)
I'm pretty serious about all this. I would be VERY interested in people's thoughts about my thoughts.
Yes. There’s various soft boxes on Amazon. It might be hard to find an exact fit, but if you’re creative you can definitely make something great. There’s also LED’s that come with soft boxes available, so take a look at those too.
@@EricMakingWaves Thanks Eric. I'm headed to B & H this afternoon to buy an ML60bi with a 47" softbox. I'm thinking it would be good to have the option of using a G2 for a fill light. I'll ask if they have any soft boxes that would work with the G2 for under $35.
Thank you again for the really clear, informative video, and your generosity in responding to my comment.
Also, suggestion for a future video-- The difference between calibrating your LED with color temp and "RGB."