Why do we need an action camera flashlight? Low light footage of an action camera is not that great. Low light shooting is not one of the strengths of an action camera. The video or footage may get a hell lot of noise in it. Normally action cameras are meant to record in daylight when the sun is at its prime. Many action cameras do not even come with night mode. With some tweaking, we can better the footage a little bit but Action cameras are not meant for this.
Best action camera flashlight for low light –
The action camera is a small camera and has a tiny sensor. That sensor cannot handle the darkness very well. Keep the resolution at the highest and 24 or 25fps according to the region you are in.
ISO is responsible for your camera sensitivity. If you are a GoPro user always try to keep your ISO between 100 to 800. It’s normally seen that shot having more than 800 ISO has noticeable noise in it. Keeping a lower ISO makes your video clean.
Turn the hyper smooth function off. Because it uses a lot of light to work. You can keep that on but it may not work perfectly because of the low light. Also, try keeping your action camera as smooth as possible. You may use a tripod for this. But if your video has a moving shot then use a gimbal.
This is where the action camera flashlight comes in.
Here’s my eight action camera flashlight recommendation –
1. Ulanzi VL30 SUper mini video light –
[wptb id=2069]This is a supermini very bright video light by Ulanzi. The best thing about this light is that it is super cheap. This is one of the best budget action camera flashlights.
This comes with its own silicon diffuser. It has a built-in 750 mAh rechargeable battery that can be charged with a USB type C connection.
This small video light also comes with a cold shoe mount at the top of the light. This is helpful when you want to add additional light or if you want to attach a microphone.
It has a 4 levels brightness adjustment and an SOS mode. The battery lasts up to 1 – 4 hours depending upon what level of brightness you are using.
2. LitraTorch 2.0 –
[wptb id=2070]Powerful LED light. 3 levels of adjustment. Level 1 = 100 lumen, level 2 = 450 lumen, level 3 = 800 lumen, next is strobe light(2200lumen ). Very bright. Has a wide beam angle. Light is not center focused and it is distributed evenly. It is built like a tank. This light has multiple mounting options.
The color Temperature is on 5700 fixed. Although you cannot change the color temperature, litra has some light gell accessories that you can attach to the front of the light that allows you to alter the color of the light.
It has a rechargeable battery that can be charged with a micro USB cable. It lasts for about 4 hours in a low setting.
It is a waterproof light. It works underwater up to 60 feet. With a built-in magnet, you can attach this light to any metallic surface.
Can be used in zoom calls, food photography, and portrait photography.
3. Suptig Diving Light High Power Dimmable Waterproof LED Video Light –
[wptb id=2071]This is a 36 LED DIve light. It has a 3.7v lithium-ion battery with a total capacity of 1050mAh. The battery is chargeable with a micro USB charger. It is a Flicker-free light. It is just 500 lumen, not brightest if you compare it with other brands but in practical use it, but it is very reliable light and has a wide and diffused light spread.
It is a dive light so you can take it underwater up to 147ft.
It has two GoPro mounts, one at the top and one at the bottom. So now you can mount GoPro at the top of the light and mount the light on any GoPro accessories.
4. SmallRig RM01 LED Video Light Kit 3469 –
[wptb id=2072]The smallrig RM01 led video light kit has 3 lights inside. Very rugged design. The body is rain and dust-proof. Each light comes with its own tripod, a diffuser, 4leaf barndoor, honeycomb grid, round snoot, and 8 color filters. All these accessories can be magnetically mounted. The quality of the small tripod is very good.
Color temperature is daylight balanced at 5600k.
This lighting kit has four levels of brightness adjustment. The built-in battery has an 800mAh capacity. At 100% brightness, it can last up to 1hr.
5. ULANZI VL49 RGB Video Lights –
[wptb id=2073]This is a compact RGB LED video light with a diffuser. It is completely built out of plastic. The highest lumen value of this light is 800.
It has a lithium-ion rechargeable battery. It has a 2000mAh battery capacity. The battery can be charged with a USB C port. The battery can be fully charged in about 2hr. At its maximum brightness battery can last up to 2 hr and at its lowest brightness, it can last up to 10hr.
You have the ability to change the color temperature from 2500 to 9000K. You can add multiple of these lights to work as a key light, background light, and rim light.
This LED light has 3 cold shoe mounts. You will be able to add different accessories directly to the light. The backside of this light is magnetic and can be attached to the metallic surface. The magnet works well.
6. VIJIM VL120 –
[wptb id=2075]This LED light has 120 LED pieces hence the name VIJIM VL120. In the box, you will also get six color filters.
Color temperature can be adjusted from 3200-5600 and 10% -0100% brightness adjustment. Max brightness has up to 1250 lumen.
It has a 3100mAh battery capacity. It is charged using a USB C charging cable. The charging time is around 2.5hr. The working hour of this light is around 120min or 2hr. You can connect it to any power bank and still use it while charging.
7. Lume Cube Panel Go Bicolor Mountable LED Light –
[wptb id=2078]This is a thin LED light setup, almost equal to the iPhones in thickness. In the box, a USB-C charging cable, mini shoe mount, and 1 diffuser are included. This panel is pretty bright with its 112 LED. Max brightness is 1050Lumen.
A small display at the back of the light. It displays the brightness level, color temperature, and battery life.
The color temperature is adjustable from 3200 to 5600K. The brightness of this LED light is also adjustable from 1% to 100%. It has a 3.85V Li-Polymer Battery. The battery capacity is 4040mAh. At 100% brightness, the battery lasts around 1.3 hr. One great thing about this light is that it also works as a power bank. You get basically charge your smartphone or your camera with it.
8. IVISII G2 Pocket RGB Camera Light –
[wptb id=2079]This is what I think is one of the best budget-friendly RGB video lights. This light packs a massive 4300mAh battery. The battery lasts up to 3hr at 100% brightness. The brightness is adjustable from 1% to 100%. You can connect to a power bank and run the light while charging.
The range of color temperature in this light is great. Color temperature is dimmable from 2600K – 10000K. You also have extra 9 lighting effects.
It has a built-in display. With the mount that comes with the light, you can pretty much rotate the light in any direction.
Advantages of using an action camera flashlight –
Action cameras have a small sensor so it does not work well in low-light situations. Introducing light in the scene will lead to better and clean shots, and noise in the shot will decrease.
The presence of light in the scene will allow you to keep the ISO level at a minimum (less than 400, which is ideal). In certain situations, you also be able to shoot in slow motion because now you can work with high shutter speed.
Conclusion –
So these are my action camera flashlight picks. These lights cannot be compared to all those larger lights but if you are on a tight budget or don’t want to carry larger heavy equipment then these lights will be the best option for you. As these lights are cheap, you can also add 2 to 3 lights and use them as a key light, background light, and rim light. Hope the article helped you. Whatever light you like the most, please comment below. Thank You.
