It’s not always a new camera or a lens that you need. Your softbox lighting kit has a lot to do with improving the quality of the video. The best softbox lighting kit proves to be even more helpful when the darkness isn’t your camera’s forte. The more you invest the better will it be, that’s indeed a rule of thumb but it doesn’t always play out well.
You can’t work your way around the softbox when you’re doing portrait or product photography. And it becomes a necessity when you’re dealing with smaller subjects. And a couple of words to those amateur Youtubers or Instagram models, a high power 100 dollar bulb in your room never does the trick.
Best Softbox Lighting Kit in the Market
Have a look at the top softbox lighting kit available in the market to analyze them thoroughly with your needs.
1. Neewer LED Softbox Lighting Kit
Top Specs
If you’re thinking of getting a quality softbox lighting kit to improve your studio photography, then Neewer 700W kit would do great. Aluminum alloy construction gives the light stand a durable yet lightweight feel.
The maximum & minimum height of the light stand is 41 inches & 88 inches, respectively. There are quick single action locks that provide you fast height adjustments. To carry the light stand along with the whole unit, you have a large convenient carrying bag coming with the unit.
The operating 2 CFC lightbulbs are tri-phosphor & have 85W power, 5500K color temperature, 110V voltage & E27 mounting. They equal a total of 700W output but it does not heat up a lot. As they are energy-saving compact spiral bulbs, they save up to 80% energy.
This 11.29-pound softbox has a dimension of 24×24 inches & has removable external diffusers so that you can adjust the level of softness. If you want to shoot different angles, the adjustable lamp holder will get you there. There is also a white front covert that closes in front to make your lighting options quick.
Downsides
- Instructions are not clear enough for an amateur to get through set up.
- The light stand is lightweight and not recommended to be used outside.
2. HPUSN Softbox Lighting Kit
Top Specs
HPSUN softbox lighting kit may just be the one you are looking for indoor shoots. The aluminum constructed head along with the softbox can rotate 210 degrees from different angles. The threaded tip has a standard screw of ¼ inch & 3 section column design.
The adjustable stand can be lowered down to 66cm & going up to a maximum of 200cm. The softbox is made of premium PET & performs great in a closed softbox environment, under continuous bulb heating. It doesn’t release any sort of odor while operating.
Tri-phosphor CFL bulbs have a power rating of 85W, color temperature 5500K, voltage 110V & standard E27 socket. Though Two CFL bulbs equal 800W incandescent bulb they save energy up to 80%. With an 8000-hour capacity, they are bound to give balanced uniform light to the surroundings.
All these contents can easily be contained with the large bag that comes with the unit which would weigh almost 9.3 pounds. There is also a 24-month warranty on the whole unit, so if you have any problem you can just contact the manufacturer.
Downsides
- No instruction on how to set the whole kit.
- It cannot be used with other LED lights.
- Low-end structure, be careful while packing & using.
3. MOUNTDOG Studio Softbox Lighting Kit
Top Specs
MOUNTDOG lighting kit is essential if you are considering to shot videos & photos with adequate light. Three adjustable light stands are built with aluminum alloy, making it durable & lightweight. It can fall to 27.7 inches & can extend itself to 80 inches.
The softbox head can be adjusted 210 degrees to achieve the perfect balance for your set up. The convenience with the other features makes it the perfect softbox for product photography.
The independent lock button allows you to set in the desired angle you wish. It comes with a total of 3 softboxes. The output will give you 1350 Watt.
Four standard E27 sockets mounted 135W CFL bulbs with 5500K color temperature are present. They all equal 1350W incandescent bulbs which will save you up to 80% energy. There’s a 54-inch-long boom arm & holder arm to give you the perfect lighting environment.
The overall weight of the kit is 17.3 pounds. All these contents can easily be carried with the carrying bag that comes with the lighting kit. MountDog also gives a 1-year warranty on this professional lighting kit.
Downside
- The stands are not steady at all, they wobble sometimes.
- The carrying bag is a low end
4. StudioFX Photography Lighting Kit
Top Specs
If you are looking to get started with softbox photography, then StudioFX would be a nice fit. It has 2 high-quality light stands that can go up to 7 feet. There’s also an overhead light that has a reach from 32 inches to 71 inches equipped with grip head & sandbag.
There are a total of 3 light softbox, including an overhead hair light softbox. The softboxes have an overall dimension of 16″x24″ inches. They each can fit 4 bulbs fitting into each softbox & each softbox has a diffusion cover in the front. It is the best softbox for portraits for the lighting condition it creates.
The best part is that the whole unit comes with eight 45 Watt fluorescent daylight bulbs with 5500k color temperature. All these bulbs would give you a total of 2400 Watt output. There are multiple ON/OFF switches allowing you to have full control over the brightness.
A premium hand case comes along the kit for you to easily pack & carry where ever you need. In the bag, the whole kit would weight 22.8 pounds. StudioFX gives proper lighting for a whole room or studio photography or videography project.
Downside
- The overhead boom light is flimsy & sways a lot while being used.
- It takes a lot of time to assemble & disassemble the whole unit.
5. Fovitec Lighting Kit
Top Specs
Are you looking for the best portable lighting kit for photography? Then you should look into this item. Fovitec is a powerful kit to create the perfect lighting set up in a studio for both photography & videography. There are 2 light stands with a total height of 7’6″. One boom stand is also with the kit that has a height of 5 inches.
Lighting softboxes have a total dimension of 20″x28″. There is silver reflecting lining with inner & outer diffuser with each softbox There are a total of three softboxes & each can hold 5 lamps. The boom arm can hold one light.
A total of eleven 45-Watt lamps that give a total output of 2475W are present. The fluorescent lamps have 90+ CRI color accuracy, 5500K daylight color temperature & output of 2500 Watt. A carry bag is included by the manufactures for easy packing & traveling with it.
It has a staggering 26.1 pound weight. With a combination of so many lights & the power to control the softness is in your hands because there are switches to control at the back. Whether its Videography, photography, or game streaming, you are covered with this kit.
Downside
- Due to heavyweight, it is not ideal for carrying
- The boom light also has a few issues with swaying.
Guidelines for Best Softbox Lighting Kit
Without proper guidelines, you will be searching for a needle in a haystack. Getting to know these facts would make you realize your needs better.
Set-Up
Before juggling with specs of different lighting kits, you need to decide whether you want an easy setup box or a standard setup box.
Easy Set up
Easy setup kits are simple to assemble the stands, softbox & lights. This type of set up is ideal for those who intend to use a softbox lighting kit in different places. Though they are neither heavily equipped nor come with numerous settings options to play around, they are often a standard choice for outdoor applications.
Standard Set up
These types of setups are intended permeant for a studio. These kits have a lot of equipment & settings including. You can also dismantle the parts & use them in a different place. But without an assistant, it will cost you a lot of time & hard work.
Portability
If you are planning to use lighting kits in different locations, then it’s wise to have a kit that contains less tool & can easily be assembled on the spot. Otherwise, the more equipment you have, the more time will take to assemble & dismantle. Aluminum stands are the lightest option but may not be the best for windy backgrounds.
Power Output
The number of bulbs & their power rating determines the power output. So the more powerful the lighting kit is the more reliable & luminescent service it will provide you. But it will cost you more power consumption.
The ones that are easily set up usually have fewer bulbs, so they have an output of fewer than 1200 Watts. On the other hand, Standard kits tend to have 1500+ Watts.
Multipurpose
The more the functionality in a softbox lighting kit, the better the lighting environment you will get. A softbox kit is not just about light stands & bulbs.
Inner Lining of the Softbox
The softbox’s inner material should be white or silver. This type of material serves as a reflector for the light source.
Diffusion Panel
There are two layers in front of the face of the softbox which is made of a white diffusion material that softens the light from the source eliminating any harsh point of light. It also reduces any deep shadows or highlights. You can control the softness using different panels.
Overhead Lighting
You will need a boom arm for overhead lighting softbox purposes. This would give you a lot more depth of field covering from the upper side using different types of lenses like Minolta lens, zoom lens, prime lens, etc. It would also balance out any uneven lights where the front softboxes can’t reach. To balance the boom arm, you need a sandbag at the end.
Control of Lights
Just because a softbox can be equipped with more bulbs doesn’t mean its great. There should be a system to control how many bulbs you want to illuminate. Having switches for the lights is a must when you are experimenting with lights. You can’t imagine perfect three-point lighting lacking this option.
Size
In general, the smaller the light source you have, the harsher the light would be. So, having a larger light source would soften your light. If you are getting full-length body shots or group photos, then a softbox as large as 26″x26″ inches would be a decent option to cover a wider area.
But if you are doing portraits, then a 12″ x 16″ dimension would be enough. Often using more than one small-sized softboxes would help in covering a larger area.
Construction
Among all the options you may find, aluminum construction is rigid & sturdy. Plastic materials are okay, but you need to make sure the stand doesn’t sway or wobble a lot. Swaying would disturb the overall lighting for a series of photos.
Warranty
Softbox lighting kits are agile equipment. They contain light stands, bulbs, softboxes & many other things. Any of them can come defected & you may never know until one day something goes wrong. So having a good 1 to 2-year warranty on these kits are essential.
FAQ
Q: How does a softbox help in lighting?
Ans: It diffuses the source of light in it to a softer & even illumination across the whole room. This eliminates any imbalance or light or shadow harshness. This makes using a slow-motion camera or a night mode camera easier with giving better lights in the picture.
The closer the softbox or the more powerful the source, the better result you’ll get.
Q: What kind of set up is best if there is a group shot?
Ans: As in group shots, there’s a lot of space to cover, you’ll need a more powerful kit to cover this. The softboxes dimension should be a bit wider & there should be more power output too. Reflectors are also required to point lights at right angles.
Q: Is boom stand overhead light a necessity?
Ans: It depends on your needs. Often when you use other softboxes in a face to face height, the overhead area is left out. That’s why to dismiss any harsh shadows & balance the overall light, a boom stands overhead light helps.
But it does consume a lot of time to set up & while going from place to place to shot, it becomes a hard without an assistant.
Conclusion
Light is the pure essence that is required for professional photography. A proper softbox lighting kit allows you to evenly balance the lighting of the atmosphere, giving you a crystal clear, vivid image. That’s why we are here to help you out on this matter.
If you tend to travel with your lighting kit, then the Neewer LED Softbox Lighting Kit would be an ideal choice considering its portability & decent performance. If you are not going with your kit so often, then StudioFX or Fovitec Lighting Kit would be perfect for a studio set up with their outstanding lighting performance.
Just because a kit is fancy or good doesn’t mean it’s meant for you. The key factors to consider here are portability, versatility, power output & the last but not least your photography needs. Combining all these factors brings out the best softbox lighting kit for you.
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