A Guide To Buying A Professional Ring Light For Photography.
It’s undeniable that virtually all industries have evolved and embraced tools that ease their work process while also producing top-notch output. The use of professional ring light is one that has been adopted by stylists, makeup artists, vloggers, and even photographers. Although some people haven’t listed the ring light as one of their must-have equipment, we suggest you should for its obvious benefits. The ring light was initially invented for dental purposes but has now become an equipment to aid various types of photography and videography activities. A ring light helps in creating a bright and well-lit picture to minimise shadow, dark patches, or blemishes that could mar an image. It has a way of ensuring that light is equally distributed to all aspects of the object and projects the eyes more. Ring lights are circular in nature with enough space for a camera’s lens to fit into and give impressive close-up shots. There are a couple of things to consider when buying a ring light, let’s discuss them right away.
Size
Depending on what you want to use a professional ring light for, you must choose the right size to suit your purpose. Ring lights are in 3 major sizes which are 16 cm, 20 cm, 26 cm. If you intend to use this equipment for photography, you should go for the 20 cm or 26 cm sizes.
Portability
As a photographer, vlogger, and even make up artist there will be times when you need to have a creative session at outdoor locations. You need to ensure that the ring light of your choice is of moderate weight and can be easily moved around. In the past, ring lights were quite heavy to carry than they are now. So always look out for lighter ones.
Accessories
A professional ring light comes with its own accessories which usually include a tripod stand, the lights, batteries, remote control, charger, and a tripod stand. You sure don’t want to buy your new or fairly used ring light then start looking all around for the accessories. In addition, the replacement of those accessories mustn’t be an issue. Just like a vehicle or computer, the parts of a ring light must be easy to find and replace.
Battery Life
Since you will be using the ring light throughout the duration of your shoot, you need to ensure its battery life span is good enough so it doesn’t fail you.
Material
In a bid to get an affordable ring light, resist the temptation to buy one with inferior quality material. The most common material used to make the ring light is plastic; however, even plastic materials are of varying grade. Pick one that is thick enough and won’t crack at the slightest fall, but it shouldn’t be heavy too.
Cost
Your budget is a very important factor to consider. Note that acquiring equipment that earns you money is a smart investment. But that doesn’t mean you should go bankrupt while trying to get the best. Once you have decided on how much you are willing to spare to buy your professional ring light, start inquiring to get a good buy. Do not immediately drop your money at the sight of the first one you see. You can visit various online stores to have an idea of how much the ring light cost, this will help you negotiate properly with a seller and get a good deal. We should also add that there are several professional ring lights of great quality that don’t actually cost much. Also, you can check thrift stores for awesome deals.
Warranty
If you are buying a new ring light, it is only normal that the product should come with a stated warranty period. But if it isn’t stated, don’t be scared to ask the seller for one - this also applies to fairly used ring lights. Getting a warranty on this type of items gives you some form of covering and reduces the risk of you going home with a damaged item.
Just before we wrap things up, taking out time to read through customer reviews or feedback on ring lights from different manufacturers is a brilliant idea. It gives you heads up on the pros and cons of such a product. Although you might not be able to verify or probe some of the reviews, you will have an idea of how other users have found the product and if it will serve your purpose. No one looks forward to buying a ring light that makes them spend a lot of time editing pictures or decreases the quality of their output. Shop wisely!
