What is the best video light to film YouTube videos in a simple home studio and achieve a cinematic look? The truth is it depends on many factors. And to help you make an informed decision after watching this video, I will share my experience with lights and small studios. I will also show you a light that checks almost all the boxes for a small home studio, the Godox ML 100 b. You will see how the image looks with a small softbox, a big softbox with different lenses and settings. In a small home studio, we have a few main problems to overcome to achieve good lighting and that cinematic
look. And the main light is the primary factor that can help or destroy the look you want to achieve. Let's take them one by one and solve them. First, the lens we use. Long story short, if we use the kit lens, almost all cameras come by default with cheap lenses with f 3.5,
f 5.6.
This means we need more light to avoid increasing the ISO value too much. If you use a more professional lens, a fast lens that can go to f 2.8 or even f 1.4,
you need less light. Let's test whether the Godox ML 100 b is powerful enough for the kit lens. This video is not sponsored. I bought the light with my own money because many creators ask me about cinematic video lights with soft boxes,
not just LED panels,
I had used for so long. Now I use the kit lens at f 3.5
and ISO is set to 100.
I also use a 24 by 24 inch softbox and agreed. I want to see if I can reach the right exposure which means around 70% using the zebra feature without increasing the ISO value too much. With the light at 100%,
ISO at 100
and f 3.5,
I'm not even close to reaching the right exposure.
Let's increase the ISO and see when it reaches 70%.
With the ISO at 320,
the exposure it's almost right. I will try increasing the ISO to 640
and reducing the light at 75%.
This works perfectly.
And I will also turn on an LED panel on the left side just to fill up the other side of the face a little. ISO 640
for modern mirrorless cameras,
it's a low value. You don't need to worry about noise.
This is what people consider cinematic,
a main light positioned
in a way to illuminate half of the face more and another one that will only fill the other side of the face at a lower intensity to create dynamics.
And for this kind of result, the main light is extremely important.
Now, if I use an f 2.8 lens,
I can decrease the ISO to 320,
for example, and keep the light at 75%
to reach an exposure around 70%.
And now with a faster lens like my favorite Sigma 60 millimeters f 1.4 at f 1.4,
I have the ISO at 100 and the light at 66%
and the exposure is perfect. But I prefer to keep the ISO at 320
to lift the shadows a little and the light at 19%.
The difference in noise between ISO one hundred and three hundred and twenty, it's unnoticeable.
But with the light at 19%,
the fans of the light will rarely engage. We will discuss the sound noise this light produces
immediately.
But it's super important to understand the relationship
between the ISO and the light. Watch this demonstration. I now have the lens at f 3.5
and the light at 100%.
The ISO is 320.
The skin is exposed at around 70%.
I also have the fill light turned on and keep it at the same brightness. I will increase the ISO to 1,600
and decrease the light at 19%.
The skin is still exposed to around 70%
and it's still correct. With a higher ISO,
the whole image is brighter.
ISO value increases the amount of light captured overall.
Increasing the light and lowering the ISO will illuminate only the area the light is pointed at.
Both are correct. There is no right or wrong ISO.
It's a matter of preferences.
What do you prefer? A brighter image overall with fewer shadows or a darker vibe with brighter spots only where the light is pointed? Also, keep in mind that the distances matter a lot. My room, it's 11 by nine feet and the distance between me and the softbox, it's about five feet.
As you see, the relationship
between the lens you use and the light, it's huge.
But even with the kit lens, the Godox m l 100 b, it's enough. And if you have two of them for better control,
that will be perfect. And of course, for a full cinematic look, you need to learn much more. But don't worry, I will offer you in a few minutes for free a full master class on how to position the lights and how to use a fill light, a hair light, or a background light. Let's move first to the second important factor, the softbox you use. This is tricky and important for that cinematic look. Creators who film in small rooms most of the time don't have enough space for big softboxes,
but the difference between them is important.
As you saw, this is how the image looks with a relatively large softbox 24 by 24.
Now, I will switch to a smaller softbox, an 11.8
by 11.8
inch softbox,
while keeping all the settings the same. Let's analyze them side by side. As you can see, because the distance between the light source and the diffusing fabric is shorter,
the shadows are more pronounced.
Also, at the skin, the light is harsher. It's not a night and day difference, but it's there and it can be important. If you don't have space for a bigger one, this small softbox can work. But if you want that soft look with fewer shadows, a bigger softbox is important. For the m l 100 b, you can find this small softbox with amount that fits directly on the light and it costs around 39 US dollars at the time of recording this video. Also, if you want a bigger softbox, you can buy the balance mount adapter for $19
and use any big softbox.
This big one costs around $50.
And, yes, it can hold a bigger softbox without problems. Now, let's see another huge factor to take into consideration,
the space you have to position your lights. If you have some distance between you and your light and some space behind your desk as I do now, a light with the softbox is the perfect choice for cinematic looks because you can better control the light with a grid and point it exactly where you want to create dynamics.
But if you have the desk against the wall, the softbox will clearly be too close to you or you won't even have space to place it. And even if you have the space, the softbox being so close will hurt your eyes while shooting and be a distraction.
In this case, I recommend LED panels.
Also, if you have a white wall in front of you, you can bounce them off the wall to get the softest light possible, but it's not very directional. For LED panels and the bouncing technique, I will add a link to a dedicated video in the description. Now let me show you why I chose this specific light after testing many others. First, the size was a primary factor for me. This is extremely compact.
I can use it attached to a very pool super close to the wall to save space and avoid big light tripods.
I can clamp it to the desk as I do with an LED panel and bounce it off the wall in front of me. This is the size difference compared to a classic video light. Next, the fans are quiet.
Yes, if you had the light super close to you and it's at high power, you can hear the fans with big headphones.
It also depends on which mic you use and how close you keep it to the mouth. And, of course, you can clean the noise in post production.
I now use an omnidirectional
lav mic, which picks up everything around me. This is the worst case scenario,
and that noise, it's not a problem. Now
here is a specific aspect that it's different from one case to another. If you use other Godox lights as I do, it's convenient because I can control them all from the same app. I can control my hair light, my LED panel, and the main light because they are all in the same ecosystem.
This is an aspect to consider if you already have some lights. Think about whether you want to migrate to a complete ecosystem.
This model is bicolor,
so I can control the light temperature.
This is something I like. The build quality is great, the controls are well optimized, and the mounting and positioning system is well built. And if you want a spotlight, the light also comes with this spot reflector.
Another useful feature, you can power it in the studio with the included adapter that plugs into a wall socket or use a power bank or a v mount battery with the USB c port.
The power you can set it at and the time it lasts vary from one power bank to another.
For example, with this NPF battery from SmallRig, I can use the light at maximum brightness of 36%
for one hour and forty four minutes.
Now why do I say
it checks almost all the boxes for Talking Head creators? If you have the desk against the wall, I still prefer LED panels because they come with stands that attached to the desk and are dead silent with no internal fans.
And if you use a fast lens like the Sigma 60 millimeters f 1.4,
the light is more than enough with two of these. But with the bouncing technique,
everything is lit up and it's not that cinematic,
but it's a matter of preferences.
These e s 40 fives are similar to the Elgato key lights. Those are also great. In this particular situation,
I prefer the LED panels.
But in other situations, the m l 100 b plus softbox, it's ideal because you can control the light and achieve a more cinematic look. Some controlled shadows,
half of the face a little darker, and the ability to position it more precisely.
The light costs around 199
US dollars at the time of recording this video.
And if you need the light stand, that's around $50.
Of course, for all the equipment presented in this video and my full setup, I will add affiliate links in the description. If you click on my links, you're not going to pay anything extra, but I will earn a small commission This will help me keep sponsors away from this channel and create more valuable content for you. Thank you. In a small space using the keyed lens or a fast lens, the m l 100 b is a great choice.
It meets the size requirements,
the fan noise is low, the mounting system is great, you can power it even with a USB c and softboxes are available. Also,
it is easy to control with the complete ecosystem,
but you can choose the best light for nothing if you don't know how to position it right, how to use it, how to balance it with the entire scene, or set the exposure.
And for this, I will give you a dedicated video, a full YouTube lighting master class that will help you set everything to achieve the dream look you are searching for. Watch this video, combine the techniques with your light, and transform the look of your videos immediately.