Most people will benefit from choosing one of the best ring lights with a dimming/brightness control: Having a ring light that allows you to control the brightness will make life a lot easier – if the brightness is fixed, then your only option if the light level is wrong is to move the light closer or further away.A dimming control allows you to place the light where you want it and change the strength of the light as required. Do I need a ring light with changing colour temperature? The most important things to consider are the size of the ring and the number of LEDs, since this will affect brightness and thus how close you need to be to the light source.Generally, the more LEDs, the further away you can place the light, which makes it softer, more diffuse and usually more flattering as a result because it reduces the prominence of skin blemishes and spots. When you need an inexpensive light that will work just as well with your laptop as it will your phone, we like the QIAYA selfie ring light. It's USB-powered and clips directly onto your phone, tablet, or laptop; giving off soft, warm, adjustable light. You never want to be seen fiddling with your light, trying to make adjustments while filming. A remote control helps you make minor adjustments and do it out of the line of sight. The ring light and wireless remote control kit from PIXEL come with a 19-inch bi-color vlogging light, filter, mounting adapters, and a wireless remote controller. It's the perfect setup for casual and professional Zoom meetings, vlogging, and FaceTime chats. Paying extra does deliver loads of extra functionality. This is the only webcam in the group that offers 4K video recording. It runs that high resolution at 30fps, and it's a stunning option: video is crystal clear, with loads of detail and sharpness.

The Brio also supports HDR, which means bold colours and better performance in low-light situations. And, if you don't need 4K, the Brio also offers 1080p recording at 60fps – the only webcam here to also offer that feature. Videographers love ring lights not just because of their soft and flattering lighting but because they provide a continuous light – regular camera flash is obviously no good at all for video. Many of the best ring lights enable you to adjust the color temperature to suit different skin tones (making them great for makeup tutorials, too) and to match the ambient lighting conditions. Whether you're using them in the sun, the shade or yellow-tinged indoor light, you can make your lighting look natural. We also take them out to see if they're sturdy enough to be transported and used on location, or if they're only really robust enough to stay on your desk or in the corner of your room. It's important to see how the output performs when using batteries versus main power, too, if that's something they offer. Frequently asked questions What's the difference between ring light and LED lights?

For creatives and streamers, though, the Logitech offers plenty of versatility alongside smooth, high-quality 1080p footage, so it’s a great choice. Elsewhere, the Dell has a clever AI-based focus system that keeps subjects smoothly in focus. There are plenty of tweakable settings in Dell’s straightforward management app. The device tilts but doesn’t pivot, though, and it also doesn’t have a microphone.

Apart from size, another thing that sets apart one LED ring light from another is the amount of LEDs, which affects how diffuse and possibly how bright the light is.We've made sure to include products with plenty of LEDs for this reason. What controls should a ring light have? Pros: Wide-angle lens for more image capture; decent 1080p image quality; tilt and swivel adjustment options We've also included products that will work well with different types of video setup, like the Ivisii 19 inch Ring Light, which is a particularly good choice for those capturing video on an iPad. Note that many ring lights can hold small DSLRs and mirrorless cameras but will not be stable enough to hold a full-frame camera. There are several qualities that make the best ring lights so popular for filming to-camera social media videos or for making video calls. Firstly, they're quite affordable and their size makes them handily portable and easy to set up on a desk or on the floor, without the need for a lot of space.

What is the best webcam in 2022?

It's an 18-inch ring light which makes it perfect for shooting portraits or filming videos. As it's wireless you can use it on location or in the studio which makes it a great option if you want to be able to do both. That extra blur is not a big deal, though. Recording at 1080p means that your images are still easily sharp enough for business and home use. Elsewhere, the Anker delivers accurate, natural pictures alongside clear, well-balanced sound. It’s good in low-light conditions, too.

The rest of the feature set is excellent. The field of view can be widened all the way to 90 degrees, and there's an infrared camera that works with Windows Hello login. The USB-C connection also means longer cables can be used. It really depends if you need to be able to take the light outside or on location. Some models are mains only and as such can be a little less expensive because of the extra connections and electronics required to accept batteries, but there are models that offer both. This camera records 1080p footage at 30fps—smooth enough for any everyday situation—and it produces plenty of detail and lifelike colours. Microsoft’s camera does a great job with low-light situations, with images only becoming a little blurry. It handles bright lights easily too—your face won’t be washed out if you’re sitting in front of a window. If you’re looking to cover a webcam or laptop camera you already own then we don’t think you pay too much mind to what you’re getting – given it’s typically just a sliding piece of plastic. You can find a wide selection of webcam covers here – and they’re quite cheap. What webcam do YouTubers use? Overall, the C920s is the best option around right now: a crisp, clear and intuitive device that'll work in virtually any home or office situation.In our list above, we've also looked for options with dimming/brightness controls, versatility (i.e. whether the ring lights can support different types of camera) and reliability, which is what often influences the reputation of a brand. Another measurement to look out for is CRI (colour rendering index). This is a measure of the ability of the light to show colours faithfully in comparison with natural light. The higher the CRI, the more accurate the colour rendering. A light with a CRI of80 to 90is good, while 90+ is excellent. Which is the best ring light brand? The Brio's auto-contrast performance isn't the best on the market, but it's still easily good enough for most situations – and still better than most webcams. The best lighting for webcam streaming comes down to positioning, brightness options, and your budget. If you want professional-grade light, we recommend the Neewer 5600K USB LED Lights. They're dimmable, come with eight filters, and offer endless lighting options. Modern ring lights are LED lights, since they are powered by clusters of LED bulbs. However, most LED lights come in the form of rectangular-shaped panels, which produce much flatter illumination. Ring lights, on the other hand, are donut-shaped, which is much more flattering to faces. So rather than providing harsh, flat lighting, ring lights sculpt your features and provide a more dimensional, pleasing, professional look. What are ring lights good for? This ring light earns its "Pro" designation with distinction. At 17 inches in diameter, it's an inch smaller than the Lume Cube Wireless Ring Light (below), but it gives you a half hour more battery life, and the new light stand is a half-foot higher.The new remote control is a godsend for lighting yourself without having to keep getting up and down, and the improved diffusion is a dream for lighting portrait subjects. The quality of light is also absolutely spot-on, which is particularly important for creators shooting content such as makeup tutorials.

While ring lights may seem like simple devices, there's actually a lot to consider. So how we test them is by putting them through their paces in real-world conditions, using them for Zoom calls, photographing portraits, filming YouTube content –all at different times of day, in different natural and artificial light conditions.Some sophisticated models have options for altering RGB colours, making them ultra customisable, whereas others have filtered gels that sit over the LEDs themselves. Professional-grade LED lights may also even feature creative lighting effects to mimic natural lighting such as lightning, gunshots or campfires. Are battery-powered ring lights worth it? They can be attached to your laptop, tablet or phone so long as it's 18mm or thinner. They're great for taking on nights out so you can capture well-lit selfies, on holiday or even when traveling away from home so that you can Facetime loved ones no matter how much light is around you.