Continuous Lighting

How to choose continuous lighting

Continuous lights let you see exactly what you're filming or photographing — no guessing, no chimping. Picking the right one is about output, color quality, and what you actually shoot.

LED panel vs COB

LED panels (Aputure Amaran P-series, Godox LD-series) spread light across a flat surface — soft, broad, and easy to work with for interviews and product shots. COB (Chip-on-Board) lights like the Aputure 300x and Godox SL-series concentrate output into a single bright source — used with modifiers (softboxes, fresnels) for more directional, controllable light. Most pros own both; COBs are the standard for cinema work.

Color quality (CRI / TLCI)

CRI (Color Rendering Index) and TLCI (Television Lighting Consistency Index) measure how accurately a light reproduces colors compared to natural daylight. CRI 90+ is the minimum for video work; CRI 95+ is what professionals look for. Cheap lights with CRI in the 70s produce muddy skin tones and unpredictable color casts that even color correction can't fully save.

Bicolor vs daylight

Bicolor lights adjust from warm tungsten (3200K) to cool daylight (5600K) and everything in between — flexible for matching ambient light, mixing with windows, or warming cold scenes. Daylight-balanced (single-temperature) lights are simpler and often brighter at the same wattage. RGB lights add full-spectrum color control for creative effects but cost more.

Power and modifiers

For interviews and small-room work, 60W–100W is plenty. For larger spaces or shooting through diffusion, 200W–300W. For sun replacement or big spaces, 600W+. Remember: a modifier (softbox, diffusion) eats 1–2 stops of light. Buy a stop or two over what you think you need so you have headroom.