Latest news with #Neewer
Tom's Guide
12 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
This ring light skyrocketed my social media engagement — and it's on sale right now
I will openly admit that Instagram is my favorite app. I constantly take pictures of everything because I am committed to keeping track of fun memories. I see my Instagram account as a time capsule, so if I can elevate that and get the best lighting for my pictures with friends? Even better! I jumped at the chance to test the Neewer Basics BR60 5-inch Ring Light because while I have tried ring lights in the past, they have never worked for me. But with this pretty compact light, Neewer have got it all right. The ring light is currently available for 23% at Amazon for $16 which is an absolute steal. Considering how powerful this light is, I would totally recommend grabbing this right now. The Neewer Basis BR60 5-inch Ring Light is my favorite new addition to socials set ups. I use it for everything from selfies to work video calls and it has made me look more professional than ever. It is super easy to use and produces lighting that is consistent but also adjustable to suit your needs. The ring light is incredibly easy to use. There is absolutely zero prior knowledge of lighting equipment needed as it is so simple to set up. There is a built-in USB-A cable which does meant that the light must be plugged in while in use. However to get around this and be able to move around with I plugged it into a power bank. I actually like that it must be plugged in as it means the light doesn't flicker or dim, which usually happens when battery powered lights run out of charge. The light also easily clips to your phone, and isn't heavy at only 4.6-ounces. this makes it really is to move around with. With a color rendering index of over 97, the light allows your camera to produce images with real-world color. I noticed that when I used the light, my complexion in selfies looked more like what I see in the mirror, compared to when I rely on natural lighting. There are also different temperature settings to cycle through to achieve your desired effect with the light. On top of this the light's intensity can be altered, making it pretty much fully customizable. You can find out more about how I got on with the light in my full Neewer Basics BR60 5-inch Ring Light review.
Tom's Guide
06-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
Neewer Basics R06 7-inch Round Light review
Getting the best lighting for selfies and first person video shooting has become pretty much essential, so the best ring light should definitely be on your shopping list. Luckily, the Neewer Basics R06 7-inch Round Light offers a consistent and reliable lighting solution. It enhances images and video when using my phone, generating flattering but natural light thanks to its CRI of 95+. There's also a range of 5 color temperatures from 3000-6500k, plus variable light intensities to make sure your illumination is on point. Meanwhile, the R06's telescopic arm, adjustable light angle and 360° rotation phone holder all make for an easy and customizable experience. Its fixed diffuser is quite thick, for very soft light, so if you want more contrast, look elsewhere. As a panel light, you'll also need to give more thought to light placement to avoid shadows (typical ring lights provide a more even light over your whole face), but this also makes the R06 more flexible as a general purpose light than typical ring lights. But there are a few small things to consider. There is no built-in battery support so the light will need to be plugged in at all times with the attached USB-C cable. And because of the building required to set up the light, it's better suited to a fixed set up and not for on-the-go vlogging or shooting. You can find out more in my full Neewer Basics R06 7-inch Round Light review. Price $35/£35 Dimensions 7 x 33.1 x 33.1 inches Weight 38.8 ounces Number of LEDs 84 Maximum illumination 680Lux/0.5m Accessories Phone holder, telescopic arm CRI (color rendering index) 95+ Color temperature 3000-6500k The Neewer Basics R06 7-inch Round Light is available at Amazon U.S. for $35 where prime members can get it for $26, and at Amazon U.K. for £35. There is a 1-year warranty included with the purchase. The light can also be purchased directly from through the Neewer website for the higher price of $45. While the panel light comes with a 1-year warranty, purchasing directly from Neewer and signing up to their newsletter will further that by an extra year. While I didn't come across any niggles with the ring light, you may think the added piece of mind is worth the extra money. If you need something more transportable, you may want to consider the Neewer 5-inch ring light which is $21. Or for something specifically for video, the Rotolight Video Conferencing Kit is $339 but is often discounted on Amazon. The Neewer Basics R06 7-inch Round Light is a panel light, meaning its LEDs are arrayed in a rectangle/square instead of a ring, such as the Neewer Basics BR60 5-inch Ring Light. The ring light will give an even lighting effect to your face when straight on where the panel will cause more shadows to your nose or eyes for example. That being said, the panel light is more versatile for other things like product photography lighting up a whole foreground. The light had to be assembled but this was simple to do as everything screwed together with ease, although the built-in cable gets tangled pretty easily. The panel of the light has a lot of adjustment, moving 180° horizontally and 210° vertically, helping me to achieve the perfect lighting angles — necessary given you can't easily move the whole stand around due to its bulky design and mains-only power. The light has a metal base which is weighted to keep the light completely stable. But the 7.08' base doesn't make it heavy, since it still only weighs 38.8 ounces. There is a metal telescopic column that meets the edge of the base. The column has a minimum height setting of 23.5 inches and a maximum of 33.1 inches. This meant that I was able to set the height based on whether I was sitting down or standing up, and could alter it based on where the camera I was using was positioned. There is a phone holder that clips on to the column, and can be adjusted up and down along the full height of the column. The holder opens from 2.4 inches to 6 inches, so I was able to easily fit my iPhone 14 and it should be able to fit larger phones like the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The holder also has a cold shoe mount, so you can fasten one of the best microphones, and a 360° bevel so you can adjust the angle of the phone for pretty much any situation. The only thing missing from this 7-inch panel light is any sort of camera mount. If you need to stand up a camera for filming you will need a separate tripod. Neewer keeps the controls simple on this 'basic' round light. Unlike Neewer's other lights, like the RP18 Pro, there is no Bluetooth connection, nor remote or Neewer App control. The control panel is attached to the 6.2ft charging cable and has four buttons to control the color temperature, brightness, and power. The brightness has 10 levels of adjustment which changes by 10% each time. The color temperature has 5 different settings ranging from 3000K to 6500K. There is a lighting setting for pretty much every situation, and the controls mean it is possible to have gentle lighting for more natural filming and photography scenarios. I found the light incredibly easy to control, and since the controls are attached to the power cord there was no worry of my misplacing it. After being blown away by the performance of Neewer's smaller 5-inch ring light, I was looking forward to seeing what the Neewer Basics R06 7-inch Round Light could do. It is worth noting that this light is bi-color, so only white and yellow hues are used. If you're only using this light for portraiture this shouldn't be an issue, but if you want to get a bit more creative, the lack of RGB lighting could be a con for you. The light has a CRI (color rendering index) of 95+. CRI is measured on a scale of 0-100 and denotes how naturally a light shows colors on a subject, and a score of 95 is impressive. The Rotolight Video Vlogging Kit ($29) has a CRI of 95+ but it has no adjustment like the Neewer Basics R06 7-inch Round Light. The R06 has a non-removable diffuser, which is very thick, producing highly diffused, soft light. It generated enough light to brighten up my face enough, but wasn't at all harsh and gave a very natural effect. The level of adjustment with the light also meant I could play around with the color tones and brightness to find the right settings for me. As a panel light, the R06 isn't as well-suited to selfies as ring lights — the ring array allows a phone to go in the center, letting an even light hit your entire face to remove shadows (on your nose for example). Ring lights also cast a halo light in your eyes, which is often sought-after in beauty vlogging and photography. On the R06, the phone can't sit in the middle, and even in its holder can get in the way of the actual LEDs, causing shadows of the phone itself. You can get around this by placing the light separately to your phone or camera, but then you will also see facial shadows. That being said, for a setup where the light was simply illuminating my entire setting and not just focused on me, like in a video call, the light worked perfectly. So I would totally recommend this as a work from home studio solution. The panel array also makes this a flexible light for more than just selfie footage, so if you produce different types of content, it could be a great solution. Unfortunately this ring light must be plugged in when in use. While this is inconvenient as you're unable to move around with the ring light, when in use, it actually has its perks. Since it is plugged in via the USB-A cable connected to the light, you are ensured consistent lighting over long periods of time with no worries of the power of the light fading or flickering as the battery runs out. If you do need to be on the move with it though, you can always plug in to a portable power bank. However, with the design of this light it is better used for a fixed set up. The Neewer Basics R06 7-inch Round Light is a brilliant lighting solution for any home office or studio. At $35 it is affordable, it produces lovely, soft light and has a sturdy but customizable build. There is a whole lot of adjustment with this light, letting you alter the height and filming angles to suit your setup. The panel array and adjustment of the actual lighting settings opens up many opportunities, from doing make-up in the mirror to shooting vlogging content to camera. If you're looking for something purely for selfies though, I would recommend the Neewer Basics BR60 5-inch Ring Light — as ring lights produce a more even light over the face. There isn't any on-board battery support and this weighty light isn't one you'll want to move around, but once I set up the light at my desk I didn't need to move it, so these are very minor issues. I loved the light for making short vlogs of my day and taking selfies with less harsh lighting — it is certainly a winner for me.
Tom's Guide
06-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
I just tested the Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit — and it's all you need to elevate on-the-go content creation
The Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit is, as its name suggests, one of the best ring lights for content creation on the go. It's extremely easy to set up and use, and the mini tripod-grip makes it comfortable to hold. The included RL48-B ring light boasts accurate color reproduction and makes images appear true to life. The kit is also very cheap, retailing for just under $30 if you buy from Amazon. It's important to note, though, that the light's color temperature is fixed at a cool 5600K unless you use one of the included filters — which can be quite frustrating and time consuming to install. For the complete breakdown, read my full Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit review. Specs Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit Price $109 / £79 (Rotolight); $29 / £24 (Amazon) Dimensions 5.24 x 0.78 inches Weight (with tripod) 20.98oz Light source Rotolight RL48-B ring light Number of LEDs 48 Beam angle 140° Maximum illumination 242Lx/1m Accessories 1x phone adjustable mount, 1x twin accessory bar, 1x Rotolight mini tripod, 4x filters CRI (color rendering index) 95+ Color temperature 5600K (fixed); 4100K/3200K (with filters) The Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit retails for $109 / £79 if bought directly from Rotolight. Amazon offers a better deal, though, as the kit can be bought for $29 / £24, which of course is the far better deal. Regardless of where you choose to buy it from, the Ultimate Vlogging Kit will include an RL48-B ring light, a cell phone adjustable mount, a twin accessory bar, a mini tripod, and a set of four filters. The Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit is only slightly more expensive than the Neewer Basics BR60 5" ring light ($21), and cheaper than the Neewer Basics 7" ($35). Rotolight's offering is simple and no-frills, and its color temperature is fixed at 5600K (unless you use the included filters), so you may want to consider either of the Neewer lights which, for some, may offer better value for money. The Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit sports a minimalist, no-frills design. The RL48-B ring light doesn't look too flashy, and it houses 48 LED bulbs encased in a translucent cover, and a round red Rotolight logo sits in the center. As I mentioned above, this kit has everything you need to elevate your content. Setup is straightforward, and it took me just under five minutes from unboxing to being ready to shoot. You need to screw the twin accessory bar onto the tripod, and then screw in the RL48-B ring light and the included smartphone mount on either side of the bar. It looks like a seesaw, to be honest! But the 140° ball head keeps the seesaw-esque structure stable. I tilted it at various angles and the bar did not move even when I shook, which is great for those shooting video while walking or even running. The included mini tripod's legs fold and make it comfortable to hold with one hand too. The smartphone mount extends enough to fit phones of most sizes. I had no issues clasping it around my Google Pixel 7 Pro and my coworkers' iPhone 16 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. Without a smartphone, the Ultimate Vlogging Kit weighs 20.98oz, and with my Pixel mounted, the kit weighs 23.62oz — still comfortable to hold with one hand. I really appreciate the Ultimate Vlogging Kit's versatility. If you want to use the RL48-B with one of the best mirrorless cameras, you can pop the black ring and branding out and put the light around an accessory, such as a shotgun mic like the Joby Wavo Pro ($109). The 3/8" thread also means that you can attach a camera instead of the mount, so the Ultimate Vlogging Kit isn't just for smartphone shooters. However, there's no cold shoe mount, which means you can't attach a microphone's receiver (RX) unit to the kit, which isn't great news for smartphone vloggers. On a mirrorless camera, at least, you can use the camera's hot shoe mount to hold a mic RX. The Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit is extremely straightforward to use thanks to a very simple control scheme. There's only one button on the RL48-B ring light, and that's the power button. I can't put it in any simpler terms: you press it to turn on the light, you press it again to turn it off. There's no app or Bluetooth control, so the Ultimate Vlogging Kit is simplicity itself. It doesn't feature fancy function / advanced modes either, unlike the Rotolight Video Conferencing Kit ($149), which has specific modes for macro photography and cinematic effects, but it's also more expensive. The Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit doesn't use any mains power and instead relies on three AA batteries. The RL48-B is compatible with rechargeable batteries too if the environmental impact of disposable ones is a concern. Rotolight says that a set of batteries should last you up to four hours — which is one hour more than the pricier NEO 2 ring light in the Rotolight Video Conferencing Kit ($339). In my testing, a set of batteries yielded just under three hours of juice, which is fantastic. If you're looking for a more substantial portable lighting solution, you'll want to go for a light that uses NP-F professional batteries, such as the Westcott 18-inch ring light ($189). The Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit works as intended: it's bright enough to be used in most environments, both indoors and outdoors. In most probability, you'll be holding the tripod at an arm's length. In my testing, this proved more than adequate for lighting up my face. The RL48-B ring light has a CRI (color rendering index) of 95+. CRI is usually measured on a scale of 0-100, and it tells you how accurately a light source illuminates the subject. The higher the CRI, the more the subject appears true to the original color, and vice versa. 95+ is an excellent score. The photos in the gallery above demonstrate the RL48-B's color accuracy. The first photo was taken without the light on and the second with the light on. I like both but I prefer my face in the second photo, as that's what I see when I look in the mirror too. If I was a vlogger, this is what I'd like to see in a to-camera piece. One of the downsides of the RL48-B ring light is that it has a fixed color temperature of 5600K; there's no way to adjust it unless you use one of the four included filters. Two of these are for warmer color temperatures: 204 for 3200K and 205 for 4100K. There are two diffusion filters too: 184 for skin tone and 216 for white diffusion. Inserting the filters is a finicky process. You need to pop the translucent case off which takes quite a bit of strength. I thought it was a me problem but my coworkers struggled with it too. Once you have (frustratingly) taken off the cover, you need to place a filter over the LED lamps and pop the cover back into place. It's annoying, yes, but once you have the filter in place, it works well. In the gallery above, the first photo was shot with the 204 filter and the second with the 205 filter. I like cool shades so I really like the second photo, but the first shot has a lovely, even warmth to it too. Let's talk about the remaining two filters. The first photo above was shot with the 216 white diffusion filter and the second with the 184 skin tone filter. The white diffusion filter can be used to reduce harsh shadows and highlights to produce a softer image, as you can see above. I don't think there's a world of difference between the first shot and others in this review, but the filter's effect will vary depending on the environment you're shooting in — the same goes for the 184 filter too. Similar to the Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit, the Ultimate Vlogging Kit doesn't feature any RGB which, for some, may limit its use in some scenarios. RGB lighting helps you color a background a specific color while using another light to light up your face. The Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit offers excellent value for content creators seeking a simple yet effective lighting solution. The kit is highly portable and easy to set up and use, thanks to the sturdy and comfortable tripod. The included ring light is reliable and it illuminates subjects well. One of the downsides, though, is that the ring light's color temperature is fixed at a cool 5600K — and if you want to change that, you need to use the included filters which are frustrating (and time consuming) to insert. But for the price, it's difficult to fault the Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit — it offers unbeatable value for money.
Tom's Guide
02-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
Neewer Basics BR60 5" Ring Light review
The Neewer Basics BR60 5' is a cheap and easy way to improve selfies, videos, or online video calls. It's certainly one of the best ring lights I have tested . The design is focused on being as functional as possible, making it incredibly easy to operate. The added attachments of a clip and tripod make it convenient for any situation. It brings out the real world colour typically lost when taking pictures, especially when using the front facing camera on my phone. The only caveat is that the ring light has to be plugged in to work and doesn't come with a battery power option. This means while it is lightweight and easy to walk around with, it isn't entirely portable without a power bank in tow. However, the need to be plugged in does mean you are sure to have consistent lighting for whatever you are doing. You can find out more in my full Neewer Basics BR60 5' Ring Light review. Price $21/£19 Dimensions 5.7 x 5 x 1.1 inches Weight (with clip) 4.6 ounces Weight (with tripod) 6.6 ounces Number of LEDs 60 Maximum illumination 450Lx/0.5m Accessories Clip, Mini tripod CRI (color rendering index) 97+ Color temperature 3000-6000K The Neewer Basics BR60 5' Ring Light is available at Amazon U.S. for $21 and Amazon U.K. for £19. The price is slightly higher ($29) if purchased directly from the Neewer website, but you'll get a one-year warranty as a bonus. In fact, you can extend this further by signing up to the company's newsletter if you're so inclined.. You're paying a little extra, sure, but you get the added peace of mind of a warranty period which for some is worth the cost. The design of the Neewer Basics BR60 5' Ring Light is exactly that — basic. But not in a bad way. It eliminates any fuss that comes with an awkward set up and is super straightforward to use. The entire body is plastic with metal threads at the base to attach to the tripod. The tripod itself is easy to attach, and the legs fan out for stability. There is also a clip which slides into the bottom of the ring light. This clip allows a tilt of up to 170° so I was able to adjust the light exactly how I needed it even when it was in a fixed position. The clip can be attached to anything less than 1' thick. I was able to easily attach it to my mirror while doing my makeup, on my laptop for work calls, and my phone for selfies. The clip has a gap on one side which perfectly fits over the camera on my phone and laptop. So it doesn't obscure the camera view when attaching the light, which I have had happen with other phone light attachments I have used in the past. The light needs to be plugged in at all times and comes with a built-in six foot USB-A cable which is also where the controls are. There is a USB-A to USB-C adapter included though and this meant I was able to plug it in to my MacBook which only has USB-C ports. The controls for the Neewer Basics BR60 5' Ring Light are extremely easy to get on with. It seriously couldn't be any simpler. Attached to the built-in charging cable is a control pad. The power button turns the light on and off when plugged in and there is a mode button which cycles through the light's six modes. My personal favorite of these modes is the warm light as I found this looked the most natural and added some warmth to my face. The settings then become cooler as you cycle through them. There are plus and minus buttons to alter the brightness of the light with 10 levels of adjustment. This makes the light extremely customizable — there is something for every scenario. Having been disappointed with the performance of small ring lights in the past, I am pleased to say that I was blown away by the Neewer Basics BR60 5' Ring Light. I seriously think it changed my face for the better during selfies and now I get why the Kardashian Instagram game is so strong. The light has a CRI (color rendering index) of 97+. A higher CRI means that the light ensures that objects and subjects appear true to their original colour, and lower values indicate more color distortion. This is measured on a scale of 0-100. So this light having such a high reading is a great sign, and I found that, with the light on, I looked more like what I would see in the mirror as opposed to in my phone camera in natural lighting. With all the settings to cycle through on the light, the color temperature of the light ranges from 3000K to 6000K. The lower values are the warmer tomes and higher values are cool tones. Both are necessary for different types of photography as cooler lights are often better in a studio setting, or just depending on what your own style calls for. To test out how the light works for every day use I used the tripod to set it up next to my mirror to do my makeup for the day. This is one of the uses recommended by Neewer so I wanted to check if it made me do it better. I was able to have far more attention to detail and found I could see the colors better and get a better idea of how everything was blending. It was pretty gloomy outside on my testing day so the natural lighting was dull so it was a good opportunity to get some natural light tones. It is easy to see why makeup artists use ring lights when working on clients, I'll definitely be adding this to my daily routine. I also used it to take some selfies, since this is probably one of the most likely use cases for this product. And it massively improved the visual quality and made me look more polished and professional on camera. Both of the above images were taken using the front facing camera of my iPhone 14. The first image is taken with the ring light on the warm light mode. It is clear that the light enhanced my features while brightening my complexion. The second image is taken in natural lighting in front of a window with the same camera and is very dull and there is a lot more noise in the image. The ring light made everything sharper. In a society where everything is documented, the Neewer Basics BR60 5' Ring Light is an essential addition for anyone's home or office setup. The color reading index rating is high and it is evident from the images I took that it brings out real world color on camera, which usually dulls the color. It also worked incredibly well to reduce noise in the image by creating sharper lines. Unfortunately you do need to be near a power outlet or have some sort of portable charger with you to turn the light on since it is not battery powered. This means you're quite limited with movement when using it, but on the flip side you'll never get caught out by a dead battery. At only $21, this ring light is an affordable way to improve your selfie or video calling game.
