The battery powered Meike FC100 LED Ring Light can function as both a continuos light, or be switched to photography flash mode. If you're planning to use the flash mode on the light, it would be a good idea to get the one listed for your camera make / model. These lights are a good way to shoot Macro photo or video to have shadowless images with close-up products. The video above from YouTube member DioxCorp, shows this Meike FC100 is also capable of flat even continuous lighting to act as a fill light in short distances.
LED video lights
Z96 vs W12 LED Video Lights
Sorry it took me a while to run these little tests, but i'm in between some big projects right now. Here's an update on testing the W12 LED video light with High Power LED bulbs, compared to the Z96. If you're not up to speed, we are comparing the two because they share basically the exact same form factor and feature set (batteries used, dimmer knob, magnetic snap filters, etc.)
Here's a comparison of coverage. As on-camera LED Video lights, this is a general distance to subject you might be using when the LED lights are mounted on camera. On the Top is the W12 and on the Bottom is the Z96. Camera settings were 1/50th F/2.8 ISO 640 for this spotlight test.
The W12 has a sharper and more defined edge at the end of it's coverage, while the Z96 feathers out gradually. The W12 seems a little more evenly flat across the spread, while The Z96 has more of a hotspot towards the center. The coverage is almost similar between the two lights spreading 9 feet across with the lights just 5 feet away from the wall.
Below I have the camera set to a manual 5600K color temp with the lights at 5 feet away from target. In my eyes the W12 seems closer to that temperature, but there still lies a greenish color cast. Take note that the Z96 shutter speed settings were a few stops better than the W12, proving that the Z96 has more overall light output. At least in the middle area.
Next up is the camera set to a Manual 3200K color temp, and adding on the Tungsten filters. I never use these things, since they cut down a good amount of light, and aren't very close to tungsten. For kicks, here's what to expect when using these filters. Again, the Z96 with it's own filter is several stops better than the W12 LED light. Even though it's not perfect, of the two, I think the Z96 performed better with the 3200K filter test.
There's some interesting differences here. Pros and Cons for each light. As you can see there's a bit of a color shift between lights from a greenish cast to a more magenta color cast. The Z96 also has more of a hotspot towards the center, while the W12 seems a little more flat across. The W12 has a sharper and more defined edge at the end of it's coverage, while the Z96 feathers out gradually. Overall, the Z96 has more light output and fairs better in the 3200K test, but the W12 was not too shabby at the 5600K test. Even though these lights fail to be perfect all around, the Z96 especially has been around for more than a year and has been one of the most recommended entry level LED lights. The W12 may be considered mainly because it's slightly cheaper in price.
These W12 high power LED lights are found at (click here).
12 High Power LED Video Light
The Z96 LED video lights can be found on eBay (click here)
Z96 LED Video Light.
Other lights you might be interested in is the 240 Bi-Color
240 LED video light (click here)
240 Dimmable Color Changing LED Video Light without Barndoors
312 LED video light (click here)
312 LED Bi-Color Changing Dimmable LED Video light
Z96 next to W12 LED Video Light
The Z96 next to the latest W12. If you don't know the story, the W12 is pretty much an exact form factor replica of the Z96 except they've replaced the LED lights with high power ones.
I snapped these images before walking out of the studio last night. I'll be in later to snap some example light comparisons. I'll try to have some side by side lighting examples later today. These W12 high power LED lights are found at (click here).
12 High Power LED Video Light
The Z96 prices have also stabilized somewhat. They can be found on eBay (click here), but make sure they are selling the 'real' F&V branded light since there has been quite a few replicas floating around. If you're unsure, you might want to check out Amazon for the real version of the Z96s.
160 LED Video Light – $0.01?
Carlos writes in and shares a 160 LED Video light listing that shows up as $0.01 (one cent) + $6.99 shipping
160 LED Video Light Dimmable
[Update] Sold out in less than a minute. LOL.
(2)pc 500 LED Video Light Kit with Stands
Thanks to ceevisionzfilms for pointing this out on Twitter. It's a set of two dimmable 500 LED video lights + Light Stands shipping from a USA seller. Divide all the pieces up and this 2 piece LED light kit is a pretty nice deal. If you know of better pricing for an LED light kit, leave comments. You can check out this deal following the link (click here).
(2)pc Dimmable 500 LED Video Light Kit w/ Stands
[Update] Shared through the comments, here's another link that might be a few dollars cheaper too: https://www.ebay.com/2x-Lighting-Stand-2x-500-LED/230683764?pt=LH_&hash=item352e7f5
Latest 12 High Power LED Video Light
Interesting development on the makers of the W96 LED light. They've taken all the features of the popular Z96, and then replaced the bulbs with 12 high power LEDs. The bulbs are different, but it still accepts the same battery types from Sony to (5) AA. The housing has a rubberized coating, dimmable with snap on magnetic filter holders, and battery indicator. Does replacing the bulbs with high power LEDs make the light better? I doubt it's the exact same, but high power LED bulbs are what you'll find in the high end Comer LED Video Lights (here). We'll just have to wait and see how well they perform, but they are available now (click here).
12 High Power LED Video Light
Small On Camera LED Diffuser?
Has anyone tried diffusing their LED panels with a cheap shoot through folding softbox used for Speedlites? These $6 dollar folding diffusion panels normally strap to the front of a portable flash, but now they are advertising it for LED video lights. Effective? Maybe, maybe not, but i'm sure it would be easier on the eyes of your subject. Could be a simple place holder for your colored gels too. Check 'em out below.
Latest 312 LED Light vs Z96
YouTube member reimaginecinema shares a look at the new 312 LED light (above) and compares it with the popular Z96 (below) [Thanks Jacob]. Obviously putting up a 312 count LED light against 96 LEDs isn't a fair fight, but it's a good comparison for those who are looking for which on camera video light to use. The 312 and Z96 are two of my favorite lights to use, and I still happen to be using the older 312 version.
The new version uses magnetic filters (like Z96) and was upgraded with a beefed up housing. Besides LED count, prices are much different, but the 312 allows you to change color temperature which I find important when you change environments (event video). If you can't afford the 312 Bi-Color changing, you could also look into the 240 Bi-Color LED light (more affordable). You'll find the new 312 LED video lights on eBay (click here)
Latest 312 LED Video Lights
312 LED Video Light Upgraded
The 312 is one of our favorite LED lights. It's big and the color changing feature allows you to blend it in better with other light sources. The video (above) is a look at the original 312 LED Video light, but now this popular light gets a few upgrades. The first thing visibly is the new magnetic filter holders, much like the Z96 LED light. Why can't all the LED lights use this feature? This is awesome. Second upgrade is thicker filters for better diffusion. There's an upgraded hot shoe ball mount, and finally an overhaul on the entire frame. The body of the LED light has been redesigned with heavier plastic making the unit feel more solid and less flimsy. Other notable mentions are a longer 2 year warranty on LED lamps. With all the new upgrades, surprisingly prices stayed low. You can find the latest versions of this light (click here)
Latest 312 Color Temp Changing LED Video Light