A few weeks ago, when I was getting ready to go live on This Week in Tech’s Windows Weekly video podcast, TWiT’s studio engineer said my microphone and webcam setup looked great. I mentioned I was using a ring light, too. “I can tell,” he said.
A good image is about more than just your webcam. Lighting is critical and can make the difference between an ad hoc amateur look and a professional one. Natural lighting can be tough to wrangle though, especially because it shifts over the course of the day, with cloud cover, weather, etc. And even in a well-lit room, all your lamps still might not provide the amount of light you need for your face.
A ring light is the ultimate solution because it’s so inexpensive, so easy to use, and so versatile no matter your setup. You don’t need AI lighting effects, you don’t have to rethink your home office layout, and you don’t have to learn (and buy) all kinds of pricey AV equipment.
I purchased this 5-inch Neewer ring light on Amazon and love it. It only cost me about $15—the price fluctuates with sales and on-page coupons—and it was absolutely worth it. Powered via USB, I just have to plug it into my PC or any USB charger and it’s good to go. There’s a nifty remote on the cable that lets me control brightness and color temperature, and it remembers those settings between uses. Once I got it set up how I like, I’ve only been pressing the power button to turn it on and off.
Chris Hoffman / Foundry
This ring light by Neewer also came with a convenient little desktop stand so I can prop it up wherever I want, and it has a ball joint so I can adjust the angle however I need. Don’t want to use a stand? You can also clip it to the top of your PC’s display or laptop screen. I prefer it on the stand because I can set it to the side and not stare directly at it.
In fact, as someone who wears glasses, I noticed the ring light’s reflection was visible in my glasses. Not a huge fan of that look, I ended up buying this Neewer light stand for about $25 so I could mount the ring light and get it above eye level. By angling it down, it illuminates in a more natural way and doesn’t show a reflection.
Chris Hoffman / Foundry
And that’s it! Those are the keys to my video recording setup: a professional-level microphone, a high-quality 4K webcam, and an inexpensive ring light. Whether you’re participating in Zoom video meetings or recording YouTube videos and live streams, the right lighting will help you look better. I can prove it!
I actually appeared on Windows Weekly twice—and the second time, I was in a basement on a road trip with fluorescent lighting and no ring light. Same webcam! See the image below for comparison:
Chris Hoffman / Foundry
In short, if you frequently appear on webcam but don’t have a good lighting setup, I highly recommend grabbing a cheap Neewer ring light. The impact is huge for how little it costs.
Grab this 5-inch Neewer ring light for just $15