5 Best Light Bulbs For Video Recording And How To Use Them Right!

Today I´m going to talk about what are the best light bulbs for video recording in order the make the most out of your setting.

Although there are a few things you might want to consider light bulbs it´s not as complicated as many people think.

Whether you use it to shoot a YouTube video or a more professional setting these tips will work.

So, without much else to say, let´s begin!

Types Of Light Bulbs

There are exactly 5 different types of light bulbs you can choose from, but only one that I would recommend for lighting most of your scene.

However, there are a few other uses you can give to some of the rest types of bulbs, and that I´m also going to talk about.

1. Incandescent Bulbs

It is the type of light bulb that its filament gets heated to such a high temperature that it glows with visible light.

Incandescent bulbs are much less efficient than other types of electric lighting; incandescent bulbs convert less than 5% of the energy they use into visible light.

The luminous efficacy of a typical incandescent bulb for 120 V is 16 lumens per watt, compared with 60 lm/W for a compact fluorescent bulb or 150 lm/W for some white LED lamps.

You won´t get the amount of light and power needed to eliminate different scenes and you´ll be spending way too much electricity in exchange.

Therefore, this is one type of bulb that you can eliminate right from the start from your shopping list.

2. Fluorescent Bulbs

The main thing that you might want to consider when it comes to fluorescent bulbs is that they convert electrical energy into useful light much more efficiently than incandescent lamps.

The typical luminous efficacy of fluorescent lighting systems is 50–100 lumens per watt, several times the efficacy of incandescent bulbs with the comparable light output.

Another cool thing about this light is that they can make a nice touch to brighten your videos with a more distinctive overall look and glow.

They are also used as practical lights, which are the type of lights that don´t necessarily brighten a scene but they are used to give it a more personalized look.

Like this:

3. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL)

A third option you can look into is CFL light bulbs, which produce a fluorescent light but in a compact, smaller form.

They have all the energy-saving benefits from fluorescent light bulbs but can be used in a more practical and comfortable way as they are designed to replace the incandescent light bulb.

Whether you choose to use the “normal” fluorescent light or the CFL it doesn´t really matter that much as long as it suits your goals.

Both are equally good and a reliable source of good light for video recording.

4. Halogen Lamps

These are a type of incandescent light but with a longer operating life and higher luminous efficacy and color temperature although they use the same amount of power as incandescent lights.

The difference is in the inert gas used inside the bulb.

Now, they can be used as practical light if you put them as a part of your background or can be a good “extra” source of light that can (literally) fill the darker side of your subject on camera, but more on that later.

5. LED Light Bulbs

LED actually stand for Light Emitting Diode, which is become so popular due to their energy efficiency and the variety of colors and types of products there are.

One of the great things about a LED bulb is that it consists of multiple diodes producing the required amount of light.

As a semiconductor, they are a high energy-efficient bulb that is able to produce brighter light with less energy.

They are the number one choice and my personal go-to when it comes to video lighting, whether that is for a professional type of work or a more humble homemade video.

Most YouTubers relly on these as they make a good source of natural temperature light that also has enough power to brighten everything you need to.

Edison / Vintage Bulbs

Great to use as practical lights, they don´t make a good source of actual light to brighten your environment/studio but that´s one of the main reasons that they are such a good practical light to decor and give a more personalized look to your videos.

Plus, they look really good to decor your background and even make a good and soft source of backlight if they are close enough.

Check it out:

Best Light Bulbs For Video Shooting!

Although there are a few different options you should consider I´m going to give you the 5 most effective ones that I´ve come to realize are a perfect fit for (almost) any type of video and environment.

These are great options if you are looking for something that will definitively help you to give your videos a more professional look and have more control over your footage.

Limostudio 85W. This is the current light bulb I use for my key light and the one that I would recommend you to use if you don´t want to worry about lighting anymore and here´s why. This 85 Watt bulb equals to 350W regular incandescent light bulb output, which means it has more than enough power to lighten an entire room by itself and then some. This energy-saving compact fluorescent spiral bulb has a daylight color temperature that gives a more neutral light that will help you achieve a more natural look.

Pro Tip! You want to lighten your subject from an above the head level with a slight 45-degree angle pointing directly at it. Creates more depth.

A19 LED Light Bulb. This 100-watt equivalent led light bulb only uses 11 watts and makes a great source of light you can use to fill the other side of your face in order to soften the shadows created by the key light, especially if you use a powerful light bulb such as the Limostudio 85W. It will save you a ton of money in the long run and it´s a perfect combination with the previous light bulb as it also provides with daylight temperature. Plus, its lifespan is around 25.000 hours, so you won´t have to replace any time soon.
Limostudio 45W. This light bulb I´ve used it as a key light too, previous to the 85-watt. It also provides a great amount of light, the only difference is that you might need to get closer to it in order to lighten up your subject. The reason why I´ve chosen the more powerful one is that I wanted to cast not only a brighter image but also a wider space, by using a softbox.
A19 LED Light Bulb (3000k). It´s the same light bulb I´ve already talked about but in the warmer version of it. It has all the same features but with the difference that it projects that yellowish light that makes a perfect backlight for your videos. Just make sure that you put this source of light just above your head to create that glow around your shoulders, neck, and your hair.

Edison Light. Finally, the other type of light bulbs that I use, and work great both as practical lights and to brighten up my background a bit more, are vintage / Edison lights. The ones that I use are the LED A19 LED light bulbs with 6-watts and a 2700K soft white 600LM power, which is perfect.

DIY Lighting Set Up

Although there are different ways you can lighten your video one of the most used and effective methods is simply using a three-point system, this means having a key light, a fill light, and a backlight.

The three-point lighting set up looks something like this:

Key Light: A powerful LED light bulb that can easily brighten your entire face and (at least) part of your upper body. This is basically the main light. It is usually the strongest and has the most influence on the look of the scene. It is placed to one side of your face so that is well lit and the other side has some shadow in order to create more depth, something that allows that overall cinematic look.
Fill Light: A less powerful LED light that you can use to fill some of the shadows that the key light is casting on your face and body or you can use reflective material to create it, something you can easily DIY, but more on that later.
Back Light: The best part about the backlight is that it can be any source of light you want, your desk or standing lamp, or any other light that you may have in your house can work well if placed correctly. It doesn´t need to be as strong as the other two because its purpose is to provide more definition and subtle highlights around the subject’s outlines. This helps separate YOU from the background and provide a three-dimensional look, which creates more depth.

You´ll see that the most important light, the one that sets the tone of your video, is the key light.

Therefore, you might want to consider investing in one of the options I´ve talked about for that source of light, as you´ll need a powerful light bulb that has a long lifespan and projects enough light without getting too heated and/or consuming too much energy.

Now, when it comes to the Fill light you don´t (necessarily) have to spend or worry too much about.

In fact.

One of the most common ways YouTubers and videographers “create” this source of light for their videos is by using a window or reflective material to bounce the light from the room/studio itself.

Here´s how it would look:

You can simply use aluminum foil to create your own source of Fill light or stand near the closest window available.

As long as you combine those three lights (key, fill, and backlight) correctly by placing your subject or yourself in the right spot, having a strong key light, one softer light to fill the other side of your face, and (almost) any type of light for the back you´ll get that cinematic look most video makers aim for.

Final Tips

Here are a few more things you might want to consider when choosing a light bulb to brighten your scene.

If you go with a really powerful bulb, let´s say over 200W, as I´ve already said, you should consider using a reflective material to take full advantage of that light source.

You see, light bounces, no matter what environment you are in.

What you´ll be doing is simply readjusting HOW that light travels and therefore directing it wherever you want it to go.

That way you can manage to create your fill light without even using a second lamp or softbox, or spending in more light bulbs.

Plus! It´s a great way to create a more cinematic look by allowing a soft shadow on one side of your face or subject.

Another thing, the backlight usually creates a bit more depth and more defined highlights if it has a warmer tone, meaning that it is a warm light bulb, between 2000 and 3000-kelvin temperature.

If placed at enough distance it will give you that soft yellowish glow that will help you differentiate from the background and make the viewer focus on you, instead whatever is going on in the back.

Last but not least, be aware of the screw/base type of light bulb!!

This is something I´ve screwed up before I learned it, different light bulbs have different base types, meaning that they won´t fit in any sort of lamp you may want to use.

For example, the A19 Light bulb I talked to you about has a standard E26 medium screw base.

The Digital Hustler

Best Light Bulbs For Video Recording