The World's Thinnest Cheapest LED Light Panels for Photography and Video

Super flat LED panel lights for video and photography that will blow your mind... from small ones that fit in your pocket to big 4 ft ones that cost insanely less than soft boxes. Soft lighting for video and photography lights usually cost a LOT... but not anymore! Now you can get amazing glamor soft lighting for portrait photography, youtube video vlogging etc. This video covers all sizes from small to big with an emphasis on keeping it affordable, if not downright cheap. Here's inexpensive low cost video lights for vlogging, portraits or product photography
Earlier video I did on small pocket sized battery powered LED lights
• Small Pocket LED Light...
LumeCube www.amazon.com...
Amaran AL-M9 www.amazon.com...
Pixel G2A built in battery www.amazon.com...
Enegon built in batt www.amazon.com...
Zhiyun Fiveray M40 built in batt www.amazon.com...
Silver RibbedTolifo PT-15B www.aliexpress...
Yongnuo YN300 Air www.amazon.com...
Viltrox L116T www.amazon.com...
Neewer 12" int batt www.amazon.com...
Raleno 12" built in batt www.amazon.com...
AliExpress 12" BTFOOR www.aliexpress...
Neewer 288ARC 18" and C-clamp stand, carry case www.amazon.com...
Fotodiox round 18” www.bhphotovid...
Fotodiox HEAVY StudioXL 11 $1000 no longer available
4ft foldable shop light from previous video Feit Electric ADJ5000/48/5K/LED panel light
5000 Lumens 5000k 40w www.homedepot....
2x2 ceiling panel hykolity 40W (remember to white balance camera and color adjust skin tones in editing program) www.amazon.com...
2x4 ceiling panel $250 for 4 75w 7800Lumens 5000k brand WYZM (remember to white balance camera and color adjust skin tones in editing program) www.amazon.com...
www.amazon.com...
Zhiyun Molus G60 store.zhiyun-t...
Cute 8x8 square panel Boling BL-2220P 5500K CRI 96+ www.aliexpress...
Lupo Super Panel bare bright www.bhphotovid...
Lupo Super Panel diffused www.bhphotovid...
0-10v dimmer KEYGMA DC 0/1-10V Knob LED Dimmer (No Flickering or Humming), Low Voltage Passive PWM Dimmer www.amazon.com...
Mysterious long rectangular LED panel BOLING BL-2280P (not mentioned because price went up dramatically since I got them)

[@JACKnJESUS]

The ceiling lighting was...illuminating...thinking outside of the soft box there...well done.

[@tsbrownie]

Have been looking at these for the past week. Hard to know which is good. I'm here because I know I can trust Markus for unbiased, experience based info.

[@manbitesphoto-pu2pl]

your model is fire and love the lighting! thanks for sharing your knowledge kind sir

[@charliejg]

Markus, you are relentless! And, a total DIY nerd, which I love3!! Thanks for all of your effort. Have a great week!

[@MarkusPix]

Thanks so much!

[@aaronstestlab]

I'm so happy to see you using those ceiling LED panels. I've noticed them at the big box stores and wondered why nobody uses them in a studio considering the cost of studio lights.

[@brianr9420]

I appreciate your honesty and all the hard work it takes to make these videos. Thank you!

[@FindLiberty]

..and thanks for making all of it FUN ! (BTW, great camera work)

[@joeg7849]

Reminds me of the 70's.

[@memathews]

Thanks for the light fixture review, these LED lights have come a long ways in the last decade. Back in 2013 I worked with a company producing 24"x24" (60x60cm) panels at 1,900 lumens, but they were heavy and costly. The company closed in 2019 as cheaper alternatives became preferred, but their design is still used in some ceiling panels. The ingenious part (and patented) was using side lighting with a light pipe panel to office edge to edge even illumination. The panels also had a 160° spread so they could be lined up and stacked to create a single gigantic light source without multiple shadows or reflections.

[@bambanx]

thanks for share , could you give me and advice for a light for painting studio ? i use one easel and i dont want a big setup, do you think any of those led panels could do the work ? thanks you

[@mediaprducr]

The 2x4 ceiling light, what a great idea! Thanks!

[@lordgaulo6520]

This guy has to be one of the greatest of all time I've never seen clickbait on this channel always awesome info tips and tricks

[@MickeyMishra]

Watching a Video from MarkusPix has one big side effect. It makes you HAPPY! Markus, it would be cool if you did another video about night photography. I love taking photos at night of how buildings are lit up and of course some wonderful interiors. Can you show us all what you like to do ? Tips and tricks and some of your fav stuff to bring along with you for those kinds of photos / Video? THanks Markus! You rock dude!

[@brendaavillakintzrealtor]

I just bought 4 of the Feit foldable lights at Home Depot. They're on clearance st the local stores, but still at the $22. I grabbed them while I could. I'm a Realtor, so I'm always at HD and Lowe's. For the past year or two, I kept staring at the ceiling light panels wondering why i couldn't use them as flapjack lights. Thank you for encouraging us to break convention and have fun with the possibilities. I was also eyeballing the Fotidiox XL, but based on your tests, the ceiling panels looked like they'd be pretty close with a little white balance. I used to work in tech, but the wiring is an easy project for most, a basic lamp wiring. Thank you again Markus. On a related note, I lost over 50 pounds in the past year and am working on being healthier, so I've mozied over to your health channel. You and Kara are really cool and wonderful people.

[@Augnos]

Dude, you're the lighting king! No one has anything as extensive as what you put out in your videos.

[@Native_love]

Clicked for the model and stayed for the excellent video!

[@johnsaucerhunter]

I had gone out and bought a few of those Garage LED Screw-in lights from a previous presentation of yours Mr. Markus and have been extremely pleased. But those 2 footers look pretty decent. Now if only my DIY skills were better suited. Thanks for another terrific series of Tips.

[@drrrw]

That last one was totally unexpected hahaha. With a little bit of tinkering and creativity, huge savings. Of course for studio use this is unmatched. Definitely checking the Boling.

[@retrothing]

Hi! I’m one of the inventors of the Flapjack lights. So thrilled to see them in play here! I still use mine a lot, but I’d I were doing a studio buildout - especially something permanent - I’d be using those 2x4 panels. When those first came out, they weren’t quite ready for prime time, but today’s panels photograph really well, so it’s a boom time for quality cheap video lighting. Thanks for this video! (By the way, it’s pronounced “foto DEE ox” 😊)

[@MarkusPix]

Wow, hi! I'm honored.

[@acumen1]

​@@MarkusPix HOW ARE YOU DOING SIR, IS TOLIFO PT-15B PRO ENOUGH TO BE USE A LOW BUDGET KEY LIGHT?

[@DIZEMANPHOTO]

Once again, an AMAZING bundle of information and CHOICES. Thanks again Markus!

[@kevinbatts2804]

Perfect Sunday evening after spending the day editing. A little Markus and his awesome wife. Great job guys.

[@MileyonDisney]

WOW! That huge 2x4 one is awesome! Leave it to Markus MacGuyver! (I hope you're okay with that comparison. I'm sure you must have heard it many times in your life.) I'm going to be ordering the AliExpress light, if there are any left - your video's already been out for an hour, so your viewers probably cleared them all out by now. Thanks for another helpful and informative (while still being entertaining) video.

[@nanoblog]

Sadly the one Markus shows is not the same as Aliexpress photos, check it. 😢

[@ftbalz]

Pretty awesome explanations and showing off 'new' products!! Really gets the creativity flowing!!

[@markv7458]

Awesome Video, the best I have seen on LED lights and light panels.

[@MarkusPix]

Thanks

[@rene0511]

That's why I keep you watching Markus, you're very resourceful and innovative. 👏👍👌

[@bullettin]

We bought a daylight Lupo at my work a few years ago. It's a great light with a lot of punch. Having that kind of portable light has served us well for the promotional videos we create. Thank you for going all out to bring us such illuminating insights.

[@Maxim.ID4HO]

Nice video. Thank you for all the thorough info.

[@DavidSenteno]

I always enjoy the DIY lights. It makes me think a bit about what I can do to change things up.

[@tknson]

those DIY panels are genius!!

[@Gaticat]

Markus, I,ve just found you now. You already have a new subscriber. 😊 Thank you very much for such a detailed review.This is just another level.. WOW 👏😮

[@romandarobot7732]

Wow, that was a lot of research and work to put this together. Thank you so much! 😍

[@agentbey]

Excellent review of LED Light Panels. Super informative. Pretty cool indeed. Thanks for sharing the joy.

[@EdKrisiak]

WOW WOW WOW!!!!!! Thanks for a super duper video Markus :)

[@xeeton]

your videos are absolute gold, thanks!

[@MarkusPix]

Wow, thanks!

[@freddparr721]

THANK YOU for this video!!!!! You are a GOD for helping all of us with GREAT light reviews for what we specifically need! Not all of us need the best of the best and you help with giving us all the options!!! Thanks again!!

[@sirpatmcc]

Another great video. Thank you Marcus👍

[@psianyde1567]

Absolutely love your reviews. Have to vouch for the Fotodiox 18" lights. They are super energy efficient and put out a really good amount of light, the v mount is a great bonus. For mini LED panels I picked up a few of the Salarlo CF140C's they are super tiny and if you combine them with a Utebit clamp they work as great video/emergency/worklights. They're RGB and have an internal battery so they work great as background fill lights. Cheers all!!! Really looking forward to trying out the home depot fold out lights, thanks again for the tips. Thanks for taking the time to focus on lights.

[@menarussell]

Wow, thank you so much for sharing this. This will help me in my future endeavors for videos and stills.

[@MarkusPix]

Glad it was helpful!

[@LukeKwan78]

Wow such a compressive video!!! I love the affordable light at the end!!

[@rekinmiasta5052]

Hello. Always look on the bright side of (life) light. ha ha ha. Very inspiring thank U good job.

[@princequestly2218]

I love when you show some cool DIY stuff. always above and beyond Marcus.

[@Sludge_Inc]

One of the best channels to learn from

[@rogergelik5078]

Whew that was a lot of work, and so much information, thanks!

[@MarkusPix]

Thank you for the appreciation

[@BigMike246]

I love your videos, Markus. I share you enthusiasm!

[@jrproductions1046]

Excellent video. Just like always thank you.

[@ak4good]

Informative, inventive and funny. Another perfect MarkusPix video perfect for creators who think outside the (soft)box ;-)

[@MarkusPix]

Oh that's a good one! Think outside the softbox! I love it

[@paolabueso]

Excellent video! I’ve been looking into what light to buy and this video was super useful. Thank you so much for sharing your lighting knowledge with us! 🙌✨

[@MarkusPix]

Glad it was helpful!

[@BELGRANOization]

Mark, you drive me nuts most of the time with your crazy videos, but today, showing those 2x2 and 2x4 panels you made my day. Thx bud

[@icc1412]

love your passion for light and photography. you are just like me ^^ thank you for all the videos. they are a great help for a lot of ppl out there. your channel is awesome.

[@JonMurray]

Awesome man! What a selection! I’m the same, I’m not sure what I’ll use them for but I want all of those lights haha! New subscriber ✌🏻

[@sky47media]

So amazing! I learn from you in every video, thank you for your content and honesty.

[@VladimirHidalgo]

Love this video specially the hacking of the ceiling LED lights. Would be interesting to hear your point of view regarding ring lights.

[@nicholasjames5471]

You're so awesome! I've been kicking around the idea of buying something 3x the price of these, and you just saved me so much time, money, and hassle (with an additional softbox)! Thanks!!!!!

[@twomindmethod]

Wow, such good info! you are a blessing to humanity

[@zeecee5881]

Oh WOW! This was awesome! An AMAZING video. Thanks so much. Brilliant!!!!

[@imothy]

I've been a big fan of the Neewer RGB panels that also have bi-color white in them. I got 2x of the 480 panels and just ordered one of the 960led panels. My studio is a recording / live streaming / music video studio, so I like having the 2 480s to light my background walls, and then the 960 as a key light, and I can app control it so I can dial in some trippy color schemes on the fly! My studio is an old warehouse with 16ft ceilings, and I started rigging my lights to these pipes on the ceiling, making a really cool vibe for jam sessions and stuff.

[@psianyde1567]

Love the neewers. Had a little trouble with their power supply's wiring after lots of setups and teardowns.

[@simonfuller76]

Thanks Markus. Always fun to watch a kid in a toy store, same energy as you. I am curious about the strip LED you didnt mention at all. Wow, those ceiling panels were thin. The development in LED is evolving quickly, and getting better with batteries improving too. It is a pity that with the need for greater light output comes the blinding of subjects you want to shoot. Only a problem for people of course, but always will be a limitation.

[@dangerousmethod_33]

Dude you are amazing i usually don't suscribed after only one video but what you did with the LED lights really make me smile. Keep up the good job, you are the man.

[@jacko717]

Very interesting video, and your thumbnail game is also on point Sir.

[@B3LOVXD]

I love this channel

[@KatherineHollyday]

Loving the drop in ceiling lights. I'm thinking I will use that in the future!

[@poerava]

From Mebourne, Australia. You’re amazing! Thank you 🙏🏽

[@stevecarrAB]

Thank you for the in depth reviews and help DIY tips!

[@CriticalTechReviews]

I had to pause this just to say, thanks for being "the bad guy" and giving us the bad about products too, it's disturbingly rare among reviewers, and it makes all the difference.

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

WOW those huge led flat panel lights are amazing 🤩, I think I might get them or over craft island ❤. Thanks Markus 😅!

[@domeniccentofanti8654]

LOVE your reviews and your enthusiasm! I use the Fotodiox 30" XL Studio light and though it is a beast (large AND very heavy), the light quality is AMAZING! Favorite interview light ever.

[@AliasJimWirth]

This is a good coverage of flat panel light choices. I have that Viltrox 116 and the Lume Cube Panel Go. I have one of the Neewer's too, somewhere. I use the little Lume Cube all of the time; for macro and still life, either as the main light or as an accent. And I take it with me whenever I travel. Great video, Markus. Loaded with and value. Thanks.

[@jgates]

Great comparison! Thanks, Markus!

[@samehabouez8267]

Markus is genuinely amazing, unique and generous

[@HamdaniOvais]

Thanks for the video, that led panel trick is cool, i am willing to learn some lightening tips from you. Love from India 😊

[@moviedorkproductions9465]

Thanks for sharing joy,, Markus!

[@ArneSaknussemm1]

Love the product reviews and tutorials for your awesome attitude! Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing your knowledge 😊

[@ZenoWatson]

Wow, Markus, just wow. Thank you!

[@HumbertoAbed]

Posted my previous comment before I finished watching the video. And now that I watched the whole thing, there's only one thing I can say... YOU RULE!

[@sampledude8846]

Model looks amazing. You're a lucky man.

[@MarkusPix]

Yes I am.

[@ÁzsiábaSzakadtam]

Thanks Markus. I've learned from you how important lighting is.

[@tamaratott_makeup]

fantastic video, tank you for sharing!

[@BuddyHuggins]

Love IT! Thanks 😀 💡🔦

[@be4fourty]

Thank you Markus … You are always helpful. And I learn something new every time

[@rippedray]

This dude is so clever! Lol this is awesome

[@BillStreeter]

I have been using those 18" Fotodiox Flapjacks for years and they're really great for small spaces. Excellent interview lights.

[@roreyesmedia]

Amazing stuff! 👏👏👏

[@workingwiththelight3119]

Thank you Markus. I like the home depot lights most! Great value for money 💰

[@philforrester4142]

Just as I’m resurchimg portable lights for our trip to turkey my girlfriend said see if Markus has had a review and up you popped cheers given me a great start phil from blackpool

[@jimpurcell]

Thanks!!! Very helpful!

[@unclebillscamping]

That’s a very interesting idea. I seen a tutorial for a diy light using the led back of a flatscreen tv, diffuser and fresnel panels to simulate daylight. It’s very similar but yours is much easier to make. I did pick up the garage light but had to order it from ace hardware. I think you sold them out for home depot😂😂😂 great video thanks

[@WineWorldTV]

Always great content Markus!

[@photosbywalt7124]

Great amount of info in the best timeframe ever.

[@joeframo3347]

Marcus your wife so she's so photogenic she takes great pictures thank you thank you for your great videos 🌞👍💕

[@BigMichaelR1]

Thanks Markus! But... what about the mystery rectangular light next to the Lupo?

[@MarkusPix]

I didn't mention it because the cost more than doubled when I bought mine, but here it is www.amazon.com/BOLING-BL-2280PB-3000K-6000K-Adjustable-Continuous/dp/B01M062NYS

[@BigMichaelR1]

@@MarkusPix Thanks Markus :) ❤❤❤

[@kh1188ish]

Nice! Love the Home Depot diy setups! And glad you didn’t compare the (IMO) over-hyped, overpriced, rotolight.

[@MarkusPix]

Rotolight 😂😄😄😂

[@TheXtroken]

thx you markus i'm gonne buy a celing led lol great video man

[@jonhanna4076]

Another excellent video, which covers so much ground, I need to watch it again immediately and take notes. I love the DIY/hack nature of MarkusPix, and the appreciate the idea in this video of wiring dimmer switches onto large panels from a hardware store. This approach would probably be useful for getting better/more even lighting when illuminating green screens. Although we often take LEDs for granted these days-particularly since they’ve become ubiquitous and inexpensive-I remain awed by their diversity of application and improved efficiency. Less energy wasted producing heat instead of light = lower per-lumin costs and (generally desirable) lower operating temperatures. Plus LEDs last a long time. And their lower energy consumption (along with improvements in battery tech) allow myriad options in battery-powered lighting, as seen in this video. And they are terrifically tiny, which enhances the chances for portable products. Yay LEDs! Thanks, Markus, for continuing to educate, entertain, inspire, and enlighten (heh…) your viewers.

[@MarkusPix]

Thanks Jon. The dimmer I used was low voltage 1-10v , not a typical 110V AC dimmer from a hardware store

[@davidweeks1997]

Hey Markus, having watched your biographical video about your life, we are alike in many ways, even having been born in 1962. We got there just in time for the awesome music, and as kids. As an artist who happily does lots with very little, have you worked any with GNU/Linux and especially Blender? Digital media is just media. What we can do with it is up to us. So far as exploration goes (yes, I too would learn a thing and move on cause it got boring), there's LOTS to look and learn-and DO in the GNU/Linux space! And it is there for ALL to use, freely. David Weeks, Tampa, Florida.

[@ramil_valiev]

thank you ! good video and idea

[@ArminHirmer]

yep, had once an indoor range in a shopping mall and installed 60x60cm just under 100mm thick LED panels - later I used them for video

[@libraproducciones]

Great video Marcus. But what about Flexible Led Panels like the Amaran F21/22 or Falcon Eyes Rollflex III. You don’t like those?

[@comment_below]

OMG DUDE -YOU ARE TOP G FOR REAL

[@YasiekYasiek]

I use led tube light for the studio, but the panel seems like way to go😊 good job😁

[@KuyaZech]

Hey Markus thanks for all your videos. On the topic of lighting, could you do a video tutorial on night portrait photography? Thanks

[@douggottlieb]

Marcus, you videos are the GREATEST!!! I love when you go to a big box hardware store like HomeDepot and find great lighting for cheap! Does the cool folding stoplight or the giant 2x4 panel flicker on video? Doesn't look like it. Would love your thoughts. THANKS for your channel!!!!

[@MarkusPix]

if they flickered, you'd see it in this video. They don't. But I also keep the shutter speed around 60 to match the AC

[@douggottlieb]

@@MarkusPix thanks Marcus!! Okay for stills at 1/250?

[@Qbasz007]

The little guy in the intro, runs to the right but the sounds come from the left. Great video BTW.