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Assembling a Lightweight Lighting Kit for • Landscape Photography

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BY ALEX COLEMAN | 2 COMMENTS
PUBLISHED ON JULY 24, 2023 • Post-Processing
• Advanced Tutorials

In many photographic genres, it’s important not only to have powerful lighting
gear, but also to minimize the gear’s weight and keep it portable! Old-school LEVEL
lights were pretty hefty, but thankfully, advancements in batteries and LED tech
have made it more practical than ever to build a lightweight lighting kit. In this
YOUR HORIZONS
guide, I’ll take a look at some of the best lighting options for different types of
photography, with a focus on portability.

Table of Contents
1. Strobes / Speedlights
2. Continuous Lights
2.1. RGB vs RGBW vs RGBLAC
3. Example Lightweight Lighting Kits

Strobes / Speedlights Become a Photography

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Even though continuous lights are a good choice for both photography and
videography, using a strobe system instead has a lot of benefits, too. I’ve already
covered the differences extensively in my continuous vs strobe light article, so REVIEWS
check that out if you haven’t already. • Camera Reviews
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How do you go about making a lightweight kit of strobes? The good news is that • Other Gear Reviews
there are a ton of lightweight strobes on the market. Advancements in lithium • Best Cameras and Lenses

batteries and wireless triggers have made small lights incredibly useful.
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At a broad level, you should aim for a kit with 2-3 strobes. Strobes range from
super-compact, 100Ws lights, through larger studio-style strobes that can
output 1200Ws. You really don’t need the upper end of that range for most
photographic applications. For most photographers, the right balance will be PHOTOGRAPHY LANDSCAPE
BASICS PHOTOGRAPHY
something that’s powerful enough to use even in sunny conditions, but small
enough to pack multiple units at a time. I find that the right balance between
output and portability is around the 200 Ws mark – something like the Godox
AD200 or the knockoff Neewer Q3.
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For photographers who need to cut every ounce of weight, or just need a super PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY

compact source for things like small product photos, smaller alternatives like the
Godox AD100 are also available. In my testing, however, I have felt that these
lights lose too much power without cutting enough size/weight to make them
worthwhile. COMPOSITION & BLACK & WHITE
CREATIVITY PHOTOGRAPHY

NIGHT SKY PORTRAIT

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY VIDEOS

UNIQUE GIFT IDEAS

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 45mm, ISO 400, 1/10, f/7.1

Another approach is to stick with an on-camera flash, while rotating the head to
bounce it off ceilings or walls. The quality of light usually isn’t what you can get
from an off-camera system, and the power output is lower, but it certainly makes
you more mobile. For something like wedding photography, I would stick with an
on-camera strobe for exactly this reason – whether a name-brand flash from
Nikon/Canon/Sony/etc., or a third-party lighting company like Godox.

Of course, the flash itself is not the only part of a lighting kit that matters! If
you’re trying to go nimble, you’ll also need to choose your lighting modifiers
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carefully. The right modifiers depend on your genre of photography, but some
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Broadly speaking, the lightest and most portable lighting modifiers are reflectors
and umbrellas. However, they also offer the least control. I usually prefer to bring Subscribe to our newsletter

along a compact softbox instead – I particularly like Angler’s 24in softbox, as it’s
a useful size for products and individual portraits. The 24″ mark is a pretty good
balance between the quality of light and the portability of the softbox, and this
particular softbox is compatible with my various Godox strobes.

Moving into larger softboxes and parabolics really moves away from the
lightweight kit style, but I think they’re still worth mentioning. A parabolic
umbrella can offer a wide variety of looks while wasting very little light, which is
always nice when shooting with 100 Ws or 200 Ws strobes. Meanwhile, a tall
stripbox is an excellent alternative for certain product photos. I still think that a
foldable softbox is a better general-purpose choice, but it really comes down to
what type of photography you do.

By the way, when you’re trying to keep things lightweight, don’t forget that some
accessories can pull double duty! A scrim with diffusion can be lit to make a huge
softbox, for example. Meanwhile, a reflector can also serve as a neutral bounce
surface even in rooms with magenta walls. I usually bring a few poster boards in
the car, and while these are a bit bulky to carry around, they can act as V-flats,
backdrops, bounce cards, and more. Creativity can save you more weight than
spending lots of money.

Continuous Lights
I love strobes, but I’ve found continuous lights are increasingly the first tools I
grab for a wide range of shoots. This is partly because they work so well with
video as well as photo, and I do both for a lot of clients. Also, however, the instant
feedback (without needing to take a lot of test photos) helps me work faster and
collaborate with the client better.

Lightweight continuous lights are not going to pump out as much light that a
strobe can; that’s just the reality. However, modern LED continuous lights are not
slouches. I’ve previously reviewed the Zhiyun FR100C on Photography Life,
which fits 100 watts into a portable form factor. Others are even smaller – the
size of a softcover book or even less. For continuous lights, I’ve really enjoyed
using the X100, as both the form factor and power output fit really naturally into
what I shoot. A popular alternative is a video panel light – something like the ikan
Onyx, the Aputure MC, or any of a million alternatives of different sizes.

NIKON Z 7 + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 160, 1/200, f/13.0

RGB vs RGBW vs RGBLAC

When you’re deciding on a continuous light, one of the first things to think about
is the availability of RGB features. With the right continuous light, it’s very easy to
add a splash of color to your lighting setup, which can be useful for more
experimental looks.

NIKON Z 7 + 24mm f/1.4 @ 24mm, ISO 400, 1/15, f/1.4

However, not all RGB lights are equally good, so make sure you get the proper
setup. The very cheapest models may have three colors of LED: red, green, and
blue. In order to (try to) get white light, the RGB panel will turn on all the LEDs at
the same time. However, this results in sorta-white light, with poor color
rendering and saturation.

Moving up the ladder, RGBW products add a dedicated white LED. This is
obviously a big improvement and would be my baseline suggestion if you intend
to get an RGB-type continuous light. However, it can still can leave some of the
white balance range off the table, because it achieves “warm white” and “cool
white” by blending the white LED with the RGB LEDs.

RGBWW tech is where things really start to get interesting. These lights are more
expensive, but offer both better output and color quality. This time, there are two
white LEDs, one cool and one warm. By blending these together, RGBWW LEDs
give much better coverage of the white balance range, without introducing
unwelcome tints.

For instance, Slite’s LED panel uses this tech to deliver 98.9CRI and 99+TLCI
ratings, ensuring incredibly accurate and flattering light, along with the creative
possibilities offered by 16 million color selections.

At the top of the tech stack, and with a correspondingly high price, is RGBLAC.
The addition of lime, amber, and cyan LEDs enable stunningly vibrant colors,
picture perfect daylight balanced light, and a massive CCT range. I saw lights
that use this tech in person at the NAB Show earlier this year, and even on a
chaotic show floor, I was surprised by how full-bodied the color was.

Visible here are the various colors of LED that make up a RGBLAC emitter.

The Nanlite Forza 60C is a perfect example of the strengths and weaknesses of
this tech, coming in at around twice the price of the bicolor version, but offering
so much more in terms of creative possibilities. The build quality, while
impressive, does work slightly against the lightweight aim of this guide, but given
this light can replace a white or bi-color source and RGB or gelled source, I think
it’s worth it.

Is this level of color accuracy and fidelity necessary if you’re just using it in lieu of
a gel on a background light? Definitely not. If, however, you’re going for a vibrant,
gelled look, the rich color is a perfect compliment to the high end color science
modern cameras are capable of.

Furthermore, I’d consider both it and Slite’s products to be an example of buy

once, cry once – they’re amazingly well built, make use of relevant standards like
USB-C or V-Mount, and can be used across anything you shoot. Photos, videos,
social, live streams, and more can all be accommodated with just a few of these
lights, and you’re unbound by creative restraints. Need crisp whites to match
existing sources in your scene? Easy. Going for a creative, gel heavy look? You
can quickly experiment with a variety of styles from behind the camera, thanks to
first class app support.

Example Lightweight Lighting Kits

If I was starting from scratch, I’d consider the following two kits: one for strobe
work, and one for lighting work. If you know you won’t shoot any video, sticking
to the strobe only kit, or even expanding it, can be a great lighting setup for a
diverse range of subjects. I’ve shot portraits, events, and products big and small,
all without issues.

My strobe kit would be built around 3 Godox AD200 lights and one V1
speedlight. You’ll also want to pick up a trigger, like the XPro that is relevant to
your camera brand. The V1 can act as a flash master, but the heavy on-camera
weight can be a bit of a pain compared to the compact triggers. A pair of
softboxes and a stripbox would be my starting point for modifiers, as these work
for a wide range of subjects. You can easily add snoots, beauty dishes, or other
modifiers based on your needs. Thanks to the tiny lights, you can get away with
small light stands, instead of bulky c-stands, saving a ton of weight here. The
last addition I’d suggest would be some gels, leaving you with a lighting kit that
occupies about as much space as a single mono-block style strobe, but with far
more creative potential.

NIKON Z 6 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 70mm, ISO 100, 1/60, f/7.1

It’s a bit trickier to be prescriptive when it comes to continuous lights, owing to

the variety of viable form factors. If you’re shooting video extensively, and need
high output over a long period, COB monoblock style lights are the best bet.
These can support battery operation, but work best when plugged in, giving
them unlimited run times, even at high outputs.

For lower output needs, like lighting a single portrait subject or products, the
super-compact LED options I’ve mentioned would all be viable. I’d consider
something like a pair of Slite panels, if the RGB functionality is useful. For
dedicated white-light use, bi-color COB LEDs are also viable, and even overlap
well with strobes thanks to the typical support for Bowens modifiers. Lastly, the
more creative LED options are also worth considering – supplementing a strobe
kit with something like the Slite panel or the Forza 60C can be an unconventional
choice that gives you more flexibility with mounting, modifying, and coloring the
lights.

NIKON Z 6 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 41mm, ISO 100, 1/60, f/5.6

Having good control over lighting conditions can really set your photos apart
from others, and thanks to the wide range of lighting options available, it’s easier
than ever to make a portable lighting kit. Throwing even two flashes and a trigger
into your bag only takes up as much space as a single zoom, but it gives you a
ton of creative possibilities. I hope this article gave you a sense of what you’ll
need if you want some lightweight lights! Let me know if you have any questions
or comments below.

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FILED UNDER: CAMERA GEAR ACCESSORIES

TAGGED WITH: ARTIFICIAL LIGHT, FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY, LIGHT, LIGHTING

About Alex Coleman

I'm Alex Coleman, a commercial and travel photographer in
Arizona. As an educator, I enjoy sharing my appreciation for
photography with audiences both online and in person. You can see more of
my work on my website.

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2 COMMENTS Newest

kwongphotography
July 28, 2023 11:38 am

The Strobist website is a good place to pick up tips on lighting, especially if you’re and
beginner and building a kit on a budget.

Although primarily dedicated to the use of flashes — mostly shoe-mounted devices such as
Nikon and Canon speedlites — it’s still great resource. They have a list of recommended
items along with links to discounts at vendors they work with.

strobist.blogspot.com/2013/…-gear.html

1 Reply

Paul Trantow
July 26, 2023 9:08 am

Nice story! My lightweight, portable kit is for very fast, 1-light location headshots. The other
day, I was asked to do a studio-style headshot instead. Lit to match existing ones! So, my
AD-200 became a key in a 3′ Softlighter, the fill was a 5-in-one on the white side, close to
the subject, and the background light came from my speedlight set to optical slave/manual.
Somewhat surprisingly, it looked EXACTLY like the ones we did in a location-studio setup.
The wall, however, was off-white instead of my seamless Dove gray. Thank you, Photoshop
select subject feature.

My portable kit contains 3 lightstands (1 short), an AD-200 with radio and swivel umbrella
adapter, a 3′ Softlighter and a 4′ Angler Parasail (a round umbrella with two round sides cut
away. Great for low ceilings). The speedlight lives in my camera roller bag. Don’t forget gel: A
1/2 CTO mixed with a 1/4 PlusGreen balances office lights beautifully.

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