Comparison Lishuai LED-312AS vs Lishuai LED-170AS

The standard brightness of the on-camera light (see "Type"). Usually, most of these models have the ability to adjust the brightness, so the maximum value is given in the specifications.

When shooting at a short distance, devices that are too bright can “overexpose” the scene, degrading the quality of the shooting (and it can be much more difficult to compensate for excessive brightness in post-processing than the lack of light). So when choosing for this indicator, it is worth proceeding from the specific conditions of use.

The number of light-emitting diodes (LED) provided in the on-camera light system (see "Type").

The abundance of LEDs allows you to achieve good brightness at a relatively low cost of the entire device — there are many light sources themselves, but they are relatively cheap. However, these models can be inconvenient to carry on camera and work in tight spaces. In turn, compact lamps with a small number of LEDs are more convenient, portable and "manoeuvrable", however, they are either inferior to more "multiply charged" models in terms of brightness, or are noticeably more expensive.

The colour temperature of the light emitted by the device. Most of the classic flashes have a standard colour temperature of 5500-5600 K, so this parameter is usually not given for such lamps. But on-camera light sources (see "Type") can differ markedly in this indicator, and we will talk about them.

Colour temperature characterizes the overall shade of the glow emitted by the device. At the same time, an interesting nuance is that low values \u200b\u200bcorrespond to colours that a person perceives as warm; and as the colour temperature rises, the hue shifts more and more towards cool colours. For example, for a 60 W incandescent lamp, the light of which has a pronounced yellowish colour, this parameter is approximately 2700 K, and for a fluorescent lamp that produces “daylight” light with a bluish tint, this parameter is about 7000 K.

In general, the colour temperature of lighting is one of the most important parameters when shooting: it determines the colour balance of the image "seen" by the camera. In camera settings, this indicator is called "white balance". It can also be determined automatically, however, for the most reliable colour reproduction, it is still desirable to set its values according to the known colour temperature of the lighting.

Specifically, in on-camera light sources, the colour temperature can be either constant or adjustable. In non-adjustable models, the value of this parameter is the same as in most flash units...— 5500 K, which corresponds approximately to neutral white. Adjustment also provides the possibility of at least lowering the colour temperature — usually up to 3200 K, which approximately corresponds to warm white light. In addition, occasionally there are models in which the maximum colour temperature exceeds 5500 K, reaching 6000 K and even more.

The ability to change the colour temperature can be useful not only for shooting as such, but also for “matching” the lamp with other light sources. The fact is that if several simultaneously used light sources have different colour temperatures, the colour rendition on the scene being shot will be unreliable — to the point that a monochromatic object illuminated by different lamps from different sides may look like a two-colour one. One way to avoid this is to set the colour temperature of the on-camera light to match the ambient light. However, it is worth noting here that the methods of adjusting the shades and the accuracy of such adjustment may be different. The most advanced option is to use two sets of LEDs, with a warm and cold shade of glow; By changing the brightness ratio between these sets, you can also change the overall colour temperature — and quite smoothly and accurately. Another way is to use coloured diffusers (see below), but here the adjustment is stepped, with fixed values (with and without a diffuser). In some devices, both of these methods are combined.

Possibility to turn the flash head (bulb) to the side.

Shooting with a flash aimed directly at the stage, “head on”, is far from always the best option: in particular, this mode gives sharp unpleasant shadows, and in portrait shooting it leads to the “red-eye” effect. At the same time, by turning the head towards the ceiling, you can get soft diffused light. There are other uses for swivel heads.

The simplest flash models with this feature can usually only be rotated in the vertical plane. More advanced options include rotation and horizontally. Here we note that the larger the angle, the more opportunities for setting the location of the head gives the flash. Vertically, it usually does not exceed 90°, and in the horizontal plane it can reach a full 360°.

The ability to power the device from a 230 V network, in other words, a regular household outlet.

This option is used solely as an addition to an autonomous power source — batteries or an accumulator; purely "network" devices are not available today. It expands the connectivity options and can significantly increase the battery life of the flash: if there is an outlet nearby, the device can be powered from it, thus saving battery power. In addition, this connection can also be used to charge the built-in battery, including right at work.

Note that the described advantages are relevant mainly for powerful light sources with high power consumption. At the same time, flashes with a traditional flash format consume relatively little energy, and it is quite possible to get by with replaceable batteries. Therefore, the vast majority of mains powered models are on-camera light sources (see "Type"). In this regard, it is also worth noting that many of these lamps, especially large and powerful ones, can also be used on a tripod as stationary sources of illumination; in such cases, plug-in power is often the perfect option.

The type of connector used to supply power or charge the battery. Compact on-camera lights often have a USB port for this purpose, while larger, more powerful light sources usually have a DC power connector.

The most common options are:

— MicroUSB. A smaller version of the USB connector, created for portable devices. It appeared quite a long time ago, but has not lost popularity to this day. It is found everywhere, but is gradually being replaced by the USB type C interface (see below).

— USB C. A miniature USB connector, positioned, among other things, as a potential successor to microUSB. Unlike its predecessor, this port has a two-sided design, thanks to which the plug can be inserted into the socket from either side.

— DC. Port for connecting an external DC source (from English Direct Current). This connector allows you to power the light source directly from the corresponding adapter if reliability and stable operation of the lighting are important. The DC connector has a cylindrical shape and is intended for a round plug.

Additional items included with your flash or on-camera light.

— 1/4" mount. A special adapter with a standard 1/4" thread. Such mounts ensure compatibility of lighting equipment with universal accessories (for example, tripods), providing greater freedom in setting up the filming process.

— Diffuser. A diffuser, or in other words a softbox, is an accessory that diffuses and softens the light emitted by an on-camera lighting device. Its use allows you to achieve a uniform nature of scene lighting, avoiding harsh shadows, glare and "overexposure". In the video light category, a diffuser can play a visual effect - change the color temperature or the color of the glow. Note that several different colored diffusers are often supplied in the kit.

— Curtains. Adjustable plates in the form of characteristic petals that are attached to the on-camera light source and allow for flexible adjustment of light accents. Curtains are used to change the direction and distribution of the light flow — wide-open plates provide full coverage of the scene, while closed petals narrow the light flow and direct it “in the right direction” (i.e. to a specific part of the scene). Most often, curtains are used to adjust backlighting and background lighting.

— Battery. The presence of a battery in the delivery set of battery-powered lighting equipment. Eliminates th...e need to purchase a battery separately. This item refers to a removable battery (see "Power source"), but may also indicate the absence of a battery in the standard package - in this case, you will need to purchase it additionally.

— Power supply. A device for connecting a lighting device to the mains. This connection can be used for two main purposes — operating the light source from a socket (see "Power supply from the mains") and charging the battery directly in the device itself. Modern models of on-camera lighting can support either one of these functions or both at once — the details should be clarified additionally. It should also be noted that not all devices with the ability to operate from the mains are initially equipped with power supplies — in some cases, such an accessory must be purchased separately.

— Charger. A device for charging the standard battery of a lighting device. Chargers are supplied with models that operate from specialized batteries of a removable design (see "Power source"). And if such a model allows charging the battery directly in the device, and the set includes an adapter for connecting to a socket, it is no longer considered a charger, but a power supply (see above).

— Remote control. As a rule, individual on-camera lights and lightsabers (see "Type") are equipped with a remote control. It allows remote control of the lighting device settings: turning it on and off, adjusting the brightness, changing the color temperature, activating various lighting effects, controlling several light sources combined into a group, etc. The actual set of remote control functions may differ depending on the specific implementation.

— Case/bag. The presence of a bag or case in the standard configuration of the lighting device. Bags are often equipped with handles or a strap for easy carrying, a case is somewhat simpler - it does not have handles and is designed to be carried in a bag for photographic equipment, a backpack, etc. A bag or case covers the device from dust and other contaminants, to some extent protects the contents from damage from impacts and falls.