LED Light Prices and LUX Values: A 2026 Measurement and Comparison Guide

What will the value measured at 1 meter be at 2 meters?

For lights that behave like point sources, the brightness decreases in inverse proportion to the square of the distance. Increasing the distance by a factor of 1.41 reduces the brightness by half—that is, it results in a loss of exactly one f-stop. For this reason, the 1-meter value listed in the catalog should not be taken at face value without considering the actual working distance. On a product shoot, the distance is typically between 0.6 and 1.2 meters; for portraits, it ranges from 1.5 to 3 meters.

Visible font size and shadow opacity

In addition to brightness, the second geometric quantity that determines the character of light is the angular size of the light source as seen from the subject. The larger the light source appears, the softer the shadow transition will be. The calculation is simple: divide the width of the light source by the distance.

These two aspects of lighting work together. When you move the softbox farther away from the subject, both the brightness decreases and the shadows become harsher. If you want to maintain softness while increasing the exposure, using a larger softbox is often the better choice than increasing the power of the light source.

Reflector, lens, and softbox: three different LUX values for the same light

The table below is based on the manufacturer’s technical documentation, and the rows are aligned according to the same reading logic. The “Bare” column shows the body’s center value without accessories, while the second column shows the value measured with the reflector or lens included in the box. The "Gain" column converts this difference into an aperture stop. A stop is also known as a "stop" in photography; a twofold increase in light corresponds to one stop.

How much light do softboxes, grids, and diffusers block?

The ranges below are typical values we measured in the studio. The magnitude of the loss depends on the baseline you use for comparison. The loss is significant when switching from a reflector to a softbox, because the diffusion material absorbs light and the light spreads over a much wider area. The loss is much smaller when switching from a bare lamp to a softbox. Because this distinction isn’t made, the loss figures found online don’t match up.

On shiny surfaces, it is the geometry of the reflection—rather than the intensity of the light—that is the determining factor. On chrome, glass, and polished packaging, the shape of the light source is directly imprinted onto the product. The setup configurations for this In the Guide to Shooting Stunning Product Photos We explained it in detail.

What aperture does the measured LUX value correspond to?

This is the only step that converts the lux value in the catalog into useful information. When measuring incoming light, the relationship between aperture, exposure, ISO, and shutter speed is established using a fixed calibration factor. In flat-panel light meters, this factor is generally set to 250.

Example: At 10,100 lux, ISO 100, and 1/125 second, the f-stop is 32.3, and the square root is 5.7. That is, f/5.6. If you want to convert this relationship to an exposure value (EV), the EV equivalent is also listed on a single line, making it easier to compare the light to daylight.

The values in the table are readings with accessories attached. When you attach a softbox, you need to subtract the loss from the table above. A camera body that reads 98,700 lux at f/18 will lose approximately 3.5 stops behind a 90 cm softbox, dropping to around f/5.6. If you want to refresh your understanding of aperture basics, Our five-part guide on the diaphragm It'll do the job.

How many LUX are needed for product photos and videos?

There is no single number, because the requirement depends on the desired aperture. For small products, apertures between f/11 and f/16 are used to achieve the desired depth of field; this requires 37,800 to 80,000 lux on the subject at ISO 100 and 1/125 second. It is difficult to achieve these values with continuous light through a softbox; this is why the flash remains the primary light source in studio product photography.

Is a CRI of 95 sufficient? What do R9, TM-30, and SSI indicate?

CRI is the average of eight pastel color samples, and R9—which measures saturated red—is not included in this average. In cosmetics, lipstick shades; in textiles, burgundy; and in food, the colors of meat and tomatoes are directly related to R9. A lamp body labeled “CRI 95” may have an R9 value of 40, which you won’t see listed in the catalog. Reputable manufacturers publish the R9 value separately; if they do not, you should ask for it.

A concrete example: For the Amaran 300C, the manufacturer publishes the following values: CRI 95+, TLCI 95+, TM-30 Rf 92, TM-30 Rg 101, SSI D56 71, and SSI Tungsten 83. An Rg value close to 100 indicates that the saturation is neither too high nor too low. Meanwhile, an SSI D56 value of 71 indicates that there are noticeable gaps in the spectrum relative to the daylight reference. For this reason, even if the white balance holds when lights from different brands are mixed in the same setup, skin tones and packaging colors may appear different.

The silent problem is usually the Duv value. Inexpensive products tend to have a green cast; the camera’s white balance corrects this partially, but it doesn’t correct both skin tones and packaging colors at the same time. Since the cost of color deviation in cosmetic and packaging photography becomes apparent later on, lighting must be chosen correctly from the start. The photographic representation of color perception In our article on color and visual perception We also addressed this.

Flicker, PWM, silent mode, and heating

LED fixtures use two methods to dim the light. DC dimming reduces the current and produces no flicker, but color temperature may shift at very low levels. PWM, on the other hand, rapidly turns the light on and off; while this may sound harmless, it can cause banding in the image at high frame rates or with short shutter speeds. If you plan to shoot at 1/1000 of a second or at 120 fps or higher, ask which method the light uses before purchasing it.

The trade-off of silent mode is another detail that many users overlook. In the SmallRig RC 220 series, fan noise is approximately 30 dB at a distance of 1 meter, and the manufacturer notes that when silent mode is enabled, both the fan speed and the light output are reduced. In other words, the mode you turn on to preserve audio during an interview shoot also reduces your exposure at the same time. Your lighting setup should be based on the value measured in silent mode.

Why is the Kelvin value important when measuring under bi-color lighting?

In bi-color bodies, the warm and cool chip groups are driven separately. The highest output is achieved in the mid-Kelvin range, where both groups are operating at full capacity. This is why the Zhiyun MOLUS X100's catalog value is listed at 4300K rather than 5600K: 3.881 lux at 1 meter. When you adjust the same housing to the 2700K or 6500K extremes, the output drops significantly.

The drop in output on adjustable housings is observed not only in bi-color models but also in RGBWW models. According to the manufacturer’s specifications for the Amaran 300C, 9,370 lux is measured at 5,600K without a reflector and 26,580 lux with a reflector, at 3,200K, the same setups measure 7,520 lux and 21,390 lux, respectively. In other words, moving to the warmer end of the spectrum results in a drop of approximately 0.3 steps.

The decision boils down to this: If you’re already setting up the ambient lighting yourself for fixed studio product shoots, a daylight-color body provides more light for the same budget. In interviews, offices, and mixed-lighting environments, the flexibility of bi-color lighting saves time. In a three-point video setup, using a daylight head for the key light and bi-color lights for the fill and hair lights is often the most efficient solution.

How do you take your own measurements?

The catalog number serves as a pre-purchase filter. Once you have the body in hand, setting up your own chart will save you time on every subsequent shot. Take the measurement using a light meter set to the incident light mode. The spherical reflector provides an average reading and measures the total light on the subject; the flat disk measures only the light falling on the surface you’re measuring and produces more consistent results when comparing accessories.

A scale conversion is also required. The binary logarithm is used to convert the ratio between the two measurements to a scale. A ratio of 2 corresponds to 1 scale unit, 4 to 2 scale units, and 9.8 to approximately 3.3 scale units.

How do you evaluate the price-performance ratio of LED lights?

Since price lists become outdated quickly, publishing a static table would be misleading. This is the most reliable method. Perform the comparison in two steps: first, compare the lux values under the same measurement conditions side by side, then normalize the price to that value.

Numerical example: If a 16,500 TL housing emits 10,100 lux at a distance of 1 meter, the cost per 1,000 lux is approximately 1,634 TL. When the calculation is performed using the same fixture’s hyper-reflector version, which produces 98,700 lux, the result drops to approximately 167 TL. Both figures are correct; they measure different things. Therefore, do not trust any price comparison that does not include a “measurement conditions” column.

Purchasing Checklist and Common Mistakes