If you watched videos from different content creators on Youtube, you probably wondered how their faces were lit up so perfectly. In fact, their lighting system is much more simple and affordable than you can imagine. Most of them use a selfie ring light and in this review, we are checking out the TONOR TRL-20 ring light kit which is very inexpensive.
Disclosure: We received the product for review but we spent time testing it to make sure our review is honest and unbiased.
Out of the box, the TONOR kit includes a ring light, a metal tripod stand, a phone holder, and a Bluetooth remote shutter. Setting up the ring light is super easy and it took me just about 2 minutes to get it ready. Basically, you will just need to open and extend the tripod, attach the ring light on top of it, attach the phone holder to the light, and finally, mount your phone to this holder. I am using an iPhone 11 Pro with an Otterbox case and it barely fits in the mount. Therefore, if you are using a bigger phone like iPhone 11 Pro Max or 12 Pro Max with a case, you will need to find another mount to fit your phone. Fortunately in my case, the mount clamps down snugly.
The tripod stand is fairly compact, lightweight and it comes with a cover for easier transportation. However, I think that the stand is more suitable for indoor use. Its height is adjustable from 16″ to 52″ and it uses rubber feet for more stability. I also love that it has a quick-release shoe mount for the ring light, this allows me to remove or set up the light in no time.
The ring light has the diameter of 12 inches which is not really large. However, it is good enough for most use cases because we often sit very close to the phone or camera. It has an in-line control including the power button, brightness up/down, and color temperature change. Besides, we also have a Bluetooth remote shutter which is connected to an Android or iPhone; This is helpful as you can take pictures or start recording videos without touching your smartphone.
The LED light itself can be powered by any USB source rated at 5V-2A; I tried plugging in the USB cable to a phone charger and a power bank, it works great in both cases. The light is very bright and you can adjust the brightness from 500 to 800 lumens. The color temperature has 3 settings ranging from 2,700-6,500K; My favorite mode is the middle one because it looks like natural light, not too warm and not too cold. The light can get very bright even in my dark room; It focuses the light on my face instead of the messy background, therefore, our faces no longer has harsh shadows. Instead, everything is brightened up evenly and our videos look much more professional as the result.
The ring light is not only suitable for content creators but also photographers, makeup artists, and anyone who wants to look better in Zoom meetings. I tried taking some portraits and was really impressed with final photos; The soft diffused light helps reduce shadows and hide wrinkles and blemishes. I heard that the light is great for macro photography as well but I haven’t got a chance to test it.
Overall, the TONOR is a good product and it works as I expected. The light has a price tag of $49 but you can apply the coupon on Amazon product page to get 40% at this time. We at TechWalls totally recommend the product.
Gret says
Have you noticed any problems with the remote shutter? I tried to use it with my android and the LED just blinks faster when I press the button.