If you are thinking about a new studio or upgrading it, there is a high chance the lighting would take most of the focus. I cannot stress enough how important it is to get the lights right. Choose the lights wisely as they set the vibe of your studio.
The obvious confusion rises when choosing the light is the wattage. You may have confused about how many watts for studio lighting is good enough? Well, that is what I will be discussing today. So, buckle up and let’s take an in-depth look at how many watts you should get, and why.
Understanding the Units
Studio light’s power consumption is calculated in watts per second. That is, how many watts of electricity is required per second to light it up. How much bright the light can get depends on the wattage. For example, the nightlights need around 10 watts while the living room lights will need 60 watts to cover the whole room.
Wattage matters because depending on the usage they will affect your electricity bill. There are many variants when it comes to power requirements. You will see studio lights starting from 200 watts to 1200 watts. So, you need to calculate carefully which one would suit you the best.
How Many Watts For Studio Lighting?
How many watts fit you will depend on the studio type, coloring, and size. For a small studio of enthusiasts and hobbyists, 300W would enough. Especially it is a home studio that you use to capture regular video or product photography. For smaller studios, even 200W lights might do the trick.
If you are a professional or looking to up your game 400-500 watts is where you should be looking. These lights are not only suitable for the professional-grade studio but also they can accommodate a large space. They can provide enough light for a little group to shoot clips.
In case that is not enough or you have an outdoor studio, then you should go bigger. 600-800 watt lights would be the best bet for your huge studio. There is a great chance they can override even the daylight if the studio is set up properly.
The wattage on these lights goes even higher. Some lights require more than 1000 watts to operate. If for some reason you need one of those, you should already know by now what and how you are going to use those.
Pricing
As the price of these lights vary depending on wattage the range is very wide. 200-watt lights start at 50 dollars and go up to 200 dollars. Not only they vary in quality, some even come along with accessories. The decent ones usually start from 100 dollars and come with accessories.
The 500watt lights would start from 100 dollars and could go up to 300 dollars. Spending over hundred dollars would get you decent studio lights. For the 800watt lights, you need to spend more than 200 dollars. These expensive lights come with many functionalities to help you professionally finish the project.
Bottom Line
Studio lights are essential if you want to make professional-grade production. Having a proper studio is no longer an advantage but the cost of entry. It is immensely important to pick the light with the right power.
As the quality of your work, as well as electricity bill depends on these to varying degrees. Now that you know how many watts for studio lighting kit would you need, it is time to focus on the light themselves and their functionalities.