SMotographers Lighting Awards 2026 – the best LED video lights, measured, not claimed

Spec sheets promise a lot. We measure. In our lab reports we test every light for colour quality, output and usability. The SMotographers Lighting Awards are built from those measurements and from our experience using the lights: one main award and two categories to help you decide what to buy.

All 20 LED lights we have measured in the lab up to October 2026 were in the running. The scores are the starting point, but not the only thing that counts. Just as important is how a light performs on real shoots: how well it is built, how it handles and can be controlled, which accessories and mount come with it, how it is powered and how loud the fan is. How the colour, power and usability scores are calculated is explained in our LED database.

The winners at a glance

Best Overall 2026: Nanlux Evoke 150C

The best all-round package across all our tests. The starting point is the total score along with the colour, power and usability scores. On top of that, we look at how well the light holds up in everyday use.

What won us over most is that the Evoke 150C is highly efficient and still delivers excellent colour. Without a reflector it gets almost three times as much light out of 150 W as the ML150RF, at Ra 99 and SSI 85. You often have to choose between lots of output and clean colour; here you get both. On top of that, it is IP66 weatherproof and keeps running outdoors in the rain. On total score alone it doesn’t come first at 82.4. The Godox VL150 reaches 93.8, but only does 5600K. The complete package made the difference.

• Highly efficient: 12,951 lux at 1 m at 5500K without a reflector, almost three times what the ML150RF gets from the same wattage, and 23,746 lux with the kit reflector. Output stays almost constant across the CCT range: 11,645 lux at 2700K and still 11,153 lux at 20,000K.
• Excellent colour: Ra 99.0, R9 96 and TM-30 Rf 97 at 3200K, plus SSI 85, the second-highest value in our database
• Weatherproof: solidly built and IP66-rated, so it can be used outdoors and in the rain, plus a locking power connection and a yoke that can be swapped for a baby pin
• Versatile: mains or battery power, 5-pin DMX/RDM, built-in Lumenradio, Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless, Art-Net/sACN via an adapter, and a good Nanlink app that puts everything important on your phone. Usability score 78.0, one of the highest in our database.
• Very quiet: We have not measured fan noise in decibels. On set, the Evoke 150C was a non-issue even next to the microphone.

Where it falls short: It uses the Nanlux/Nanlite mount instead of Bowens, so existing Bowens modifiers don’t fit directly. And the RGB colours are not as bright as the white light: red reaches 1,364 lux, magenta 1,307 lux. Its PWM dimming at around 18 to 21 kHz can show banding at some shutter speeds, which is normal for PWM-dimmed LED lights.

Who it’s for: Film sets, studios and creators looking for one light for almost everything: as a key light, for coloured looks and as centrally controlled set lighting. All measurements are in the Evoke 150C lab report.

Runner-ups:

• Godox ML150RF: the best colour values in our database (SSI 91) for around a third of the price, but less efficient, more plastic and a fan that gets loud at high output.
• Zhiyun Molus X100 RGB: 20,887 lux with the standard reflector from just 100 W and strong RGB, but an inaccurate colour temperature in the daylight range and no locking connectors.

Best On-the-Go 2026: Zhiyun Fiveray M60Ultra

The light for shooting anywhere: small, quick to set up and bright enough on battery. We look at battery runtime, size, lux at 1 m relative to size and the usability score.

What won us over were its brightness, its size and its fan. The M60Ultra gets a surprising amount of light out of a pocket-sized panel, and the fan stays so quiet that it doesn’t get in the way even close to the microphone. A focusing lens system concentrates the output, so there is no large reflector to carry, and the grid and diffuser attach magnetically.

• Very bright for a panel: 5,958 lux at 1 m at 5500K from 60 W, without a modifier. The Godox VL150 reaches 5,049 lux from 150 W without its reflector.
• Compact: very small for 60 W, with clear controls
• Very quiet fan: a non-issue even in interviews close to the microphone
• Strong RGB for its wattage: RGB score 78.2, with red reaching 684 lux at 99.4 % purity. The ML150RF barely gets more red out of 150 W (687 lux).
• Good colour for a classic RGB engine: Ra 94.7 to 97.0, R9 between 84 and 98, and only 4.04 MK-1 CCT deviation at 5500K

Where it falls short: Battery life is short. For longer shoots you will need a power bank or USB-C power. Without the diffuser, the edges of the beam show a slight green tint.

Who it’s for: Creators and small crews shooting interviews and on-camera content on location who need a quiet, bright light with little to carry. All measurements are in the M60Ultra lab report.

Runner-ups:

• Godox ML40Bi: palm-sized, 30,340 lux with the kit reflector and around 40 minutes of battery, but a fairly loud fan.
• Zhiyun Fiveray M40 SE: 4,501 lux in a pocket-sized panel and around 44 minutes of battery, but a usability score of only 51.2.

Best for Creators 2026: Godox ML150RF

The light for creators: top colour, compact, easy to use and priced for a home studio. We look at price, colour performance, handling, size, and accessories and power.

Price, colour rendering and size decided it. The ML150RF puts the best colour rendering we have measured into a compact light creators can afford. Its nine-channel PaletteLab engine reaches the highest SSI in our database. It delivers excellent performance in both white and colour light: as the key light on our portrait shoot, skin tones looked natural, and coloured looks came out clean too.

• Fair price: at the time of writing it costs around a third of the Evoke 150C, which is fair for a full-colour light with this engine
• Top colour: SSI 91 at 3200K and 86 at 5500K, the highest values in our database, plus Ra 98.5, R9 98 and TM-30 Rf 97 at 3200K and only 0.30 MK-1 CCT deviation at 5500K
• Compact: just under one kilogram, quick to move and usable in tight spaces
• Simple controls: the key settings are right on the light, without nested menus, or in the Godox app
• Accessories and power: works with compatible accessories, a locking power connection, and battery power from Godox batteries or a V-mount battery via an adapter

Where it falls short: The housing is largely plastic. At high output the fan becomes clearly audible (silent mode helps but costs output). And it is not particularly efficient: without a reflector it reaches 4,657 lux at 5500K, while the Evoke 150C gets 12,951 lux from the same wattage. Fast shutter speeds can show banding, as is usual with PWM-dimmed LED lights.

Who it’s for: YouTube, social media and portraits in a home studio, when an affordable light has to perform in both white and colour. All measurements are in the ML150RF lab report.

Runner-ups:

• Zhiyun Molus X100 RGB: compact, 20,887 lux with the standard reflector from just 100 W and power via USB-C, battery grip or mains, but an inaccurate colour temperature in the daylight range (15.51 MK-1 at 5500K).
• Godox ML40Bi: palm-sized and, at 30,340 lux with the kit reflector, a strong extra light for small setups, but bi-colour only and with a fairly loud fan.

How we chose

• Measurements as the basis: All scores come from our LED database and the lab reports (as of October 2026). We always measure at a distance of 1 m.
• Experience in use: Alongside the measurements, our experience with the lights on shoots counts. Build quality, handling, control, accessories and mount, power and fan noise all feed into the decision, including where they can’t be expressed as a number.
• Total score without RGB: We compare the total score without the RGB component, as in the database’s default view. That way RGB lights get no advantage from their extra feature.
• Reflectors: The power score is based on the strongest reflector we tested with each light. For the Evoke 150C and the ML40Bi that is the kit reflector, for the VL150 the standard reflector.
• What we did not measure: We don’t yet record fan noise in decibels or weight as measured values. We assess these points through the usability score and our experience on set.
• Test units: Some lights were provided by manufacturers or retailers. Which ones is stated in the disclaimer of each lab report.

Related articles