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Jun 29, 2023

What is a COB Light? When Should I Use One?

Light can be a given with natural light or something you add to your photo setup

Light can be a given with natural light or something you add to your photo setup (i.e., artificial light). In either case, managing light is part of your workflow. For example, studio photographers depend heavily on artificial light, while landscape photographers prefer natural light. Although, there is hardly one way or another. Even photographers who shoot only outdoors need an artificial source of light at some point. Thus, don't ignore the value of additional lighting — especially a COB light.

You should also know how to incorporate both flash systems and continuous light sources. Each does a different job. Although many photographers stick with the built-in flash, you never know when a COB light may save your photo session. To allow yourself to be creative and produce amazing work, you first need to explore all your options. Here is everything you should learn about COB lights and how they improve your photography.

A COB light is a continuous light source. It is a type of LED light that you can place anywhere and have it illuminate the subject for hours. You can hold it or mount it on a light pole, keep it in the studio, or take it with you. A COB light allows you to change the direction and intensity of the light as you like and preserve the setup for a long time.

Constructively, a COB light is a panel of LED chips packed together very close. You can't see any space between the LED chips since they are compact. As a result, a COB light produces a uniform and very bright beam of light. Don't worry — you can dim the intensity of the light and use accessories to soften it.

COB is an acronym meaning Chip On Board. It describes the technology behind the COB lights, referring to the packed LED chips mounted in direct contact with silicon carbide or sapphire substrate. The COB technology provides a high density of LEDs on a small surface (e.g., there are 342 LEDs on a 10mm x 10mm surface).

A COB light is a type of LED light. Thus, the real difference is between a COB light and another type of LED light, such as LED panels. A LED panel is, most of the time, an SMD (Surface Mounted Device) LED light.

In a COB light, you’ll have more diodes and a simpler circuit design that produces a compact light. On the other hand, a LED panel has fewer diodes and a more complex circuit design and looks like a collection of small lights. It can also be larger and heavier than a COB light.

The design and appearance aren't the only differences. A COB light is more energy and heat efficient than an SMD light. It can produce more lumens with less energy, producing a brighter light (e.g., COB lights start at 80 lumens per watt, while SMD lights produce between 50 and 100 lumens per watt). However, it can't create colored light, or color-changing effects like LED panels do. SMD lights are more versatile when it comes to color temperature.

You can use an SMD light as a point light because it illuminates evenly in all directions. However, because it emits a uniform beam of light, a COB light is better as a top light to illuminate the subject or a surface from above.

COB lights have a few obvious advantages that will tell you exactly which photo setup they fit.

Firstly, they are reliable, affordable, and practical. In addition, they are relatively small compared to older studio lights, making them easier to carry around.

Next, COB lights provide bright light without emitting too much heat. And although the heat may not bother you, it definitely bothers the subject, especially if you photograph people wearing makeup, small children, animals, or heat-sensitive subjects (e.g., ice cream).

Another advantage of COB lights is the uniform lighting effect. They provide a powerful and consistent flow of light, able to illuminate large spaces, and cover multiple subjects. Furthermore, they don't produce the multiple shadow effect you can expect with other types of LED lights.

Like with all continuous lighting systems, you get to see the effect of light before taking the photo. You’ll be able to see exactly how much of the scene is illuminated, how the light falls on each element in the frame, and what adjustments are required.

You can use a COB light anytime you need a continuous light source — both for photography and videography.

It may be for photographing models for a fashion catalog or making family portraits. Or you may use COB lights to illuminate products, still-life, or food. The bright and uniform spot of light is also popular among commercial photographers who want to eliminate shadows and produce sharp photographs.

Because you can carry them anywhere with you, if you extend your setup with appropriate batteries, COB lights are a good choice for real estate, industrial, or architectural photography. Their remarkable homogeneous luminosity can fill vast spaces with light and create a joyful and fresh atmosphere. And their directionality can reveal the tiniest details of a surface (e.g., a ceiling, a wall, etc.).

As you can see, there is a wide variety of photo setups where COB lights are helpful. To choose the best COB light for you, consider luminosity (the output in lumens), versatility (lighting modes), reliability (power supply requirements), and build quality (e.g., waterproof or not). Check out the following examples to get you started.

This light offers the latest "Dharma Shark" optical system developed by SmallRig. You’ll receive accurate color rendering thanks to its CRI 96+ and TLCI 97+, and max luminance of 115,000 Lux. Best yet, you can control the light using its switch, the SmallGoGo App, or an optional control panel.

This portable LED light is 20 percent smaller than similar COBs on the market. Its versatile enough to be used by both photographers and filmmakers, featuring a 60W LED with adjustable bi-color 2700-6500K light output. It's also fully dimmable and flicker free up to 1000 FPS.

The SmallRig RC120D reaches an illuminance of 5,370 lux within 1 meter, but you can increase it to 62,600 lux by attaching a hyper reflector. It has high color rendering capabilities and offers nine built-in light effects for different photo setups. The color temperature is 5600K ± 200K (the color temperature of daylight). Therefore, the SmallRig RC120D produces a natural-looking light suitable for a wide range of applications.

Furthermore, you can control it via an app from a distance and use it with a wide range of lighting modifiers. The SmallRig RC120D is a versatile COB light you can easily carry anywhere with you. It weighs 2.4kg and comes with a storage bag.

The SmallRig RC120B is a COB light that aims to provide a wide color temperature range. You can adjust the color temperature between 2700K and 6500K, deciding how warm or cool you want the lighting to be. It gives you more artistic freedom and works very well for recording videos, livestreaming, portraiture, and commercial photography.

The SmallRig RC120B reaches 4,450 lux within one meter (52,800 lux with hyper reflector. Like RC120D, this model has nine built-in light effects and includes step-less dimming and a quiet cooling system. In addition, it provides wireless control and lets you adjust more than one light simultaneously.

The Phottix X160 reaches 1800 lux within one meter (37,000 lux with the included reflector). The COB light allows you to choose a color temperature between 2800K and 6800K and adjust the brightness. It has five effects modes and a DMX (digital multiplex protocol) mode.

You can control it using a separate external controller with an LCD or an app. The light supports Bowens mount light modifiers and can be powered by AC power or a V-mount lithium battery. The Phottix X160 has a solid aviation-grade aluminum shell.

The Aputure COB 60x is ultra-portable and popular among videographers. The Amaran fixture weighs 675 grams and is slightly over 11x11x11cm. The power supply and the mounting bracket weigh a little bit over 2 kg. However little it may be, COB 60x reaches 37,775 lux within one meter at 6500K with the specially designed 15 Degree Hyper Reflector.

It allows you to adjust the brightness in one percent increments and includes nine lighting effects. COB 60x provides a color temperature range between 2700K and 6500K.The COB light is compatible with available light modifiers and can be powered by AC power or a battery. It has a quiet cooling system and an eco-friendly carrying case.

This Godox LED light will work beautifully for broadcasters, cinematographers, streamers — really any of your video or photo needs. It offers a daylight-balanced 300W LED monolite-style with dimming settings ranging from 0-100%. Whether you are using it for studio photography or filmmaking, it will provide all you need as a stable light source with high CRI and 8 FX modes to try.

This LED light has all the same fixings as the Godox light above, but with a 200W LED monolite-style light source. Again, you can set the brightness anywhere from 0-100% to reach your optimal shade. It also comes with a wireless remote control to control the light from anywhere in the room.

It may sound like a cliché, but it is true: photography is the art of capturing light. Regardless of your subject matter, composition skills, and gear, how you incorporate light in your photo decides the value of your work. It is impossible to ignore the direction, intensity, and color of the light and produce high-quality images.

Knowing how to work with light is an essential skill and isn't one that comes easy. That's why experimenting with continuous light sources such as COB lights is so valuable. You can see how the light influences the composition, what range of camera settings you can use, and how the quality of the photograph changes with the lighting. In addition, what you learn using a COB light can be applied in most lighting environments.