GoPro changed the photographic landscape with its Hero range of feature-rich, high-quality action cameras that made photographers and videographers out of adventurers, pet owners, swimmers, cyclists and other sports enthusiasts, kids, drone pilots and many others who may have never considered buying an interchangeable lens camera.
Yet as they filmed their everyday adventures, for many, something soon became clear: sometimes you need to add artificial light to a scene. So what are the best GoPro lighting rigs?
Over the years a number of third-party manufacturers have developed some excellent solutions. From lights to mounting trays and pistol grips to full-on dedicated GoPro lighting kits, we’ve rounded up the best GoPro lighting rigs available today.
Lume Cube Lighting Kit for GoPro
Lume Cube makes powerful mini LED lights just about the same size as your GoPro, and equally robust. Inside the Lume Cube Lighting Kit are two Lume Cubes and an Action Camera Mounting Bar on which your GoPro sits, flanked on either side by the lights.
Lume Cubes are waterproof to 100ft just like your GoPro and offer 750 LUX power at 1 metre and 10 adjustable light levels from 0-100%. There’s optical slave flash functionality down to 1/250sec and you can sync them to your smartphone for off-camera flash.
The Mounting Bar actually provides a standard mount, so you can use it with action cameras besides GoPro.
Light For Me GoPro Video Lighting System
- Price: £255
- 2x 900 lumen lights
Light For Me’s GoPro Video Lighting system was designed with underwater photographers and videographers in mind, but you could use it in plenty of different situations.
At the heart of the rig are dual 900 lumen lights with a colour temperature of around 6,000K in bodies that weigh just 175g and measure 14cm x 3cm. The lights also offer a 120-degree spread of light.
The Goodman Handle also supports not just any model of GoPro camera but a wide range of other action cameras as well.
Ikelite Steady Tray and Pistol Grip
- Price: £47.99 and £20; From $41
- Lightweight, aluminium body
Ikelite has been making lighting rigs and housings for more than half a century, and its modular Steady Tray system is designed to be simple and lightweight.
Made from aluminium, the tray features a mount for your GoPro and a hole to attach the Pistol Grip, which is sold separately but definitely worth it.
On the outer ends are holes to which you can attach handles, on which you can mount lights and other accessories.
Sevenoak SK-GHA6 Camera Cage for GoPro
Another modular system you’ll want to build up, the Sevenoak SK-GHA6 cage offers a range of different attachment points for accessories such as a handle, cold shoe mount, on-camera light or even an on-camera monitor.
On the cage are both 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch screw threads for mounting to a tripod or attaching camera plates. Dual cold shoe mounts mean you can add multiple lights, and a handy wrist strap helps keep it secure.
Have a look at B&H Photo Video and Amazon UK and Amazon US at the range of accessories available for the cage.
Knog Qudos
- Price: £69.95
- 400 lumens
It sounds like a Lovecraft monster, but Knog’s competitively priced action camera light is a great accompaniment for your GoPro. It boasts three lighting modes – Target Spot, Ambient and Action Sports – with high and low settings in each.
It weighs just 150g in its aluminium body and is waterproof down to 40 metres. Battery power is pretty decent, at up to four hours; though, this changes depending on the mode and high or low setting combination you’re using.
You can also get Knog’s mounting kits and tray and other accessories.
Lume Cube Air
The Air is Lume Cube’s latest mini LED for GoPro action cameras, and it brings some great new features. It introduces Bluetooth to the range so that users can adjust settings via a companion app on their smartphone.
A built-in battery means you can recharge it via micro USB, and it’s also water resistant down to 10 metres.
In terms of power, the Lume Cube Air provides 350 lumens, which is adjustable in 10 steps.