Is any of you interested in food photography? Well, if you are and you just chose the best camera for food photography, the time has come to find something else, again related to food photography!
Food photography, in general, has become quite popular, some take pictures of their food to share on their Instagram, while for restaurant owners it has become a business in which they advertise their job!
In this article, I will tell you which are the best light box for food photography, so that you can choose easily between them. All the light boxes that I chose are the most usable ones.
First of all, before starting the reviews, I would like to tell you what is a light box used for. A light box is an accessory, in the world of photography, and just as the name tells, it is a box that is used in order to have the right light. Light boxes are not only used in food photography, but also during product photography.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Water/Dustproof  | 8.6 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Compact  | 8.5 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Portable  | 9.1 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Durable  | 8.8 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Overall  | 8.6 | Check Price On Amazon |
Now, without further ado, let’s see what is the best light box for food photography!
Top Five Light Boxes for Food Photography
5. FOSITAN Photo Light Box – Best Water/Dustproof
Fositan is a brand that deals amazingly with any lighting accessory that you may need during any type of photography.
This light box is 20 inches and it has a weight of 7.65 pounds. The material that is used in the making of this light box is PVC, and it is waterproof, dustproof and it fully avoids wrinkle. Based on that, your light box is safe to be used wherever and whenever you want. It can be easily folded, in the simplest way possible, and it is a fully portable product.
The lights added to this light box are all LED lights, and they are full 140 in number. This light box comes with five different colours of the background, and those are black, white, blue, grey, and orange. The CRI is up to 92+.
You can easily adjust the brightness of this light box and it works from 1% up to 100%. Choose the one that will make the picture look good and the one that protects your eyes too!
4. ALUCAX Portable Photo Studio Light Box – Best Compact
Moving on, here appears another brand that deals again with lighting in photography, Alucax.
This light box differs from the other one mentioned above directly with its size. It is a 12 inch one, that measures 3.36 pounds. Even though small, this light box includes aluminium on its body and it is a strong and durable product that can withstand lots of things that may be considered damageable.
Being small and lightweight this light box is adjustable in many ways and also based on the folding ability it is an amazing portable light box.
The LED lights that are added to the light box are 80 in number, and the brightness is again fully adjustable. You can choose however you want to use it.
Equipped with 6 colours of the background, this light box allows you to choose from black, white, red, blue, green, and orange. I would advise you to choose the colour based on the food that you are about to take a picture of. The CRI on this light box is 90.
3. Travor Photo Studio Light Box – Best Portable
Travor says that their light boxes are like warm houses for the things that you are taking a picture of. And indeed they are!
This light box from Travor is a big one measuring 32 x 32 inches and it weighs about 12.23 pounds. It may be big, but still, it is an easily foldable light box that even comes with its own bag; used to carry it around. Made of Iron frame and Oxford cloth, Travor is a steady and strong light box that can withstand water and dust.
The number of LEDs that this light box owns is 126; they are super bright and the brightness can be adjusted on this one from 10% up to 100%.
This great light box comes with 4 colours of backdrops and they include black, white, red, and blue. As for the CRI, it works at 95+ and the colour accuracy is more than perfect.
2. Amazon Basics – Best Durable
Amazon Basics is a label that comes from Amazon and on this label are included different types of things. On those things, Amazon added this light box that I chose to review for you.
It is a light box that measures 25 inches and weighs 14 pounds in general. It is a steady light box which can be used in any weather condition based on the material that it is made of. It is foldable and adjustable as well so that it can become your best friend when you are travelling.
Differing from all the light boxes mentioned in this article, this one doesn’t have a particular number of LED lights, but still, the light that it owns is more than enough when it comes to food photography and not only that, it can be used with almost any type of photography that you want.
What may be considered a drawback of this light box is that it doesn’t come with different colours of the background; it only owns a white backdrop.
1. Neewer Photo Studio Light Box – Best Overall
I am more than sure that you have already heard about Neewer as a brand and the amazing Neewer products that deal mostly with the photography field.
This Neewer light box is one of the greatest things that Neewer ever launched. It is an amazing light box that is 20 inches and has a weight of 7.93 pounds. It is a fully portable light box since it is foldable and can be carried on wherever you go, super easily.
This light box features 80 LED lights that are attached to it, and they are all adjustable based on the brightness, you can adjust it from 1% up to 100%.
In order to create a background or backdrop, Neewer comes with four different colours, and those are black, white, grey, and orange. You can choose based on your preferences.
Buying Guide
Even though it may look like it is a quite easily done job, there are some things that you need to know before buying the best light box for food photography. I would like to list some things that you may want to consider. Those things include:
Material
The material of a light box is quite an important issue during photography. It is the material that spreads or doesn’t the light in general. Depending on the material, the light box can create various reflections and we definitely don’t want that.
Size
Starting from the size of a light box; it is normally chosen by the person who buys it and it fully depends on them. Many people or photographers prefer small lightboxes because it is known that they are better when it comes to images of food and products.
Weight
The weight is a thing that you should consider but I would like to mention that it is based on the size too. If you choose to buy a light box that is small, it is basically lighter in weight. However, the light boxes even though some are heavy, they still have something that would help you carry them on.
Portability
Continuing the facts that I mentioned above, the size and weight are related to portability as well. The smaller and lighter in weight, the more portable the light box is. Portability is an important thing to consider when choosing the best light box for food photography since you never know where you are going to shoot.
Intensity of Light
The light that a light box shares is basically the main reason why you are buying one of them. That’s why the light that it provides is an important factor before buying a light box. The intensity of lights differs in different light boxes just as seen on the ones that I mentioned above.
Number of Lights
Light boxes all come with different numbers of lights that are attached to them, and all for them use LED lights. When buying a light box, it is better if you keep an eye on the number of lights that are added and you can easily choose from a variety of numbers. As seen above, the numbers of the LED lights differ from one another.
CRI
Another thing that you should check out before buying a light box is the CRI. Based on the number that is added you can understand how the light will show a particular colour.
In order to find out more about the CRI check the next section of the FAQ.
Background
Depending on what you are taking a picture of, light boxes offer you choices when it comes to the colour of the background. The light boxes that I listed, mostly come in black and white colours, but still there are added some other colours from which you can choose.
FAQ about the Best Light Box for Food Photography
What is the purpose of a Light Box?
Hence the name, the purpose of a light box is pretty simple. It should bring light to the food that you are taking a picture of. It helps you capture the best pictures while illuminating all of the sides of the subject, in this case, the food. They are all omnidirectional; meaning that you can take pictures of the food in any direction.
Can I use a Light Box during the daytime?
Yes, you can definitely use it wherever and whenever you want to! Even though there may be enough light, while taking a picture, you can easily use the light box during daytime since it is based only on the subject, plus the light that it provides would easily eliminate shadows just as it is while using flashes during the day.
Should I take pictures n a Light Box only with a professional camera?
Not at all! Sometimes I use a simple smartphone as well! It is not said that light boxes can be only used with cameras, it is an accessory used with any type of photo-taking device. For example, when I use a light box I try to shoot with different devices and I assure you that in all of them, the light box does its job pretty well.
What is CRI on Light Boxes?
The CRI means Color Rendering Index, and it is the measurement of how the colours look under the light source. The measurement starts from 0 and goes up to 100, while a good colour rendering index is considered from 80 to 90.
Are Light Boxes expensive?
Light boxes, in general, come with a normal price range and almost all of them have a similar price tag. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find an affordable or cheap light box. The price may also depend on the size of the light box, the bigger the light box more expensive the price.
Final Words
Coming at the end of this article, I want to think that you already decided which is your favourite light box for food photography! However, if you didn’t, based on the buying guide that I wrote above, you can find the best one for you. If you consider the things mentioned, I am pretty sure that you will be able to choose or buy the best light box for food photography.
I really hope that the things that I mentioned, and the light boxes that I chose to tell you about will help you choose the best light box for food photography!
Further Reading
As seen above, I mentioned some of the best light boxes for food photography.
If you are not interested in light boxes but need something else for food photography, I would advise you to take a look at the best softboxes for food photography, or lenses for food photography. If you are interested in product photography, check out what I think are the best cameras for product photography.
Have Fun!
Wedding Photographer
From nature to urban landscapes, my camera is my tool for expressing my creativity and telling stories through my lens.
