Everywhere you look, it seems that someone is always taking a picture or recording a video. However, there is a difference between those who are just uploading things to Twitter, and those who are filming or shooting projects. If you have more than a passing interest in photography or cinematography, then you’re likely going to want sufficient equipment. The only bad part about furthering your interest in those fields is that gear can rack up a pretty big bill very quickly. One big item to get early on is lighting equipment.

If you can come by it pretty cheap, then you can move onto bigger and better lenses and cameras. The Manfrotto Hotshoe Dimmable LED Panel is an excellent option, and will only cost you about $80. It is small enough to find a vacant space in your camera case, and can be mounted on a flash hotshoe, support, or hand held. Its 24 LED lights stay at a constant light temperature of 5200K (daylight). As there is the option to dim the light, it will work for whatever project you’re currently on, and has enough battery to last for 60 minutes at full brightness.