Phone Flashes

Why add a flash to a phone

A phone's own flash is a tiny, very bright point of light right beside the lens. It freezes movement, but it gives harsh, flat light, red eyes and a dark background behind whoever is in front. The front camera on many phones has no flash at all, only a brightened screen. A separate flash or fill light is larger and softer, and some can be taken off the phone and held to one side for a more natural look.

Clip-on flashes and fill lights suit parties and nights out, photos of people in dim rooms, close-ups of food in a restaurant, and anyone selling things online who needs a quick, even light on a product.

A flash or a constant light

Lights in this range work in one of two ways, and some do both.

• A flash fires once as the photo is taken, a short bright burst that freezes movement.
• A fill light stays on as a constant light. You see on the screen exactly what the photo will look like before you take it, and it lights video as well, which a single flash cannot.

For most people taking photos of friends and food, a constant fill light is the easier of the two, because what you see is what you get.

How to choose a phone flash

Start with how it fixes. A clip on the top edge of the phone keeps the light close to the lens and goes everywhere with it. A light you can take off and hold, or stand on a mini tripod, gives a face more shape. Check the clip opens wide enough for your phone in its case and that its pads do not press on the screen or a button.

Then the light. Look for brightness steps, so you are not stuck with full power close up, and a choice of warm and cool white, so the light matches the room. White light comes in different colours, measured in kelvin: around 3,000 to 3,200K is a warm white like a household bulb in the evening, and around 5,500 to 5,600K is daylight. A diffuser over the front softens the light further.

For filming at home, a ring light or an LED video light on a stand gives better light than any clip-on, because it can be larger and further from the lens. The guide to ring lights and video lights explains why light matters more than the camera.

Questions people ask about phone flashes

Is a clip-on flash better than the phone's own flash?

For faces, usually: it is larger and softer, so skin looks more natural and the background less black. The phone's own flash is still handy, because it is always there.

Will it work with the front camera?

A light that clips on facing forward lights selfies and video calls. Many front cameras have no flash of their own, so this is where a clip-on light helps most; see also clip-on selfie lights.

Can I take the picture without touching the phone?

Yes, with the timer or a remote shutter, which also keeps the phone still in dim light.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when it usually arrives.

More to look at

• Clip-on selfie lights
• Ring lights
• LED video lights
• Remote shutters
• Mini tripods
• For creators
• Guide: Ring lights and video lights for phone filming