Pick almost any LED video light and you will see it comes in up to three versions: daylight, bi-colour, and RGB. Same body, same mount, often the same wattage, but each one handles colour differently, and that changes how bright the light is, how easily it matches the room you are shooting in, and how creative you can get.
There is no single best option. The right choice depends on where you shoot and what you need the light to do. This guide explains how each type works, its advantages and disadvantages, and which one suits your work.
Shop Daylight LEDs Shop Bi-Colour LEDs Shop RGB LEDsTL;DR
Daylight lights are fixed at around 5600K. They are the simplest, brightest for their power, and usually the most affordable, but cannot change colour without gels. Bi-colour lights blend warm and cool LEDs so you can dial any white from warm tungsten to cool daylight, which makes matching a room easy. RGB lights add full colour on top, so you get any white plus any hue and built-in effects, at a higher cost and with more to learn. Choose daylight for controlled studio work, bi-colour for mixed and real-world locations, and RGB for creative, colourful content.
First, a Quick Word on Colour Temperature
White light is not all the same colour. It is measured in kelvin (K): lower numbers like 2700K to 3200K look warm and orange, similar to household or tungsten bulbs, while higher numbers like 5600K to 6500K look cool and blue, similar to daylight. Your camera's white balance makes one of these look neutral, which means every light in the scene needs to sit at the same colour temperature, or deliberately different ones for effect.
That is the real difference between these three types of LED light: how much control each one gives you over the colour of its light.
Warm tungsten tones on one side, cool daylight on the other
How colour temperature is measured in kelvin, per Color temperature, Wikipedia.
At a Glance
| Feature | Daylight | Bi-Colour | RGB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour range | Fixed, about 5600K | Warm to cool white | Any white plus full colour |
| Brightness for its power | Highest | Slightly lower at the extremes | Good, varies by model |
| Matching ambient light | Needs gels | Easy, dial it in | Easy, dial it in |
| Creative colour | Gels only | Warm and cool only | Any hue, plus effects |
| Ease of use | Simplest | Simple | More settings to learn |
| Cost | Usually lowest | Mid-range | Usually highest |
| Best for | Studio, daylight-matched sets | Interviews, events, mixed rooms | Creative, music, gaming, branded content |
Daylight LED Lights
A daylight LED is fixed at one colour temperature, usually around 5600K, to match natural daylight and most camera presets. Because every LED in the light is the same colour, all of them work flat out at full power, so a daylight light gives the most output for its wattage of the three types. It is also the simplest to use: there is no colour dial to set, just brightness.
The catch is flexibility. If you are shooting in a room lit by warm bulbs, a daylight light will look blue next to them, and the only way to warm it up is with an orange gel, which also cuts some of its output. In a controlled studio, or alongside window light, that rarely matters. Examples in our range include the Godox SL60W and the more powerful Godox Litemons LE200D.
Daylight is fixed; bi-colour can shift from warm to cool
Advantages
- Most output for its power
- Simplest to use
- Usually the most affordable
- Matches daylight and camera presets
Disadvantages
- Cannot change colour without gels
- Gels cost you brightness
- Harder to match warm indoor lighting
Bi-Colour LED Lights
A bi-colour light contains two sets of LEDs, one warm and one cool. By mixing them, it can produce any white in between, typically from around 2700K or 3200K up to 5600K or 6500K. That means you can match warm indoor bulbs, cool window light, or anything in between with the turn of a dial, and you can set a warm or cool mood without reaching for gels.
The trade-off is a small loss of efficiency. At the warmest and coolest settings, only one bank of LEDs is fully working, so many bi-colour lights are a little less bright at the ends of their range than a daylight light of the same power. For most real-world work, the flexibility far outweighs that difference. Examples in our range include the Godox Litemons LE300Bi and the powerful LA600Bi.
Dial in any white, from warm tungsten to cool daylight
Watch: The Godox LITEMONS LE Series Bi-Colour Lights
Advantages
- Any white from warm to cool
- Easy to match ambient light
- Warm or cool moods with no gels
- Simple, familiar controls
Disadvantages
- A little less bright at the extremes
- Usually costs more than daylight
- No creative colours beyond white
RGB LED Lights
An RGB light mixes red, green, and blue LEDs to create almost any colour you can think of. Most modern versions, often labelled RGB-WW or RGBWW, also include warm and cool white LEDs, so they produce clean, accurate whites as well as saturated colour. You get full control over hue and saturation, a colour temperature range, green and magenta correction on many models, and built-in effects like flicker, police lights, or lightning.
Full colour on demand, with no gels required
That makes RGB the most versatile option by far. You can match a brand colour, light a background in teal, add a pink rim light, or recreate a gel look without carrying gels. The downsides are cost and complexity: RGB lights usually cost more, have more settings to learn, and on some models white output is a little lower than a dedicated daylight or bi-colour light of the same wattage. Examples in our range include the Godox ML100R and Litemons LA300R.
Match a brand colour or set a mood in seconds
Watch: Godox TL120 RGB Tube Light Tutorial
Advantages
- Any colour and any white
- Built-in effects
- Replaces a bag of gels
- Green and magenta correction on many models
Disadvantages
- Usually the highest cost
- More settings to learn
- White output can be lower on some models
How red, green, and blue mix to make other colours, per RGB color model, Wikipedia.
Why colour accuracy matters for skin and product, per Color rendering index, Wikipedia.
Which Should You Choose?
Start with where you shoot and what the light needs to do:
- Studio portraits and product, in a controlled space: daylight. Maximum output and simplicity, and you control every other light in the room.
- Interviews, events, and location video: bi-colour. Real rooms have mixed lighting, and being able to match it quickly is a huge time saver.
- YouTube and talking-head content: bi-colour for the key light, plus an RGB light for background colour.
- Music videos, gaming, and social content: RGB. Colour and effects are part of the look.
- Branded and commercial work: RGB, so you can match a client's colours exactly.
- Just starting out, one light only: bi-colour is the safest all-rounder.
RGB shines for music, gaming, and creative content
Mixing Types Works Well
You do not have to pick just one. A very common, versatile setup uses a bright daylight or bi-colour light as the key, for clean, accurate light on the face, and an RGB light behind the subject for background colour and atmosphere. That gives you the brightness and accuracy where it matters most, and creative colour where it adds the most impact. Just set all your white lights to the same colour temperature so skin tones stay consistent.
A clean white key with RGB colour behind the subject
RGB light sticks add easy accent colour to any setup
Popular Picks for Each Type
Two favourites from each category, all available from CameraStuff.
Daylight
Bi-Colour
Godox Litemons LA600Bi
A 600W bi-colour COB with serious output for large spaces and big modifiers.
ViewRGB
Not Sure Which to Choose?
CameraStuff has been lighting South Africa's creatives since 2006, and we stock daylight, bi-colour, and RGB lights across every size and budget, all genuine stock with local support. Tell us what you shoot and where, and our team will help you pick the right light, or the right combination. Pop into our Randburg showroom to compare them side by side, or get in touch online.
Visit Our StoreDaylight, Bi-Colour, and RGB FAQs
Is bi-colour better than daylight?
Not better, just more flexible. Bi-colour lets you match any white from warm to cool, which is ideal on location. Daylight gives a little more output for its power and is simpler, which suits a controlled studio.
Can an RGB light replace a bi-colour light?
Usually, yes. Most RGB-WW lights include warm and cool white LEDs, so they produce good whites across a range of colour temperatures as well as full colour. On some models white output is a little lower than a dedicated bi-colour light of the same power.
Why is my bi-colour light dimmer at 3200K?
At the warmest and coolest ends of the range, only one set of LEDs is fully working, so many bi-colour lights are slightly less bright there than in the middle of the range. It is normal and is shown on most spec sheets.
What does RGB-WW mean?
RGB-WW means the light has red, green, and blue LEDs for colour, plus warm white and cool white LEDs for accurate whites. It gives you the creative range of RGB with better white light quality.
Which type is best for a beginner?
Bi-colour is the safest all-rounder. It handles studio and location work, matches most rooms, and is simple to use. Add an RGB light later for background colour when you are ready.
Conrad Knuist
Head of Marketing and Photography Specialist
Conrad Knuist is Head of Marketing and Photography Specialist at CameraStuff, South Africa's specialist camera and lighting retailer. With over 18 years of hands-on experience across portrait, event, and commercial photography, Conrad has personally handled hundreds of lights, from simple daylight LEDs to full RGB production fixtures. He works directly with South African creators to match the right tools to their work.
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