The Definitive Guide To Ghost Hunting Lights

When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.

Since most paranormal investigators do the bulk of their work at night, it is essential to have the best light source one could afford.

Besides not being able to see in the dark, some ghost is only visible under certain levels of the spectrum. Today’s article will provide all the info needed to understand why it is crucial to have a good source of ghost hunting lights.

Ghost Hunting Lights

Early days of ghost hunting consisted of investigators limited to the visibility candles lights provided. In more recent times, technology has evolved in a way that we now have a wide range of lights to choose from.

A paranormal investigator can completely customize the look, quality and even placement of lighting in a way that would reveal even the most stealthy of the mystic beings.

List of Ghost Hunting Lights

Ghost hunting lights are unique illumination tools used by paranormal investigators to artificially light a dark area and possibly reveal supernatural entities.

These visually stimulating devices are vital to ghost hunters of all levels because it provides visibility in unfamiliar areas and allows the range of human sight to extend into conditions that would otherwise be in possible to work under.

Ghost hunting lights come in a wide variety of styles and shapes. Choosing the right type of lights will come down to personal preference but today’s article will cover the prerequisites to help you figure out what type of lights you should consider going with.

Types Of Ghost Hunting Lights

As I mentioned earlier, technology has provided a wide range of ghost hunting lights a ghost hunter could use in the field.

Some paranormal investigators will have most if not all of these lights in their ghost hunting gear… Others might have a preference on a few they feel all is needed to successfully accomplish the goal.

This list below illustrates the various kinds of lights a ghost hunter will typically use.

Full Spectrum Lights

Full spectrum lights are lights that cover the most wavelength of color lights normally emitted. These lights will pretty much mimic daylight when used at night.

These types of lights can be useful to ghost hunters for a variety of reasons. They come in fluorescent bulbs as well as LED’s but I highly recommend going with LED for any type of paranormal related activity for sake of efficiency and convenience.

LED’s last longer between battery changes and also are a lot more durable than fluorescent bulbs.

Full-spectrum lights can be very useful to ghost hunters since they visually help hunters see in extremely dark surroundings.

These pair very well with full-spectrum cameras. By helping to obtain the highest level of quality video and picture footage being captured. The downfall of these types of lights is they are extremely useless for night vision cameras.

Trying to pair one of these with a night vision camera will compromise the footage making any recordings just appear blank.

Infrared Night Vision Lights

Infrared Lights, also known as IR lights, are night vision lights made strictly for the use of night vision cameras. These lights are made from LEDs and show no visible light to the naked eye.

IR lights are a known standard for every ghost hunter because they provide visibility in surroundings investigators want to remain dark while recording.

Infrared night vision lights are ideal for night vision cameras and the only option in a situation where you are using one.

The drawback for these lights is they are essentially useless to any other type of camera as well as the naked eye if you were intending on using this as a form of visibility without a night vision camera.

Dual-Mode IR & Full Spectrum Lights

Dual-mode IR & full spectrum lights are lights that combine infrared lighting and daylight mimicking lights into one unit.

This tool is the best of both worlds in terms of ghost hunting lights. The clever design of these lights compresses the use of two types of cameras into one device.

This type of lighting comes highly recommended by many paranormal investigators including myself. For pretty much the same price as one of the two types of lights you could have both at the flick of a switch.

The Dual-mode light can be used with night vision cameras, full-spectrum cameras, and the human eye when used properly.

Red Lights

Red lights are great illumination tools used for regular cameras in low light surroundings.

These lights are ideal for ghost hunters starting out that might be using a cheaper image or video capturing device and/or cell phones. I personally started out with this type of lighting.

Eventually got my hands on the dual-mode lighting setup. Now it’s kept to use as an additional source of luminance when I needed it.

The major drawback of using the red light compared to other types of lighting is obviously quality. I personally don’t favor having red footage as opposed to a cleaner full-color range the full spectrum might provide.

One thing I can say about using this in comparison to the full spectrum though… Red lights are a lot easier on the naked eye and it won’t blind other investigators around you when you blindside them in the total dark!

Ultraviolet Lights

Ultraviolet lights, also known as black lights, are illumination tools that use the ultraviolet wave of the lighting spectrum to shine over a target area.

These types of lights are great for ghost hunters trying to reveal entities that are generally only visible through ultraviolet luminosity. This light will also make a great asset for identifying bodily fluids like blood… Which, can often time be a sign of life or mischievous behavior.

Ultraviolet lights can be a vital ghost hunting light for investigators to use as a debunking method. Exposing things like fishing line, laser lights, and holograms…

This tool can really come in handy when presented with hoaxes of all sorts. This is definitely a must-have for any type of investigator regardless of what kind of paranormal activity one might be pursuing.

Setting Up Ghost Hunting Lights

OK, Now that we have a better understanding as to what type of illuminating tools the market currently has to offer… Let’s discuss some ideal ways to set up ghost hunting lights.

This too comes down to preference based on the paranormal investigator, the location, and what might be brought along to the investigation.

Below are a number of ways ghost hunting lights can be carried for use during an exploration:

Handheld Lights

Handheld lights are typically illumination tools carried in hand while ghost hunting. Having lights at your fingertips allows for the quick accessing of lights when needed.

The response time for shining light on a subject will be immediate and on-demand. The downfall of a handheld light is it ties up free hands that could be assisting with other aspects of ghost hunting.

Recommended lighting types to have in the form of handheld lighting would be Ultraviolet and Full Spectrum lighting since it might be something you will only need during specific times.

Headlamps

Headlamps are illumination tools mounted above the head of a paranormal investigator.

Many ghost hunters prefer this type of setup. It allows total freedom of hands and virtually provides light in any direction the investigator may be viewing.

The drawback of this type of lighting is forgetting to turn off the lights when not in use. Furthermore, draining batteries quicker than other types of setups. It also can be very blinding to fellow hunters when innocently looking their direction.

Recommended lighting types for headlamps would be Dual-mode, IR as well as Full Spectrum lighting.

Camera Mounted Lights

Camera mounted lights are illumination tools mounted directly on a recording device. This is one of the most popular kinds of ghost hunting light setups.

Having a camera mounted light makes it easy to access as well as provides a consistent source of light for cameras. The bad part of this setup would be forgetting to turn off when not in use.

Leading to quickly drained batteries. This setup is ideal for all types of ghost hunting lights.

Body Mounted Lights

Body mounted lights are similar to headlamps in the sense that they are mounted directly on the investigator for luminance.

These are very useful lighting for lighting up ghost hunters as well so that other hunters can see and identify the user wearing the lights.

These lights usually require a bit more energy since they are generally left on during the course of the inspection.

Full Spectrum lighting would be best for this type of setup.

Ground Mounted Lights

Ground mounted lights are great for illuminating an area as a whole. An investigator might be working in an area that will require adequate visibility for safety reasons…

Or they might just be working with equipment that will not operate well under poorly lit conditions.

Majority of the time, this type of lighting will require some type of external power source. Indirectly making this type of setup inefficient to some investigators with limited power resources or budget.

All types of lighting styles could work with this type of setup.

Ghost Hunting Light Accessories

Accessories can make the use of ghost hunting lights more manageable and often types useful to begin with. Some equipment can only function with additional accessories if they don’t come with needed components, to begin with. Here are a few light accessories one should consider when in the market for paranormal investigating lights:

Tripod Mount

A tripod mount can be very useful for ghost hunters that are in an area that won’t allow lighting to be placed directly on the ground.

If the area being investigated is wet, dirty or just generally requires high mounted lights…

Consider picking up a tripod with a tripod mount specifically made to engage with the intended light setup.

Camera Light Bracket

Some recording devices will require the use of a camera light bracket.

This will allow lighting to be placed offset the camera it’s being mounted too.

A camera light bracket will also work as an adopter in some cases if the light is not compatible with the specified camcorder, to begin with.

Dual Universal Shoe Mount

A dual universal shoe mount works virtually the same as a camera light bracket.

In addition, allowing the use of multiple lights. Having this kind of device is great for pairing two different types of lights together.

It also allows double the strength of one particular type of light of the same spectrum.

The drawback of this type of accessory is it makes the overall camera setup heavier to carry around.

Flashlight Holster

Every paranormal investigator should have a flashlight holster within their arsenal if they are equipping a handheld light source.

This accessory will allow ease of access making the availability of light source quick and convenient.

Consider buying more than one if you plan to stock multiple types of ghost hunting lights in your inventory.

In Summary

Ghost hunting lights are an essential part of any paranormal investigator’s inventory.

Now that you have a better understanding as to what the various types of lighting have use for… Get out there and pick your poison. They all have their strengths and weaknesses so choose the lights that best fit the scenario.

My personal favorites to have in my possession are UV, Dual-mode, and red lights.

Accessories are also an important aspect of lighting and are generally inexpensive to stock. Same thing when it comes to lighting setups…

The headlamp has really come in handy at times the location got really messy to work around. Body mounted lights are also a really cool component to use if shooting some type of reality show style footage.

Hopefully, this ghost hunting lights article was very informative and gave a clear understanding as to why lights are a critical component to have as a paranormal investigator…

Do you currently stock a particular type of light in your inventory? If so, what would you recommend?

Related Articles