Small-scaled and portable, shooting tents are helpful gear for photographers who either don’t have a dedicated studio space or want a mini studio that can travel with them. These boxes, which can typically be collapsed or broken down into a flat package, come with reflective walls and lighting strips to provide a well-lit setting no matter where you are—and no matter the weather. Ideal for product photography, shooting tents come in a range of sizes. The best models are built to reduce shadow while offering features that give you appropriate control over lighting, angling, and composition. Below, we offer our picks of the best shooting tents out there.
1. Samtian Shooting Tent
Samtian’s illuminated tent is the best choice for photographers who want a versatile studio for all kinds of jobs. The 24-inch cube can fit decent-size subjects—from household products to pets—but still fits comfortably on a tabletop. It also folds up to form a portfolio-like carrier that’s light enough to tote around. The unit features two dimmable LED light bars that you can place wherever you wish. Made of sturdy nylon, the tent’s walls attach to each other with Velcro seams, which speed assembly and guard against light leaks. Finally, it features five viewing holes so you can choose the best vantage point for every shot.
2. Travor Photo Studio
Travor’s light tent is a bit bigger than the Samtian, so it’s harder to lug around, but it’s a great option for photographers who need something with more structure. It’s made of woven nylon buttressed with removable aluminum poles, which helps to keep the unit weighted and stable as you move around and even inside it. It measures 35 inches on all sides and is lined with a uniform reflective fabric to help reduce shadows. Two LED bars producing 15,000 lumens provide good, reliable light; since they clip to the poles, you can place them on the ceiling of the enclosure or along the walls. This tent also features openings to give you four shooting angles.
3. Emart Shooting Tent
The small footprint and affordable price of this many-featured tent make it a great choice for photographers on a budget or hobbyists seeking something they can easily travel with. Its plastic walls snap together in about a minute and collapse into a lightweight, briefcase-size carrier just as quickly. Two powerful and dimmable LED light strips line the ceiling, which is finished with a portal for bird’s-eye-view shots. This box is flimsier and less hard-wearing than the competition, but it’s a good-quality model that can help you get familiar with shooting in a contained space.
4. Neewer Photo Studio Tent
Photographers who want a no-frills tent with strong light will appreciate the simplicity and reliability of Neewer’s mini studio. While many options feature dimmable LED strips that can be moved around, this one has four built-in lighting bands in its ceiling. They boast an impressive output of 21,100 lumens, and their fixed placement guarantees even light dispersion throughout the space. Because the lights are sewn into the tent, which is a one-piece structure, you can simply collapse the unit and fold the walls without having to deal with poles or other complications.
5. Samtian Folding Studio Box
The roomiest mini studio on our list, this boxy model can fit a tiny human—or even an average adult if they’re crouching. Its walls are held together with durable, smooth-moving zippers and are reinforced with tubing, and the entire unit can be deconstructed in minutes. All parts can fit in the included bag, which is quite large and unwieldy but manageable to carry over short distances. The lighting setup consists of two dimmable LED bars that can swivel, no matter where you place them, for more focused light angling. We like that the lights are constructed with an aluminum shell that helps heat to dissipate quickly—a smart safety feature.