I`m looking to buy an on camera light as wanted to know which one is the best in around £300 or less.

What about the Paglight C6 Lighting Kit or the Litepanels micro?

I`m using a PD150 at the moment and 5D mark II

Any recommendation?

Thank you

N

They are pretty heavy but a lot of light for the money. It just fits into your budget and if 300 is your maximum budget the Comer 1800 is probably the best on-camera LED light you can get. It uses the same battery type as your PD150 does.

Comer CM-LED1800 On-Camera LED Light - Proactive (http://www.proav.co.uk/Lighting-Chroma-Key/Camcorder-Lights/p27566_sc529.aspx)

Here is a light I have:
Sony HVL-20DW2 Camcorder Video Light for DCRVX2100, FX7 - eBay (item 160403751286 end time Feb-18-10 15:35:52 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-HVL-20DW2-Camcorder-Video-Light-for-DCRVX2100-FX7_W0QQitemZ160403751286QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2558cf0176)

Depending on your shooting needs it may, or may not, be powerful enough. I find it powerful enough for the majority of my close-shooting run and gun type quick interview shots. It projects the light out pretty well. What I like about it is it uses the same batteries as the VX/PD/Z5 so you don't have to carry extra [different] batteries or chargers. Especially helpful if you travel much. Also, if you keep your eyes open, you can find for pretty cheap.
Here is another one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Camcorder-Light-for-Sony-HDR-CX550-XR150-XR350-XR550_W0QQitemZ360229975387QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDigital_Camera_Flashes?hash=item53df61355b
Good luck.

Comer 1800 seems very impressive....but a bit pricey i must add.

So no one recommend the LPmicro then?

N

Yeah I can. I've had one since it came out. Certainly the lightest weight light I've used and it produces a very nice light at least to my eyes. There are many things I like about it and a few I don't. Here's what I like, lightweight, runs off of 4 AA batteries not the heavy Sony 970, throws a decent light up to about 8 feet even with the diffusion and 1/4 CTO on it, perfect for me for wedding receptions.
Things I'm not happy with, plastic and it CAN break if dropped (mine has a few times, don't ask) and finally the foot broke, rather than spend the insane money to buy that, I use a swivel mount I had lying around and it works even better, the light will only throw up to about 8 feet. Sometimes I wish it had more power but I get over it.
Overall I've been very happy with the light. YMMV!

Thank you guys for the feedback....decisions decisions... i still wonder which one is best for an overall use without breaking the bank...

I like the sound of the litepanels but fear for not having enough power to light during interview...maybe im wrong..

LP does have the MicroPRO which is a 55W light (more than 2X as powerful as the Micro) but it is also around $400 USD.

thank you Don i saw that too but over my budget ... so its between the litepanel because its small and use normal batteries which are easy to find or the corner LED 180 - heavier but more light.....

i never thought it was so difficult to find a light !! N

Nicolas,

In your startingpost you also quoted the Pag C6. Although not dimmable (which is a must-have for interviews in my opinion) I'd like to remind you there are two used ones for sales at the community's marketplace on this forum.

You can also consider the Comer 900 light. It's cheaper but still put out even spread and 900lux output of light. Much better than LP Micro or MicroPro.

If you can't find Comer 900 in the UK, at least get the SWIT S2010. Still a much better light than LP Micro.

I just bought Dedolight's new on-camera light. It's the DLOBMLSH with a Sony/Panasonic battery holder. It has a single LED that can be dimmed and/or focused from flood to spot.
At 1 metre, it's rated at 3000 lux at the tightest spot setting and 220 lux at the widest flood setting. It's not cheap, but very adaptable and very well built. It comes with two barn doors, flip-down diffuser and flip-down dichroic filter for indoor colour. On the Sony NP-F570 it runs for almost two hours at the brightest setting. I've used it on three indoor interview shoots and love it. I don't do much outdoor interviewing so can't say yet how well it will work in bright sunlight. If you have the budget for it and do mostly indoor work, it's a great light.

I had considered the Varizoom 2010 but have not seen one in person. It lacks the ability to vary the focus (spot/flood).

I second Taky's post.

We are looking for something with a little more output than the Sony HVL-20DW2 lights we have. I think the Comer looks like a good way to go, but I can't tell if the 900 is more powerful than the Sony's or if we should go with the 1800. Anyone know how the output of the two Comer lights compares to the Sony? The Sony is rated in watts and the Comer in LUX, how does that translate so you can compare light output?

Thanks,
Robert

LED uses different technology than traditional tungsten light. So the way to measure the brightness is different. Here's something you can take a look at. For example, for the SWIT S-2010 light

VideoGear.co.uk - Swit S-2010 LED toplight for use with Swit battery adapters (http://www.videogear.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=457)

It said, it's 550lux at 1 meter equivalent to 40-Watt light bulb. So, if that's the case, you can imagine the light output of the Comer 1800 is 1800lux at 1 meter. Now take a look at these videos I put together. That S-2010 isn't much brigher than than Canon VL-10 (10-watt).

YouTube - 6 On-Camera Video Lights Shootout - Test #1 Small Room (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3dNuXSNZaA)
YouTube - 6 On-Camera Video Lights Shootout - Test #2 Medium Size Room (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2CbyVIY4ak)

More things to concern, most LED lights are not diffused. So you will need to add the diffuser to spread even the light output. Otherwise, you will get a hot spot in the middle. Then the 5600K color temperature makes it not suitable to be used indoor. You will have to add a warming filter to lower the color temp. Adding more filter in front of the light will just lower the brightness even more.

The way the Comer light designs, it is by default diffused. If you want a spot light, flip up the condenser which will "condense" the light into a spot light. Makes it even brighter. It is 4500K color temp which makes it ready to be used indoor and outdoor. If you want complete indoor color temp, just flip down the orange filter on top.

Another neat trick I found out is the "Condenser Lens Trick". It makes zooming in dark completely useful. Check out this blog entry

Comer Lights Condenser Trick | L.A. Color Blog (http://lacolorshop.com/blog/view.asp?id=39)

Thanks Taky,

That was very helpful, especially your video of the light test, nicely done. Judging by that--and realizing this isn't a definitive test--it would suggest to me that the Comer 900 might produce a similar amount of light to the Sony 20-watt lights we have, although with a wider spread. I went ahead and ordered the Comer 1800, which looks like it will give me the wider spread and probably more light output over all.

We used to use Bescor halogen lights with external batteries, that was a hassle. It's really great that the newer technologies in batteries and LED lights gives us more flexibility and options than we used to have.

Robert

PS. I did get one of the cheap ~$100 Bescor LED lights a couple months ago, which is supposed to equal a 35watt light output. Because of that rating, I assumed it would be more powerful than our 20-watt Sony lights, but was disappointed when I received it to find at best it was a close match in light output, but when you put the 3200K filter on it (which was pretty much necessary to match the rooms we are shooting in) it lost about 1/2 stop of light when measured with my light meter. It's also a rather flimsy light, not worth the money, IMO. I hope the Comer proves to be what we are looking for.

Robert, thanks for ordering from us.

I google found some info for the Sony-HVL-20DW2 light. From the spec on this amazon page. It said "lighting distance: approximately 40 lux (10 Watts), 80 lux (20 Watts)"

Amazon.com: Sony HVL-20DW2 Video Light for use with DCRVX2100, HDRFX1 & FX7: Camera & Photo

Well, it didn't mention the distance. Assuming it's 1m or 3feet. Comer 900 is 900 lux at 1 meter.

But i'm sure you will be impressed with the 1800. =)

Taky,

I look forward to receiving the light, we will be putting it to the test at a wedding in another week at what I already know is a rather dark reception hall.

As for the lux rating, I understand that different companies seem to have different interpretations of what a lux rating is, which makes it hard to reliably compare two products based solely on that rating. However, if we assume the measurement is the same between the lights, and that the distance is the same a 1 meter (appox. 3 feet), would it be correct that the Comer 900 is perhaps equal to something around a 60-watt version of the Sony halogen lights?

I'm just trying to figure out how the math works. My understanding of the principles of light is that doubling the distance will cut the measured output of light by 1/4th. So the Comer 900 will have a rating of 225 lux at 2-meters, correct? If so, it would have ~60 lux at 4-meters. For a Sony halogen to have the same lux rating at 4-meters, I would guess it would need to be a 60-watt light, calculated at 4 x 15-watts (2 x 2 x 15-watts). Or maybe it would actually be 4x4x15-watts, or 240-watts? But that seems rather high, so I'm guessing the correct equivalent would be 60-watts (making the Comer 1800 a 120-watt equivalent!).

It would be nice if lights were all rated the same way. I know I can get an exact comparison between two lights with a light meter, so it should be reasonable to have a measurement standard that everyone can compare the specs of two lights with. Of course, there is also the factor of the spread of the light, which certainly complicates the comparison.

Thanks,
Robert

Robert, I am not good at math either. Tranditional tungsten light and LED light use different method to measure the brightness. So keep comparing them in watt output will not make sense.

However, there're more LED products out there. I have noticed they are all measured in lux ... which is the amount of light reached the object at a certain distance. Many of them stated in 1 meter or 3 feet. So this is a transition period until we all get used to speaking lux =)

Also, check out the light with the "Condenser Lens Trick". It is very useful especially when you need to zoom in from a distance in a dark reception room.

Comer Lights Condenser Trick | L.A. Color Blog (http://lacolorshop.com/blog/view.asp?id=39)

I got the Comer 1800 light today, and had time to test it. Thought I'd share my impressions and test results.

First I'll say, this light is very sturdy and well made, by comparison the Sony HVL-20DW2 light definitely has a flimsy feel, the Comer is more substantial in both size and build quality. It comes with a nice case. The only part that would be questionable for breaking might be the shoe mount, which is the weak link for any light you would put on a camcorder. The Comer has some weight to it, especially with a big battery, so I could see an accident causing it to break at the foot. Good news is, I'm sure this is an easy repair as the adjustment for the light angle is a screw than connects the foot to the light, so by undoing the screw you should be able to easily replace the foot. The screw is turned with a big screwdriver or a coin (quarter would be best). I can see videographers at weddings now asking, "hey buddy, can you spare a quarter, I need to adjust my light!" But in truth, once you adjust it, you probably won't need to again. At first I thought an adjustment knob would have been better, but in thinking about it that would have probably been susceptible to coming loose more easily, a sure recipe for disaster. The light fits nicely on the camcorder, not too much bulk or weight, especially when you consider it's totally self contained with the battery on-board. The Sony is certainly easier to use if handholding the camcorder, but we prefer tripods or Varizoom supports to handholding anyway.

Now for the light output test. I setup my Sony HVL-20DW2 light in the studio and pulled out a tape measure. Got my light meter out and took measurements. Then I replaced the Sony with the Comer and took light measurements with it. The quick take on the result, the Comer is more powerful. How much more powerful? It depends on how you have it's filter and condenser set and where you are taking the measurement relative to the light itself. The light measurement varied from being the same amount of light to the Comer producing ~ 2-1/3 more light. Let me explain.

The Comer has a much wider spread of light. With no filters, it is about 1-stop of light stronger straight ahead, but at 4' off axis at 12' from the light it is about 2-1/3 more light than the Sony (that's at a right angle, so the actual distance from the light is about 13'). That means the Comer is able to light a very wide area pretty evenly, while the Sony lights a rather narrow area. In all fairness, the Sony was designed for 4:3 format cameras I'm sure, while the Comer suits the more current HD format cameras much better.

As for how I'll be using the light, since we still use the Sony lights and shoot mostly lighted rooms, I'll need to use the color filter on the Comer most of the time. With this filter down, the measured light output from the Comer pretty much matches the light output from the Sony directly ahead. To the side, I'm getting about 1-1/3 stop more light at my off axis point (4' off axis at 12' from the light). I'll probably be using it with both the color filter and diffuser filter both down a lot of the time, giving a similar angle of light as the Sony with a full stop more power straight ahead. It seems to have a little more severe light fall off than the Sony in this configuration, the Comer being only about 1/2-2/3rd more light at my same off-axis measurement point. You definitely get a strong circle of light with the condenser filter. For something like the first dance at a wedding, this is a good thing, IMO. At least you have options with this light, and it's easy to change the configuration on the fly.

I'm happy with the light, we'll be using it at a wedding next weekend where the room is rather dark for the reception. We'll know then how much we really like it, but I'm already pleased with it and would certainly recommend it. Even though it's a bit pricier than some other lights out there, in this case I think the old adage holds true, "you get what you pay for."

Robert

Robert,

Thanks for the great review.

Comer 1800 color temperature is 4500K. Unlike other 5600K LED light out there, 4500K is ready to be used indoor without any filter. I noticed that when setting it up at wedding (using light stand) with the spot light mode on, the 4500K color temp actually add a feel of a "stage" to the wedding.

The shoe mount is indeed the weak part but we have all the parts to replace easily. Sony HVL-LBP LED Light has the same plastic shoe but they charge $96 to replace.

If you intent to mount the light on light stand, it's best to get these adapters make it easier to mount and adjust

Umbrella Adapter with Accessory Shoe Mount | L.A. Color Shop (http://lacolorshop.com/products/item.asp?id=dja)
Accessory Shoe Tripod Mount Adapter | L.A. Color Shop (http://lacolorshop.com/products/item.asp?id=djb)

I would be skeptical to find out the HVL-20DW2 and Comer 1800 with the orange filter on will give out similar light. Can you do some comparison videos like I did to show side by side the output? I am interested to find out =)

YouTube - 6 On-Camera Video Lights Shootout - Test #2 Medium Size Room (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2CbyVIY4ak)

I found out I used to set my XH-A1 to +3db gain at reception. Now I'm always using -3db to 0db now. all the new video are clean grain free =)

Taky

Taky,

Thanks for the info on the color of the light, I'll have to do some testing on that to see how it works.

As for the Comer 1800 being the "same" output as the Sony, that was in only one situation which plays to the Sony's strength. When tested directly in front of the both lights, the light I measured from the two lights was the same on my light meater (Sekonic L-308) at any given distance when the Comer has the color filter down, but not the spot filter. However, once you step to either side the Sony quickly has light fall off while the Comer lights a very broad angle pretty evenly. So a much more fair comparison is to have the condenser filter down on the Comer, which gives a much more similiar area of coverage to the Sony but a stop or more of light output, more if you don't use the color filter with the condenser filter. Like I said, the Comer is obviously more powerful, and much more versitle.

I'll let you know if I get a chance to do some color tests.

Thanks,
Robert

Here is a test I did a few months ago. The Sony 10/20 is not even in the ballpark.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-hvr-z5-hdr-fx1000/238250-fx1000-additional-lighting-3.html