Neat modification
 

Like many people I have a number of PAG camera top lights .

While they are very good , the main drawback is power consumption with the standard halogen capsule type lamps fitted . There are LED and HMI options for the standard PAGLIGHT but not for the older ML model which I also have .

This afternoon I was shopping in B&Q ( home hardware supermarket , for the benefit of those not in the UK ) and was buying some lightbulbs for the house - when I noticed that they sold 12V halogen capsule lamps , very similar to the ones in my video lights ( I picked up a pack of 4 40W lamps for £5 which is a lot less than PAG want for one lamp ) then I noticed the LED projector lamps for use in domestic lighting , also 12V and the same base fitting . I bought a 400 lumen 5.3W LED lamp , with a 100 deg spread angle ( there were 600+ lumen ones but a narrow 30 something deg beam ) and a 'cool white' 400K colour temp , this was also £5 .

Anyway , on getting home , after fixing the lights in the kitchen which her ladyship had been complaining about , I dismantled one of my PAGLIGHTS and inserted the LED projection lamp - I had to remove the reflector assembly ( easily refitted if I ever want to , but I have another two unmodified ones ) and the LED lamp plugged straight in . It gives out equivalent to 35W halogen lamp and only consumes 5W , so won't drain my camera battery significantly ( currently running a Sony DSR500 from PAG L75/L95 batteries and the PAGLIGHT is on the DTAP socket on the camera . There is plenty of light and the camera white balances easily - I have lost the ability to focus the beam , although I can still flip the diffuser in front , but this works really well !

While PAG offer an LED option , it costs a couple of hundred , as does the HMI option , which is 100W equivalent for a 35W drain - but the great thing about my modification is that it costs next to nothing and the power consumption is very low .

As long as you are careful , no damage will be done to your video light , and it is completely reversible .

For the minimal cost it is well worth trying .