Video light recommendations at DVinfo.net

Kevin Muhammad · June 1st, 2005, 06:25 PM

My project of filming a track meet went into the dusk hours and I found myself without light.

Can someone please advise me on a good video light for my PDX10? Thanks

Laurence Kingston · June 2nd, 2005, 10:46 AM

Be aware that a light is only going to work at very close range. You'll get night interviews out of it, but nothing really in terms of shooting night action.

Kevin Muhammad · June 2nd, 2005, 01:07 PM

Well, that makes a big difference! I'll address my shooting times so I won't have to purchasea flood lights.

Thanks for the info.

Jeff S Smith · June 2nd, 2005, 01:24 PM

Yeah, I don't think camera lights would help at a track meet, unless you are a fast runner and plan on following the athletes around the track.. :-)

You can experiment with setting the shutter speed to 1/30 sec. You'll get a small loss of resolution and a little more motion blur, but your video will be brighter, of course.

-Jeff

Tom Hardwick · June 3rd, 2005, 09:30 AM

It's really good to use the Sony HVL-20DW2 simply because it'll run both 10 watt lamps for well over an hour on a 960 battery. It locks down onto any conventional shoe and has no dangling wires or different battery packs to worry about. Small, compact, light, but not cheap.

I use it with a Lumiquest Mini Soft-box diffuser. It robs me of a good stop of light, but the effect is wonderful - soft, blurry shadowed even lighting that means I can use my powerful 0.5x converter with ease. Also the diffuser means no-one squints into the light. Perfect for my wedding shoots.

tom.

Jeff S Smith · June 3rd, 2005, 09:54 AM

I've never seen the Lumiquest diffuser--sounds like a winner.

I have a couple cheap Bescor VL-30 lights (20 watts) and I found a cheap way to soften and further diffuse the light (I put a couple layers of baking paper over the light). It brings it down a stop or more, depending on how many layers you use, and improves the built in diffusing of the VL-30. Plus the baking paper can obviously handle the heat of the light.

Probably not as good as your setup, but it gets the job done on the rare occassion I need a video light.

Kevin Muhammad · June 3rd, 2005, 12:22 PM

Thanks for the advice about the Sony HVL-20DW2. I checked B&H and the price was $79. I can live with that. However, they are out of stock. This must be either a popular light or an old one. Either way, I'll obtain it.

I was thinking that I can just focus on getting footage at the pit (long and triple jumps) and not as the runner goes down the runway. I don't plan to run behind these folks. Besides I wouldn't want to embarrass them by keeping up (smile).
The area is 30-35 feet and I'll be up close so it should work out.

Thanks

June 1st, 2005, 06:25 PM	#1
Kevin Muhammad New Boot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 19	Video light recommendations My project of filming a track meet went into the dusk hours and I found myself without light. Can someone please advise me on a good video light for my PDX10? Thanks __________________ K. A. Muhammad

June 2nd, 2005, 01:07 PM	#3
Kevin Muhammad New Boot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 19	Well, that makes a big difference! I'll address my shooting times so I won't have to purchasea flood lights. Thanks for the info. __________________ K. A. Muhammad

June 2nd, 2005, 01:24 PM	#4
Jeff S Smith Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 27	lights Yeah, I don't think camera lights would help at a track meet, unless you are a fast runner and plan on following the athletes around the track.. :-) You can experiment with setting the shutter speed to 1/30 sec. You'll get a small loss of resolution and a little more motion blur, but your video will be brighter, of course. -Jeff

June 3rd, 2005, 12:22 PM	#7
Kevin Muhammad New Boot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 19	Thanks for the advice about the Sony HVL-20DW2. I checked B&H and the price was $79. I can live with that. However, they are out of stock. This must be either a popular light or an old one. Either way, I'll obtain it. I was thinking that I can just focus on getting footage at the pit (long and triple jumps) and not as the runner goes down the runway. I don't plan to run behind these folks. Besides I wouldn't want to embarrass them by keeping up (smile). The area is 30-35 feet and I'll be up close so it should work out. Thanks __________________ K. A. Muhammad

June 2nd, 2005, 10:46 AM	#2
Laurence Kingston Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Clermont, FL. Posts: 941	Be aware that a light is only going to work at very close range. You'll get night interviews out of it, but nothing really in terms of shooting night action.

June 3rd, 2005, 09:30 AM	#5
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	It's really good to use the Sony HVL-20DW2 simply because it'll run both 10 watt lamps for well over an hour on a 960 battery. It locks down onto any conventional shoe and has no dangling wires or different battery packs to worry about. Small, compact, light, but not cheap. I use it with a Lumiquest Mini Soft-box diffuser. It robs me of a good stop of light, but the effect is wonderful - soft, blurry shadowed even lighting that means I can use my powerful 0.5x converter with ease. Also the diffuser means no-one squints into the light. Perfect for my wedding shoots. tom.

June 3rd, 2005, 09:54 AM	#6
Jeff S Smith Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 27	I've never seen the Lumiquest diffuser--sounds like a winner. I have a couple cheap Bescor VL-30 lights (20 watts) and I found a cheap way to soften and further diffuse the light (I put a couple layers of baking paper over the light). It brings it down a stop or more, depending on how many layers you use, and improves the built in diffusing of the VL-30. Plus the baking paper can obviously handle the heat of the light. Probably not as good as your setup, but it gets the job done on the rare occassion I need a video light.