Best camera light? at DVinfo.net

Niels Neeskens · January 16th, 2007, 04:39 AM

Hey everybody,

I have a job coming up where I have to do camera on a high society party. I am basicaly walking around with someone who does interviews with people attending the party. The party is going to be dark so an on camera light is necessary. I did a search and couldn't find a good topic about this. Which one is the best for this kind of situations and what are your experiences with on camera light. Next to that, I don't want to blind people with the light and I have a tight budget.
Does anybody know if this one is any good? http://www.fotovideoimport.nl/produc...ducts_id=30842
Any help would be great. Thanks in advance.

Cheers Niels

David Saraceno · January 16th, 2007, 10:21 AM

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ist&sku=447042

Peter Richardson · January 16th, 2007, 06:23 PM

I recommend one of these:

http://www.litepanels.com/

I have one and love it. Dimmable. Nice, broad, soft output (so you make those high society folk look nice), comes with a variety of diffusion and gels. You can buy one either daylight or tungsten balanced.

Peter

Henry Epstein · January 16th, 2007, 10:20 PM

Hi Peter,
Which LitePanel Head do you have? The Flood model or the Spot one?

Jon Fairhurst · January 16th, 2007, 11:36 PM

Another option:

http://www.antonbauer.com/elightz.htm

Peter Richardson · January 17th, 2007, 12:05 AM

Hi Henry,

I have the flood model, I believe. I have had it a little over a year, and I don't think they sold the spot model at that time. I have it with the camera battery adapter that goes on the back. If I had it to do over I probably woudl have purchased their proprietary battery, however -- my camera batteries are much heavier than their single battery, and using the camera battery adapter ties up a lot of camera batteries when you're shooting. It's realy a great product, though.

Peter

Leonard Levy · January 17th, 2007, 12:57 AM

Niels,
I'm going to disagree with everybody here. Everybody raves about the LED sunguns but I have that little Sony light and I love it. I've tried the light panel ( the daylight one and I hated it.)
Granted I like the Sony because its dirt cheap and I already have some of the little Sony batteries it uses ( from my old PD100) so it was very cheap for me.
Also a big down side is no dimmer.
However when I'm using a sungun I often find that I need much more light than I've seen the light panels put out.

I need to be very flexible. I don't see that happening with the light panel, it just won't get very bright when you need it and often I do especially with an HVX.

I just tape a piece of diffusion over the Sony ( try to push it out a few inches) and when i compared it to my friends light panel ( blue spot with 85 gel ) the Sony was twice as bright, softer and had a wider spread. It's easy to knock the level by just clipping heavier diffusion and you always have that little switch to drop it down to 10 watts.
If you really need the poop just take off the diffusion.

I keep meaning to make a little foamcore soft box for it that will get a wider piece of diffusion.

I prefer a Frezzi with with a dimmer and the choice of using barndoors or a chimera, but the cost difference is significant esp when you add the baterries & charger.

I figure that a sungun is never going to look that good no matter what anyway and I don't need it often enough to justify the expense. The Sony is great low budg option.
Also the thing is tiny, light and can fit in a fanny belt pack

Niels Neeskens · January 17th, 2007, 04:59 AM

Thanks a lot everyone! Leonard, I have two m-serie batteries all ready so it would be a good and cheap option then, thanks for the detailed answer.

Cheers Niels

Leonard Levy · January 17th, 2007, 01:51 PM

Niels I did get a little hot shoe ball mount adapter so I could point it down a little. Does it use "M" type batteries. mine uses "L" type i think - what is an NP-F950? That's what i have.

Niels Neeskens · January 17th, 2007, 05:36 PM

I think you have this one then: http://www.siteground15.com/~proftap...hp?item_id=594
That one is with the l-serie battery from sony. This was the first one I looked at, but I all ready have 2 m-serie batteries and this one is with the m-serie: http://www.fotovideoimport.nl/produc...ducts_id=30842
They look pretty similar though?

Leonard Levy · January 17th, 2007, 07:23 PM

looks the same. hope you like it.

January 16th, 2007, 04:39 AM	#1
Niels Neeskens Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Almelo Posts: 177	Best camera light? Hey everybody, I have a job coming up where I have to do camera on a high society party. I am basicaly walking around with someone who does interviews with people attending the party. The party is going to be dark so an on camera light is necessary. I did a search and couldn't find a good topic about this. Which one is the best for this kind of situations and what are your experiences with on camera light. Next to that, I don't want to blind people with the light and I have a tight budget. Does anybody know if this one is any good? http://www.fotovideoimport.nl/produc...ducts_id=30842 Any help would be great. Thanks in advance. Cheers Niels

January 16th, 2007, 11:36 PM	#5
Jon Fairhurst Inner Circle Join Date: May 2006 Location: Camas, WA, USA Posts: 5,513	Another option: http://www.antonbauer.com/elightz.htm __________________ Jon Fairhurst

January 16th, 2007, 10:21 AM	#2
David Saraceno Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Inland Northwest Posts: 490	http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ist&sku=447042

January 16th, 2007, 06:23 PM	#3
Peter Richardson Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 608	I recommend one of these: http://www.litepanels.com/ I have one and love it. Dimmable. Nice, broad, soft output (so you make those high society folk look nice), comes with a variety of diffusion and gels. You can buy one either daylight or tungsten balanced. Peter

January 16th, 2007, 10:20 PM	#4
Henry Epstein Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Guayaquil, Ecuador Posts: 58	Hi Peter, Which LitePanel Head do you have? The Flood model or the Spot one?

January 17th, 2007, 12:05 AM	#6
Peter Richardson Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 608	Hi Henry, I have the flood model, I believe. I have had it a little over a year, and I don't think they sold the spot model at that time. I have it with the camera battery adapter that goes on the back. If I had it to do over I probably woudl have purchased their proprietary battery, however -- my camera batteries are much heavier than their single battery, and using the camera battery adapter ties up a lot of camera batteries when you're shooting. It's realy a great product, though. Peter

January 17th, 2007, 12:57 AM	#7
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	Niels, I'm going to disagree with everybody here. Everybody raves about the LED sunguns but I have that little Sony light and I love it. I've tried the light panel ( the daylight one and I hated it.) Granted I like the Sony because its dirt cheap and I already have some of the little Sony batteries it uses ( from my old PD100) so it was very cheap for me. Also a big down side is no dimmer. However when I'm using a sungun I often find that I need much more light than I've seen the light panels put out. I need to be very flexible. I don't see that happening with the light panel, it just won't get very bright when you need it and often I do especially with an HVX. I just tape a piece of diffusion over the Sony ( try to push it out a few inches) and when i compared it to my friends light panel ( blue spot with 85 gel ) the Sony was twice as bright, softer and had a wider spread. It's easy to knock the level by just clipping heavier diffusion and you always have that little switch to drop it down to 10 watts. If you really need the poop just take off the diffusion. I keep meaning to make a little foamcore soft box for it that will get a wider piece of diffusion. I prefer a Frezzi with with a dimmer and the choice of using barndoors or a chimera, but the cost difference is significant esp when you add the baterries & charger. I figure that a sungun is never going to look that good no matter what anyway and I don't need it often enough to justify the expense. The Sony is great low budg option. Also the thing is tiny, light and can fit in a fanny belt pack

January 17th, 2007, 04:59 AM	#8
Niels Neeskens Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Almelo Posts: 177	Thanks a lot everyone! Leonard, I have two m-serie batteries all ready so it would be a good and cheap option then, thanks for the detailed answer. Cheers Niels

January 17th, 2007, 01:51 PM	#9
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	Niels I did get a little hot shoe ball mount adapter so I could point it down a little. Does it use "M" type batteries. mine uses "L" type i think - what is an NP-F950? That's what i have.

January 17th, 2007, 05:36 PM	#10
Niels Neeskens Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Almelo Posts: 177	I think you have this one then: http://www.siteground15.com/~proftap...hp?item_id=594 That one is with the l-serie battery from sony. This was the first one I looked at, but I all ready have 2 m-serie batteries and this one is with the m-serie: http://www.fotovideoimport.nl/produc...ducts_id=30842 They look pretty similar though?

January 17th, 2007, 07:23 PM	#11
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	looks the same. hope you like it.