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Old March 5th, 2005, 06:54 PM   #1
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On-Camera Light for GL2

First off, I want to thank everyone who helped me pick out the right shotgun + wireless mic setup already... I started more than a few threads on that topic, and I will be buying soon.

Now, I have come in to a little extra money and I'm considering adding a good on-camera light as well.

So far, I've heard about the NRG Varalux Pro, the Frezzolini Mini/Micro Fill, and the Paglight C6.

I definitely want one with a dimmer, but I don't know which wattage I should get (30, 50, 100?) and which type of battery connector I should get. Is XLR the best connector for power? Or should I get a cigarrette connector?

There are about 4 pages of each model of light at B&H, with different connectors, different wattage lights, and who knows what else... so direct links to product pages at B&H would be greatly appreciated.

I don't want to spend any more than $300 on a light kit, but I want to get a good one that will work great on my GL2 and on any larger cameras that I may upgrade to in the next couple years.

Also, do these lights come with a battery pack, or are those all sold seperately?

I know this post is already too long, but I have one more question:
I will be using all this equipment at wedding receptions (among other things) and I need a good way to mount it all on one camera at the same time. I'll want to have the shotgun mic, wireless (senn g2) receiver, beachtek xlr adapter, and light all on the camera. I thought about the Mighty Wondercam Mini-Rover... would this be good to get? It seems as if it would help hold everything and give me an extra grip to make carrying all the weight easier (and keep the shots more steady).

Any other suggestions welcome.
I'll stop talking now :-)
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Old March 6th, 2005, 08:16 AM   #2
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I just got my Frezzi "mini fill", 50 watt model with dimmer from bh. The light itself is around $300.I also ordered the softbox 11 that comes with extra gels ($189). Yes you need a battery. I blew my bankroll and bought the Anton Bauer gold mount ( you need that to connect light to battery), Anton Bauer Dionic 90 battery and the triTan 70 charger.
If you want to save money, get the light and a battery belt.If you do this you need the light with the cigarette adaptor for the belt. There are some cheaper on cam batteries, but I don't have any info on them.
Good luck
Bruce Yarock
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Old March 9th, 2005, 01:28 AM   #3
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I just recieved a very satisfying on cam dimmer light for about $270, complete with barndoors and battery pack/auto chager. Its the Bescor 645 kit with the starved electrolite battery. The battery is pretty heavy at 5.5 lbs, but will last longer than the 1.5lb Nickel Hyd battery, and is cheaper. All depends on what your shoulder and back can take. Or it has a belt loop, but I would fear my pants falling down. The kit works wonderfully, is 50w, but I cannot imagine needing all 50w for anything ivolving people who desire keeping their eyesight. 50w doesnt sound like a lot, but the little reflector behind the bulb makes it do some serious illumnitating. I have to dim it to roughly half or less to make it not seer retinae.

BTW, I too was very confused by the selection at BH website. For one thing, in the kits selections, they have some kits with a misprint of having the 635, which is not dimmable, so all the dimmer kits actually come with the 645. The other variable is the type of battery. I called Rush at EVS to order mine. EVS has never stocked the Bescore, but he special ordered it for me and Bescor drop shipped it to me. Rush said he will probably order 10 of them and see how they do after getting a good report on them.
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Old March 9th, 2005, 07:27 PM   #4
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Hi Daniel. Yeah essentially if we get some interest in these lights, we will stock them as a standard part. Chris, if you need a lot of light, Daniel's suggestion goes well, for under $300. If you need less wattage consider the pag c6 you mentioned. It doesn't have a dimmer, but it will spot and flood the reflector, which acts like dimming without changing the color temperature.

Here is a link:
http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1001

It is not under $300 but fairly close, and forum members get a discount. Another solution is NRG, the Varalux and a belt, gets you in around $370, and again you will get a discount off our advertised price:

http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=56004

http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=51011

Please don't hesitate to email me if you have further questions, at rush@evsonline.com
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Old March 19th, 2005, 02:38 PM   #5
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Hey, thanks for all the links, they were very helpful. I don't think I want the Paglight C6 since it doesnt have a dimmer available. I would probably be more interested in the Frezzi Micro-Fill or the NRG Varalux Pro.

Can the Micro-Fill or NRG Varalux also spot and flood the reflector, like you said the Paglight C6 can?

Of the 3 options, which one would you recommend for weddings/events on a GL2?

Thanks again
Chris
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Old March 21st, 2005, 09:56 PM   #6
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My pleasure. As far as I know, neither will spot, but as you mentioned, both will dim. The micro fill may be a bit better suited to the GL2 due to its small size, and ability to buy a complete package with its own NP-style battery. Depending on the degree of illumination at the wedding location, you may need as bright a light as the Varalux to really make a dent, especially if daylight is involved. The microfill obviously cannot support as much wattage, but the minifill can almost. What it really comes down is preference. It is best if you can get your hands on both to try them out.
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Old March 21st, 2005, 10:51 PM   #7
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I think the best bet for me would be the NRG Varalux Pro... it would be nice to have the extra power, yet still be able to dim it as much as needed. Plus, the Varalux includes the shoe mount built-in...and I'm not sure that the Frezzi lights do.

The only thing I'm concerned about is the weight. I'm already going to have a cardiod mic, wireless receiver, and xlr adapter mounted on the GL2, and with the NRG Varalux, it's going to add another 1.3 lbs on top of the camera, plus a 9.5 lb battery belt. I have a feeling it's all going to add up and be difficult to carry around for an extended period of time without any camera support (such as the DVRigPro...)

Unfortuneately, there are no local shops that carry this equipment, so I can't test it out for myself.

BTW, how much is the discount for DV Info Net members?

Thanks again
Chris
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Old March 21st, 2005, 11:09 PM   #8
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The frezzi's do come with shoe mounts, but they also come with their own stud mounts in the same box. If you would like to get pricing please email me at rush@evsonline.com, and reference "DVinfo" in the subject.
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Old March 26th, 2005, 10:06 AM   #9
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Frezzi is the best..bar none. with the softbox it is perfect. We used it on our GL2 before it broke and now we use it on our DVX100.
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Old March 26th, 2005, 07:08 PM   #10
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Whatever you do, get a light with a dimmer. Less is more with on camera lights. A brighter light won't really be that useful for weddings, as its best to be unobstrustive at an event like that. A 100w light will blind people and make you enemies, not to mention suck your battery dry in no time. We've shot a couple with a 35w light, and even that was a bit bright for some shots. We've got a Frezzi. Worth every penny.
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