Favorite on-camera light at DVinfo.net

David Beisner · November 19th, 2010, 08:18 AM

I've got a Canon XHA1 and I need to go ahead and get a good on-camera light (with shoe mount) for getting good overall light in areas that are a little darker than I'd like. I do multipurpose shooting, so it needs to be able to do lots of things, but the immediate need is that I'm shooting a product placement commercial for La-Z-Boy and some of their production lines are not only too dark, but they're also not accessible enough for me to set up standard lighting kits... so I need something I can mount on camera.

What are your suggestions?

Tom Hardwick · November 19th, 2010, 11:04 AM

I've had a fair few lights in my time and each one has been better than the last. Thing is, this last one I bought earlier this year has been the best by far.

It's the cheepo-Chinese 160 LED lamp (ebay it). It's a neat panel light, runs off Sony, Panasonic or AA batteries, has a variable dimmer, comes with adjustable shoe mount, table-top stand (I use it for still photography too) and a selection of filters/ diffusers.

Shame it won't run off Canon camcorder batteries, but 6 rechargeable 2100mah AAs will run it for 90 mins at full brightness. It runs cool, has no filaments to break, isn't a nasty, harsh point light source. For £42 delivered, I'm impressed. No home should be without one.

tom.

Andrew Stone · November 19th, 2010, 12:11 PM

Thank you for the tip Tom. Just snagged one. One can never have too many lights.

For others, if you are doing a search and want to power it off a Sony or Panasonic battery, make sure you add the appropriate video manufacturer to the eBay search -- for instance "160 LED light Sony". There are a few different kinds and you want to make sure you get the one with the battery adapter so you can operate it either off video camera batts or double A's. This particular lamp doesn't have an adapter for Canon batteries.

Mike Watson · November 19th, 2010, 01:18 PM

I have the Z96 and I agree with everything said above, down to and including the AAs.

November 19th, 2010, 08:18 AM	#1
David Beisner Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Dayton, TN (USA) Posts: 219	Favorite on-camera light I've got a Canon XHA1 and I need to go ahead and get a good on-camera light (with shoe mount) for getting good overall light in areas that are a little darker than I'd like. I do multipurpose shooting, so it needs to be able to do lots of things, but the immediate need is that I'm shooting a product placement commercial for La-Z-Boy and some of their production lines are not only too dark, but they're also not accessible enough for me to set up standard lighting kits... so I need something I can mount on camera. What are your suggestions? __________________ David Beisner Media Specialist, Bryan College, Dayton, TN -- www.bryan.edu

November 19th, 2010, 11:04 AM	#2
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	I've had a fair few lights in my time and each one has been better than the last. Thing is, this last one I bought earlier this year has been the best by far. It's the cheepo-Chinese 160 LED lamp (ebay it). It's a neat panel light, runs off Sony, Panasonic or AA batteries, has a variable dimmer, comes with adjustable shoe mount, table-top stand (I use it for still photography too) and a selection of filters/ diffusers. Shame it won't run off Canon camcorder batteries, but 6 rechargeable 2100mah AAs will run it for 90 mins at full brightness. It runs cool, has no filaments to break, isn't a nasty, harsh point light source. For £42 delivered, I'm impressed. No home should be without one. tom.

November 19th, 2010, 12:11 PM	#3
Andrew Stone Major Player Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 975	Thank you for the tip Tom. Just snagged one. One can never have too many lights. For others, if you are doing a search and want to power it off a Sony or Panasonic battery, make sure you add the appropriate video manufacturer to the eBay search -- for instance "160 LED light Sony". There are a few different kinds and you want to make sure you get the one with the battery adapter so you can operate it either off video camera batts or double A's. This particular lamp doesn't have an adapter for Canon batteries.

November 19th, 2010, 01:18 PM	#4
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	I have the Z96 and I agree with everything said above, down to and including the AAs.