thanks again for all your responses! I don't think i could have grasped many of the concepts discussed here without all of your insight. Thank you!

I have one last question: I've seen kits that have both a diffuser AND a soft box... why? Isn't that redundant? If i don't need both, which one should i get?

Thanks again

Affordable on-camera LED lighting for event shooters
 

The VariZoom S-2010F On-Camera LED Light Kit is an excellent choice for event shooters, and quite affordable.

Matt - that light is rated at 40W but it's daylight balanced - once you add the 32K filter and the diffusion you are down to what - around 20W?

Versatility is the key for me at weddings - I use a varalux with diffusion filter always on and I will often clip tough spun to the barn doors for a quick and dirty softbox. So I can go from a 6"x6" 10W softbox for closeups to a 100W spot in a few seconds. We almost always edit our own footage and color grade everything so I don't find the the slight warming temp a big deal. The heavy belt is a pain though.