Adriano Moroni
April 22nd, 2011, 06:53 AM
Les,
you are right, I agree with you but.... you have to agree with me too when I will use Comer 1800 I will often use my camera with automatic white ballance. Therefore, I think, the problem will disappear. I think so.
Then .... often I shot on afternoon or on sunsite and the problem disappear, I think. Nobody shots with under favourable conditions of day light. Daylight changes colormetry many times during a day. It can be 7000 or 8000 and also 10000 K° but also 4500K°. I think!
Les Wilson
April 22nd, 2011, 08:12 AM
Adriano,
You are correct. Lighting from the sun has color temperature changes depending on where you are (desert, shade, indoors...).
But let me be clear. Shooting 4500K and using auto white balance does not make the problems of mixed lighting disappear. The goal is to have all the light sources close to the same temperature as much as possible and avoid mixing lights of different temperature. This is the advantage of a light that lets you adjust the temperature. You can at least match your light to the other major lights in the scene instead of introducing a second or third temperature. Gelling whatever light you use will also help. If it's important to you, look at how hard or easy it is to gel the light as you shop for one. I asked that exact question about the Sola 3.
When different parts of a frame are lit at different temperatures by different lights, your camera's Auto WB picks a color temperature that is some average it calculates and uses that. The further away from that temperature something is lit, the more wrong it will appear. On a bad day, only a small part will be right and much will be wrong. When you have mixed lighting and you try to color correct the wrong parts in editing, the right parts then go bad.
I just want you to understand the issues. I can't say for sure but this example on your site seems to have even lighting whereas the other example has very different lighting temperatures:
My unpublished documentaries (indigenous peoples) (http://www.webalice.it/poturu/page_kalapalo_brasile.htm)
Michael Liebergot
April 22nd, 2011, 11:45 AM
Michael, thanks and that's real good suggestion. I shot the Comer 5500 light demo the second day I have the light. I don't know enough about the characteristics of it. For one thing I want to do (like you said) is to show how strong the output is. Since I'm not an expert, I will learn and improve. =)
We sold a lot of the Comer 5500 at the NAB show last week. I guess it's more appealing to see it in person.
Taky, just remember that since these lights are dimmable then intensity really isn't a huge factor as much as how they function in real world environments.
For indoor studio shots like your examples proper lighting is more of a need than intensity, especially with studio lights like the LED5500. Even outdoors the lighting with the LED5500 was too strong as your models sin tones were blown out.
Now with the Comer 1800, strength is a feature that viable for field use, but show samples of it in the field (your weddings) and again if you shoot at close range dim the light accordingly.
Even though I love the intensity of the Comer 1800, I rarely use it at full blast at a reception, but rather dim the light to balance out my subject and environment.
Oh, and can you talk to Comer to see if they can develop a light similar to the LED5500 but a smaller version like the Coolights LED256. I love using my LED256's in the field, and use them all of the time at receptions. But I hate my current solution of running a large Bescor battery belt into the light, just so I can setup a remote control lighting rig.
I would love to have a small form factor light like the LED256 that is remote controllable. As this would make my kit perfect for filed use, as I hate lugging around 40 lbs. in battery belts. =)
Nicholas de Kock
April 22nd, 2011, 02:29 PM
Michael V-Mount batteries work quite well & are very compact for LED's I have a 600 LED (China brand) that gives me 3 hours of full power operation on a 90Wh battery.