I need some help from some pros. I am a rookie with all of this. I recently got a canon xl1s and love it so far . I'm looking to get a light for indoor but mainly outdoor use in low light to dark conditions. I'm looking for something compact, light weight. Most of the filming will be 10- 15ft. away from the camera. What would you use? THANKS JEREMY

Well, what I use on my XL1 is a Frezzi MiniFill with dimmer. Not cheap, but it'll probably outlast the camera. And with the 50 watt bulb, it really punches a big hole in the darkness. Be sure to get the dimmer model. A soft box or chimera also helps to tame the glare.

Other worthy candidates incluse Bescor, Cool-Lux, Anton-Bauer, Smith-Victor.

A couple months ago I stopped to talk to a news camera man I happened to see. He had the coolest little Anton-Bauer light. It was only like 25 watts, and collapsed into itself so it could stay permanently mounted on the camera. The face of the light was frost glass with a hole the size of pencil eraser punched in the middle. Not much use for anything but run and gun, but it sure was cool.

Are we correct to assume that you want a battery light, but not necessarily a camera-top light?

I'd suggest looking at the 55&100 W Lowel (http://www.lowel.com) id-Light as well. It focusses and dims, and is part of the Lowel system.

Would your budget stretch to a mini HMI (top side of a thousand bucks)? Frezzi and Arri, among others, make lights that are worth considering if you want the most light for the least battery drain.

Best,
Helen