Good day All, I have been researching frezzi Lights for mounting on my XH A1 and I must say I am more confused now then when I started.
There is an wide selection of lights and connection options.
My question is, Is anybody using a frezzi light on a XH A1 and if so how do you power it?
can it plug into the camera somewhere or do you need some kind of external power source.
I see on Frezzi home page they have a light mounted on an XH A1 but do not sow how it connects, Some help here would be appreciated.

Anyone have any recomendations.

Thanks

I use Canon VL-10 light. it's only 10 watt but it uses the same BP-900 series battery.

I also mounted two of them on a second cam on HV30.

I like the Varizoom led light. It has nice output uses Canon batteries and is a lot lighter and cheaper than a light panel mini.

http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=65169

I looked at the link. It didn't say the price nor the info that says it uses Canon battery. If so, that would be great.

I like the Varizoom led light. It has nice output uses Canon batteries and is a lot lighter and cheaper than a light panel mini.

http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=65169

I have this light but Varizoom does not sell it anymore. The company that makes it (Swit) sells it here: http://www.swit.us/s2010-on-camera-led-dv-l.html

There are battery adapters here: http://www.swit.us/dv-battery-mount.html

I'm interested in getting this light. Currently I have LitePanel Micro. Do you think this Varizoom light be brighter than the LP Micro?

Also, does the battery plate adapter takes the same battery as XH-A1 BP-900 series batteries? How does everybody be mounted on the A1?

Thanks for the info

Which is your favorite on-camera light and why?

I'm interested in getting this light. Currently I have LitePanel Micro. Do you think this Varizoom light be brighter than the LP Micro?

Also, does the battery plate adapter takes the same battery as XH-A1 BP-900 series batteries? How does everybody be mounted on the A1?

Thanks for the info

The Swit (was Varizoom) light is much brighter than the LitePanel Micro. The Micro could have been brighter if they used brighter LEDs. The Swit has only four LEDs.

I purchased the Swit light and a separate adapter without the clamp. Then I glued scuba suit type foam on the back of the adapter to soften it. The battery and adapter are held on top of the handle with a velcro cable cable clamp.

Strange that I have been having a difficult time find the Varizoom s2010 for sale anywhere, as if it has been discontinued. In any case, it does seem to be a better option than the Litepanel Micro. If you know where to find them Swit, let me know.
Thanks.

I have a Kino Flo Kamio that I have used on my XH-A1 with great results.

I have a hyperlight from Photon Beard. A bit expensive but it does emit a wonderful light. It seems to have a soft-light quality in that the shadows aren't sharply defined but it's still got a bit of "bling".
The only downside is that it's not exactly blinding but good enought to illuminate faces at two to three yards without any need for gain. On the plus side it's only 11w so a battery lasts for hours.

http://www.photonbeard.com/catalog2006/hyperlight.pdf

You guys may think this is funny, but I think I am going to buy me on of those: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8auGcHZ6K2w
Do you think that there are different quality grades of LED lights?
At U$400 avarage, it seems reasonable to look for an alternative.

I went with the NRG VARALUX PROFESSIONAL and it is a heavy duty light at a great price. http://www.nrgresearch.com/

S-2010 On Camera LED Light (http://www.swit.us/s2010-on-camera-led-dv-l.html)

I have this light. It is a good light quite bright but the one thing is it does not spread the light well for widescreen plus i put my light in for service and it took nearly 3 months to get it back which was a joke.

Rob

You guys may think this is funny, but I think I am going to buy me on of those: YouTube - build your own LED camcorder light (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8auGcHZ6K2w)
Do you think that there are different quality grades of LED lights?
At U$400 avarage, it seems reasonable to look for an alternative.

That guy just gave me the creeps!!!

What was that spiked ball on chain about????

Good idea though

You don't need or will ever use too powerful of a light. You'll probably use something else for lighting up larger spaces.... like a large room.

I will only use my light (a Pag 6) for illuminating faces or subjects that are quite close to the camera (within 10 ft.). More than 40 watts is just too bright for most people. It blinds them. I use 20 watts or at most 30 watts from the halogen bulb the Pag uses. The light housing on the Pag is cool to the touch so heat is not an issue.

I holster my battery power separately. Using the same expensive lithium batteries the camera uses is not an option for me. I use ready available and cheap 12V lead acid batteries. The Pag 6 lights come with ni-cads but they are expensive and are tricky to charge/discharge.

I haven't got into the LED technology yet but I suspect it is quite good.

I use this light and I'm pretty much satisfied with it!
Canon | VL-10Li II On Camcorder Battery Video Light | 1729B001 (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/480363-REG/Canon_1729B001_VL_10Li_II_On_Camcorder.html)
it also uses the A1 battery (small or big size).

What sometimes happens is when you get too close to a subject they may become overexposed. To cut the brightness I use baking vax paper as a diffuser.

I just bought this too. I havea outdoor shoot with the sunset in the background in a few days and I'm hoping the thing with a diffuser will fill out the actors' faces as they face away from the sun.
I've bought some diffuser gels and am hoping personnel on the ferry don't think we look too 'pro'

Just got the VariZoom / SWIT S-2010 on Camera LED Light. Here is a little test:

SWIT/VariZoom S-2010 on Camera Light "Test" on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/1862659)

Just got the VariZoom / SWIT S-2010 on Camera LED Light. Here is a little test:

SWIT/VariZoom S-2010 on Camera Light "Test" on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/1862659)

Great video! Thanks for sharing.

Denys, great video. Thanks for sharing. I'm very convinced to buy that light. How do you like it so far?

Thx. Im really happy with it. Its not heavy, bright and with the battery shown in the video you can use it for about 3 hours.

Is the battery showing in the video the stock battery comes with XH-A1? I'm using (and selling) BP-970G compatible battery. then it should last for 4 hours. That would be sweet.

I'm going to buy one. =)

BP-970G battery will last for about 5:30 hours :-)

Okay, I just received mine. Paid $438 all together including shipping and tax.

It's a nice looking light but defintely NOT as bright as they claim (40W). After the diffuse filter and the color correction filter, it's even less bright than the Canon VL-10 light which is only rated 10W output. I will be using it this weekend in a wedding. More result to come.

Taky, to which light are you referring?
thanks

I'm talking about the SWIT S-2010 light. I have also Canon VL-10 as well as LitePanel Micro. LP MIcro looks cute but it's the weakest light among all. It's very flimsy too.

I've tried the Canon,
Anton Bauer set up
as well as the
ikan iLED 100 Kit
Each have their places but I really like the options in the iKan model and the overall set up of the Anton Bauer.

Taky - Did you get to use the Varizoom light for your wedding this past weekend - If so, what is your impression of the light? I was thinking of getting this LED that will run off of my Panasonic batteries that I use with the DVX100. I currently use a Frezzi mini fill light with dimmer but I'm geting tired of carrying around the battery belt during the entire reception.

Thanks

Okay, I just received mine. Paid $438 all together including shipping and tax.

It's a nice looking light but defintely NOT as bright as they claim (40W). After the diffuse filter and the color correction filter, it's even less bright than the Canon VL-10 light which is only rated 10W output. I will be using it this weekend in a wedding. More result to come.

I used the SWIT light for the last 2 weddings. Overall I like it very much especially with the long battery life (i used it with the BP-970G battery). I like the flexibility of the light with the color temperture filter and the diffuse filter.

When I do close up interview, i will use the dimmer + diffuse filter so the object warmly lit without any harsh highlight. When I use it in reception, I remove the diffuse filter to increase the light intensity.

If I need more light, I will remove the color temperate correction filter. The blue-tint is then fixed by a white balance preset in XH-A1. works well so far.

Also, I mounted the light and the battery holder onto this hot shoe extended bar. So it's a lot faster to mount the light on and off.

Rycote | 037303 Hot Shoe Extension | 037303 | B&H Photo Video (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/407098-REG/Rycote_037303_037303_Hot_Shoe_Extension.html)

I stop using the LitePanel Micro as it's not bright enough, and, I hate to change battery every hour.

If I have time, I will post some footage.

Taky - Thanks for the great feedback! I would love to see some footage from your weddings with the light in some of the scenarios that you talked about - especially the first dance under low light conditions where you have to stand at the edge of the dance floor.

Other questions - How wide is the spread of the beam of light? Do you shoot wide screen/HD? How long did your battery last and at what power? Did you need to switch batteries during the event? I have few long life Panasonic batteries for my DVX100 that I'd like to use since the new Panny HMC150 won't use the old batteries.(I'll be upgrading the cam before the next wedding season!)

And if you have time can you post a photo of your cam with the light on the extended hot shoe bar. I'm have a mental block as far as visualizing the light and battery on the bar.

Thanks,
Mike

I just tried the new Switronix Torch LED. It is self-contained 30 watts with a filter kit.... so I don't have to attach an external battery to my Frezzi anymore. It's suppose to last over two hours. I placed my order last week.

Switronix - Products (http://torchled.com)

I just tried the new Switronix Torch LED. It is self-contained 30 watts with a filter kit.... so I don't have to attach an external battery to my Frezzi anymore. It's suppose to last over two hours. I placed my order last week.

Switronix - Products (http://torchled.com)

Where did you buy from? I am VERY interested as I'm in the market for an on-camera light that isn't so heavy and harsh. A built in battery sounds good too :). Please post some clips with it when you can!

Have any of you heard of this led ligth 35w made by Bescor? :
Bescor | LED-35 On Camera Light | LED35 | B&H Photo Video (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart_accessories&A=details&Q=&sku=576021&is=REG)

It's only 189.00

It would be nice if they stated it has a dimmer or not.

Resembles a re-badged LitePanel micro

Edit: Actually it does not resemble rebadged LitePanel Micro

Hey all...

I searched the forums for info on this and found a thread from only about a month ago that dealt with lights, but it didn't really help give me an answer one way or the other, so I'm sorry if this may seem redundant.

I am finally getting my XH A1. B&H is now listing the A1s, so the price has been reduced. I need a light was well (obviously) and want to make sure I get a good one (obviously again). B&H lists the LP Micro on their A1 page and the reviews I read say they are pretty good. But then I came across the previously mentioned thread which mentioned the NRG light and wondering which one would be best for what I am going to be using the camera for, which is weddings. I am kind of leaning towards the LP Micro, but any help that can be offered would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

I purchased the LP Micro light and decided to send it back. It is good for a close-up interview light but does not have enough throw or wide enough spread to be good for more than 4 feet away. I have been using several lights and each has it problems. I use an Lowel ID-Light for grand entrance, first dance and speeches. I am usually on tripod so an external battery is no big deal. For the other shots I use a custom built light with 150 LEDs or my Sony HVL-20DW2 with a Stofen diffuser. I had some luck with a Swit S-2010 but the external battery/clamp is a pain. I have worked with some other shooters that use the Sony HVL-LBP which works very well but with the battery it makes the camera very top heavy.

I tried a LPmicro and returned it after the first day due to very low light output. Many people have written they are happy with them for close up work but even then I couldn't see how, it's just not much light. I also thought it was cheaply built and extremely overpriced. If I was going LitePanel I would pick a higher up in their product line to likely solve all these issues.

After returning the LPmicro I purchased a Zylight Z90 and power it with a Tekkeon battery and love it for many uses. I don't have any experience with the NRG light so I cannot comment there, sorry.

All the best,
James Hooey

Hello all. I am finally going to use my new XH A1 for the first time this weekend at a wedding and now full of questions until then...

I have a 10 watt light sitting around from my GL2 sitting around that I never really used. It's only 10 watts, so very low light. Can anyone think of any practical use for it at a wedding?

If it's camera mounted, it may help getting interviews during the reception which is typically a low light situation. Other than that, I can't see it being of much use.

That's what I thought. What about just using it in a situation where you are in a small room and need a small amount of light, just as a tiny pick me up?

not sure how much 10 watts would help, but it's always worth a try if you have the light with you.

I find it is useful where there is very little lighting, like a dark pub. But even there it is limited because it can be quite glaring for the subjects when you get too close. Still, better than no light at all.

Richard

!0 watts can be worth over 12 dB of gain, or more than two stops, at 10 feet in a modest light situation.

In a quick test with my XHA1 and a Sony HVL-20DW2 video light at the 10 Watt setting:
Camcorder was set to 60i HDV mode, 1/30 shutter
The metered exposure of a general subject object 10 feet form the light was
with the 10 watt light OFF: +12 dB gain, f/1.8,
with the 10 watt light ON: 0 dB gain, f/2.2

The above was not a rigorous test, and your results will vary depending on the subject shot, distances, and the ambient light. However, it does give an idea as to how much improvement a bit of light can give at typical wedding reception shooting distances.

Run some tests yourself to get a feel for how much you might benefit from a bit of light. Just be sure to coordinate this with the client in advance as may be appropriate to your shoots.

I assume you are talking about the 10 watt Canon light, or are you talking about a different one?

I have the 10 watt Canon, my 2nd shooter uses it sometimes with me on weddings. Typically we use it as kind of a fill light with my higher power light on my camera. the 10 watt can be good for close up stuff or if you need to add just a little touch of light on some faces so lose some nasty facial shadows. To use it as a primary, esp for weddings probably wont work in a great deal of situations unless you want to use 12db gain which starts to suck pretty quickly.

I find occasional uses for the 10 watt, but not really any primary uses.

Not sure if that helps much, just my experience.

My test was using a Sony 10 watt light, but 10 watts of light is, well, 10 watts of light, and the variances are mainly the result of beam width and color temperature of the bulb used. For shooting guests at a table it can make the difference between using 0 dB gain and 12 dB gain.

Direct lighting much brighter than 10 to 20 watts can really irritate people, especially in otherwise subdued lighting situations.

anyone have any suggestions of an on camera light under $100,

this is the one im looking at, i have only searched bhphotovideo b/c i dont know of other sites to buy from,

Bescor | KLK-624D On Camera Light Kit | KLK624D | B&H Photo Video (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/298540-REG/Bescor_KLK624D_KLK_624D_On_Camera_Light.html#accessories)

what sucks about this one is the battery that comes with doesnt hold a long charge, and buying another battery is almost as buying the light.


please input your suggestions

thanks

~pieces

My psychic powers tell me Derek will recommend a Maglight,

Maglite 3W LED flashlight! $30 from Crappy tire and better than litepanels microlite. Remove focus reflector for "candle mode" and you will get the softest brightest light that you can gel with a demo pack of filters for tungsten. This piece will fit in the shotgun holder of the A1 or if that is in use you can shoe mount it with a shoe mount shock mount.
Your welcome.

Have a look at the Sima SL-20LX http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/photon-management/142902-sigma-sl-20lx-video-light.html
You can have 3 lights for 100 usd.