will the pro 160 let me use my Panasonic camcorder batterys that came with my AG-HMC 150?

It uses Panasonic CGR-D16S, CGR-D26S battery. It doesn't seem like the one for your HMC cam.

Mine came in the other day. Fantastic light. Like reported, slight color shift. VERY happy for the price. Bright, nice spread, and comes with accessories (magnetic filters and hot shoe mount). Only complaint is the flickering while dimming, other than that can't beat it for the price :).

Okay, I have the light for sale now.

HDV-Z96 LED Photo/Video Light Kit | L.A. Color Shop (http://lacolorshop.com/products/item.asp?id=Z96)

I can't compete with eBay price as I have to deal with import duty, warranty service, stuff like that. But I am able to provide domestic warranty and faster delivery service so you don't have to wait for 2 to 3 weeks shipping without any tracking information too. Hope you guys appreciate it =)

I'm hoping to sell it at $89. For now, it's $79. =)

Taky

Just bought a 600 and two 96s, am anxious to see how these things work.

If well I can see getting a slew of these 96s for different things.

Just got my 600 and 2 96s in today and did some quick tests. In short, I'm VERY excited about these lights. Much brighter than I expected and I love that they all have dimmers. I did a quick interview setup and it looked great. So much lighter (weight-wise) and easier to deal with than my halogens. It's going to be a delight carrying these around for most things.

I need to do more testing, but after about 20 minutes I can say that I think this was a great use of about $450.

I'll probably spring for another 600 shortly.

Just ordered one from you Taky. Hopefully I can convince my office to get more. The price bump is worth it for warranty. Thanks!

Has anyone found an AC power adapter for these 96s? I'd love to throw a couple in the case for backup.

Taky

Mine arrived today. Thanks very much for making these available here.

That's great! I played with the light and it seems quite a good light for the price. The $79 is an introductory price. It will go up to $99 soon... so if you are interested, get it now =)

I ran a test yesterday with a 96 and a NP-F570. I was able to get just over 2 hours on the light at full brightness with the battery. Which was ok, but on full day shoots i don't know if I really want to have to manage yet another system of batteries for the lights.

Anyone have any idea about an AC adapter? Taky, maybe you could source one and carry it for these things?

I did a bit of checking for power supplies. The center pin of the light is 2.5mm positive. Digikey and Mouser both have 12vdc wall supplies with the 2.5mm coax connector. There is one in the Mouser catalog that would work well. It's $18 and for addtional $5 you can buy a plug adapter kit to use it in the UK, Europe and Australia. The part number is 675-PW170KB1203B01. Mouser site is Mouser Electronics - Electronic Component Distributor (http://www.mouser.com). Another 12vdc wall supply is part number 418-TR1512-12. This one is $14. There are others on their site with the 2.5mm plug. If you are good with a solering iron, numerous vendors have the wall transformers for a few dollars each, you can buy a 2.5mm connector and make your on supply.

David

You can take your light to your local Radio Shack and have them test which AC adapter will work for your light.

I don't think it is a great idea to use a 12V supply with a light that runs on ~7.5V. That's a huge percentage increase and maybe enough to just burn everything out. Personally, I wouldn't go over a 9V supply and I'd try using a resistor to bring that down below 8V. I'm sure there must be 7.5V supplies around somewhere.

Actually, the plug on the back says 5.5 volts to 16.5v. So it seems like it would do fine on a 12 volt supply.

Thanks for that info, Chris. That means the light has it's own regulator/supply/doodad built-in which makes it that much more attractive. I'd love to standardize all my LEDs on 12V.

I got my light yesterday and shot some footage. Here's my initial impressions:

-Like others said, there's a slight buzz when dimmed, but not really a problem unless you have a mic right next to it.

-Only uses sony L and not the M batteries too like the 126 or 160 light. I guess I overlooked that part in the description. Look like just the two rear tabs are in the way and I can probably snap that off to make it work but that would probably void Taky's warranty.

-Rear battery door is little difficult to open at time and as well as taking the battery out when all are loaded in. I use a piece of tape folded in half lengthwise and put it under to let me pull out the batteries.

-One other concern is that the manual said not to cover the top vents. Is this going to be an issue when stacking vertically? The glass covering the led does get pretty hot and smells a bit like burning after I left it on for an hour to test the battery life.

min

will it fit on the top mount of the z1 or do you need an a adapter?

cheers really want one :)

Mine fits right on the shoe of my Z1.No problems. The plastic ball-swivel thingy is a better mount than the one attached to my Lite Panels Micro.

does it really compensate for the z1, poor low light, looking to get festival night footage with this light :)

Just received my z96 light from Taky. Fast mailing, and bought it for the $79 intro price (just made it in time :) Thanks alot Taky!

Like other folks, I'm so far impressed with this little light. I haven't tested it extensively, just a darkened office. Good diffuse lighting overall. Haven't heard a hum when dimming (but haven't put it close to my ears either).

I also bought the combo Sony NPF770 batt and charger with the light. I find it a bit difficult to insert the battery due to the slide switch that opens up the battery plate for the AA batteries. So, I have to open the batt plate to slide the NPF770. No big deal...except in run n gun situations, like a wedding, which I'll be shooting in a couple weeks. (Which reminds me...I need to buy another battery...)

Best,

Jeff, thanks for buying from us =) and glad you like the light.

It is quite well built compared to Pro 160 and Pro 126. It claims to be 65 degree spread and 800 lux... but from my bare eye comparison, it's not bighter than Pro 160 nor Comer 900.

I don't notice any humming sound but the light will flicker when I dial the dimmer. That will make a bad impression when adjusting the dimmer in front of the customers.

First nice thing, they are a perfect match to some low end lightweight light stands I bought last year, and the accompanying swivel works great.

Hi Chris,

Are you stacking your z96s side by side and mounting on a light stand?

I plan on getting at least one more of these, but wonder if I need an adapter to mount them, like this one:
Accessory Shoe Extension Bar | L.A. Color Shop (http://lacolorshop.com/products/item.asp?id=ryc)

or this one:

Accessory Bar with Two Shoes | L.A. Color Shop (http://lacolorshop.com/products/item.asp?id=AB2)

Jeff, thanks for buying from us =) and glad you like the light.

It is quite well built compared to Pro 160 and Pro 126. It claims to be 65 degree spread and 800 lux... but from my bare eye comparison, it's not bighter than Pro 160 nor Comer 900.

I don't notice any humming sound but the light will flicker when I dial the dimmer. That will make a bad impression when adjusting the dimmer in front of the customers.

You're welcome Taky!

I don't notice the hum as well; but you're right the flickering might be a problem.

Hope to buy another battery from you soon,

Hi, the bracket with 2 shoes is out of stock.. and I don't know when I will have them back. I imported them from Hong Kong before.

I'm also stocking up the NP-F570 battery. Usually nobody wants that battery because it always come with their camera that power the camera for less than 30 minutes only. but it will power the light for an hour I think. Will be good for me to use the light on my camera on steadicam.

My test showed it would last two hours on full brightness.

with which battery?

The NP-F570.

I received two of the Z96 yesterday and I love them!

The manual says you should not combine more than 3 x 3 (9 units) for stability reasons. I am thinking of building a light box out of at least 6 units (3 x 2) and I am wondering what sort of AC adapter or batteries I need to run in the DC plug with six plug splitters. Do they make them, or do I need to roll my own? I could use regular AAs or 570s to power all six Z96s but then the unit gets too heavy.

I don't know how long you're planning to run them in an array.
But a colleague of mine informed me the other day that the lights themselves do run hot. Which worried him a bit.

It's not that the bulbs ran hot but he lights themselves are generating heat from somewhere. So be careful when sing these for long runtimes.

Why mess with putting 6 together? Just buy a 600 LED light. Would be cheaper, easier to deal with, require less power, etc. I don't see the upside to using 6 96s.

A 600-led will also be cheaper...

I did mention that. ;)

Ordered two Z96's from China, hoping they arrive...

Anyone shot tests with 600 LED light? What did you think? I've been looking at Litepanels and Kelvin Tiles, these are so much cheaper. What are the power options that come with the 600?

Thanks,

Evan

Was also wonder if any tried the Comer like 1800's ? I saw the one review saying they returned it but anyone else give it a try ?

Ordered a Z96 kit off of ebay from China. Took about 10 days to get here. Arrived in excellent shape.
Powered up - works great. Very bright!
A few items of interest.

- The Z96 is all plastic, but looks and feels well made.
- The hot shoe adaptor is also plastic, but works well also.
-The magnets on the filters are VERY strong - hold tight - nice!
- In AA battery mode you need to be sure to alternate the direction of the batteries to work properly. Follow the diagram molded into the chamber.
- In L battery mode, the AA battery door has to be open for the L battery to slide on properly - Works great also!
- On mine the dimmer works fine with NO hum at all. Also functions as the on/off switch. Smooth turning.

I will need to devise some sort of storage case for it so it can be properly stored in my camera case.
If anybody has a good idea I would like to hear.

Thanks!

Kevin Jones

I bought the 126 LED light and boy, I can't complain at the Chinese price. But I'm going to complain anyway just so I can say you've been warned. Like others here I found that I simply couldn't tighten up the foot on its movable arm (very easy to modify with another bracket) and the diffuser kept slipping out of the guide slots so I've had to work on that too.

And then without warning the diffuser cracked. Doesn't affect it diffusing capabilities, but it does point the finger at the fragility of the whole (plastic) thing. Bin the orange filter - China must be working on a different Kelvin scale to us lot. Works beautifully with the NPF-570, over two hours of cool, clear light. No home should be without one, and I'm ordering the 160 light because I don't like the 'missing' LEDs in the four corners of the 126 lamp. Fussy, huh?

BTW, the coverage is the same in portrait or landscape mode - I've tested it.

tom.

I've shot for a few weeks now with two 96s and one 600. I could not be more pleased.

I did a time test with the Z96. On Eneloop power at the lowest setting, the Z96 gets over 80 hours continuous. I think the Z96 would make a great light in camping tents. On four hours a night, it can last nearly 3 weeks. Full power, the Eneloops provide about 80-90 minutes.

Why mess with putting 6 together? Just buy a 600 LED light. Would be cheaper, easier to deal with, require less power, etc. I don't see the upside to using 6 96s.

If you're working under the misapprehension that a LED is a LED is a LED then you'd be right. Why bother? But LED functionality is all over the map and perhaps (I most certainly do not know) the LEDs used in the 600up light are less powerful (individually) then the LEDs used in the 96up light.

For what it's worth.

I bought two of the 96 light units. I used them for first time in a blue screen situation, that was less than ideal, of an entry in the Canon "Beyond the Still". In all the interior shots, I used the two lights to light the actors. The blue screens were lit with common household daylight flo bulbs. I had a some issue with keying, and would have preferred green screen, but I used what we had.

Here is link to film as posted at Vimeo.

Chapter7: Reunion - The Story Beyond The Still on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/groups/beyondthestill/videos/14340307)

If you're working under the misapprehension that a LED is a LED is a LED then you'd be right. Why bother? But LED functionality is all over the map and perhaps (I most certainly do not know) the LEDs used in the 600up light are less powerful (individually) then the LEDs used in the 96up light.

For what it's worth.

Well, the 600 would have to be SIGNIFICANTLY worse than 6 96s for me to want to deal with all that additional hassle.

To each his own, but I try and not make things more complex than they need to be. I'm getting tired already of juggling batteries with two 96s.

My two Z96's arrived yesterday from Hong Kong, 11 days after I ordered them from Gadget.brando.com. I will be doing a shoot-out between the Sony HVL-20DW2, Litepanel Micro Pro & Z96 LED this weekend and post my results here. My first impressions of these lights are very good, judging from eye the Z96 is much brighter than the Sony HVL-20DW2. Value for money is incredible @ $67 you can afford to have six of them.

I was at DV EXPO in L.A. yesterday (Wed.) and a booth (I won't mention their name to protect the greedy) was selling this same $70.00 Z96 light for $200.00 as a "show special" instead of their "regular" $249.00 price.Yeah, right.
It's as though some retailers think that potential customers don't do any online research before buying a video product. Particularly one at 3+ times the price and calling it a "special". Silly me, I thought only pharmaceutical companies were allowed that kind of obscene markup. Makes me really appreciate the info in this forum.
End price gouging rant.
Ken

I know exactly who you're talking about.

However, this isn't anything new. As much of what many manufacturers are selling are simply re-branded copies of products form China, especially LED lighting. As much of the cutting edge LED technology is being developed and manufactured in China.

We also imported this Z96 LED light to resell in the US. There're import duty taxed, and cost to provide domestic warranty and fast shipping. So my price is higher.. but it's not like $249 or $269 (that'll be really good profit =). This product is made popular by the internet community (DVinfo forum, cheesy cam...). Words spread around quick =)

If someone can wait for 2 to 3 weeks (without tracking number) or don't care about domestic warranty, eBay price is unbeatable.

Can someone recommend which ebay seller would be reliable to use? There's so many to choose from I want to make sure I go with someone who has a good reputation, communication, and sells a light that will be in good condition when I open it. I don't mind waiting so ebay route is okay.

Thanks in advance!

Gary I bought mine from Gadget.brando.com (http://gadget.brando.com/mergeable-cordless-96-led-dc-dv-light-with-magnet-color-filters_p01373c067d003.html) took 11 days to arrive. Shipped all the way to South Africa.

Hi Gary,

I didn't buy my Z96 from ebay, though I could've saved a few dollars. Instead, I bought mine (plus an extra battery and charger) from Taky, as I wanted an assurance/warranty it'd work:

HDV-Z96 LED Photo/Video Light Kit | L.A. Color Shop (http://lacolorshop.com/products/item.asp?id=Z96)

Of course, I got it for a bit less, as he had an introductory price :)

But looks like you can't beat the price from Gadget.brando.com

Best,

Gary,
I just bought two from the cheapest eBay vendor I could find. Mostly these seem to be sold by vendors with high sales volume. They don't want bad feedback to ruin their ratings and hence cashflow. On the other hand clearly their margins are low so don't expect stellar after sales service. Keep in mind as mentioned earlier in this thread you could easily have paid a 300% markup on these. You want good after sales service then you have to pay for it, in the markup. With such cheap items I prefer to take my chances. The probability of scoring a dud on low cost mass produced items is very low.