I plan on shooting my sisters wedding coming up this year and was wondering what would be the best light for my a1u. I have read a lot people use the sony HVL-20DMA with a diffuser. I was wondering if this will be enough light for a wedding reception situation.
Thanks
Frank

The reason I'm staying away from that light is because I've heard reports where people say 10, even 20 watts is not enough. i.e. it only lights up subjects 8-10 feet away well. On the other hand, I've heard people say 10-20 watts is enough, enough to make people squint/blind, yet, I think I'll look towards 30-40 watts.

I found this light to be really good for 8-10 ft subjects. Especially when the room isn't highly dark, like a wedding reception should be. I definetely recommend it as the price and convenience (uses same batteries as camcorder for independent power) is unmatched.

If you need more power, i suggest checking out the Frezzi Micro-fill with 35W bulb. Dimmable, small, light, nice.

The reason I'm staying away from that light is because I've heard reports where people say 10, even 20 watts is not enough. i.e. it only lights up subjects 8-10 feet away well. On the other hand, I've heard people say 10-20 watts is enough, enough to make people squint/blind, yet, I think I'll look towards 30-40 watts.

Has anyone who has this light tried:

1) Using a laundry drying "softener" sheet over the lens (these sheets are made to handle a lot of heat)

2) Putting some sort of opaque "privacy" plastic material over the lens, or

3) Sanding the lens cover (oops!)

Seems like one of these solutions would help make the light non-directional without cutting down so much on the output as a flash lens cover would do.

Has anyone who has this light tried:

1) Using a laundry drying "softener" sheet over the lens (these sheets are made to handle a lot of heat)

...would help make the light non-directional without cutting down so much on the output as a flash lens cover would do.

Marc,

Parchment paper (http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/reynoldskitchens/kitchenconnection/products/parchment_paper/faq.asp) used for baking could work as a flash diffuser instead of smelly laundry softener sheets at wedding receptions :-))

Dorothy

Take your light into a good photo store, go to the flash diffuser section or asked for the Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce EZ for Canon 540EZ & 550EX Flash units. It fits over the 20 Sony light head makes a nice soft diffused light. Cost. About 20 bucks.

i cut up one of those white packaging molds. It was one from a battery charger. It worked really well until it fell off and I lost it. You gotta find the right thickness with those molds because I tried another one and it was too opaque.