I agree with Wayne. I've had a Flare Buster for a couple of years. Very light, very compact, very versatile, very inexpensive.

lightstands
 

Ok i just got a couple LTM 100 peppers. Now the two lightstands I'm looking at are the Manfrotto 001 Nano stand or an import stand called WF (wei Fang) i believe. Anyone had any experiences with either?

Ive got three Manfrotto 156 stands for my LTM 300's. They seem to work fine for these though probably a bit lightweight if you wanted to fit something larger later on.

Light Attatchment w/ Shotgun mic??
 

I currently use a GL2 and am considering purchase of a VX2100 as a second cam. I currently use a shotgun mic (Azden) mounted to the onboard shoe on the GL2.

I am also ready to invest in a lighting system. Problem is, my shoe is already taken by the mic. What can I do to mount BOTH a high quality mic AND a light to these cameras? Does someone make some sort of split-shoe or double shoe adaptor?

I'm not worried about power, just the physical mounting of the hardware.

This setup will be used mainly for weddings, and it must look professional (not some duct-taped basement built rig that I could set up myself).

This problem alone is almost justification enough to purchase a shoulder-brick style cam. ?!??!

Thanks!

dual mount
 

Kevin:

BH has these, they are adapters for the hot shoe that gives you a dual mount (or even tri mount) out of the hot shoe. They run about 25-35 I think, and cool lux is one of the makers I beleive...you even get to buy from a sponser :)

M

Lowell portrait kit in BH, anyone have or use?
 

Looking for a decent 'micro' set up to add a JTL softbox to perhaps.

Anyone have any experience with this?

I've heard Lowell stands suck, but noticed that the kit comes with Impact stands-are they any better or worse?

I wonder if dimmers can be addded?

Thanks all-

Jeff

DV magazine lighting article
 

There's a great article in this month's issue detailing how to put together an inexpensive, highly compact lighting kit. The whole thing, and there's a LOT of stuff, fits into a 3 foot case. I was surprised at how much Lowel gear this guy has. He also has hardware store flourescents and an ingenious way to clamp them to the stands. It's interesting to see what he does spend money on -- Manfrotto stands and Chimera softboxes. It confirms what I've suspected for a while. If you are going to make do with inexpensive lights, at least get decent stands and softboxes. Using worklights is one thing, but why anybody would want to make a stand out of a two-by-four and a pickle bucket full of cement is beyond me. Anyway, he also mentions putting 200 w lamps in his 100 w Pepper fresnels. I didn't know you could do that. I don't think the article's online yet, but they'll probably put it up some time this month.

Two lighting questions
 

1) When using the "Home Depot" lights, such as a 500-watt quartz halogen floodlight, what color do these come across as? Without having used them before, they look somewhat white to me, but are they still basically yellow in nature (as opposed to daylight blue)?

2) How to you determine the lighting potential of a compact fluroscent floodlight. I have a concept of how much light a 650-watt quartz light will give me, but I've seen people using 'tiny' 2x13-watt compact fluroscent floodlights for fill, background lighting, etc. Will the footcandle/lux rating tell the whole story?

Thanks.
--Craig

I'm using two 250w Home Depot work lights, and they seem to mix seamlessly with the 300w lamp in my Tota. I'm just using the lamps that came with the worklights too.

Whereas 'normal' quartz tungsten halogen lamps intended for photography have a colour temperature of around 3200K, there is another breed of tubular-shaped lamp designed for floodlighting/security applications.

It's been a few years since I used them but I seem to remember these lamps were more like 2900K, so the light looked a bit warmer by comparison. By way of compensation, these lamps had a much longer life.

I noticed that in at least some of these floodlighting lamps, the glass envelope was milky in appearance, and sometimes slightly pinkish.

Hope this is helpful

Al

What the heck are you talking about..
 

really.. what kind of stands are you talking about.

Lets put it this way.. What kind of stand do you want.?

Yea.. I know something about something
 

What are you trying to do friend?

I plan on making a couple Griff Lights (I think that's right) this week and see how they do.

I read that article too and it is a superb example of a road kit
that was put together using years of actual experience.
I don't know if I could ever carry as much in as small a package,
but it let's you know what is actually possible.

A must read IMO.

Varilux/Photoflex Actiondome question
 

I have an Actiondome with a speedring designed for a Deedo. It's too small an opening for my Varilux, but I've gotten by with velcro. Would anyone have a more permanent adapter-type solution from a hardware store? I'm not mechanical minded, but I think I can follow instructions. :)

Their setup (at least the one I bought) allowed me to mount the dome and the varilight pro together onto the camera. Didn't come with a ring.

Versatile On-Camera Lighting
 

I am looking to purchase an on-camera light for my XL1s and GL1. I like what Frezzi has to offer (eventhough expensive, I feel you get what you pay for) but am looking for opinions on other brands. I feel the dimmer option is a must and I will be shooting weddings (when allowed to use lifgting) and sporting events. The big question though is what batteries. I want to be able to get two - three hours of lighting per event and it looks like a battery belt is the only option. Any advice from the seasoned lighting guru's would be very helpful.

Thanks

Gary

DV Magazine (April, 2004)
 

This issue of DV features an article by Walter Graff on assembling a low-cost/highly mobile lighting kit that fits into a single (large) Kata bag. Well worth the read, particularly if you are a runner an' gunner.

At this writing the article is not yet on the DV.com site. There is generally a month delay.

Spend the money and get a HMI light. A NP-1B battery is said to run the Frezzi 18 watter for over 3 hours. Makes for a very light battery belt.

Light
 

I've searched though all these posts and still have a few questions regarding an on camera light for my PD170.

I shoot mostly weddings and a few other events. I feel strongly that I want a dimmable light with barn doors and filters. I'd love to buy the Frezzi Mini or micro but the total cost is prohibitive at the moment.

Have any of you used the NRG VARA-LITE PROF DC LIGHT #NR56001/56001? B&H suggested it as an option. They also suggested the BESCOR SLM-10ATM SLIMLINE 12v BATTERY BELT/REG #BESLM10ATM/SLM10ATM

The NRG is about $100 dollars less expensive than the Frezzi. It's supposed to color balance when dimmed also.

How heavy is this combo? How about the size of the light on the 170.

Have any of you used any of the Bescor lights. They have a couple that are dimmable.

If you have any suggestions on another kit that works well for you I'd like to know that as well.

Thanks
Tony Z
New Genesis Productions

I use a Bescor light and although it's not dimmable I made a softbox/diffuser for it and it works fine. 50W down to 20 with no appreciable color change. HOWEVER, I also use the Besor battery belt and a juice box with it. The juice box isn't too bad weight wise and the light will run 75-90 minutes with the juice box. The belt on the other hand will give me almost 3 hours of run time BUT it weighs about 15 lbs and by the end of the night my back hurts. They are lead acid batteries and last a long time but the trade off is the weight.
Don

Lighting wallpaper picture
 

Some time back I posted in hear that GE was developing a type "lighting wallpaper." They now have a picture of the prototype lighting a table of colorful ball on their Web site.

http://www.ge.com/stories/en/20147.h...ory=Innovation

That's looking sweat! Together with ultrathin paper / cloth like
TV's / screens it is an interesting time we are heading into!

Light Meter?
 

I'm in the market for a light meter to be used mainly for 16mm production. Am thinking too of using it to check contrast and lighting ratios for my DV productions.

It's a toss up between the Sekonic 508C or 558C meters?

Just anyone have insight they could share?

Thanks

Re: Light Meter?
 

<<<-- Originally posted by Barry Cheong : I'm in the market for a light meter to be used mainly for 16mm production. Am thinking too of using it to check contrast and lighting ratios for my DV productions.

It's a toss up between the Sekonic 508C or 558C meters?
-->>>

Are you used to working with incident light meters? Which was the one you learned with?

My first advice would be to pick that one.

If you are starting in incident light techniques pick the LM-398M with the direct disks and go to a much expensive one after you master it.

This advice is valid if you are going to use it for "normal" photography. If you are going to use on very low light scenes, you should certainly pick your best deal on any of the new ones.


Carlos

UK Light Help!!
 

In desperate need of advice!

I live in the UK (Great Britain) and need an AC (Plug in) On board Camera light for my Canon XL1s.

I don't want one that runs on batteries and it HAS to run on 240 Volts and have a power output of about 100-150W.

I haven't seem to come across one and am running out of time!

Does anybody know of where I can get one in the UK??!!!

Lighting Dilemma!!
 

As you may know I have another thread about an on-camera light.

Thank you for responses from which I have decided to ditch the idea of an AC on-board camera light and have opted for a battery powered light instead.

So.....the next dilemma.

I want a light that is capable of around 100w output and a battery pack of a reasonable time.

I also would prefer the battery pack to be mountable on the MA200 of my Canon XL1s.

Can someone please advise me of what is a suitable setup. I am familiar with 4 Pin XLR lights and all that, but I'm not that knowledgable regarding on-camera lighting in general so would appreciate positive feedback!

Thanks!

I believe the general battery brand that everone's using is from
Anton Bauer. There are connectors for almost anything for that
brand including the XL1. I'm not sure which lights would work
with such a system or for how long.

Most professional shoots probably use some form of generator
out in the field to power all the equipment. Smaller ones
(which can happily feed 100W) can be easily rented at hardware
stores and hardware rental facilities here for example.

I used to use a "sun gun" dc light powered by a battery belt years ago when I was shooting TV news. There are different brands. Try Frezzi electronics on the web.

Basically, the on camera light gives a harsh flat unflattering light.
It's ok for shooting interviews with firemen & police at night but not much of anything else. I guess its ok for news and doc work.

Good Luck.

Ed Hill

Shooting paintings on tall walls
 

Using my trusty trv-950, need to shoot several paintings on very tall walls (cathedral ceiling with skylights). There are nooks and crannies, too, where the skylights do not reach that have paintings I need to shoot, as well.

What would folks recommend? I figure either I bring a light kit and try to shoot at night, and focus the lights for a large portion of the wall (e.g. - lighting a few paintings at a time)? Or I shoot during the day and get what I get?

Any thoughts would be helpful. Hope this is clear.

THanks so much.

Hello Maureen,
This is an interesting problem not posted here before (at least in my memory).

Based on your description I'm envisioning frescos at the clerestory and/or vault level of a church or cathedral, perhaps 30 feet or more above the floor with bright light streaming into the clerestory windows during the day?

Yes, you will certainly need some lighting and, if those distances are anywhere near accurate, you'll probably need quite a bit of it. Unless you want to get a good exposure on both the paintings and adjacent windows I'd be inclined to shoot during the day and use as much ambient daylight as possible. Even a little will help augment your own lighting.

But here's the the thought that struck me. Why not shoot high-resolution digital stills with a good digital SLR (ex: Canon EOS 10D, Nikon D1, et.al.) instead of video? If there are no moving subjects up there, there may be some significant advantages in such an approach.

1. You can probably accomplish the photography with two powerful flash guns on separate stands and slaved together. That sure beats shlepping heavy video lighting gear.

2. You will have a good selection of 35mm lenses, perhaps a single good zoom and/or telephotos / wide angles.

3. You can drop the high-res stills into your video sequences and zoom them to introduce motion and visual interest. I envision that you might have a narrative voice-over in the background, perhaps with some background music as well. This technique might actually give you more control over the sequence timing of the footage during post than if you shot it with video.

As long as you're careful with lens selection (i.e. stay away from extreme wide shots that might have barrel distortion) nobody would know that you actually shot that footage with a still camera.

Just a brainstorm.

Lights
 

Hi,

Keene Electronics (www.keene.co.uk) stock the Unomat LX301, which is 300 watts and can be zoomed from flood to spot. It's about 90 quid and is a great little light.

I don't know of anything less powereful than this available here in the UK.

Roger

Shooting with same lighting kit 100V-240V?
 

Hello
I am planning a production and plan to carry a lighting set (Lowel Omni lihgt x4, Tota light x1) with us. WIll be shooting in Europe, US, and China, due to the Voltage differences, we are considering having different voltage range bulbs, but also considering having a transformer. Does anyone recommend a better solution?
we do no t have the budget to rent lights each place we go.
Thanks for you advice.
Takeshi

Can anyone confirm on the Omni light being able to shoot with diverse voltages? Just with different watt bulbs? Has anyone tried this out yet? It does say in the back about the color temperature difference when using 120V and 240V.
http://www.lowel.com/omni/omni_b.html#info
T

Burned/brown scrims
 

Usually I just repostion, swap things out for other lighting options, or diffuse another way, but yesterday, for the first time, I popped in the little scrim on my Pro Light to knock down the hair light on a bald spot. When I packed everything up, I noticed the scrim had a brown/burned-like spot on it. Is that normal? I hadn't clipped the frame in completely as it sits so tightly it's hard to get open, so I'm wondering if it not being seated flush had anything to do with it. But is a burned scrim now useless? Won't that affect the color of the light when it's used next?

I presume you mean a metal scrim. Don't worry, they all get that way after 1 or 2 passes in front of hot lights...gives them a bit of character. Sometimes scrims have a coating on the metal mesh, sometimes the screen material just heats up and discolors.
The closer the frame is to the light, the faster they go.
This won't change the color of your light, but over time the scrim material can become brittle. This could take years...I have some 30 year old Mickey Mole 1Ks with the original scrims that are still going strong.
Hope this helps.
ken

It does indeed, Ken. Character... I like that. Kinda like my own dings and knocks. :-)

No worries then. Thanks!
Marcia

XL1s and Lowel Pro Light
 

Hey Everyone,

Just ordered up a Super Ambi Kit from Lowel to add to my collection. I figure this should pretty much do the trick for most applications. Anyways, included in the kit is a Lowel Pro light. Does anybody know where to find a stud so I can mount the Pro Light on my XL1s? also, I'm using Anton Bauer Hytron 50 cells to power the camera using the QRXL1c gold mount. Can I power the Pro Light using the Hytron 50?

Lighting for suspense
 

I'm curious if there are any lighting books geared specifically to lighting for suspense and/or horror.

Or any recommended books on lighting setups that have a chapter devoted to the subject of horror lighting.

-D.

I would recommend buying John Jackman's Lighting for DV and Television. It's a great book that will teach you a lot about lighting. Once you have the basics down, just watch horror movies to see how they light (it will become more obvious to you after reading the book). That's what I do.