Light for V1

Jack Walker · May 28th, 2007, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khoi Pham

Using that Sony light indoor without a 3200K is wrong, does not mix well, you will need to set your camera to outdoor white balance or auto so that your subject will have the proper white balance, but then the background will be way too red or oversatured, I don't recommend using a 5600K light indoor without a 3200K filter.

What Lee or Rosco filter number will correct the 5600 light to 3200 (or thereabouts)?

Bob Grant · May 28th, 2007, 04:09 PM

If you want to spend a little bit more money get either the Z50 or the new Z90 from Zylight. These LED lights let you switch color temperature at the push of a button. On the Z90 you can also emulate just about any gel number as well.

Oren Arieli · May 28th, 2007, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sergio Barbosa

I really like my IDX X3 Led light, and I'm using it on the V1 because i already had it, because otherwise I guess I'd get the new Sony HVL-LBP Led Light, because there's no need for battery adapters like the bebob coco dvl...

I've got the same light, and I would love to use it on my XH-A1, but what power source are you using? I have a d-tap, but no way to connect to my IDX batteries. Care to share?

Bob Grant · May 28th, 2007, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oren Arieli

I've got the same light, and I would love to use it on my XH-A1, but what power source are you using? I have a d-tap, but no way to connect to my IDX batteries. Care to share?

Sure thing. Plenty of suitable Li-Ion batteries available from:

http://www.batteryspace.com/

The Z50 is rated to run from 9 to 20V so any of the 14.8V batteries would be OK.
I'm currently trialling this battery:
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.as...OD&ProdID=2939

I'll be mounting it inside a custom made aluminium box for safety that'll use 3M mushroom fastening (similar to Velcro but much stronger) to attach it to a bracket that'll fit any camera or else can be fitted to a shoulder strap, bum bag etc.

However if you're not comfortable working with a soldering iron etc find someone who is. Li-Ion batteries are potentially dangerous things to work with. Just ask Sony, Dell or Apple.

Khoi Pham · May 28th, 2007, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Walker

What Lee or Rosco filter number will correct the 5600 light to 3200 (or thereabouts)?

I don't know about those brand but what you need is a CTO filter, Gam #1546
http://www.gamonline.com/index.php

Tip McPartland · May 28th, 2007, 11:38 PM

Shooting indoors in the daytime, probably more than 50% of shoots, the windows are far brighter than the practicals. So in these common situations, a sunlight balanced light might be better.

t's say that you're doing an interview indoors with window light streaming in and you just want to bring up the light on the subject's face with the on-camera light because you don't have time, crew or fixtures to do otherwise. Chances are the solar light will balance to the overall light in the room pretty well, again to reiterate if its daytime and window light is coming in.

And if you are using your own lights, why buy them balanced to match the practicals? I bought all daylight balanced lights so that I never have a problem with matching window light, and as for the practicals read on.

Obviously if shooting at night indoors, you can either let the practicals be your light source, or light the scene with your own lights. I find that practicals, while usually not bright enough to fully light the scene, are themselves very hot if in the frame. So put some CTB around them to bring down their output and they will also match your solar spectrum fixtures (and again if daytime your window light).

Of course for me if I'm shooting indoors I want to plug in a big light or three, so the on-camera light is more about run and gun outdoor shooting where successfully matching to a hodgepodge of ambient sources is unlikely.

You might have 4000K HID lights, which are now very common and are pretty nice, or those hideous sodium fixtures that have a CRI of 30 or so. Not a lot of tungsten incandescent street or other exterior lights anymore because they are way too expensive to operate. Anyway, you probably don't need to worry about them, just white balance to the mix of your own light and the ambient sources.

Fact is that tungsten lights are also on the verge of being phased out for interior business and home lighting because they're gross energy hogs. There is even talk of making them illegal in California.

Of course, the first wave of the compact fluorescent lights that ware replacing them had a tungstenish color temp. But the newer and better ones are often a much higher color temperature, very close to 5600K video lights and are marketed as "full spectrum." I changed all the lights in my home and studio to solar compact fluorescents for economic and health reasons.

Sony was probably right to configure their light the way they did. Watt for watt, it's a lot easier to get some effect from a "bare" 5600K light outdoors than it is a 3200K light with blue gels. Indoors, the ambient light is always much, much weaker than outdoor sunlight, so a 5600K light with orange gels has a far smaller hill to climb.

Tip

Vaughan Wood · May 29th, 2007, 04:19 AM

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned here is that the Sony HVL-LBP Led
light is fully dimmable too, making it easy to match it in for run and gun situations.

Cheers Vaughan

Meryem Ersoz · May 29th, 2007, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khoi Pham

Using that Sony light indoor without a 3200K is wrong, does not mix well, you will need to set your camera to outdoor white balance or auto so that your subject will have the proper white balance, but then the background will be way too red or oversatured, I don't recommend using a 5600K light indoor without a 3200K filter.

i have one, and i have not experienced problems with the white balance. i am surprised to read this. i suppose it makes some sense in theory, but in actual use, the Canon XH A1 that i use it with has no problem with accurately white balancing. also, the A1 allows you to dial up temperature, so i'm sure you could adjust to taste, if you had a white balance problem. but the colors seem pretty true to me...certainly there is no overabunce of red. maybe a bit of over saturation but nothing i haven't been able to color-correct with relative ease. it's a nice light. it's fairly heavy, but i find it balances pretty evenly with the addition of the battery.

you can frequently pick up cheap extra batteries for it here, when sellers sell off their sony gear.

i have used mine in confined spaces and in really fast conditions with poor indoor lighting, and i have no complaints at all....

Sergio Barbosa · May 29th, 2007, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oren Arieli

I've got the same light, and I would love to use it on my XH-A1, but what power source are you using? I have a d-tap, but no way to connect to my IDX batteries. Care to share?

Hi!
I'm using this adapter:
http://www.bebob.de/international/co...erter_eng.html
It allows me to use the same battery for the light and the camera, at the same time. This adapter is for Sony batteries only, and probably won't fit your Canon. Maybe if you ask the question in the XH-A1 forum, someone might help you.
Is there any particular reason why you'd want to connect the light to your IDX batteries?

Bob Grant · May 29th, 2007, 06:47 AM

Unfortunately the Zylights draw 30W at full brightness so the BeBob adaptor will not run them. However if you're using IDX V mount batteries then the IDX A-E2DT Camera Adapter with 2-pin Power Tap should solve your problem.

Khoi Pham · May 29th, 2007, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meryem Ersoz

i have one, and i have not experienced problems with the white balance. i am surprised to read this. i suppose it makes some sense in theory, but in actual use, the Canon XH A1 that i use it with has no problem with accurately white balancing. also, the A1 allows you to dial up temperature, so i'm sure you could adjust to taste, if you had a white balance problem. but the colors seem pretty true to me...certainly there is no overabunce of red. maybe a bit of over saturation but nothing i haven't been able to color-correct with relative ease. it's a nice light. it's fairly heavy, but i find it balances pretty evenly with the addition of the battery.

you can frequently pick up cheap extra batteries for it here, when sellers sell off their sony gear.

i have used mine in confined spaces and in really fast conditions with poor indoor lighting, and i have no complaints at all....

I have the A1 too, sure there is no problem with white balance on the subject, my point is that the background will not be correct, the auto or manual white balance can only adjust to 1 temperature, if you mix temperature which is in this case, no camera can get it right.

May 28th, 2007, 11:38 PM	#21
Tip McPartland Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Crestline, California Posts: 351	Indoor often dominated by window light.... Shooting indoors in the daytime, probably more than 50% of shoots, the windows are far brighter than the practicals. So in these common situations, a sunlight balanced light might be better. t's say that you're doing an interview indoors with window light streaming in and you just want to bring up the light on the subject's face with the on-camera light because you don't have time, crew or fixtures to do otherwise. Chances are the solar light will balance to the overall light in the room pretty well, again to reiterate if its daytime and window light is coming in. And if you are using your own lights, why buy them balanced to match the practicals? I bought all daylight balanced lights so that I never have a problem with matching window light, and as for the practicals read on. Obviously if shooting at night indoors, you can either let the practicals be your light source, or light the scene with your own lights. I find that practicals, while usually not bright enough to fully light the scene, are themselves very hot if in the frame. So put some CTB around them to bring down their output and they will also match your solar spectrum fixtures (and again if daytime your window light). Of course for me if I'm shooting indoors I want to plug in a big light or three, so the on-camera light is more about run and gun outdoor shooting where successfully matching to a hodgepodge of ambient sources is unlikely. You might have 4000K HID lights, which are now very common and are pretty nice, or those hideous sodium fixtures that have a CRI of 30 or so. Not a lot of tungsten incandescent street or other exterior lights anymore because they are way too expensive to operate. Anyway, you probably don't need to worry about them, just white balance to the mix of your own light and the ambient sources. Fact is that tungsten lights are also on the verge of being phased out for interior business and home lighting because they're gross energy hogs. There is even talk of making them illegal in California. Of course, the first wave of the compact fluorescent lights that ware replacing them had a tungstenish color temp. But the newer and better ones are often a much higher color temperature, very close to 5600K video lights and are marketed as "full spectrum." I changed all the lights in my home and studio to solar compact fluorescents for economic and health reasons. Sony was probably right to configure their light the way they did. Watt for watt, it's a lot easier to get some effect from a "bare" 5600K light outdoors than it is a 3200K light with blue gels. Indoors, the ambient light is always much, much weaker than outdoor sunlight, so a 5600K light with orange gels has a far smaller hill to climb. Tip

May 28th, 2007, 04:09 PM	#17
Bob Grant Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,570	If you want to spend a little bit more money get either the Z50 or the new Z90 from Zylight. These LED lights let you switch color temperature at the push of a button. On the Z90 you can also emulate just about any gel number as well.

May 29th, 2007, 04:19 AM	#22
Vaughan Wood Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 278	Another thing that hasn't been mentioned here is that the Sony HVL-LBP Led light is fully dimmable too, making it easy to match it in for run and gun situations. Cheers Vaughan

May 29th, 2007, 06:47 AM	#25
Bob Grant Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,570	Unfortunately the Zylights draw 30W at full brightness so the BeBob adaptor will not run them. However if you're using IDX V mount batteries then the IDX A-E2DT Camera Adapter with 2-pin Power Tap should solve your problem.