Looking for a good portable light

Les Wilson · January 30th, 2011, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Kalle

Also, the 'Swit' power cable from Dedo is not for ANY Swit battery I have ever seen, and this is the cable that I ordered for my Swit batteries. Thus, I had to order a different cable - the A-B cable with D-tap; so, I have not been able to use my Dedo yet :([/url]

Yes, those reviews are helpful and I found the PDF on the Dedo site. That's when I realized there are no power options in the base kit. For EX mounting, do you recommend the 22" or the 8.6" AB cable with the D-TAP? I would think the 8.6" would not reach the EX shoe or permit the Ledzilla articulating arm to move much.

Ed Roo · February 4th, 2011, 10:35 AM

For anyone who purchased a SOLA ENG from an online vendor, how long did you have to wait from the time you placed your order until it arrived?
I ordered one from B&H two weeks ago. They say to expect 2-4 weeks. I am curious if it will take the full four weeks?

Les Wilson · February 11th, 2011, 03:00 PM

Using an 8U62 SWIT battery, I ran the EX1R with LCD on and recording for 3 hours with the LEDzilla on full blast the whole time. YMMV

Steve Kalle · February 12th, 2011, 03:08 AM

I finally received the Dedo D-tap cable and used the light tonight for 30 mins and then switched to my SolaENG for greater reach. For just the light and power cable, the SolaENG is actually cheaper because the Dedo does not include any power source and the cheapest power adapter is about $50 not including the battery (Sony or Panny). The Sola is so much more powerful but has a stupid fan that can easily go bad as I learned from the 2nd unit I bought and I am still waiting for a new unit to arrive. Also, the fan on my 'good' Sola occasionally makes sounds for a few seconds when first turning on.

On the Dedo, I really do not like the lack of the two 'joints' solidly tightening. No matter what I do, I can still move each joint which makes it very tough to adjust the light's angle when the camera is on my shoulder because I adjust one joint and the other moves.

Other thoughts: the dimmer on the Dedo works great and it has a scale for spot to flood.

However, the Sola doesn't dim til about 50% turned and then quickly dims down and its lowest setting is roughly equal to the Dedo (I'd like it to dim a little lower). There is no scale for spot to flood so its difficult to know how far to go either way and at full flood, its dial rubs against the dimmer dial and can move the dimmer dial just enough to turn it off. The Sola's full spot is about 90% fully turned and starts going away from spot when turned 100% - I really don't like this. The Sola's dimmer turns the light off at 100% dimming which I also do not like. There is also no scale for the Sola's dimmer so I occasionally turn the light off when going back to full power. I think that the lack of any scale can be fixed by making marks so I can see them when I am shooting with my shoulder rig.

Build quality: the Dedo wins hands down.

Off-camera use: the SolaENG 3 easily wins but isn't a great replacement for an Arri 300w fresnel if you need excellent control and shaping of the light. The Sola only has 2 barndoors, somewhat limited angle adjustment and its lens is no where near the quality of an Arri. BUT, I can shoot anywhere with the 2 Sola's and the Dedo (great 3 light battery-powered kit) which, ultimately, is why I changed my order from the Arri's to the Sola's.

Full Flood Coverage Area: this is another reason I prefer the Sola. From 12-15 feet, I was able to light a standing 2 person interview (think of a reporter asking a person questions in the field).

On a side note: another reason I prefer the SolaENG is that it helps to balance my EX3 with Zacuto shoulder rig, nanoFlash, wireless receivers and Swit v-mount battery.

February 4th, 2011, 10:35 AM	#62
Ed Roo Major Player Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Columbus USA Posts: 312	For anyone who purchased a SOLA ENG from an online vendor, how long did you have to wait from the time you placed your order until it arrived? I ordered one from B&H two weeks ago. They say to expect 2-4 weeks. I am curious if it will take the full four weeks?

February 11th, 2011, 03:00 PM	#63
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Using an 8U62 SWIT battery, I ran the EX1R with LCD on and recording for 3 hours with the LEDzilla on full blast the whole time. YMMV

February 12th, 2011, 03:08 AM	#64
Steve Kalle Trustee Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,554	I finally received the Dedo D-tap cable and used the light tonight for 30 mins and then switched to my SolaENG for greater reach. For just the light and power cable, the SolaENG is actually cheaper because the Dedo does not include any power source and the cheapest power adapter is about $50 not including the battery (Sony or Panny). The Sola is so much more powerful but has a stupid fan that can easily go bad as I learned from the 2nd unit I bought and I am still waiting for a new unit to arrive. Also, the fan on my 'good' Sola occasionally makes sounds for a few seconds when first turning on. On the Dedo, I really do not like the lack of the two 'joints' solidly tightening. No matter what I do, I can still move each joint which makes it very tough to adjust the light's angle when the camera is on my shoulder because I adjust one joint and the other moves. Other thoughts: the dimmer on the Dedo works great and it has a scale for spot to flood. However, the Sola doesn't dim til about 50% turned and then quickly dims down and its lowest setting is roughly equal to the Dedo (I'd like it to dim a little lower). There is no scale for spot to flood so its difficult to know how far to go either way and at full flood, its dial rubs against the dimmer dial and can move the dimmer dial just enough to turn it off. The Sola's full spot is about 90% fully turned and starts going away from spot when turned 100% - I really don't like this. The Sola's dimmer turns the light off at 100% dimming which I also do not like. There is also no scale for the Sola's dimmer so I occasionally turn the light off when going back to full power. I think that the lack of any scale can be fixed by making marks so I can see them when I am shooting with my shoulder rig. Build quality: the Dedo wins hands down. Off-camera use: the SolaENG 3 easily wins but isn't a great replacement for an Arri 300w fresnel if you need excellent control and shaping of the light. The Sola only has 2 barndoors, somewhat limited angle adjustment and its lens is no where near the quality of an Arri. BUT, I can shoot anywhere with the 2 Sola's and the Dedo (great 3 light battery-powered kit) which, ultimately, is why I changed my order from the Arri's to the Sola's. Full Flood Coverage Area: this is another reason I prefer the Sola. From 12-15 feet, I was able to light a standing 2 person interview (think of a reporter asking a person questions in the field). On a side note: another reason I prefer the SolaENG is that it helps to balance my EX3 with Zacuto shoulder rig, nanoFlash, wireless receivers and Swit v-mount battery.