On Camera Lighting

Josh Bass · March 10th, 2009, 02:18 AM

85 lux at 9 feet for MY cam is not that great. . .I still have to open up all the way to get "correct" exposure, though I don't need gain.

You are probably right about the softboxes being a tough sell. ON those rare occasions I do weddings, I'm never the guy that got hired directly. . .someone else hires me after the B&G hires them. . .almost like I'm freelancing for a production company.

I also didn't think of the logistics of lugging a kit, so my bad there.

However, I'm sure you can find something cheaper (and again, punchier) than those microbeams for that specific application. If you just need a couple of small, light, portable, punchy sources to brighten up the area, there are any number of other solutions. You're mounting them on stands, right? So look for other video lights that are cheap, small, etc. that are punchier. Lowell, smith victor, companies like that make fairly low wattage lights (in the 150-250 watt range) that will still be brighter than the microbeams and cheaper too, and the size of the light itself, the bright spot that the guests would see, that is, would not be much different. You would of course have to plug those in, so if that's an issue, don't know what to tell you.

Adalberto Lopez · March 10th, 2009, 04:20 AM

Hey John, please keep us updated with a review when you get the Microbeam. Did you order it from Prompter People? If so how was the ordering process, since they all have to be done by the phone and not just online.

Josh Bass · March 10th, 2009, 12:56 PM

Yes, I think you can only order from them. The process was fine, although the guy mentioned that the light was rated at 100 lux at 3 feet, which I hope was a slip of the tongue, since that is nothing like the specs on the site. Other than that, just as pleasant as could be.

I'm not sure who John is, but if he gets my light before I do, I'll be pissed.

Adalberto Lopez · March 10th, 2009, 01:03 PM

Sorry Josh, got messed up with the names...I responded too early in the morning.

Josh Bass · March 10th, 2009, 01:47 PM

Happens all the time. Sometimes I just feel the need to be an ass.

Having never done a review, and knowing the things I care about are not necessarily the same as everyone else, what does everyone want to know SPECIFICALLY about the unit?

Photometrics, battery life, price, ease of use (i.e. I don't need a freakin' brick with a shoulder strap to run this thing) were what attracted me to it, but I know some folks are very focused on contruction (it's metal, not plastic) or other things.

I am of course curious as to how the color correction filters affect the output, though I can always just cut a sliver of gel myself if it's a problem. sAme with diffusion. . .though it's a softish source already, a little extra diffusion (216, 250, opal, spun, gridcloth etc.) never hurts. If they use it on Kinos it couldn't hurt on this thing.

Just to clarify, it's not HERE yet.

Bruce Reynolds · March 10th, 2009, 11:37 PM

Josh how much was the light, I went to the web site and the chart looks impressive. If you get some footage post it somewhere for us to see. I'll look thru clips on my CF card to find the one where I tested the Torchlite-TL 50 with no light, light on full, half and 1/4 in a fairly dark reception. I'll post it when I can and give the link.

Josh Bass · March 10th, 2009, 11:48 PM

I will post footage (or at least stills. . .those should be okay, yes?) when I get it. I'll do with a color correction filter, without, maybe with some actual CTO if the filter seems overly dense.

It was $329 plus shipping (UPS, around $15 to HOuston TX).

Terry Taravella · October 26th, 2009, 05:03 PM

I apologize for bringing up an old post but I'm pulling my hair out trying to find replacements for the Sony Original 10/20 watt Dual Bulb Video Light HVL-20DW2.

The bulbs I purchased recently give a yellowish cast to everything and aren't near as "white" as the original bulbs. Purchased both 10 & 20 watt and still yukky looking.

If you've had to replace the bulbs in this light, can you please forward to me where you purchased them and which kind?

Thank you very much~

Ilya Spektor · October 26th, 2009, 09:44 PM

Try this:

10 Watt - G4 Base - 6 Volt - Halogen - EiKO JCD6V10WH20 Light Bulb

Terry Taravella · October 29th, 2009, 02:45 PM

Thank you Ilya!!!!
I ordered them today!

Nicholas de Kock · October 29th, 2009, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adalberto Lopez

...the most I can afford is the Litepanel MicroLite. But after reading some reviews about its poor performance in "throwing" the light to a reasonable distance, 5 Feet, I'm not too sure about it being worth it. Like I've read on other threads, I definitely don't want to be an annoyance to the guests with the light.

I had the same opinion about the Litepanel Micro, I thought it had no reach and was totally over priced however I shot a wedding with a friends MicroPro the other day - I'm totally impressed by it!! The MicroPro is the perfect oncamera light every wedding shooter should have in their kit. It's true LED has very little reach but after shooting with it I became aware that almost 90% of my shots are close up's and the MicroPro adds beautiful fill light to faces to all my shots. If you have any doubts about LED's borrow one for a shoot, it's really incredible how it fills your subject with colour minus any harsh shadows.

As for guests complaining about lights, I find that guests tend to understand and will let you do your thing if you act in a professional capacity.

Louis Maddalena · October 29th, 2009, 06:30 PM

I didn't like the MicroPro, too bad I didn't just buy one and test it first. I have 2. I find that is a great light for a "kicker" when you are using it in situations other than in weddings as I do this often, when there are other lights set up.

However, at a wedding it doesn't provide the light quality that I would like, and when looking directly at it looks like you are using a much brighter light that you are. So guests still get blinded and you don't get the quality of light you are looking for.

Bruce Reynolds · October 29th, 2009, 06:51 PM

Last year I bought the Torchlight TL-50 for $230 comes with internal battery, never have run it down. I left it on full to see how long it would last -close to 3 hours. I don't even use it on half power. EventDV mag had an article on it and now Videomaker does . At Weva this year I bought another Led that even brighter and shoots further if needed. I paid show special $175 , since I showed it at our local videographers 5 people have ordered it off of ebay, it comes with a Sony or Panasonic battery and charger , I seen it on ebay for $189. These lights blow the light panel micro away and even the bigger lite panel, It has a dimmer also and barn doors, and gel to get to 3600, I just use a 1/4 CTO gel on the lens, this lets more light in. Anyway do search R-3 digital led video light on e-bay

Chris Harding · October 29th, 2009, 11:04 PM

Hi Guys

I just built my own light with an array of 48 x 10mm LED's (mine are 3200K as that's normally the ambient light at receptions and my cams are happier with a lower temperature light. This can easily cover 15' to 20' (normally the entire dance floor with both banks switched in) It's powered by a 12v Li-Ion CCTV battery on the back of the case and lasts at least 2 hours!!! Total cost was $50 and it's my lifesaver at receptions especially when they turn down the lights for the first dance!!!

For speeches I use a single 3' x 3' softbox with 3 x 28w CFL lamps and it lights up the speaker perfectly without any harsh shadows!!!

Chris

Tom Hardwick · October 30th, 2009, 02:20 AM

Chris, surely the ''lifesaver at receptions especially when they turn down the lights for the first dance'' somewhat defeats the object? They've turned down the lights for the romance, and you bump them up again. But I know what you're thinking - if they want this recorded there are sacrifices to be made.

March 10th, 2009, 02:18 AM	#16
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	85 lux at 9 feet for MY cam is not that great. . .I still have to open up all the way to get "correct" exposure, though I don't need gain. You are probably right about the softboxes being a tough sell. ON those rare occasions I do weddings, I'm never the guy that got hired directly. . .someone else hires me after the B&G hires them. . .almost like I'm freelancing for a production company. I also didn't think of the logistics of lugging a kit, so my bad there. However, I'm sure you can find something cheaper (and again, punchier) than those microbeams for that specific application. If you just need a couple of small, light, portable, punchy sources to brighten up the area, there are any number of other solutions. You're mounting them on stands, right? So look for other video lights that are cheap, small, etc. that are punchier. Lowell, smith victor, companies like that make fairly low wattage lights (in the 150-250 watt range) that will still be brighter than the microbeams and cheaper too, and the size of the light itself, the bright spot that the guests would see, that is, would not be much different. You would of course have to plug those in, so if that's an issue, don't know what to tell you. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

March 10th, 2009, 04:20 AM	#17
Adalberto Lopez Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Mission, TX Posts: 47	Hey John, please keep us updated with a review when you get the Microbeam. Did you order it from Prompter People? If so how was the ordering process, since they all have to be done by the phone and not just online. __________________ Adalberto Lopez adalbertolopez.com

March 10th, 2009, 12:56 PM	#18
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Yes, I think you can only order from them. The process was fine, although the guy mentioned that the light was rated at 100 lux at 3 feet, which I hope was a slip of the tongue, since that is nothing like the specs on the site. Other than that, just as pleasant as could be. I'm not sure who John is, but if he gets my light before I do, I'll be pissed. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

March 10th, 2009, 01:03 PM	#19
Adalberto Lopez Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Mission, TX Posts: 47	Sorry Josh, got messed up with the names...I responded too early in the morning. __________________ Adalberto Lopez adalbertolopez.com

March 10th, 2009, 01:47 PM	#20
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Happens all the time. Sometimes I just feel the need to be an ass. Having never done a review, and knowing the things I care about are not necessarily the same as everyone else, what does everyone want to know SPECIFICALLY about the unit? Photometrics, battery life, price, ease of use (i.e. I don't need a freakin' brick with a shoulder strap to run this thing) were what attracted me to it, but I know some folks are very focused on contruction (it's metal, not plastic) or other things. I am of course curious as to how the color correction filters affect the output, though I can always just cut a sliver of gel myself if it's a problem. sAme with diffusion. . .though it's a softish source already, a little extra diffusion (216, 250, opal, spun, gridcloth etc.) never hurts. If they use it on Kinos it couldn't hurt on this thing. Just to clarify, it's not HERE yet. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

March 10th, 2009, 11:37 PM	#21
Bruce Reynolds Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: altamonte springs,fl Posts: 49	Microbeam led lite Josh how much was the light, I went to the web site and the chart looks impressive. If you get some footage post it somewhere for us to see. I'll look thru clips on my CF card to find the one where I tested the Torchlite-TL 50 with no light, light on full, half and 1/4 in a fairly dark reception. I'll post it when I can and give the link.

March 10th, 2009, 11:48 PM	#22
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	I will post footage (or at least stills. . .those should be okay, yes?) when I get it. I'll do with a color correction filter, without, maybe with some actual CTO if the filter seems overly dense. It was $329 plus shipping (UPS, around $15 to HOuston TX). __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

October 26th, 2009, 05:03 PM	#23
Terry Taravella Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 64	I apologize for bringing up an old post but I'm pulling my hair out trying to find replacements for the Sony Original 10/20 watt Dual Bulb Video Light HVL-20DW2. The bulbs I purchased recently give a yellowish cast to everything and aren't near as "white" as the original bulbs. Purchased both 10 & 20 watt and still yukky looking. If you've had to replace the bulbs in this light, can you please forward to me where you purchased them and which kind? Thank you very much~ __________________ Terry Taravella studiovc.com & infocusvideoevent.com

October 26th, 2009, 09:44 PM	#24
Ilya Spektor Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bronx, NY Posts: 99	Try this: 10 Watt - G4 Base - 6 Volt - Halogen - EiKO JCD6V10WH20 Light Bulb __________________ Thank you.

October 29th, 2009, 02:45 PM	#25
Terry Taravella Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 64	Thank you Ilya!!!! I ordered them today! __________________ Terry Taravella studiovc.com & infocusvideoevent.com

October 29th, 2009, 06:30 PM	#27
Louis Maddalena Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: NYC Area. Posts: 550	I didn't like the MicroPro, too bad I didn't just buy one and test it first. I have 2. I find that is a great light for a "kicker" when you are using it in situations other than in weddings as I do this often, when there are other lights set up. However, at a wedding it doesn't provide the light quality that I would like, and when looking directly at it looks like you are using a much brighter light that you are. So guests still get blinded and you don't get the quality of light you are looking for. __________________ Red Epic available for rent, starting at $500 per day, Scarlets, and Lenses available too. rentals.maddalenamedia.com

October 29th, 2009, 06:51 PM	#28
Bruce Reynolds Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: altamonte springs,fl Posts: 49	I have 2 great Led lites Last year I bought the Torchlight TL-50 for $230 comes with internal battery, never have run it down. I left it on full to see how long it would last -close to 3 hours. I don't even use it on half power. EventDV mag had an article on it and now Videomaker does . At Weva this year I bought another Led that even brighter and shoots further if needed. I paid show special $175 , since I showed it at our local videographers 5 people have ordered it off of ebay, it comes with a Sony or Panasonic battery and charger , I seen it on ebay for $189. These lights blow the light panel micro away and even the bigger lite panel, It has a dimmer also and barn doors, and gel to get to 3600, I just use a 1/4 CTO gel on the lens, this lets more light in. Anyway do search R-3 digital led video light on e-bay

October 29th, 2009, 11:04 PM	#29
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Hi Guys I just built my own light with an array of 48 x 10mm LED's (mine are 3200K as that's normally the ambient light at receptions and my cams are happier with a lower temperature light. This can easily cover 15' to 20' (normally the entire dance floor with both banks switched in) It's powered by a 12v Li-Ion CCTV battery on the back of the case and lasts at least 2 hours!!! Total cost was $50 and it's my lifesaver at receptions especially when they turn down the lights for the first dance!!! For speeches I use a single 3' x 3' softbox with 3 x 28w CFL lamps and it lights up the speaker perfectly without any harsh shadows!!! Chris Attached Thumbnails

October 30th, 2009, 02:20 AM	#30
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Chris, surely the ''lifesaver at receptions especially when they turn down the lights for the first dance'' somewhat defeats the object? They've turned down the lights for the romance, and you bump them up again. But I know what you're thinking - if they want this recorded there are sacrifices to be made.