Powerful, Dependable LED Lighting?

[Denny Kyser]

I have searched and read other posts but still find myself searching for the perfect lighting setup.
I am finding that reception halls are getting darker and darker yet brides keep wanting video so we have to come up with something.

I have two Sony LED's http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/739590-REG/Sony_HVL_LBPB_HVLLBPB_High_Power_LED.html
and was hoping to replace them with one Litepanels wide format lite http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/736428-REG/Litepanels_MP_LPCK50_MiniPlus_5600K_Daylight_Camera.htmlbut seems that the lite panels has far less power, and I can afford that.

I really do not want to use 2 lights, I want to use one setup up between two video cameras on a lightstand if its got enough power.

Its gotten tough trying to get good light and not kill the ambience of the venue.

Not really unhappy with my Sony LED's with the batteries I have they easily last all night I just wish I had 1 wide light that could put out enough power to light the area I am videoing if that makes sense.

I hear a lot of good about the Comer 1800 lights, but also had read before there was an issue with color temp.

I am not looking for something cheap, the last thing I want is something that breaks when I need it most. I am willing to spend $1000.00 or even a little more if it will do the job.

I wish we had a lighting section on here, LED lights seem to be changing often and older threads may not always have the best responses.

[Jeff Harper]

There is a lighting section Denny, but anyway the Comer is best for me and a lot of guys that know more than I do. Put it up on a light stand, or not. Color temp is fine for me. I haven't heard that complaint yet, though no light is truly perfect.

The Sony's are just not the same, a bit weak. Most everyone that's switched to the Comer I think has been pretty happy.

[Denny Kyser]

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

There is a lighting section Denny, but anyway the Comer is best for me and a lot of guys that know more than I do. Put it up on a light stand, or not. Color temp is fine for me. I haven't heard that complaint yet, though no light is truly perfect.

The Sony's are just not the same, a bit weak. Most everyone that's switched to the Comer I think has been pretty happy.

Thanks, and I have never tried the Comer and can not remember where I heard about a color temp issue so it could be all BS.

I am going to go and look again for the lighting section as this is always a hot topic for me.

I may give Comer a try, and I have even thought about making a bracket to hook my two Sony (or Comer) on 1 light stand and have plenty of power.

[Corey Graham]

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

There is a lighting section Denny, but anyway the Comer is best for me and a lot of guys that know more than I do.

Just how good is the Comer? You've mentioned putting it up on a stand . . . is it really effective in lighting a dance floor? Or is it mostly a powerful camera light?

I'd much rather have something to illuminate the dance floor . . . not to flood it completely, but just enough to eliminate the need for an camera light.

[Denny Kyser]

Originally Posted by Corey Graham

Just how good is the Comer? You've mentioned putting it up on a stand . . . is it really effective in lighting a dance floor? Or is it mostly a powerful camera light?

I'd much rather have something to illuminate the dance floor . . . not to flood it completely, but just enough to eliminate the need for an camera light.

that is exactly what I am trying to do, I do not want it to look like an air plane is landing but to allow for clean video.

I seldom use a light on a camera, but like that size of a light. I should re phrase that, I do at times have lights on camera that are on very dim, they are like a soft fill light that can but turned up if I have to swing the camera a lot to catch something good.

Tasteful reception lighting is an art in itself.

[Jeff Harper]

There are demos out, but they almost don't do it justice, you kind of have to try it out.

It is an on camera light, for sure, it is not a flood light. It is among the most powereful of on camera LEDs though. I myself put it up on a stand about 9' feet high and point it downward, but then my on-camera light becomes the fill light.

If you're running two cameras, you can put one camera up high and point it downward with a light on the camera, as your wide shot, and you're getting your wide shot and lighting at the same time. I still want an on camera light for my primary cam, because I'm not always going to be on the dance floor. If something needs recorded elsewhere I want to have lighting at my disoposal.

You can even use the cheap large leds the same way...it's not just the light you use, but also how you use them, IMO.

[Jeff Brewer]

As mentioned in another post, I use two of the Comer 1800s on 13' stands. They have adjustable brightness and at full brightness have no problem flooding a 30x30 dance floor for me. Of course, people enjoy dancing with dim light, so once I get about an hour or so of good quality dance footage, I dim the comer's. I can still shoot at F1.4 at 800 ISO and maintain a great mood on the dance floor.

I really want to make a video demonstrating my usage and hopefully can get around to it soon. They have been a fantastic purchase and I would definitely recommend them, plus the folks at L.A. Color take great care of you.

[Corey Graham]

Jeff & Jeff -

How many complaints do you get from the bride/groom/DJ about throwing light onto the floor? Like Jeff Brewer said, people like to dance in dim light. Plus, I could see the DJ getting annoyed that you're messing with lighting.

I'm really torn about reception lighting, due to the fact that I don't want to alter the atmosphere or be obtrusive at all. I rarely even use a camera light anymore, as I get nonstop squints and hands shooting out to block the light.

[Jeff Harper]

You do not have to use light Corey, that is a personal decision for you to make, of course.

They have dimmers. When set your lights properly they add to the atomosphere, they don't ruin it.

Couple recently had a professional lighting company put a spotlight on them for the first dance, it was gorgeous. Lights are particularly nice for the first dance, as everyone wants to see the bride and groom, and the parents, etc. and I am certain they want to be seen clearly. The bride, when dreaming of her first dance, does not imagine dancing in the dark where no one can see her, I would think. If you have a light 2' from her face and pointed directly in her eyes, I'm sure that would be different, of course.

This is why some of us put lights on stands, the lights when put up high are soft and they bother no one, and add a fantastic look to your footage. In a drab, dark scene it looks just that, drab and dark on your footage.

[Jeff Brewer]

With the height of my lighting I have yet to receive complaints. I forget who it was, but they explained it in a great way, when the Sun is directly above us, we aren't really blinded by it, but as soon as it hits the horizon in the evening, it makes driving tough and causes us to throw up visors and sunglasses.

This is how I view the off camera lighting. Put them up as high as possible and it is hardly noticeable. Also, I don't leave them on full blast the entire reception. After about an hour or two, the events are mainly over and dancing pursues. The lighting is really nice for intros, first dance, etc.

Plus, my couples are paying for a quality video and respect my work. I feel by producing a mediocre product (not using enough light) would be a disservice to them. Again, I hope to have an example or two up in the future to illustrate, that I am enhancing my product without destroying the mood or inconveniencing the client or vendors.

Hope this helps and I would say to give the lighting a shot and if you decide it's not for you, then no harm will have been done. I was really hesitant about it, but it boiled down to me wanting to provide a superior product for my clients and I think anyone can accept and respect that.

[Corey Graham]

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

You do not have to use light Corey, that is a personal decision for you to make, of course.

They have dimmers. When set your lights properly they add to the atomosphere, they don't ruin it.

I know I don't have to use lights, but I've had some really dark receptions lately that could have benefited by more light. I rely on fast lenses as much as possible, but dark is dark. I'm weighing options now that I'm getting a feel for the more popular venues in my area. I've found people to generally react negatively to camera lights, and hope to find a good solution with off-camera lights.

Originally Posted by Jeff Brewer

With the height of my lighting I have yet to receive complaints. I forget who it was, but they explained it in a great way, when the Sun is directly above us, we aren't really blinded by it, but as soon as it hits the horizon in the evening, it makes driving tough and causes us to throw up visors and sunglasses.

...

Plus, my couples are paying for a quality video and respect my work. I feel by producing a mediocre product (not using enough light) would be a disservice to them.

That's a really great way of putting it, thank you! You may have just convinced me to give it a shot. Despite doubling the cost, I'm thinking that 2 Comer 1800's plus batteries/stands would be the way to go.

Would you recommend a diffusion filter for the Comer? Or does it throw nice soft light to begin with?

[Jeff Brewer]

When I purchased mine I got 4 total batteries, although the battery generally lasts all reception. I also picked up the clear diffusion filters and swapped out the 3200K filters. I keep the 3200K handy, but in general I find the 3200K filters to be a bit orange for my taste and also reduce the luminosity overall.

Taky informed me that there is a rapid charger, which I would probably have ordered, but instead I just got the regular charger which takes about 6-7 hours to charge a battery. Since I have 4 batteries, this isn't really an issue for me.

Mark mentioned in another thread that he had a custom cable created so that he could use his Comer's with the reception lighting kit found here:

The Wireless Wedding Reception Light - PRICING INFORMATION

Sounds really awesome as it becomes an inconvenience to drop the stands to adjust the lights or turn them on and off. Perhaps I will look into this in the future, but for now I am OK with a minor inconvenience. Enjoy!

[Greg Fiske]

Regarding the Comer's 1800, it seems like it would be a harsher light source than say a 1'x1' led panel (since its a point source). I guess for dancing at a reception both lights would be so far away that it wouldn't matter. Comparing the specs, at 3 feet, the comer does 1800 lux and the 1024 flolight does 4600. But I guess you are paying for that at 3 times the price.

Seems like the panel type led's might get more use, maybe creative effects for brides? Or is the spot light type of effect of the comer's a better production value because of things like the first dance?

Anyone use both and can explain which they like best? Maybe I should rent to get an idea.

[Taky Cheung]

There isn't any issue with the color temperature with the Comer lights. Most LED lights out there use 5600K color temp which is good for outdoor use only. It has to be gel to 3200K for indoor use. You can't use 5600K indoor.

Comer is by default 4500K Color temp. It also comes with the orange filter to lower color temp to 3200K. 4500K can be used indoor without any gel. Some people like it, some don't. If you have the Comer light and you don't like the 4500K, then use the orange filter. That would be same like other LED lights.

I like the 4500K color temp myself. I found the bride's gown white is neutral white, not too blue or yellow. There are other people disagree... then don't use 4500K. It's like a personal preference. =)

[Taky Cheung]

I have a different take on people dancing in bright light. All the wedding I did at open dance floor, people are willing to dance in front of the camera and not shy at all. They all have fun.

Wedding Open Dance Floor on Vimeo

Footage above there're 2 Comer 1800 on light stands. Then one on each cameras (2) lit the dance floor.