10W Canon VL10Li + reflector = enough already?

L

lowep

Well-known member
Trying to figure out minimal light gear I need to have with me as "emergency" back-up for a project that requires a lot of travel and probably some interviews with talking heads in offices.

Usually just do everything by adjusting the set-up to take advantage of whatever natural light is available but on this trip that may not always be possible, as some alpha-types seem to prefer to sit behind a desk no matter how inconveniently it is located. :badputer:

All I want to do is shoot head shots from the chest up and the only reason I expect I may need on-board lighting at all is either (a) to have something to throw in as fill to offset strong incoming window light, (2) to offset overhead fluorescent lights, or (3) in a pinch to use as a main light together with my fold-up reflector as fill.

I have a leftover 10W Canon VL10Li from my defunct Canon miniDV rig and a decent-sized reversible white/silver reflector. What I am trying to figure out is if I mounted the 10W Canon VL10Li on a stand about 8 feet from the subject and propped the 3-foot reflecter as close to the other side of his/her head as possible without getting it in the frame would that be enough to get a useable shot?

I am also not sure about the color balance of the Canon VL10Li but it looks slightly warmer than daylight but not toooo yellow. Is this right?

And finally I would like to ask if anybody can explain to me the difference between using the silver side and the white side of a reflector for bouncing light. Will the silver side reflect more and maybe harder light than the white side or not?

I am doing homemade experiments to try and figure this out but would like very much to hear from anybody else who has tried using a small video battery light off-camera together with a reflector to shoot talking heads.

Thanks
 
10 watts will be nothing from 8 feet away. Add in any light pollution and it's even worse. It's the inverse square law. I suggest you look into using a larger light, even a 300 watt is better but something fluorescent will probably work to your favor without heat or power issues. I find the silver side harsher but it reflects more light. I have to bring in a white reflector a little closer but it's softer. Perhaps you should look into repurposing sunlight when possible.
 
thanks D., by "repurposing sunlight" do you mean bouncing it off a reflector or...

after reading other posts about 300-500 watt lighting on this forum I also thought a pipsqueak 10W light sounded like nothing but when I turned the #@! thing on and just held it up about 8 feet away to see if there was any effect it definitely added visible fill at least to the side of my chunky computer away from the window... that confused me enough to post this thread
 
Exactly. Sounds like you might be trying to keep the weight down and having a few folding reflectors on you can work wonders if you can sometimes move the talent over or turn them a little to use whatever sunlight is available. How tight are you shooting? If you're shooting the chest and up, you can come in way closer than 8 feet. Either way you might see some visible fill but I fear it might still render too dark for a camera especially when trying to combat the sun, it's best to look at a waveform monitor if there's one built in. Most would suggest renting kinos here but if you are traveling you'll have to make sure you don't destroy the tubes in transit. If that worries you, packing a fresnal can save you some trouble, it'll run hotter, but you can bounce it.
 
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