i'm looking for the best ( and that kind of means most powerful as long as the color is good) battery operated LED light mainly for exterior interviews. Would be great if it could run off my 98W V 14.5 V V mount batts. I figure it will probably be one of the COB lights made by Aperture, Godox , Nanlite etc. Any suggestions welcome.
Best battery powered daylight source
- Thread starter LennyLevy
- Start date
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
it is worth understanding your v lock battery can deliver a certain finite current - read the specs - contact the maker
a typical 100whr vlock can only deliver 50 watts
(50watts for two hours = 100w/hours but not 100watts)
so you would be safe to get theoreticall a 50w light but are safest with a 40w light
or maybe you have more capable vlocks or have enough to run them in parrallel.. which will take some bespoke wiring.
I have a 40w dedo dayled spot that can be spotted in on a face on a sunny day or shot through maybe a 36in lastolight for ints.
it is a bit crap really.. but both the ability to produce a little fill on an ext or a soft light in a light free zone will get you out of jail.
dedo are a bit overpriced and some chinese fixture will come in at 25% cost and 80% of quality
--
that is a 98whr vlock,, something you own to power your camera.
if you move to larger vlocks or floor batts you will get to a better place.. maybe an intelligent fixture that will do 100w off the batt and 200w when you can access mains.
overall cob/fresnel is imo best as you can make harsh but bright on an exterior or shoot thour a 36 lastolight indoors
a typical 100whr vlock can only deliver 50 watts
(50watts for two hours = 100w/hours but not 100watts)
so you would be safe to get theoreticall a 50w light but are safest with a 40w light
or maybe you have more capable vlocks or have enough to run them in parrallel.. which will take some bespoke wiring.
I have a 40w dedo dayled spot that can be spotted in on a face on a sunny day or shot through maybe a 36in lastolight for ints.
it is a bit crap really.. but both the ability to produce a little fill on an ext or a soft light in a light free zone will get you out of jail.
dedo are a bit overpriced and some chinese fixture will come in at 25% cost and 80% of quality
--
that is a 98whr vlock,, something you own to power your camera.
if you move to larger vlocks or floor batts you will get to a better place.. maybe an intelligent fixture that will do 100w off the batt and 200w when you can access mains.
overall cob/fresnel is imo best as you can make harsh but bright on an exterior or shoot thour a 36 lastolight indoors
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morgan_moore
Major Contributor
I have my own bespoke 'double v lock' plate to give a boost to my movi on a jib.. it will basically run it all day. I use amazon andoer vlock plates bolted on a plate.. but some good thought needs to be given to the wiring or you will short or blow something. I use the yellow connectors from rc cars and no dtap to stop voltage pollution,
Thanks Morgan but I know all that stuff . My vlocks can handle high draw and if needed I can buy a dual adapter . I’m looking for advice on the fixtures themselves and I forgot to add “inexpensive” preferably under $1k and that can run on 1 vlock . Otherwise I’ll have to buy another ton of batts too . I have a COB nanlite 60B that is surprisingly bright but I’m looking for something stronger . I’m looking for something to use on docs w small or even no crew .
Run&Gun
Veteran
I think you may have to step up in price and to dual battery fixtures to get more punch. I have an Aputure 600d that is great, but it requires two batteries to run AND to get full power they have to be ~28V batts(which I do not own). Otherwise it’ll only run at half-throttle with 14.4’s(but still requires large capacity batteries). Even my Orion 300 FS’s require two batteries to run, but they use standard 14.4’s.
Generally speaking, LED’s are about the same 4:1 power efficiency of HMI’s. Obviously reflector design, optics, modifiers and distance all play into the final amount of heat being thrown onto the subject.
Generally speaking, LED’s are about the same 4:1 power efficiency of HMI’s. Obviously reflector design, optics, modifiers and distance all play into the final amount of heat being thrown onto the subject.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
if you know all that stuff then say you know it.
I have 98w/hr vlocks that can chuck out n watts.
You are I beleive of a class that will have had vlocks for years (like me) and vlocks designed to power 40w cameras cant power 100w lights for a short time. the maths of half the time twice as much draw doesnt work as the max draw is not infinite.. in fact iti is very finite.
Well you need to check - my 100w/hr harwkwoods vlocks .(old batter designed for cameras) . I blew on of them trying to run a more powerful light.
they run the 40w light well
In terms of actuall fixutres the amaran 200 present an excellent size/draw/lumens ratio for solo operation IMO.
How you power them with batts I dont know.
I have 98w/hr vlocks that can chuck out n watts.
You are I beleive of a class that will have had vlocks for years (like me) and vlocks designed to power 40w cameras cant power 100w lights for a short time. the maths of half the time twice as much draw doesnt work as the max draw is not infinite.. in fact iti is very finite.
Well you need to check - my 100w/hr harwkwoods vlocks .(old batter designed for cameras) . I blew on of them trying to run a more powerful light.
they run the 40w light well
In terms of actuall fixutres the amaran 200 present an excellent size/draw/lumens ratio for solo operation IMO.
How you power them with batts I dont know.
Doug Jensen
Carbonite Member
It is a faulty assumption that you need the "most powerful" lights money can buy for exterior interviews. Your talent won't be able to handle it. I have several Litepanels Astras and Litepanels fresnels that provide more firepower than your talent will be able to handle. Even with nice diffusion, these lights provide more than enough firepower for 99% of any outdoor interviews you are going to encounter. In a couple of worst case scenarios, I have had to double-up lights for extra power, but no big deal. All of my lights operate on regular Anton-Bauer V-locks, so they are lightweight, easy to setup, easy to power, and very versatile in the many ways they can be deployed . I suggest you stop thinking about brute force and think more about shooting angles, location, technique, and ensuring the comfort of your talent.
I agree with you about brute strength Doug but I've been doing this stuff for a long time, I'm not asking for advice as to how to shoot. I'm just looking for any suggestions about the newer inexpensive LED lights that pack some punch and don't need a huge investment in batteries that I can just have on hand for small shoots. I'm thinking COB lights along the Aperture Godox type though maybe a panel light along the lines of an Astra would be better. It is important to be able to diffuse it and preferably with some choice from light to heavier. I do find on outdoor interviews I can get by with doubling up lights or using a harder light than i would ever do on an indoor shoot. All that daylight fill seems to be forgiving .
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morgan_moore
Major Contributor
whats this.. https://www.thomann.de/gb/aputure_2_bay_battery_power_station.htm
those little amaran cob are a fraction of the size of panels
those little amaran cob are a fraction of the size of panels
Been using Astra 6x in this capacity going on 4 years. Lupo Superpanel 30 is an equivalent contender. Rotolight makes great LED panels as well, don’t recall the model names, though. A 98Wh battery realistically limits it to a ~100w fixture, imho.
I also own a few battery powered Intellytech X-100 COB/fresnel-ish-s, but they’re way more cumbersome than panels for interview, especially if modifiers come into play.
I also own a few battery powered Intellytech X-100 COB/fresnel-ish-s, but they’re way more cumbersome than panels for interview, especially if modifiers come into play.
Grug
Veteran
For outdoor interviews, you really want as much punch as you can possibly get. I'd want a 500w COB at a bare MINIMUM. I think the best bet for this would be a couple of the big lithium-powered camping batteries. They can supply the output you'd need to run something like a Forza 720, Forza 500 or Aputure 600D, and a pair of them would probably be enough to get you through a day.
98Whr 14v V-mounts are simply not going to cut it. They haven't got the output you need for a useful light. And smashing them at maximum draw (to run a 150w panel or something) will kill them pretty quickly. So they're not the right tool for the job. Either invest in 26-28v batteries, or get the big camping batteries. The camping batteries are a lot cheaper and simpler, so for your particular purpose, I think they'd be the better bet.
98Whr 14v V-mounts are simply not going to cut it. They haven't got the output you need for a useful light. And smashing them at maximum draw (to run a 150w panel or something) will kill them pretty quickly. So they're not the right tool for the job. Either invest in 26-28v batteries, or get the big camping batteries. The camping batteries are a lot cheaper and simpler, so for your particular purpose, I think they'd be the better bet.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
my experience is that 100w/hr battery is appropriate to a 50w fixture. But Im not right.. Im just suggesting posters read the specs of the batts they own. Or speak to the maker.
It is possible that AB or others provide more current per w/hr tha my older design Hawkwoods batts
(to some extent it is not likely as they all use the same core cells?)
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
this batt.. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...o_90_gold.html
claims 10 amps which would be 140w and dead in just under the hour.. better than my Hawkwoods.
edit for 10a one would need 2.0mm of copper in the wires to avoid overheating/reseistance.
claims 10 amps which would be 140w and dead in just under the hour.. better than my Hawkwoods.
edit for 10a one would need 2.0mm of copper in the wires to avoid overheating/reseistance.
Doug Jensen
Carbonite Member
Well, I've been successfully using 90w and 150w Anton/Bauer batteries outdoors with my Litepanel Astras and Fresnels for quite a few years without any complaints. One thing I really like about the A/B batteries is that the digital display on the side tells me exactly how many hours and minutes are left on the battery at the current dimming level. That is priceless when you can't afford to lose a light in the middle of live shot or an important interview.
Mitch Gross
Veteran
You can get amperage draw capacities on any modern battery on the manufacturer's websites.
I love dvxuser but sometimes you guys make me laugh . I asked about suggestions for lights (esp newer COB) that I can run off of a v mount . I’ve been shooting over 30 years and been on this forum almost as long . I know how batteries and draw work ( mine can handle high wattage) , I know how to compose and light and know that a much larger light is better for outdoor shooting , but I didn’t ask for any of that advice - I was just wondering what experience people may have had with the newer inexpensive lights . So far I’ve gotten lots of advice but no one has addressed my question at all . I do appreciate the concern though .
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morgan_moore
Major Contributor
Maybe you need to be advised by the lack of the answer you want.
Maybe there isnt really a good solution based around 100w/hr batteries?
Ive told you my 40w dedo is a good solution .. they now make more powerful versions and fakes are available
Personally Ive just not really gone down the road of batterying anything bigger than 100w
(yes I have a leisure bat solution but only for 100w panels)
all my cobs are 200w plus.
I did link to a 2xvlock device
fyi this was on my most recent set.. I think it is 2 large vlocks in parralell.
==
once again I would suggest amaran 200d and this is the thing to be checking out today.
https://cvp.com/product/aputure-6971...oaAriHEALw_wcB
amaran 200d are excellent but we dont own the dc bit.
about 6. mins a clear shot of the 48v dc in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML0wiwVk6wo
Maybe there isnt really a good solution based around 100w/hr batteries?
Ive told you my 40w dedo is a good solution .. they now make more powerful versions and fakes are available
Personally Ive just not really gone down the road of batterying anything bigger than 100w
(yes I have a leisure bat solution but only for 100w panels)
all my cobs are 200w plus.
I did link to a 2xvlock device
fyi this was on my most recent set.. I think it is 2 large vlocks in parralell.
==
once again I would suggest amaran 200d and this is the thing to be checking out today.
https://cvp.com/product/aputure-6971...oaAriHEALw_wcB
amaran 200d are excellent but we dont own the dc bit.
about 6. mins a clear shot of the 48v dc in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML0wiwVk6wo
Attachments
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morgan_moore
Major Contributor
I might be wrong but while it looks like a charger it is a device to take 2 vlocks and output 48v suitable for running various lights includong the amaran 200?
DustinSchmidt
Well-known member
I don't own one, but the Aputure 600d Pro by all accounts can compete with daylight and can run off of batteries.
- Dual Battery Plate Power Supply Supports Multiple Voltages up to Half or Full Power (14.4V / 26V / 28.8V)
- Can Achieve Half Output with 2x V-Mount / Gold Mount Batteries (14.4V/15A, 26V/8.5A, 28.8V/7.5A)
- Can Achieve Max Power with 2x V-Mount / Gold Mount Batteries (26V/18A, 28.8V/16A)