Light mounted on the camera?

N

newbie

Active member
I was thinking of buying some light to elimate shadows in the subject face when outdoors or when in available light and use a diffuser to make it softer. Would I been looking for e.g. 10w light when the subject is 2 meters (6 feet) from the camera?

The subject is btw a host of your documentary.
 
A 20w light is the minimum that I use indoors to supplement available light.

I don't think that there's an on cam light available that can do what you want outdoors.

You're better off thinking of using reflectors (for reasonable cost). Otherwise you'll probably need 650w or more outside.
 
For outdoors shooting you'd need an on-camera HMI, such as the Frezzi. A 24w HMI would probably do what you want -- a 10w tungsten light would be useless for outdoors. A 24w HMI would have equivalent light output to about 100 watts of tungsten, but it's also the right color temperature for outdoors interviews.
 
Will the subject be moving around a lot? If not, a Photoflex Reflector Kit (with stand) is your best low-cost bet. Otherwise, I'd look at the Litepanel's LED on camera lights. They're coming out with a new "DV adapter plate" version that can use your spare Sony, Canon, or Panasonic camcorder batteries for $799.
 
Using a camera light will diminish any serious production value, unless you want your video to look like TV news, usually very flat looking.
If cost is an issue... the reflectors would be the way to go.
Otherwise, like stated above, using large wattage tungsten lamps (color corrected), or HMI (which are daylight balanced) will give you the best and most natural look.
I'm guilty of using 4x8 sheets of white foamboard because of the costs involved with buying or leasing big lights... unless I can convince the agency or producers
to go the extra bucks for the look they want, otherwise, reflectors work just fine.
 
Thanks all.

As I can buy cheap reflector sets on ebay.de I´m going to start with them and see if they cannot do the job. Are 2 reflectors more useful than 1? (in order to have the light coming from both sides)
 
Most of the time, you can set the shot so that the sun is the key, and the reflector serves as your fill.

Of course, shooting during the early morning or near dusk (the so called "golden hour") is always good so that the light is a little softer, and you don't have to worry about lighting the background or using a large scrim to soften the light.
 
Thanks Joe.

I´m going to try to use a reflector or two whenever possible....which is better btw 1 or 2?

But I might later run into darker situations and I know a dealer in Germany who sells softboxes and stands for little money, but he doesn´t offer battery powered lights. Aren´t battery powered lights that can be used inside softboxes expensive?

I also have another question. I saw on camera light FREZZI MFIC-12P and it is relatively cheap, but is it a good light? I think it can be used with a softbox. http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=91210

Thanks for all your big help!
 
Frezzi's are great lights (I think Barry Green uses a 75W one). Just remember that the above light also needs an adapter to fit on the shoe of the cam (unless you're mounting it to something else), at least one 12v battery, and a charger.

There are a bunch of accessories available for the Frezzi's, including mini softboxes.

If you buy the companies setup, you'll be spending about twice as much as the light alone costs:

http://tinyurl.com/ag2bq

As to which is better, one or two reflectors, it all depends on what you're faced with, and how many people/how much equipment is available.

If it's pretty bright outside and one side and the back of the subject are both pretty dark after you close your iris/add an ND filter, than you might be better off using two reflectors (one for fill, and one for a hairlight). Of course, if it's really bright you would ideally be cutting the light also with a scrim/diffuser on the key side.

If it's not so bright, then just one for fill is usually pretty good.
 
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