Lighting to attach to a camera advice

K

kat.hayes

Active member
I want to shoot some video with a Sony 4K FDR-AX-100 and I want to attach a light to a Vello bracket to the camera.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/918053-REG/vello_cb_510_dual_shoe_br...

The genaray LED-7100T is taller but not as wide as the other light
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/884129-REG/genaray_led_7100t_312_lam...
and it has a temperature range of 3200K-5600K

The genaray LED-7500T is wider and not as tall as the other light
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/884130-REG/genaray_led_7500t_320_lam...
and it has a temperature range of 2800K - 6500K


1. Thoughts on which of the two lights are better? The difference between wider on one vs. taller on other?
2. Any suggestions for adding diffusion? Just taping some type of diffusion material to the lights?
3. How do you determine the temperature to set at?

Thanks in advance.
 
kat.hayes said:
I want to shoot some video with a Sony 4K FDR-AX-100 and I want to attach a light to a Vello bracket to the camera.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/918053-REG/vello_cb_510_dual_shoe_br...

The genaray LED-7100T is taller but not as wide as the other light
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/884129-REG/genaray_led_7100t_312_lam...
and it has a temperature range of 3200K-5600K

The genaray LED-7500T is wider and not as tall as the other light
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/884130-REG/genaray_led_7500t_320_lam...
and it has a temperature range of 2800K - 6500K


1. Thoughts on which of the two lights are better? The difference between wider on one vs. taller on other?
2. Any suggestions for adding diffusion? Just taping some type of diffusion material to the lights?
3. How do you determine the temperature to set at?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Never heard of the brand. Not saying it's not good, just that I have never heard mention of it before your post.

1. Neither light lists CRI, which is important and signifcant for cheap LEDs. Red flag for me, they are probably pretty green looking with no CRI rating.
2. Without fairly heavy diffusion, you may see multiple source microshadows on your talent. However, heavier diffision reduces output significantly. I would try Opal, 216 oe Tough Spun, buy one of those diffusion sample packs that a lot of the gel companies make and sell https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1100312-REG/rosco_110120120001_diffusion_filter_kit_12.html nice to have different versions for different scenarios, distances, etc.
3. Experience and knowing how to determine ambient light temperature. If you are in a typical building at night or even during the day, most are lit with incandescent bulbs or fluorescents. Typically incandescent lights are somewhere around 3200k while fluorescents are typically around 4k to 4,300k. But if they are lit with LEDs, could be anywhere between tungsten and daylight or cooler. Generally, you would dial in your color temp to give you a pleasing image but you have to keep in mind what the ambient color temp is and try to blend your lighting in with that, unless you want the contrast between your cooler on camera color temp from your little light versus the typically warmer incandescents the background and surrounding are light be lit with. Or vice versa.

Personally, I would not buy a Genaray light as I have never heard of them. Probably the most popular on camera light I see on cameras these days around LA when shooting live events is the Aputure Amaran H198 and it's a lot cheaper than these Generays. Aputure rates it as greater than 95 CRI. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1114779-REG/aputure_amaran_al_198_198_on_camra_daylight.html I would also watch Caleb Pike's excellent review of 10 LED panels under $100.00 It's well done and informative https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcBb-MInwBc For me personally, I don't find bi-color lights that appealing. 90% of the time i like daylight color balance and for those rare times I need to be tungsten, most of these lights come with a CTO filter that gets you there. Bi-color panels are generally 50% less output than a comparable daylight panel since the panl must have two different color temp sets of LEDs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top