Move Camera Lights off Camera w/reflectors

B

Beck_Summers

Member
Hi ...

I've been following the threads regarding on camera lights ... recommedations like the Lowel iLights and PAG C6's ... etc ...

From what i've been reading so far, it seems as though on camera lights are unflattering at best ....

Just wondering how viable it is to bounce these lights off reflectors, or to get these lights off the camera by several metres in either direction so as to improve image quality ...

Can on camera lights like those mentioned above be tilted 180 degrees horizontally or 90 degrees vertically to be bounced off reflectors or ceilings/walls on to the subject? Can they be detached from the camera so that they can be angled by a lighting person standing next to the cameraman? Or is the only solution to diffuse the light with filters, etc.

Or is the whole image quality issue simply due to the fact that its a single point of light source vs. a traditional 3 light (key, fill, back) setup?

Cheers!
 
Re: Move Camera Lights off Camera w/reflectors

your thinking the right way Beck... that is the best way to do it. On camera lights tent to be very harsh and direct, the worst possible light you can have for Video. To bounce a direct light off the wall (ceilings will makes some odd shadows) or use one of those mini chimeras you can get a nice soft light.
 
Re: Move Camera Lights off Camera w/reflectors

I have a little Haitian boy that holds some foam core up for me.
 
Re: Move Camera Lights off Camera w/reflectors

John.. I already warned you.. my ass is getting sore from falling off my chair laughing so much. Stop it.
 
Re: Move Camera Lights off Camera w/reflectors

There's a product called something like Mighty Wondercam or something, where they have an offset handle that sticks out the side of the camera and has a shoe mount on top. Using that you could get the light a little bit off-axis...
 
Re: Move Camera Lights off Camera w/reflectors

I bought a version of this off ebay about 3 years ago for 12 bucks.. Cant remember what it was called but it worked well, but realistically it didnt push it off axis enough to make much of a difference except for really close shots.
 
Re: Move Camera Lights off Camera w/reflectors

Hi ... thanks for your replies ... very few Haitians here in Tokyo but i'll see if i can get ahold of one of thsse sandwich board fellas to fill in ... they stand out on the streets all day advertising casinos so i'm sure they won't mind holding a foam core board for a gaijin for a change ... !

Meanwhile, back at the on-camera ranch, so what i am grasping so far is that you don't recommend shelling out the 300 clams to get such a unit (for instance PAG C6)? That the best thing is to use reflectors if outside, or if inside, use reflectors to bounch available (or punched up light) onto subject?????


cheers, beck
 
Re: Move Camera Lights off Camera w/reflectors

Battery operated 2 foot, 2 bank kino's handheld off camera by an assistant (Haitian's not a requirement). It all comes back to the "the larger, and closer the source, the softer the light" rule (added to the fact that lighting from directly above camera looks bad). On camera lights are a tiny little source, so you can't make them look soft enough, even with diffusion (unless you use a big piece, then it becomes the source) If you watch "Average Joe", you'll see some interviews done with the kino setup.
 
Re: Move Camera Lights off Camera w/reflectors

you can almost see the lighting set up in the reflection of that girl with the gigantic eye balls on Average Joe. Everytime I see her I want to go loosen her bra or something, she looks like someone is squeezing the sh!t out of her.
 
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