On camera light for weddings?

R

RenegadeNY

Member
I've got a DVX100B on order and I'm trying to decide what type of on camera light I might need (if at all depending on how much light is present). I'd like it to be sufficient enough to to provide just enough light without putting the bridge, groom, and everyone else on a spotlight.

I guess something with a diffuser on it to soften the lights impact and not cause that spotlight look on my subjects.

Are the lights powered via the shoe or i need seperate power/battery pack?

Can someone recommend some lights?

Thanks!
 
Renegade-

First of all, where in NY are you from? We just might be neighbors. It's always good to hook up with fellow DVXers if you can.

As for an on-camera light, the PAG C6 light is a VERY popular choice around here. It's is also a very good looking unit. It has a flip up diffuser. It has a flip up gel to change the color temperature of the light (if you want to use it indoors or outdoors) and it has barndoors. I bought a used unit, have yet to use it but have played around with it and think it is an excellent choice. New, they are nearly $400.00 bucks.

However, you can get many lights that are MUCH cheaper. Bescor makes all sorts of lights for less than a 100 bucks. I borrowed a buddies a couple of months ago and found that it was okay but a little bright. So, I used a BOUNCE dryer sheet to diffuse the light, taped it on real good so it didn't look "cheesy" and it worked great. But, I'm glad I spent a little more for the pag C6. I'd hate for someone to notice my dryer sheet workaround.

Rick
 
Bet you had the freshest smelling camera in town! ;)

I'm actually in Monmouth, NJ now - was in Brooklyn. I looked the PAG C6 up.. looks good - is a bit pricey though. Definitely need one with the diffuser built in. I guess the barn doors are also a necessity. The gel filter.. hmmm.

The light is 20 watts... Would you say thats sufficient light if I happen to be in extreme darkness?

Do you also do event videography? How do you find the DVX for low light situations in your experience?

Thanks
 
In my experience, I would avoid using on camera lights. Some of the people find it kind of intrusive having a light shine in their face.

but you can't always avoid that.
 
RenegadeNY said:
Do you also do event videography? How do you find the DVX for low light situations in your experience?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes, I have been doing some event videography and have found the DVX to perform so-so in low light situations. I mean, you will get your subjects illuminated with your cam (please avoid the gain if at all possible...it makes for a VERY noisy picture) but for a wedding for example, the on-cam light becomes almost a necessity. 20 watts is pretty fine. You NEED the diffuser. Otherwise your footage will be of guests squinting their eyes and making sarcastic remarks about being blinded. But definitely get a light for weddings. It's much better to have than to get dark or noisy footage. Sure, it's not ideal, but again, we are talking about the lesser of two evils.

The Pag C6 may be pricey, but it's a nice light. And like I suggested, you could get a Bescor and use a BOUNCE diffuser. It works and, as you say, helps to make your camera the freshest smelling in town. ;o)

Rick
 
Personally I prefer not to use lights as well. I've found that bumping the shutter speed down to 1/24 or there abouts and opening your iris yield rather good results. I just shot a reception this past Saturday that looked a bit dark under the standard shutter speed (1/50) even with the iris wide open. I bumped down the shutter speed and it looked great! There wasn't enough movement to cause excessive motion blur. I find that for weddings it's generally a good trade off.
 
Frezzi

Frezzi

I've used a dimable Frezzi for years...very reliable...cheap to get bulbs...Home Depot even in a pinch. I own 2. Keep it dim as needed...crank it up when required. Wedding receptions are notoriously dark...don't know why, maybe it hides how bad the places would look well lit. You can get a softbox for it as well as a dicromatic filter....works well outdoors in partial daylight. Get the longest mounting rod for it to keep it high off the camera hence up from the lens so it lights the talent slightly from above. Expensive but professional and rugged. You get what you pay for.
 
another option for light

another option for light

I just looked at an on camera light which was part of Anton Bauer's "Stasis Power Package". Light powered from battery attached to shoulder mount stasis system. Light has option of softbox, filters etc. , dimmer option. Choose from a range of wattages.

I'm thinking about buying the DVX100b to replace my vx1000 and thought this on camera light was worth consideration. I don't know how much wattage I'd need using the DVX 100b, but I'm guessing I'd go with the 50 to allow for the diffusion and shooting subjects beyond 5 ft. Maybe more wattage - not sure.
 
Stasis and LitePanel

Stasis and LitePanel

I own a Stasis. It is a very good package, probably the best solution for a compact shoulder mount and light. A shouldermount is crucial if you are going to be doing weddings on a regular basis. It can be surprisingly physical work.

The shortcomings of the Stasis are this:

1. The ultralight is a bit harsh and not dimmable. I would suggest that you get a diffusion unit for it. Wedding guests will be squinting if you do not. An undimmable light can also be unappreciated and mood-ruining at a low-lit, elegant reception.

2. The supplied TrimPac battery operates the 20w ultralight for only 1-1.5 hours. This can be a problem if it is an outdoor evening wedding and/or the reception is in a dark, hall and you need to have the your camera light on the whole time.

3. The Stasis is designed so you can screw a camera plate into bottom the Stasis armature--and thus you can mount the whole rig onto a tripod very quickly. This works fairly well, but it is not perfect. Even though the Statis is machined very well, there is a tiny amount of "flex" at the joints and camera plate juncture--and you should not expect it to be as rock solid as tripod-only shots during quick pans and tilts. I never found it to be a shot-killer, but it annoyed the perfectionist in me.

Still, all-in-all, it is very effective design and I don't think there is a better compact shoulder-mount out there for the money--and I have tried many.

--

I just picked up a LitePanel which I think may become a contender for "best on-camera light". It is expensive, but dimmable and very power efficient. I'm looking forward to testing it out for a few months and seeing how well it works. I have high hopes.
 
I use for my wedding the Bescor MPL 645 minipro reporter light. It has a dichroic filter and a built-in dimmer. It works with 12 v 50 w. lamps.
It´s small and lightweight and less expensive than pag or frezzi. For me this fixture is a great choice.
 
I'm looking all so many choices for variations of the Ultralite in the anton bauer catalog it's not easy to decide, but once I look at pricing that will narrow the choices a bit. For sure I'll get some kind of diffusion and maybe other options, gel/diffusion frame and wide angle adapter, soft box etc.

Most of the combos pictured are showing the 25 watt which of course saves on battery life, but I'm thinking it might not be quite enough wattage once you put the diffusion or softbox over it. I'd just have to guess a bit because I don't yet own the dvx100b, so can't be sure how it will do in low light compared to my old vx1000.

I have an old shoulder mount I never use because I don't like it. The stassis felt much better tryiing it briefly at the expo with the weight of the battery counterbalancing it on the back of my shoulder.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top