on camera light...

N

nickicide

Member
Ok another quick question...

What options do I have as far as a decent cheap on-camera light. I'm shooting a doc in rural Mongolia and most of the time won't be closer than a few hundred miles to a power plant so I think lugging an arri kit overseas is a waste of time! I don't want to get into any of the bulkier anton bauer stuff.

I will probably never need it, but if I find myself in a yurt doing an interview and need a little key what do you guys recommend?

Also, how does the dvx100 perform in low light compared to say the pd150?
 
Re: on camera light...

If you're going to be in very remote locations, you'll have to consider battery power and weight factors as well. A Frezzi Mini-Fill will go for about two hours on a battery belt, but that belt will weigh maybe 10 pounds -- is that convenient?

If small battery size or long runtime is important to you, you might consider one of the Frezzi HMI lights. The HMI 24W mini-fill puts out about 100 watts' worth of light, but draws only 24 watts, so it'd run for about six hours on that same battery belt.

Not inexpensive though, that setup'd cost about a grand.
 
Re: on camera light...

Yeah, that Pag is a lot smaller and lighter. Its battery is just over 2 pounds, but the light output is also only 20 watts... put the dichroic filter on, and you'll have light output equivalent to a 5w bulb. So, if you don't need a lot of light output and weight is your primary concern, this could be an excellent way to go. But if you need a lot of light, this might not fill the bill.
 
Re: on camera light...

I have an LTM Pepper 100, I wonder what it would take to mount that on a hot shoe hehehe
 
Re: on camera light...

I have a Frezzi Sun Gun and the thing lasts 3 1/2 - 4 hours on one np1 batt. It puts out 75 watts of light with a ten watt bulb. Np1's are cheap too, if nessary get a few dead ones from someone and take them over to a battery re-celler and you can cut the cost by 75%. I love my sun gun also because of the low temp it has. I never have to be extra careful of what is around it. ;)

-graham
 
Re: on camera light...

Well, then... that's a horse of a different color, huh?

In fact, its a light of a different color... tungsten that is.
 
Re: on camera light...

Sorry, your horse is colored daylight blue. "SUN-GUN" 5600k
The kit comes with light, lamp, 1 np1, charger.
you may want to get the 3200k filter also.

-graham
 
Re: on camera light...

Not me... I've got enough tungsten lights for now.

Next big purchase for me? A pair of Joker-Bug 400W HMI Pars complete w/Chimeras, lenses, scrims, etc. for a mere $8,500.  ;)
 
Re: on camera light...

You posted a link to the Micro-Fill, which is indeed a tungsten light.

All Frezzi Sun Guns (that I know of) are HMI's, daylight-colored. You can get one as small as 18 watts, for about $800 or so.
 
Re: on camera light...

Oh yeah, I forgot about the 10-watt Micro Sun Gun! I was thinking the 18-watt was the smallest, but yes, there's a 10-watt.

That's an actual genuine HMI light. Daylight-colored, too.

The 10-watt will put out about 35 watts' worth of light, but only draw 10 watts, so yeah, it should last *forever*. 35 watts doesn't do much outdoors, but might work as a little bit of fill. With the tungsten filter in place it drops to about an effective 20 watts of light output -- but seeing as it's only drawing 10 watts of power, if all you're looking for is a 20-watt video light, this could be a great choice!

Tungsten on-camera lights are basically worthless outdoors -- I have a Mini-Fill Dimmer with a 75-watt bulb, but by the time you put on the Dichroic filter for daylight-color-correction, you end up with maybe 20 watts worth of light (but still drawing 75 watts from the battery). Your micro-sun gun would give almost twice as much light, at half the battery draw, under those same conditions.

Under indoors conditions you won't get nearly as much punch, but you don't lose so much either -- you'll still get 20 watts' worth of light for only 10 watts' worth of draw. But as a 20-watt light, it's probably the most expensive 20-watt light there is...
 
Re: on camera light...

I use it for night "COPS" style shooting and, yes i have to turn on the gain for subjects in the distance or wide cover. But that's not really the majority of the shooting 4 - 8 feet and street lights are most often around as well. With the street lights it really makes a difference. Bright popping subjects and a nice fall off so i know my limits.

And i really got it for the size,weight, and run time of the batts. I do a lot of running. Can't really carry a couple antons at a full run.
 
Re: on camera light...

Yeah, I've got a similar Sony light for my PD-150 only it has twin lights that you can turn on one or both and they use the same batteries that power my PD-150.

Although on-camera lighting is reserved for run-n-gun situations, it would be nice if Panasonic offered a similar light that would power from DVXUser.com batteries. ;)
 
Re: on camera light...

[quote author=Terry_Lasater link=board=Links;num=1084223729;start=0#11 date=05/11/04 at 12:35:01]Next big purchase for me? A pair of Joker-Bug 400W HMI Pars complete w/Chimeras, lenses, scrims, etc. for a mere $8,500.  ;)[/quote]

Are you serious? A rental house in town here is offering a couple of 200W Jokers for sale, I think he wants $2000 each, let me know if you want the number.
 
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