portable light source

mik

mik

Active member
Well, i don't really know if this question fits more here or in the DYI section... i'm searching for a portable source of light, possibly an inexpensive solution; something just to light the actor's faces for outdoor city scenes.
I noticed in some movies (Fight Club, Crash) they use a china ball hanging from a boom that crewmember hold following the camera operator. However for this you need a generator; and i'm searching for something more portable. Like a battery lamp or similar. I excluded Rosco Litepad and Litepanels Mini 'cause they are very hard to find here in italy.
 
depends on how close your actors are . i just bought 2 zylight z90s . work form almost any battery source ,you can dial in 1000 to 9000 of kelvin . dial in with a dimer, dial in and color , and are remote controlled . might not be as bright as you might need, but handy units .not a cheep fix, but 2 big bounces for outside would be the cheep way to go,
 
Fluorescent or LED worklights could be what you need if budget is an issue. Color temperature isn't always great but if that's all you're using you can white balance to it and it'll be fine as long as the CRI is reasonably high. Those kinds of worklights can often be found working off 12v DC and/or with battery options so it could work for you.
 
You don't necessarily need a generator for a portable china-ball.
I could imagine rigging a 100W halogen lamp into a small china ball. Use a 12V bulb and get a lead battery - these are relatively inexpensive and easily support 100W or more. Depending on the battery I guess you could even use a 200W lamp.

At work we have portable 100W lamps (Sachtler Reporter 100) that can be operated for quite a while off of a battery belt (lead-acid or NiMH, 13.2 AH). However that solution is expensive (the pro battery belts are a few hundred Euros each and the lamp sells for another few hundred).
 
I have a compact fluorescent "flat" lamp which is connected to an inverter and gel-cell battery. Lasts for at least an hour, fits in a fanny-pack, and cost less than $50 (and ten minutes) to put together.

You can stick one or two large CFLs in a china ball and stick in on a boom as well.
 
Hey pamark I use that setup all of the time. It's really great, especially if you need fill inside a car to bring up the average light balance. I've also used a bare CFL on a boom without the need for a china ball. Open bulbs create the same effect.
 
pmark23 said:
I have a compact fluorescent "flat" lamp which is connected to an inverter and gel-cell battery. Lasts for at least an hour, fits in a fanny-pack, and cost less than $50 (and ten minutes) to put together.

You can stick one or two large CFLs in a china ball and stick in on a boom as well.
Click to expand...


Commercial setup or diy for the flat panel?
 
harbor freight has a battery operated LED worklight for $40. it says it runs for 6 hours. its up in the 6-8000 k range tho
 
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