Light painting torch

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Steve T

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Can anyone recommend a good torch for adding subtle light effects to small product shots please. I'm looking to finely place light onto dark angles on sharp gloss edges and I think a torch beam may work. I've looked at led lenser torches and they seem the most suitable, but not sure what to buy. This is not for painting colour onto big subjects but rather adding a glint or bright spot to a small product that is too difficult to pick out by placing reflectors. The other lighting is studio flash and speedlights with all manner of modifiers. I just want a bit more tweekability and fine tuning with something of a similar colour temperature. I am going to try shooting in a dark room
with no ambient light, using flash, but with a long exposure to give me time to add stuff with the torch...

So, if any of that makes sense, whats the best one to get please:)
 
It's a valid technique, but it has its problems. Personally I prefer to use flash with modifiers such as honeycombs, it's just easier and more precise that way.

Another technique is to use flash with reflectors, and the most effective reflectors for adding precise detail are tiny pieces of glass.

But by all means try light painting. I've tried LED torches but found them to be far too powerful (you need to use a fairly dim light so that you can build up the intensity easily and precisely, and you need to be able to keep the torch moving, and that's easier if the torch isn't too bright). LED torches are also very blue in colour and you'll need to gel the light quite drastically.

I find an ordinary, cheap torch much better for this. Again, you will need to gel the light
 
LED Lenser torches are fantastic. It sounds like you only need a small one though so I would say someting like the P3 but even that may be too much for what you want.
You can get some really cheap and nasty led torches with a pretty pathetic light output and that may be more what you need for this type of thing - like those ones you stick on a keyring:)
As far as LED Lenser go, I've lightpainted a whole underground cavern with my P7 - best torch built in my opinion:)
 
Another vote here for LED Lenser torches, the P7 and T7 are both fantastic and work great for light painting. Possibly brighter than you need though.
 
Thanks for those replies, I would probably have gone and bought the wrong thing as usual. I like the idea of a cheap ordinary torch :) makes a nice change.
 
I have 2 P7 and P3s, they are excellent torches.
 
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