Looking to get a video light for stills

mark1616

mark1616

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As I'm slowly building up my kit I've got to the stage where I really feel a video light would make life simpler in a few certain areas of indoor wedding shooting so would like some suggestions. I don't have a budget as I honestly don't know what is needed or even available when it comes to power, control etc. There is no point getting something that won't do the job so happy to invest if it is the right tool.

I realised I posted in the wrong place originally so can you please delete the one at the below link?

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=385500
 
I actually do a fair bit of videos for my son's school. So I have tried video light for photography. Even with couple of Arri 600, I find it's too restricted and don't produce enough light. Also having a bright constant light ended up disrupting the natural lighting of the event.
 
Indoor weddings? I think a lot of people use lowish power LED panels and PAG lights.
 
I have a LightPanels MicroPlus, incredible build quality and light output. However it is quite weighty and pretty useless for anything remotely in the distance. For controlling the light in rooms you are looking at massive lights but then you kill the atmosphere. It's a no win situation really
 
Thanks for the replies, I'm not thinking lighting a room but for accentuating the light, when working with a bride/bride and groom. I could do it with flash but think I will be able to work quicker with changing the mood having a battery powered small continuous system.

So it is a balance rather than totally overpower the ambient light, will be off camera so weight no major problem.

Jacob, can you get barn doors for the Microplus?
 
I'd imagine that your main use will be a little bit of fill / extra directional light as and when needed. Key requirement to be simple to handhold and gel to tungsten.

Have you considered one of the (really pretty cheap) LED panels, even the Z96 on ebay (about £30) which works well, and will both work, and allow you to see how you'll use such a light before investing even more? By no means wasted money though, they work well.
 
Honestly, daft idea. Use flash - that's what it's made for.
 
HoppyUK said:
Honestly, daft idea. Use flash - that's what it's made for.
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Let's not have this argument again...

Led panels that are aa powered, the size of a deck of cards are surpsingky powerful, easy to gel (usually include a rigid CTO sheet), and a very neat way of just getting some low level fill, particularly in dark environments. They're also less intrusive than a flash, no need to worry about syncing, and quite a lot softer than a bare flash too.
 
mark1616 said:
Something I really don't understand is the power ratings so I can work out the realistic output of various options and what sort of settings I would be using.

The only thing that puts me off an LED panel is not having barn doors to shape/focus the light.
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The offerings from Manfrotto do give some information with both a LUX rating and guide number - some even have flash capability, but how good they are is another matter!

Paul
 
The Photographer I 2nd for uses a sachtler 150 Reporter (mains powered ) with barn door and frensel and we get some nice photo from it, He's been on a few Damien Lovegrove courses and like using them, from then on, he also has two Arri 300 but we dont use these much, the Sachtler nice and small to move round on a Stand.
 
mark1616 said:
Why a daft idea, many high end photographers use it?
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Unless you're shooting video, flash is much more efficient and versatile. Dozens of bits and pieces made just for this kind of purpose. Why don't you want to use flash?
 
HoppyUK said:
Unless you're shooting video, flash is much more efficient and versatile. Dozens of bits and pieces made just for this kind of purpose. Why don't you want to use flash?
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sometimes you don't need efficiency or versatility. A wedding is almost always in a dark place, and you just want a small amount of fill from something very easy to use.

This is why many wedding photogs use a small LED panel... lot smaller, lot easier, than a speedlight+trigger.
 
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