Manfrotto Pocket 12 LED Light?

visagephoto

visagephoto

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Alan
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Thinking of buying this LED for continuous lighting of personal injury closeups and at only £18.99 it seems worth a punt, however I wondered if anyone here has any experience or opinions regarding the suitability, etc. of LED's in general, and this one in particular, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Manfrotto-Pocket-12-LED-Light/dp/B00593VDHC/ref=pd_ybh_2

Or maybe you would recommend an alternative smallish LED light source altogether.
 
Hi Alan,

I've had a lot of experience with the Manfrotto LED lights and have demoed them at various events such as Focus and The Gadget Show. I also use a couple of the big ML840s in my work when travelling. As far as the 18 LED light goes it is really designed for use with small compact cameras and iPhones etc. The problem you may have is that it doesn't have a very wide spread of light. For the work you want to do I would be tempted to go for the ML360.
However as I have no experience of personal injury photography I can't really comment if LED lights would be the best solution for you so hopefully someone with some more experience in that respect will come along shortly. If you have anymore technical questions about the LEDs I'll do my best to answer them for you
 
Thanks for the reply Jacob,

I should have been clearer when describing my requirements, some small injuries can leave shallow indents and irregularities on the skin, which require modelling by side lighting.

I currently use off camera flash which is convenient, but sometimes it can be difficult take close up shots without blocking some of the light and it can also be difficult to see where the shadows are falling.

therefore I'm looking for a smallish constant light source which can be hand held (if required), which isn't too bright to be positioned close to the injury for closeup shots (maybe 6in - 12in) but bright enough to enable such shots to be taken hand held at say 200iso, 125/sec & f4.0/5.6 to minimise camera or subject shake.

I've noticed some larger (unknown brands) LED panels with more function ie. dimmer, filters & barn doors etc. for not too much more ££, but I'd be a bit wary of their reliability and build quality etc.
 
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the £30 ebay ones are alright. The light that they give out is very consistent (even at 240fps I've seen NO change between frames). The tripod thread on some models can be a bit dodgy, but overall for the price, they're great.

Given your subject matter though, you may be better off having a 'known quantity' of light product used.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
the £30 ebay ones are alright. The light that they give out is very consistent (even at 240fps I've seen NO change between frames). The tripod thread on some models can be a bit dodgy, but overall for the price, they're great.

Given your subject matter though, you may be better off having a 'known quantity' of light product used.
Click to expand...

The only issue I've seen with some of the cheaper models is the inconsistency in the colour temperature output. They often lack the complete red end of the spectrum so skin tones can go awry
 
Thanks Guys.

I think I would probably feel slightly more reassured using an LED from a brand name like Manfrotto, and for under £20.00 I suppose the 12 LED pocket light is worth considering.

One last question before purchasing. . . As this light is powered by one AAA battery for only 20 (Manfrotto)-30 (Amazon) mins, Do the LEDs dim and therefore change colour temperature as the battery becomes exhausted, or do they simply go from full power to off?
 
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visagephoto said:
Thanks Guys.

I think I would probably feel slightly more reassured using an LED from a brand name like Manfrotto, and for under £20.00 I suppose the 12 LED pocket light is worth considering.

One last question before purchasing. . . As this light is powered by one AAA battery for only 20 (Manfrotto)-30 (Amazon) mins, Do the LEDs dim and therefore change colour temperature as the battery becomes exhausted, or do they simply go from full power to off?
Click to expand...

I know the higher end/bigger Manfrotto ones keep a balanced colour temperature all the way to the end, I haven't tested the smaller ones the same so I couldn't say for definite
 
jacob12_1993 said:
I know the higher end/bigger Manfrotto ones keep a balanced colour temperature all the way to the end, I haven't tested the smaller ones the same so I couldn't say for definite
Click to expand...

Thanks Jacob,

I would assume LED technology would be similar across different product brands & models, therefore if the colour temperature remains constant on the larger Manfrotto models I expect it would be the same across the whole range.

I've just ordered the smaller 12 LED model to give it a try, and if I find it suitable I may then consider buying a larger model or two.

PS. I don't suppose anyone knows any other retailers who can match (or even beat) Amazons prices.
 
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Well I received the 'Manfrotto pocket 12 LED' today, and although I haven't used it yet, the light it produces seems adequate for my intended use, however I'm not sure I would have been happy paying the RRP of £40.00 for it.

I wonder how it compares to the 48 LED domestic lamps which can be found in Asda etc. for around £10.00
 
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